Inventory and expected sales

[sb47]

How much wood did you get split this year?
I did an inventory today to see what I have available for sale this year.
Not counting what I have already sold this physical year as of today I have 60+ cords of wood ready for fall and winter sales. I have about 20 more cords of cut and almost dry rounds that will dry pretty fast once split.
I have sold about 30 cords over the summer but sales are slower at that time of the year. Last year I sold out by new years but I didn't have as much inventory and lost money because I was sold out. I expect more wood to hit the yard before the end of the year but that wood will be for next year. With what I have sold and what I have on the yard I did hit the 100 cord mark for production. I hope it's a cold one this year and sales are good.

 

[woodshax]

So far we have sold about 120 Cords (we sell by the bag). We have 10 Cords on the ground Split and ready and expect to sell 50 cords by the end of the year.....if we every get out of these darn burn bans

 

[jrider]

I have about 150-160 cords ready to go with 70 delivered already. Will be sold out before turkey day.

 

[Circle B MN]

More and more I push sales of green wood. No need for me to tie my money up in logs and splits when it can dry in your yard just the same. Split deliver paid...all the same day.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

How much wood did you get split this year?
I did an inventory today to see what I have available for sale this year.
Not counting what I have already sold this physical year as of today I have 60+ cords of wood ready for fall and winter sales. I have about 20 more cords of cut and almost dry rounds that will dry pretty fast once split.
I have sold about 30 cords over the summer but sales are slower at that time of the year. Last year I sold out by new years but I didn't have as much inventory and lost money because I was sold out. I expect more wood to hit the yard before the end of the year but that wood will be for next year. With what I have sold and what I have on the yard I did hit the 100 cord mark for production. I hope it's a cold one this year and sales are good.

Sounds very similar to last years events. 2017-2018 brought no winter at all. 2018-1019 brought perfect weather for being out side until Christmas then it turned in to the coldest winter ever recorded. I only sold about 10 cords for the summer with about 40 or 50 on the ground now. Then I have about 10 that needs to dry. I was not expecting to raise my prices a $100 and still get six calls a day. Now I am planning on raising my prices another $50 effective this weekend. I thought I could keep up with the demand by myself no that was just me dreaming. Thanks

 

[unclemoustache]

More and more I push sales of green wood. No need for me to tie my money up in logs and splits when it can dry in your yard just the same. Split deliver paid...all the same day.

Really? Do any customers complain about it? The only way I'd buy that is if I knew in advance that it wasn't ready and I had room to store it.
But then, buyer beware, I guess. I just hope you're up front with them about it.

 

[chucker]

40 cords laying in the woods and no way to get to it to haul it out with out sinking to the frame! 5 semi loads of 10/12 cords each on back order still after a month? state and county put a stop on all removal from forest roads! raining now with bad weather conditions till the first of next week! so when? where? and how will the "inventory for expected sales" begin? god only knows. !!REMEMBER, GLOBAL WARMING DONT EXIST !... LOL

 

[Circle B MN]

Really? Do any customers complain about it? The only way I'd buy that is if I knew in advance that it wasn't ready and I had room to store it.
But then, buyer beware, I guess. I just hope you're up front with them about it.

Of course I am up front about it, in my ads and when they call both... Be pretty messed up to do otherwise eh?

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I received 33 calls for wood orders since last Friday and only five of them asked what the cost was. A little too much for an old guy like me. Thanks

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I did a "testing the waters" and had about 15 cords drying since May.
I priced it $100 more than the non seasoned wood.

Wasn't sure how it'd sell. It's all gone and ive got about 20 more cords sold (running it through the kiln).

We've been moving 10-15 cords a week since August.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

(running it through the kiln).

I went to the Paul Bunyan Show, a forestry trade show in Ohio.
Spoke with a guy from Burgaw, N.C. selling 'firewood' kilns.
Six cord firing would cost about $300. to run for a day to day and a half on natural gas.
That's $50. a cord in fuel.
Then there is that cost of the kiln, and the added handling.
I'd have to charge another $100./cord above my already high price for this area.

 

[muddstopper]

Does that guy in Burgaw have a website?

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Does that guy in Burgaw have a website?

business card reads:

Kiln-direct.com
Niels Jorgensen Company, Inc
person at show: P. Maury Wilkinson, sales
email: [email protected]

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I went to the Paul Bunyan Show, a forestry trade show in Ohio.
Spoke with a guy from Burgaw, N.C. selling 'firewood' kilns.
Six cord firing would cost about $300. to run for a day to day and a half on natural gas.
That's $50. a cord in fuel.
Then there is that cost of the kiln, and the added handling.
I'd have to charge another $100./cord above my already high price for this area.

Ours can fit 4 cords and takes about 2-2.5 weeks right now. It's electric and "low temp" (130* max). The last load I did in the middle of winter cost me $600 in electricity. Working on other means of heat though to get that price down and the time down as well. Bump the temp to 200-220*

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Just looked at their website.
picking out the highlights..."reduce drying time"...meets 160º F sterilization...260º chamber. Heated with waist wood or gas.

So it is not actually a drying or seasoning kiln, rather a sterilization kiln.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I went to the Paul Bunyan Show, a forestry trade show in Ohio.
Spoke with a guy from Burgaw, N.C. selling 'firewood' kilns.
Six cord firing would cost about $300. to run for a day to day and a half on natural gas.
That's $50. a cord in fuel.
Then there is that cost of the kiln, and the added handling.
I'd have to charge another $100./cord above my already high price for this area.

That kiln system is about 100k for the snallest one (3 cords at a time)

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Just looked at their website.
picking out the highlights..."reduce drying time"...meets 160º F sterilization...260º chamber. Heated with waist wood or gas.

So it is not actually a drying or seasoning kiln, rather a sterilization kiln.

It's a drying kiln that also meets the 160* core temp requirements for the USDA.

 

[sb47]

Here in Texas we really don't need a fired kiln to dry wood. In the summer when temps hit the 100* mark for weeks on end, you simply need a steel building standing out in the sun to reach temps of 130+ just from the suns heat.

 

[Blue Oaks]

Are these side gigs for you guys? I'm doing quick math in my head and 100 cords making $100/ea cord is $10k in PROFIT.

Are you making more than that per cord, or do you also have other ways to make an income? Just curious.

Edited to say PROFIT instead of REVENUE.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Are these side gigs for you guys?

Yes, I do it as an LLC.
I looked at kilns at the trade show just because, you never know what you can learn.
It is not cost effective for me. Perhaps for the guy doing a large bundled wood supply that needs the sterilization component.
As suspected, these kilns provide sterilization in one to two days not seasoning.