Hamer Companies, headquartered in Kenova, W.Va., is truly a family tradition in the lumber business. Pictured, from left, are Jim P. Hamer II; Lori Hamer, president of Hamer Pellet Fuel Co.; and Steve Hamer, president and chief executive officer of Hamer Lumber Co.
Kenova, W. Va.— For over 70 years, Hamer Companies, headquartered here, has been committed to providing quality Hardwood lumber products to its customers around the globe.
Situated in one of the most thriving Hardwood forests in the world (in the heart of the Appalachians), Hamer operates five Hardwood sawmills producing approximately 85 million board feet annually. Hamer also operates two Hardwood pellet mills producing some 85,000 to 90,000 tons. Other operations include three concentration yards, a trucking company and a logging company located in West Virginia.
Hamer Lumber is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Assoc. (NHLA), Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. (AHMI), American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), West Virginia Forestry Assoc. (WVFA), Kentucky Forest Industry Assoc. (KFIA) and many other industry associations.
Hamer Lumber has a deep commitment to a sustainable forestry. Pictured here, Jim C. Hamer, company founder, stands in a log yard at the Prestonburg, Ky., sawmill.
Steve Hamer, a fourth-generation lumberman, is current president and chief executive officer of the Jim C. Hamer Co. and has dedicated 30 years working in the family business. Steve’s sister, Lori, is president of Hamer Pellet Fuel Co. and it was Steve’s brother, Jim P. Hamer II, who he credits for getting Hamer started into the pellet business back in the early 1990s. J.P. Hamer, Steve’s grandfather, was literally born with “sawdust in his veins,” in a logging camp in 1905.
J.P. Hamer Lumber Co. was started during the Depression of the 1930s. “My father, J. C. Hamer, started the Jim C. Hamer Co. in the mid-1970s and today remains as chairman of the board.
“I welcome my father’s participation, active involvement and leadership experience. He is without a doubt the best lumberman and sawmiller I’ve worked with and I count my blessings for that opportunity. But I know my father would convey the same about his father (J.P. Hamer).”
J.C. Hamer has devoted most of his life to this industry that he loves. J.C. has held numerous offices such as past president of NHLA, AHMI and many other organizations in which he served and has given much of his time to help better the industry as a whole.
Hamer has a deep commitment to “sustainable forestry” and implements West Virginia’s Best Management Practices on over 500,000 acres of company-managed timberlands. “Many customers today want to know if we are running out of trees and some inquiring about third-party certification for further proof of our commitment,” Hamer said. “My response is that our livelihood depends on these precious forests in which we work and live. Further, statistical data states we are ‘verified sustainable’ by the U. S. Forest Service, who substantiates the Appalachian forest region is in fact growing more trees than is being harvested.
Two kiln-dried loads of lumber are shown ready to be exported and loaded into containers.
“One good testimonial is that we are cutting in many of the same timber stands today that my grandfather cut some 40 years ago,” he said. “We are good stewards of the forest and invite our customers to come look at what we are doing in these wonderful forests that sustain our livelihood. There are more trees in West Virginia today than at any time in the last century according to the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
“Customers buy from Hamer because we have a proven track record, a well established name with an excellent reputation that’s been hard-earned and well deserved,” Hamer said. “They know that they can rely on us for a product that is going to satisfy their needs and demands, not only today, but well into the future.
“The quality of the product generally sells itself, but we must also sell ourselves to the customer,” he said. “We stand behind our product and, if our customer is not happy, we want to be the first to know about it. If there’s something wrong, we’re going to make every reasonable effort to make it right.”
Cherry veneer logs are prepared for export.
“We not only have the ability to provide customer-specific products, but we also have the ability to look ahead and can offer a 12-month production/forecast commitment to our customers,” he said. “It’s very difficult to beat the superior widths and lengths that we offer. But in today’s challenging Hardwood business climate, it’s imperative to have something that differentiates or separates our product from our competitors’ in an effort to keep that insatiable appetite for our products.
“‘Your No. 1 customer is your competitors’ No. 1 prospect’ was a quote given to me years ago from my grandfather,” Hamer said. “It obviously still holds true today.”
Hamer Lumber not only specializes in merchandising of lumber, but also offers veneer logs.
The Hamer Hardwood lumber sales team/sales support staff sit around a conference table at the firm’s headquarters in Kenova, W.Va. Pictured from left, are Xiaowei Wang, Todd Webb, Jack Hatfield, Viola Epling and Amy Finn.
Hamer has a dynamic marketing/sales support group that covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Jack Hatfield is the lumber sales manager and Todd Webb works on both export and domestic sales along with Xiaowei Wang. Amy Finn focuses on domestic sales and provides other IT sales support assistance. Viola Epling is the shipping manager and is responsible for getting the product assigned and directed to its rightful destination — providing detailed support to the sales team.
Hamer Dry Kiln brings the company’s total drying capacity to approximately 1.3 million board feet or over 30 million kiln dried board feet annually.
“Hamer Lumber’s export business has continued its growth due to many factors,” he said. “One of the main reasons we got involved with the export market many years ago was to broaden our market diversity. This has been vitally important in recent years due to the rapid decline of secondary manufacturers here in the United States.
“Any of us still in the Hardwood lumber business today have been forced to rethink and re-evaluate how we do business today and reposition our companies accordingly,” Hamer said. “We must
Jimmy Stout, left, manager of the Curtin, W.Va., mill, and Steve Hamer stand in front of one of Hamer Logistics trucks, which is pulling a green load of lumber into the dry kiln facility.
possess a willingness to change and adapt as we continue into our third year of this difficult business climate. My grandfather gave me a paperweight years ago that reads ‘Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do.’ I think this is most fitting today, and I’m happy to report that Hamer is still here today and remains poised for the future challenges that lie ahead for this industry.”
There are many reasons why Jim C. Hamer Co. feels such a deep obligation and responsibility to the future. One is the fact that “over 400 families depend on it and these same people are the backbone of the Jim C. Hamer Co.,” Hamer said. “Our dedicated and resourceful employees are ultimately responsible for Hamer’s continued success in this tough business. From our loggers, foresters, sawmills, truckers, concentration yards, pellet operations, to our main office in Kenova, all strive to keep our customers with an insatiable appetite for Hamer products! We recognize the fact that our customer’s needs must be put first and their ultimate satisfaction is our goal.
“With the technology in place at all of our production facilities and a substantial timber base located in the heart of the Appalachian mountains, our customers can be assured the Jim C. Hamer Co. can
Jimmy Dearing, Hamer sawmill division/operations manager, and Glenn Headrick, Hamer/Elkins dry kiln manager, stand in front of a bundle of lumber ready for export.
and will meet the demands of our customers now and well into the future,” he said.
One of three headrigs at the Curtin sawmill is shown with White Oak being sawn on the carriage.
