mattfr12
The Bulldog
ya it all depends most of the ones we have on board are not a chain of stores mom and pop stores.
Shrink wrapped firewood
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ya it all depends most of the ones we have on board are not a chain of stores mom and pop stores.
treemandan
Tree Freak
Its about time. We need it. I don't think any of us are following the fashion trends.
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
Click on the link at the bottom of there post
treemandan
Tree Freak
Interesting, around here mom and pop was run off long ago.
You should get the name off one of those shrink wraps and investigate. You might find it comes from another state alltogether.
treemandan
Tree Freak
You first.
treemandan
Tree Freak
Hey Matt, uh, umm, punctuate will ya?
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
I did. It goes to some modeling / sales website. I was thinking maybe it was one of the banned members screwing with everyone.
Schultzz
ArboristSite Operative
Firewood Bundle Business or Bust
First of all, the bundled firewood business is very competitive but is a multi-million dollar business. True you must do a large volume to make the kind of jing that makes it worthwhile. I know. I was in the business. You will need 500k to invest to become competitive. USDA approved kilns, a supply of poles which you have to compete with the OSB and paper mills for. A firewood processor which will cost around 65-70 K minimum. A skidsteer or forklift or both.
A shrinkwrap conveyor tunnel which is natural or gas and electric powered. You must design your bundles to fit on a pallet which hopefully is stackable. You will need 50+ K for beginning inventory and you will have to have enough stock on hand to load 50 trucks to start. And you do not get your money out of it till net 30 after the wood is delivered to the Distribution Center. Plan on paying fees to have your bundles sold in chain stores and plan on paying kickbacks to the right people. Approx 1800 bundles per truckload and 150 - 250 truckloads per season. Plan on having good wood kiln dried to about 12% MC. And you had better know what you are doing for Murphy follows you everywhere. But, it can be done, and it can be very profitable..... if you own an onsite gaswell, if you have a landing for big trucks to unload and load, if you have great credit or have investors who are crazy and willing. Questions?
First of all, the bundled firewood business is very competitive but is a multi-million dollar business. True you must do a large volume to make the kind of jing that makes it worthwhile. I know. I was in the business. You will need 500k to invest to become competitive. USDA approved kilns, a supply of poles which you have to compete with the OSB and paper mills for. A firewood processor which will cost around 65-70 K minimum. A skidsteer or forklift or both.
A shrinkwrap conveyor tunnel which is natural or gas and electric powered. You must design your bundles to fit on a pallet which hopefully is stackable. You will need 50+ K for beginning inventory and you will have to have enough stock on hand to load 50 trucks to start. And you do not get your money out of it till net 30 after the wood is delivered to the Distribution Center. Plan on paying fees to have your bundles sold in chain stores and plan on paying kickbacks to the right people. Approx 1800 bundles per truckload and 150 - 250 truckloads per season. Plan on having good wood kiln dried to about 12% MC. And you had better know what you are doing for Murphy follows you everywhere. But, it can be done, and it can be very profitable..... if you own an onsite gaswell, if you have a landing for big trucks to unload and load, if you have great credit or have investors who are crazy and willing. Questions?
formationrx
ArboristSite Guru
firewood thoughts....
...made some money off firewood.... granted not very much.... so it isnt a focus of the business... i keep it around for when its slow and i can keep the guys busy... plus my cat herd loves to play and hunt in it (every morning something is dead on the porch).... i got a mountain of hard wood ready to be split and a mountain of split wood ready to go... none of it is stacked or covered and its all mixed up... its just thrown into a pile... the way i make money is to sell it at 180 bucks a cord or by the truck load (i just eyeball it)..... people come here and get it.... we dont load it, deliver it, or stack it.... i make a few bucks... that $ generally goes back to the guys who spent the day splitting it....mostly people who buy it are the ones i work for pruning their trees... i try to stick to my core of good people.... it helps me out by getting rid of it... and it helps them out because they get a good deal and heat... around here a cord can cost up to 375 bucks!!! what a rip off!!! the guys who make real money at it live way up in the sticks... they are retired and drive down into the valley to drop it off. they move a lot of wood and sell it cheap too.... i think for a full time tree guy its a lot of work for little money... if you can make it work i think that is great.... you sound like you got the ambition... keep trying different ways until you find the best way that works for you in your area...
...made some money off firewood.... granted not very much.... so it isnt a focus of the business... i keep it around for when its slow and i can keep the guys busy... plus my cat herd loves to play and hunt in it (every morning something is dead on the porch).... i got a mountain of hard wood ready to be split and a mountain of split wood ready to go... none of it is stacked or covered and its all mixed up... its just thrown into a pile... the way i make money is to sell it at 180 bucks a cord or by the truck load (i just eyeball it)..... people come here and get it.... we dont load it, deliver it, or stack it.... i make a few bucks... that $ generally goes back to the guys who spent the day splitting it....mostly people who buy it are the ones i work for pruning their trees... i try to stick to my core of good people.... it helps me out by getting rid of it... and it helps them out because they get a good deal and heat... around here a cord can cost up to 375 bucks!!! what a rip off!!! the guys who make real money at it live way up in the sticks... they are retired and drive down into the valley to drop it off. they move a lot of wood and sell it cheap too.... i think for a full time tree guy its a lot of work for little money... if you can make it work i think that is great.... you sound like you got the ambition... keep trying different ways until you find the best way that works for you in your area...
treemandan
Tree Freak
I got some names off some shrink wrapped wood. One was called The Essay Group which I googled, they are a paper manufacturer and the name was a non- local logging company in PA.
Think big Matt. And i think thinking big means thinking small... like little bundles of firewood... like 16 billion little bundles of firewood.
Think big Matt. And i think thinking big means thinking small... like little bundles of firewood... like 16 billion little bundles of firewood.
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
We didnt do to well this year with firewood. Never really got that cold here:bang:
mattfr12
The Bulldog
I'm building up the arsenal for next year to see what happens.
treemandan
Tree Freak
And I guess by kiln drying (killing all molds, bugs, disease) you can get around the transport laws.
qweesdraw
ArboristSite Operative
If your just doing a few mom and pop stores why not just build a wood box that sits outside away from any food inside.(no kiln is needed)
Twisters bundler uses stretch wrap by the way not shrink wrap.
You can put a used car/truck tire on a bench fill with wood bungee the tops of the wood
stretch wrap on a stick if about $12 @ Ace hardware.
It will at least get you started.
Mark
Twisters bundler uses stretch wrap by the way not shrink wrap.
You can put a used car/truck tire on a bench fill with wood bungee the tops of the wood
stretch wrap on a stick if about $12 @ Ace hardware.
It will at least get you started.
Mark
Somehow I think matt has loftier aspirations... the thought of him toiling about with an old truck tire, while dreaming of maximizing his profits is hilarious to me though.. :hmm3grin2orange:
qweesdraw
ArboristSite Operative
It seemed he was thinking of making larger bundles than most.
Most commercially built blunders are 3/4 cu ft.
A custom built blunder is then in order.
Finding out the market and time involved to load the hopper, wrap ect.
I have always started on a small scale to find if it's right for me prior to making a large investment.
Just my .02 cents
Mark
Chris(Glen)
ArboristSite Operative
I am in the same boat as you, I am currently building a home made one to test the waters to see if I can actually make any money at it rather then investing into a Twister right away.
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