indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
I've been trying to focus more on commercial large wood customers more and more, still keeping the residential wood customers we've had, but really not taking any new ones as we're really pushing the limits of our capacity. I'm also at the point age wise and with both sons getting older, one going to college but still living at home I don't want to put more money in the business.
We've been doing a few tree removals, away from bldgs, where there is no chance of property damage as we're not insured for tree service type work. We recently did a removal of a huge oak prolly in the 38-40" dbh right on highway frontage, we did it like any other job, worked it up into firewood and the landowner just wanted all the limbs stacked so he could burn them, the guys did a great job of cleaning up and it really looked amazing comparing before and after.
Got a call this past week from a guy wanting 25 cord, he provides the wood, we just cut and split and stack on his property. He had seen the work we had done on the tree removal and stopped in and ask the owner who had done it and as a result give us a call. The best thing it's not two miles from the house. He's allowing us to push all the small limbs up with a tractor in a pile and burn them.
He didn't even try to negotiate us down on price. I love these jobs. We should be able to knock it out in three days with all four guys on the same site with both splitters.
I'm going to try to focus more on these bigger customers if we continue to stay in the business, it's just so much easier, and it's more profitable than running a cord here, and a cord there, I'll always keep our good customers that have been with us, but these bigger deals are so much easier. So far this year our biggest customer has committed for 110 cord, I know he's taking it on to Kansas City and reselling it, but as long as I'm making my money on it I could care less. Another individual committed for 55 cord to heat his two businesses, he uses the Hardy OWB's, love cutting for the OWB customers as most don't want small splits. Less labor and time in producing their product.
It just goes to show that doing a good job and taking pride in putting out a quality job pays off. We've been able to work out a deal with a local feed store to sell wood for us and it has been a struggle to keep them in stock. It's been a real struggle for me lately to fight the desire to buy a inertia splitter. I'd prolly have to hire another guy to keep up with the splitting.
I see these guys around locally, we're in a farm area with limited jobs, sit around and beech and complain about not being able to make it, if they would go invest in decent saw and were willing to work and saw a cord or two on the weekends and sell it, it would prolly help them over the hump, it's just hard to find people in this day and age that will work. I just have no sympathy for these type guys, if your willing to work you can make it, won't get rich by any means, but it will keep the bills paid.
We've been doing a few tree removals, away from bldgs, where there is no chance of property damage as we're not insured for tree service type work. We recently did a removal of a huge oak prolly in the 38-40" dbh right on highway frontage, we did it like any other job, worked it up into firewood and the landowner just wanted all the limbs stacked so he could burn them, the guys did a great job of cleaning up and it really looked amazing comparing before and after.
Got a call this past week from a guy wanting 25 cord, he provides the wood, we just cut and split and stack on his property. He had seen the work we had done on the tree removal and stopped in and ask the owner who had done it and as a result give us a call. The best thing it's not two miles from the house. He's allowing us to push all the small limbs up with a tractor in a pile and burn them.
He didn't even try to negotiate us down on price. I love these jobs. We should be able to knock it out in three days with all four guys on the same site with both splitters.
I'm going to try to focus more on these bigger customers if we continue to stay in the business, it's just so much easier, and it's more profitable than running a cord here, and a cord there, I'll always keep our good customers that have been with us, but these bigger deals are so much easier. So far this year our biggest customer has committed for 110 cord, I know he's taking it on to Kansas City and reselling it, but as long as I'm making my money on it I could care less. Another individual committed for 55 cord to heat his two businesses, he uses the Hardy OWB's, love cutting for the OWB customers as most don't want small splits. Less labor and time in producing their product.
It just goes to show that doing a good job and taking pride in putting out a quality job pays off. We've been able to work out a deal with a local feed store to sell wood for us and it has been a struggle to keep them in stock. It's been a real struggle for me lately to fight the desire to buy a inertia splitter. I'd prolly have to hire another guy to keep up with the splitting.
I see these guys around locally, we're in a farm area with limited jobs, sit around and beech and complain about not being able to make it, if they would go invest in decent saw and were willing to work and saw a cord or two on the weekends and sell it, it would prolly help them over the hump, it's just hard to find people in this day and age that will work. I just have no sympathy for these type guys, if your willing to work you can make it, won't get rich by any means, but it will keep the bills paid.