Exotic Woods Business

While they have one of the smallest timber mills in Klamath Falls, 'Cook Woods' trades on an international level...

Their inventory includes exotic woods like purpleheart, black and white ebony, zebrawood, and even snakewood from Surinam.

"We basically sell exotic and domestic wood."  Notes Catherine Cook of Cook Woods.  "Anything from lumber, to blocks and squares."

Cook Woods has a small mill and a showroom in Klamath Falls.  But founder Chris Cook says that local sales are relatively small...

"We probably sell about a half of one percent to the local Klamath Falls, Medford area."

"Our website is our meat and potatoes."  Says Catherine Cook, who adds those web orders come from around the world, for a variety of uses.  "Things like acoustic guitars, or high end pen blanks, pool cues, duck calls."

It hasn't always been easy.

Chris Cook points out that the business had to restructure in 2008 due to a tight economy.  "We went from having roughly 10 to 12 people here working on a steady basis to having 5 or 6."

Also in 2008, the 'Lacey Act' was tightened to combat trade in endangered wood species.  While the Lacey Act has placed additional restrictions on importing exotic woods, Chris and Catherine Cook say it hasn't really changed their game plan...

"I'd say that most of the time when they're a protected species, we just stay away from them."  Says Catherine Cook.

"As far as us."  Adds Chris Cook, "We're in the clear, because we have our paperwork and we don't want to endanger anything, or make it more endangered."

Even when those 'exotics' are harvested locally.

Chris Cook got his start in North Dakota in 1997, when he purchased a portable sawmill.  Using trees cut down for firewood by local tree services, Cook made lumber for local woodworkers, and sold some of the scraps online.

You can learn more online at:  www.cookwoods.com