(L to R) Key employees at Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. include: President, Ivens Robinson; Liz Altmyer, Southeast U.S. sales; Steve Stoufflet, Western U.S. sales; and Dan Lennon, U.S. Northeastern and Midwestern sales.
ROBINSON LUMBER—Specializing In Domestic And Exotic Hardwoods
By Terry Miller
New Orleans, Louisiana—Robinson Lumber Co., Inc., specializes in domestic, South American and African hardwoods, and hardwood flooring and decking. Currently owned and operated by the fourth generation of the Robinson family, the company has operations across the United States from coast to coast and around the globe.
With three locations in Central and South America, a sales office in Europe, the company recently completed a move into its newest warehouse facility located five miles from New Orleans, in Chalmette, La.
On five acres, the site for the new warehouse is fully paved, drained and fenced. The 72,000 square-foot building includes a covered loading and unloading area for flatbeds, four container- loading docks and a mechanical line for grading and sorting lumber. With an area designated specifically for exotic flooring, special fans are in place to provide extra air movement for increased quality of flooring storage. The new custom-built concentration yard and manufacturing facility is in response to a long awaited recovery from Hurricane Katrina. “The new warehouse replaces an older facility we had in Chalmette,” Joe Buckhaults, VP Flooring Division said. “Our entire crew looks forward to efficiently
With three locations in Central and South America, a sales office in Europe, the company recently completed a move into its newest warehouse facility located five miles from New Orleans, in Chalmette, La. On five acres, the site for the new warehouse is fully paved, drained and fenced.
processing and shipping our customers’ orders.”
Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. offers lumber in many domestic and exotic species including Red and White Oak; Ash; Sassafras; Walnut; Hickory-Pecan; Genuine Mahogany; Jatoba; Ipe; Muiracatiara; Cumaru; Andiroba; Cabreuva; Spanish Cedar; Canary Wood; Muirapiranga; Purpleheart; Tatjuba; Tauari; Angelim Pedra; Angelim Vermelho; African Mahogany; Sapele; Makore; Utilie; Wenge; Honduras Pine; Southern Yellow Pine and Reclaimed Heart Pine.
Recently the firm was excited to announce the introduction of its Antique Heart Pine flooring manufactured from large Heart Pine timbers that were removed from century old buildings. “We convert the timbers into solid 3/4-inch flooring in widths up to 7-1/2-inches and lengths up to 12-feet long,” Buckhaults explained. “Each piece is end-matched, which speeds up installation time compared to other Antique Heart Pine flooring with rough cut or non-square ends.” After being sawn from the Heart Pine timbers, all lumber is kiln-dried prior to manufacture into flooring for a consistently dry product. Five different grades of Antique Heart Pine are offered that include: vertical grain, prime, rustic, naily and natural. The Antique Heart Pine is the perfect complement to Robinson’s Caribbean Heart Pine flooring milled from new Pitch Pine logs.
Senior Vice President Toto Robinson standing beside the firm’s Cumaru Flooring.
Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. inventories approximately 10 million board feet of domestic and exotic hardwoods and softwoods. The products are shipped via truck, container and break-bulk vessels.
The company’s products can be found around the world in many unique applications. “We recently completed an order for color selected Cumaru decking and flooring for an addition to the World War II Museum in New Orleans and an 85,000 square-foot premium White Oak flooring installation for the City Museum of Antwerp Belgium,” Buckhaults said. With a wide range of experienced employees, Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. has an impressive reputation with strong points in offering diverse product lines and having a broad customer base worldwide. Robinson Lumber Co., Inc., has been in operation since 1893. Founder Charles Wesley Robinson recognized a need in the international market to export high quality Long Leaf Pine lumber.
In 1942 Robinson’s son Robert Gibson Robinson started the company’s first foreign manufacturing facility in Nicaragua. Third generations Jack, Charlie and Sam Robinson expanded into hardwoods and began operations in Honduras, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.
An image of Robinson Lumber Co., Inc.’s 3-1/4” x 12’ Caribbean Heart Pine Flooring ready for prompt shipment.
With 40 employees in the U.S. and 15 overseas, key employees at Robinson Lumber include: Toto Robinson, senior vice president, Ivens Robinson, president, and Courtney Robinson, chief executive officer. U.S. sales are handled by Steve Stoufflet, Dan Lennon and Liz Altmyer. Hank Marchal heads Robinson’s European sales office in Belguim and Jim Summerlin, on the west coast, is in charge of the Asian Division.
Representing the fifth generation, Garner Robinson joined the family business in January of 2009. After spending four years in New York’s financial industry, Garner is currently working alongside Ivens Robinson to streamline the firm’s operations in Brazil.
In a recent press release the company announced its plans to cease operations of its Brazilian subsidiary, Robcco Madeiras, after nearly 30 years. As stated in the press release, “Similar to all companies serving customers in the wood products industry, Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. has experienced a severe decrease in demand and supply over the past year, prompting us to streamline our operations. Despite the trying markets of 2008 and 2009, we remain as committed to meeting the demands of our customers and vendors as we have since 1893.”
We believe that reduced overhead and administrative complications will enable us to serve our worldwide customers more competitively. The team at Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. remain committed to maintaining our long-standing relationships with valued suppliers and serving our customers’ needs worldwide,” the release said.
With an area designated specifically for exotic flooring, special fans are in place to provide extra air movement for increased quality of flooring storage.
Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certified and is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Assoc. (NHLA); American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC); Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Assoc. (MLMA); International Wood Products Assoc. (IWPA); International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO); Southern Forest Products Assoc. (SFPA); Southern Lumber Exporters Assoc. (SLEA); National Wood Flooring Assoc. (NWFA) and the Tropical Forest Foundation.
For more information visit www.roblumco.com or contact 1-800-874-1165 or internationally at +32 (0) 2 652 13 90.
Robinson Lumber Co., Inc. offers lumber in many domestic and exotic species including Red and White Oak; Ash; Sassafras; Walnut; Hickory-Pecan; Genuine Mahogany; Jatoba; Ipe, Muiracatiara; Cumaru; Andiroba; Cabreuva; Spanish Cedar; Canary Wood; Muirapiranga; Purpleheart; Tatjuba; Tauari; Angelim Pedra; Angelim Vermelho; African Mahogany; Sapele; Makore; Utilie; Wenge; Honduras Pine; Southern Yellow Pine and Reclaimed Heart Pine.
Inside Robinson Lumber Co., Inc.’s new warehouse, the 72,000 square-foot building includes a covered loading and unloading area for flatbeds, four container- loading docks and a mechanical line for grading and sorting lumber.
