In March of 2013 the European Union's Timber Regulation (EUTR) legislation went into effect. Simply put, EUTR is Europe's version of the US Lacey Act as it relates to lumber production. There are similarities between the two laws and a lot of differences. For instance, EUTR does consider certifications (FSC®/PEFC) and verifications (TLTV/VLO) as risk mitigation when conducting "due diligence," … [Read more...] about EU Timber Regulation Provides Lacey Act Guidance
Search Results for: lacey act
Lacey Act Compliance Becomes a Little Less Cloudy
It has been more than a year since we wrote about the Lacey Act. What then was something not many people had heard about, let alone understood, has now become front page news since the seizure of material from Gibson Guitars. With 60% of our business in importing exotic hardwoods, we were riveted to the details of this case and wondered how the vaguely worded legislation would be enforced. The … [Read more...] about Lacey Act Compliance Becomes a Little Less Cloudy
The Lacey Act Holds Everyone Responsible for Legal Lumber
Last week we talked about regulating the tropical forests and international organizations like CITES. These factors are important to consider as the lumber is harvested, processed, and exported to the US. Once that lumber hits our shores, a different kind of regulation, called The Lacey Act, kicks in that is unique to the US. This regulation holds everyone in the supply chain … [Read more...] about The Lacey Act Holds Everyone Responsible for Legal Lumber
A Real Life Lacey Act Example
We have mentioned several times that we often visit our lumber mills around the world to ensure quality and legality. On a recent trip to Peru, our exotic buyer, Caroline McIlvain got a look at some beautiful Genuine Mahogany. She also came face to face with a pack of lumber that we bought but was never exported. This was some time ago so all the details are a little fuzzy, but I thought it … [Read more...] about A Real Life Lacey Act Example
Thermally Modified Wood
Thermally Modified Decking & Siding As the name states, this is wood. All natural wood. Nothing added, just dried differently. Thermally modified wood is a superior exterior lumber used for decking and siding primarily. But instead of using tropical hardwoods or naturally rot resistant species, the thermal modification process allows us to use much more commonly available (and … [Read more...] about Thermally Modified Wood
What is CITES Appendix II?
At the end of 2022, the 19th Convention of Parties (CoP19) for CITES was held. Both Ipe and Cumaru were successfully uplisted to Appendix II. Many of us in the lumber biz saw this one coming. We have certainly written about Ipe and regulation in the past. There is a 24 month implementation period for both Ipe and Cumaru. However things are moving much faster in Brazil and changes to the … [Read more...] about What is CITES Appendix II?
Privacy Policy
What information do we collect? We collect information from you when you place an order, subscribe to our newsletter, respond to a survey or fill out a form. When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your: name, e-mail address, mailing address or phone number. You may, however, visit our site anonymously. Website Tracking J Gibson McIlvain … [Read more...] about Privacy Policy
Lumber Prices Explained
How Much Will My Lumber Cost? This question is asked several thousand times a second in the lumber business. Lumber prices cause a great deal of confusion and even anger. No matter whether the customer is buying hardwood, softwood, plywood, or even a milled wood product, it all comes down to, "How much will it cost?" The reality is that the price of any wood product is highly dependent on … [Read more...] about Lumber Prices Explained
Sapele Wood is the Cream of the African Mahogany Market
Easily one of the most popular hardwoods in our inventory has been Sapele. Each day we get requests for quotes and the Sapele species page on this site is one of the most clicked on. Sapele grows all across Africa and is popular because of the ease of use in so many applications. Sapele has long been a known entity by the windows, doors, and siding manufacturers. The more customers we expose … [Read more...] about Sapele Wood is the Cream of the African Mahogany Market
Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar Thuja Plicata Although not a true Cedar, Western Red Cedar shares many of the same properties and has therefore been given the cedar name. The Red Cedar is actually from the Cypress family, and it is often spelled "Redcedar” as one word as a way of indicating this. Western Red Cedar has a wide growth range along the west coast of the US and Canada, but despite its … [Read more...] about Western Red Cedar
CITES and Lumber Import Regulation
Last week we talked about how the lumber import business is actually keeping the rainforests vibrant and well managed. As lumber importers we need to be very aware of how government regulation will change the way we do business. Not only how processes change, but who is responsible, and liable, for what. Navigating this quagmire is our job as the importer of record, but we also want our … [Read more...] about CITES and Lumber Import Regulation
Dispelling the Myth That Lumber Importing is Bad for the Environment
As an importer of record in many exotic species like Genuine Mahogany, Teak, and Ipe; J. Gibson McIlvain is acutely aware of the stigma attached to rainforest wood species and the spectre of global warming that looms over our industry. The facts are that deforestation is not a result of the lumber import trade, but in many cases caused by the disruption of it. Additionally, regulation … [Read more...] about Dispelling the Myth That Lumber Importing is Bad for the Environment
The Importer of Record
Over the last 4 weeks, we have talked about the regulations, obstacles, penalties, and relationships required to import lumber. It is a bumpy road from forest to your job site and to wrap up our series on lumber importing and the implications to the buyer and the environment, I wanted to offer a solution that should make all of this a whole lot easier. Buy your lumber from the Importer of … [Read more...] about The Importer of Record
Ipe Wood Decking Quality Control
We pride ourselves on high standards for quality control. Every stick of lumber we sell has been thoroughly inspected and graded multiple times for stability, appearance, and consistency. In many instances we inspect our lumber with customer specifications in mind to exactly meet the demands of the particular job. Decking products pose a problem however as they are milled and moulded in Brazil … [Read more...] about Ipe Wood Decking Quality Control
Why J Gibson McIlvain
Over the last 6-8 months I have spoken with many of our customers and our sales staff in an effort to understand our place in the market and why people buy from us. The stories and feedback I got were powerful and helped to crystallize some points that have been running around my head for several months relating to why someone should use J Gibson McIlvain as their wood supplier. In every … [Read more...] about Why J Gibson McIlvain
White Oak Wood
White Oak Wood is a Strong Hardwood Quercus Alba White Oak wood is a very strong hardwood that is used for hardwood flooring, furniture, and exterior siding. Often confused with Red Oak based on its appearance but White Oak lumber is harder, denser and much better than Red Oak when used for exterior applications. The pores are filled with a crystalline substance called Tyloses that acts … [Read more...] about White Oak Wood
Rethink How You Order Hardwoods and Millwork
The supply chain is severely stressed right now as we pass the 1 year mark since the world shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic. The construction trades are reeling and trying to get lumber and millwork as fast as they can, but they are constantly running into empty shelves everywhere they look. This is not news to anyone reading this, but it is also not something we can just resign ourselves to … [Read more...] about Rethink How You Order Hardwoods and Millwork
Stained Decking and Color Changes
All wood species have extractives or chemicals in the wood that can make the wood rot resistant or weather resistant or even tasty. Maple Syrup is one tasty example of a wood extractive. While some extractives are useful when actually extracted from the tree like the aforementioned Maple Syrup or Turpentine, others remain part of the wood itself to give it the working and performance … [Read more...] about Stained Decking and Color Changes
Contact Us
Contact We have sales representatives all over the country to serve you, but your best option is to call our headquarters location in White Marsh, MD at (800) 638-9100 for pricing and quotes. We do ship our lumber nationwide to your job site. You can also submit an online request for quote. Please consider subscribing to our email list for exclusive access to our lumber specials and … [Read more...] about Contact Us
Hard and Soft Maple Lumber
Hard and Soft Maple Lumber Hard Maple or Sugar Maple Acer Saccharum Maple is one of the widest spread species in North America and can be found in nearly every region of the continent. J. Gibson McIlvain stocks two of the most common species: Hard and Soft Maple. Hard Maple is also known as Rock Maple or Sugar Maple, and as one of its names implies, it is very hard for a domestic … [Read more...] about Hard and Soft Maple Lumber