Our Lumber Resource
At Foster, almost all of the lumber we use in our mouldings comes from domestic U.S. forests. The U.S. Forest Service and our domestic lumber companies have been doing an excellent job of managing our forest resources to accommodate current lumber needs, as well as to maintain the resource for future generations. Currently, there are more acres of forested land than was the case 50 or 100 years ago. Every year U.S. foresters plant more trees than are being cut.
Most of our production at Foster uses basswood, which comes from the American Linden tree. Linden trees are abundant in an area stretching from the Appalachian Mountains west into the Great Lakes area and north into Canada. There is no shortage of basswood; it is quite plentiful.
Foster does not make an attempt to buy lumber that is considered environmentally “green” for two reasons:
- First, we are interested in buying the best lumber we can find. In order to produce high quality mouldings, we need to start with lumber that is carefully dried, has good texture and density, and is long, straight, and flat. These conditions dramatically restrict the lumber available for purchase. We are hesitant to impose further conditions that do not add value for our customers.
- Secondly, the “chain of custody” requirements necessary for certified “green” lumber add to the cost of the lumber, which in turn would increase our prices.