Our Sustainability Promise
At Excelsior Wood Products, we believe great wood comes from great practices. We’re one of the only mills managing such a large volume of lumber while upholding stewardship standards. From custom applications to large-scale projects, we supply the volume, consistency, and integrity our partners need—while leaving forests and communities better than we found them.
The Excelsior Promise
With every piece of wood we sell, every project we make, and in everything we do, we’re holding ourselves accountable for doing it in the most sustainable way possible. We go further than our competitors in ensuring that our products are sourced and manufactured to leave the smallest possible trace on the environment. We don’t do it for a competitive edge–we do it because it’s the right thing to do.
The Excelsior Promise is represented with a logo on our products. It’s more than just a mark; it's our pledge to remain dedicated to sustainable sourcing, thoughtful harvesting, and the protection of forests for future generations. Every time you see this logo, know that it's our promise of sustainability, made tangible.
A Plant With Purpose Partner
At Excelsior, we’re no strangers to the positive impact of trees. When you plant a tree, you help cool your environment, make land more resistant to erosion, and increase soil quality. Through our partnership with Plant With Purpose, we’re helping communities that have been deeply impacted by deforestation and climate change reverse the effects, one tree at a time. The organization put funds directly in the hands of the locals who need our help so they can earn income through agroforestry, tree planting, and regenerative farming while revitalizing their ecosystems. For every sale we make, we donate $1 to Plant With Purpose, which has planted 85 million trees and counting.
“As the grandson of a farmer, I was immersed in farm life from a young age, which profoundly shaped me as a person and a business owner. Farmers are the most resourceful people I’ve known; they find a way to reuse every resource they have.
I strive to bring this mindset to Excelsior Wood Products. We upcycle as much antique and reclaimed wood as possible. We turn our scrap wood into sawdust bricks for home heating. We recycle the nails we pull out of reclaimed wood. We kiln-dry, mill, and manufacture all our products in one location and source lumber as nearby as possible to decrease emissions from transportation. We use an environmentally friendly system to heat our facility with scrap wood.
We will continue to choose the environmentally friendly option. I can’t do it any other way.”
-Ron Sauer, Founder
As part of our promise, we hold our suppliers to a higher standard. That means we only work with companies that follow eco-friendly and fair trade practices, such as:
Rejecting Clearcutting:
Avoiding clearcutting to prevent adverse impacts on ecosystems and local communities. Our suppliers champion sustainable logging to safeguard forest preservation for future generations
Selective Harvesting:
Our suppliers meticulously plan and divide forest areas, harvesting only 20 to 200 trees per 1000 acres. This method preserves the forest's ecosystem, encouraging natural regeneration and maintaining ecological balance.
Promoting Growth of Young Trees:
Our suppliers ensure the protection and growth of seedlings and small trees, vital for the forest's future.
Regulated Harvesting:
Consistently, our suppliers harvest minimally, between 2 and 200 trees per 1000 acres, allowing the land adequate rest of 20-30 years between cuts to promote recovery and sustainable growth.
Optimal Forest Re-growth:
Strategic harvesting cycles are designed so that after 2-3 rotations, the forest actually contains more wood fiber than before, achieving a balance between use and replenishment.
Comprehensive Tracking:
Loggers are required to submit comprehensive forest management plans, which include species identification and precise GPS coordinates for tree harvesting, ensuring accuracy and adherence to sustainability goals.
Fair and Dignified Treatment:
We are committed to fairness and dignity for everyone involved in the cultivation and growth of our trees, regardless of their location. Those cultivating the wood we sell are compensated fairly for their work.
Wood Briquettes:
Our milling process is a testament to our sustainability ethos, upcycling as much wood as possible by transforming sawdust into clean-burning wood briquettes. These briquettes are made from 100% compressed kiln-dried wood-only sawdust. There are zero additives, zero chemicals, and no pressure-treated products included.
Hear From Our Suppliers
Have more questions about The Excelsior Promise? Get in touch with us today!
