The Woodpreneur Podcast

In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, host Jennifer Alger sits down with Bob Kloes and Matt Schmitz of Kloes Specialty Hardwoods, a Wisconsin-based business specializing in curly maple, bird's eye maple, flame birch, and other figured hardwoods. What started as Bob's lifelong passion for custom furniture evolved into a lumber business when his wife suggested he start selling the stunning figured woods he had been sourcing for decades. Now, with Matt at the helm after purchasing the business, the two share a partnership built on mentorship, shared passion, and an unwavering commitment to quality. You'll hear about how Bob built relationships with sawmills over 20 years and developed an expert eye for selecting figured wood in the rough. You'll hear about the process of buying green lumber, working with a neighboring vacuum kiln operation, and sorting material by species, figure density, and customer specs for everyone from furniture makers to guitar builders and pool cue craftsmen. Bob and Matt also get honest about the challenges of marketing a niche product, navigating social media algorithms, and the real cost of shipping in today's market. You'll also hear about Matt's journey from federal government career to business owner, how a summer sales slump nearly broke his confidence, and why having a built-in mentor made all the difference. Bob shares stories from his furniture-making days, including secret compartments, his "high country style" designs, and why he believes in over-delivering on every order. The conversation also touches on the declining availability of bird's eye maple, the puzzling drop in cherry prices, and the broader challenges facing the domestic hardwood industry. Whether you're a woodworker searching for the best figured hardwoods, a small business owner navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, or someone who appreciates the art of letting natural wood speak for itself, this episode is for you. Tune in, be inspired, and don't forget to follow the Woodpreneur Podcast so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Thursday morning wherever you consume your podcasts. Chapters 00:00 Meet Bob Kloes and Matt Schmitz of Kloes Specialty Hardwoods 01:04 Bob's 40-Year Journey from Furniture Maker to Lumber Dealer 03:06 Matt's Path from Customer to Business Owner 06:25 Sourcing, Drying, and Sorting Figured Hardwoods 14:47 Selling Retail, Shipping Nationwide, and Managing Costs 19:26 Marketing, Social Media, and Industry Challenges 28:22 Favorite Projects, Quality Philosophy, and Lessons Learned The Woodpreneur Podcast brings stories of woodworkers, makers, and entrepreneurs turning their passion for wood into successful businesses - from inspiration to education to actionable advice. Hosted by Steve Larosiliere and Jennifer Alger  For blog posts and updates: woodpreneur.com See how we helped woodworkers, furniture-makers, millwork and lumber businesses grow to the next level: woodpreneurnetwork.com Empowering woodpreneurs and building companies to grow and scale: buildergrowth.io Connect with us at:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawmillsnearme/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodpreneurnetwork/ Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodpreneurnetwork Join our newsletter: https://substack.com/@woodpreneurnetwork You can connect with Bob and Matt at: https://www.kloesspecialtyhardwoods.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kloesspecialtyhardwoods/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/kshardwoods/

What if the trees being cut down in your neighborhood could become the art hanging on your walls or the table your family gathers around? Brian Presnell of Indy Urban Hardwood has been making that vision a reality in Indianapolis since 2016, and his story is one of the most compelling in the urban wood world. In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Jennifer Alger sits down with Brian to trace a journey that begins in art school at the Herron School of Art, winds through museum work and public art collaborations, and lands squarely in a sawmill shed in one of America's most tree-rich cities. Brian grew up surrounded by hardwoods in Indianapolis, watched them get hauled off and burned for decades, and decided to do something about it. Brian breaks down how Indy Urban Hardwood works, from sourcing logs through his firewood rig and local partnerships, to milling, drying, and turning urban hardwoods into furniture, art, and reclaimed wood products that tell the story of the city they came from. He talks candidly about the wastefulness baked into how most cities handle tree removal, and why changing that requires both community education and a business model that makes sustainability actually work at a small scale. The conversation also goes deep on legacy. Brian shares his vision for what Indy Urban Hardwood could look like in 10 to 20 years, the projects he is most proud of, and why mentorship and community involvement are just as central to his work as the sawmill itself. For Brian, woodworking has always been an extension of his life as an artist, and that perspective gives everything he builds a depth that goes beyond the grain. Whether you are a woodworker, an urban wood advocate, or a maker trying to build something meaningful in your community, this episode will leave you inspired. Hit follow and tune in. New episodes drop every Thursday morning. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Brian Presnell and Indy Urban Hardwood 01:58 - Art school, mentorship, and the creative foundation behind the business 04:50 - From museum work and public art to urban wood recycling 07:17 - Founding Indy Urban Hardwood in 2016 and the story of the first tree 10:41 - Indianapolis as a tree-rich city and the wastefulness of urban forestry 15:39 - Community partnerships, estate lumber, and local sourcing 18:07 - Products, business model, and the role of art in Brian's woodworking 24:19 - Vision for the next 10 to 20 years and the legacy Brian is building The Woodpreneur Podcast brings stories of woodworkers, makers, and entrepreneurs turning their passion for wood into successful businesses - from inspiration to education to actionable advice. Hosted by Steve Larosiliere and Jennifer Alger  For blog posts and updates: woodpreneur.com See how we helped woodworkers, furniture-makers, millwork and lumber businesses grow to the next level: woodpreneurnetwork.com Empowering woodpreneurs and building companies to grow and scale: buildergrowth.io Connect with us at:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawmillsnearme/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodpreneurnetwork/ Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodpreneurnetwork Join our newsletter: https://substack.com/@woodpreneurnetwork You can connect with Brian at: www.indyurbanhardwood.com https://www.instagram.com/indyurbanhardwood/ https://www.facebook.com/IndyUrbanHardwood/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/indy-urban-hardwood https://www.youtube.com/@indyurbanhardwood149

The next time you walk through Portland International Airport, look down. The floor beneath your feet is a piece of Oregon history, and Ben Deumling of Zena Forest Products helped put it there. In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Jennifer Alger sits down with Ben to trace the remarkable story behind Zena Forest Products, a family-rooted Oregon business that has spent 25 years figuring out what to do with the hardwoods everyone else overlooked. Growing up managing a diverse, mixed-species forest in the Willamette Valley, Ben inherited a problem: Oregon had virtually no infrastructure for milling anything other than Douglas fir. So he built one. What started as a mission to use more of their own forest has grown into a vertically integrated operation milling Oregon White Oak, Big Leaf Maple, Oregon Ash, and more, taking wood all the way from the tree to a finished, installation-ready floor. Ben breaks down the unique challenges of working with Oregon White Oak, one of the densest hardwoods in North America, from writing his own drying schedules after university research fell short to building homemade kilns out of repurposed refrigerated shipping containers. The centerpiece of the conversation is the PDX Airport project, and the origin story of Zena EdgeGrain, an edge grain tile product that Ben brought to North America for the first time, inspired by a wood floor he tracked down in Copenhagen. The airport needed 75,000 square feet of flooring. Ben had a seven-person team, a brand new product, and a decade-long relationship with the architecture firm that made the introduction. He shares what it really took to land and deliver a project of that scale, including the sleepless nights, the production strain, and the rebuilding that followed. Ben also gets into the innovation framework behind everything Zena does: finding new pools of raw material, applying new technology, and opening up new markets for wood that would otherwise end up in a burn pile. From beetle-killed pine to invasive Juniper to leftover urban elm logs, the Zena EdgeGrain process is turning low-value, underutilized wood into beautiful, durable flooring and the conversation around what that means for sustainable forestry is one you will not want to miss. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Ben Deumling and Zena Forest Products 05:28 - Oregon White Oak: drying challenges, density, and flagship species 13:55 - Vertical integration from forest to finished floor 18:29 - The PDX Airport project and the origin of Zena EdgeGrain 25:39 - Three ingredients for wood industry innovation: raw material, technology, and new markets 33:34 - How a seven-person company landed a major international airport project 43:06 - Marketing to architects, lunch and learns, and building long-term relationships 46:29 - Products beyond flooring: stairs, wall cladding, registers, and Viking ships The Woodpreneur Podcast brings stories of woodworkers, makers, and entrepreneurs turning their passion for wood into successful businesses - from inspiration to education to actionable advice. Hosted by Steve Larosiliere and Jennifer Alger  For blog posts and updates: woodpreneur.com See how we helped woodworkers, furniture-makers, millwork and lumber businesses grow to the next level: woodpreneurnetwork.com Empowering woodpreneurs and building companies to grow and scale: buildergrowth.io Connect with us at:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawmillsnearme/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodpreneurnetwork/ Join Our Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodpreneurnetwork Join our newsletter: https://substack.com/@woodpreneurnetwork You can connect with Ben at: https://www.zenaforest.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-deumling-54057717a/ https://www.instagram.com/zenaforestproducts https://www.youtube.com/@zenaforest1677

Access our training - $200K and 300 Leads in 15 Days for Woodpreneurs here: https://go.buildergrowth.io/optin-wms “Event planning framework is to help you get a bunch of leads and a bunch of sales and increase brand awareness about your business in a short period of time. “ -Steve Larosiliere Welcome to a brand-new episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast. In this episode we're diving into a valuable strategy that could transform your wood, lumber, or furniture business - the art of hosting events. I'm Steve Larosiliere, the founder of Builder Growth, where we specialize in helping wood-based businesses scale from six to seven figures. In this blog, I want to share a snippet of the training I provide to my clients on how to leverage events to grow sales and increase brand awareness. It's a powerful strategy that's worked wonders for businesses, with some raking in substantial revenue - from $15,000 to an impressive $60,000 in a single day. Steve Larosiliere's insights provide a roadmap for your woodworking business's growth and prosperity. By following these steps, you'll be on your way to attracting and serving the right clientele, ensuring the long-term success of your business. It's time to hear the complete story now! “I recommend folks combined personal branding strategy, and paid ads just to start generating leads generating leads generally, even though a lot of those leads that were like, you know, when you run an ad, and there's a lot of tire kickers like those people, you need to actually get their email address, you need to you need to like get their contact info, because those people that are tire kickers now, if you keep in touch with them can end up being customers.” -Steve Larosiliere The Timeline for Your Event We'll kick off with a timeline. The objective of this event planning framework is simple: gather leads, boost sales, and create brand awareness in a short period. To do this, I recommend combining personal branding strategies and paid ads. Those tire-kickers you attract through ads? They can turn into loyal customers with a bit of nurturing. Six to Eight Weeks Out: Pick a Date and Venue Your first step is to select a date and venue for your event. Whether you have a showroom, storefront, shop, or yard, or even if you don't, you can collaborate with existing businesses to use their space. Consider whether you want a one-day event or something spanning multiple days. Multi-day events can be especially successful, so don't rule them out. Six to Eight Weeks Out: Gather Your Contacts Next, gather all your contacts. Export data from your phone, QuickBooks, social platforms, and email contacts. You want to create a comprehensive invite list that includes names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Six to Eight Weeks Out: Create a Name and Theme Still, six to eight weeks before the event, come up with a catchy name and theme. Align it with the season or consider themes like grand openings, rebrands, or new website launches. These are all excellent reasons to invite people to your event. Four Weeks Out: Set Up on Social Media Now, it's time to create an event on Facebook and design a flyer. Eventbrite is your best friend for registration. Make sure people RSVP; you can entice them with giveaways and collect valuable contact information. These RSVPs are your potential future customers. Contact him through: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelarosiliere/?hl=en Woodpreneurlife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodpreneurlife/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevelarosiliere/ Acres of Timber Website: https://www.acresoftimber.com/ Stoked Website: https://www.stoked.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SteveLarosiliere Woodpreneurlife YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@woodpreneurlife4211 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevelarosiliere1/ Woodpreneurlife Website: https://www.woodpreneurlife.com/

“ I invested in my own website. And whatever money I had left from the servers, I went out and bought as many tools that I could that I think we're going to set me up to make money down the line. You know, I can remember my very first day full time in my shop, my little one car garage. Remember, I had this customer I've been talking with, and he ended up putting a deposit down, like 2500 bucks cash that day. And I was like, wow, this is great.” -Brian Seitz Welcome to the Woodpreneur podcast, the ultimate show for the business and marketing side of the lumber, woodworking, hardwood flooring, and sawmill industry. With your host Steve Larosiliere today is Brian Site from Urban Industrial Design (UID). Brian takes us on a journey back to 2016 when he purchased his first home and decided to take on various renovation projects. His quest for unique furniture led him to discover the world of custom woodworking. Brian, with no prior woodworking experience but a strong mechanical background, decided to build his own furniture pieces. With basic tools, a one-car garage, and determination, he began his journey. “I crossed paths with and worked with different companies and what's out there, what's next? And I don't know that it just, I just kept getting, you know, sidetracked with the thought of running my own business.” -Brian Seitz The Turning Point Brian's woodworking skills quickly evolved, and his work garnered attention, eventually leading to a turning point in his life. But before he could go full-time into his newfound passion, he had a stable job in the alternative energy field, specifically working with solar panels. The career provided Brian with problem-solving experience and a desire to bring projects from conception to reality. However, fate had something different in store. Brian: "I had a six-week heads up that I had to go full time with this business. And it was the next move. I remember was just, I ran wild with, you know, at the time, Craigslist, that's whoever was advertising. I put, you know, many different items, like food on Etsy, I've learned everything about, you know, sort of how to get your scene out there on Etsy." The Beginnings of UID Brian's transition into full-time woodworking was a leap of faith. He hustled to grow his small garage-based business, and the support of friends and family played a significant role. The early days were marked by long nights and weekends spent perfecting his craft. Brian's willingness to embrace the challenge and adapt was a defining factor. Steve: "So how many years between from when you started to the 5,000 square foot shop? And how many employees did you have?" Brian: "I think it was about three years in between there. When I moved into that space, I had a full-time guy and two part-time guys." Overcoming Challenges and Growth Brian's business steadily grew, and he acquired valuable skills along the way. The ability to identify opportunities and adapt to changing circumstances became a recurring theme in his journey. He expanded into commercial and residential furniture, and his diverse product line evolved to include floating shelves. “The wood industry is so diverse, you know, there's so many different things you can do. Like, you know, you can kill it with floating shelves, you can kill it with slabs, you can kill it with, you know, so many different so many different things.” -Steve Larosiliere Want to get in touch with Brian Seitz? Contact him through: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban_industrial_design/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanindustrialdesign

At NY City Slab, Robert and his team mill urban lumber from what might seem an unlikely source. The idea began when Robert was building a house and wanted to use local wood. Robert found that trees in his locality were being used for mulch and wanted to put those cut-down trees to better use. Robert started off using a Lucas mill but it found it slow in terms of production. At a woodsmen show, Robert bought the biggest mill he could buy with his money at the time. He went for a 14 inch bandsaw mill and built a 50ft track to go with it that enabled him to cut through 6-8 logs in a day. Read More