Building on Strong Roots

Wolverine Hardwoods, Inc is located south of Grand Rapids and north of Kalamazoo in Allegan, MI. Wolverine began as a one-man direct wholesale company has expanded to include a satellite office in Pennsylvania and a concentration yard.

Javan Mallery, founder and president, established Wolverine in 1995. Javan is a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College and NHLA grading school. He and his wife Francine and their children make their home in Jenison, MI. In 1998, Mike Mallery, joined his brother, becoming vice president and opening a satellite office in Kane, PA. Mike is also a graduate of the NHLA Grading School. Mike handles sales and purchasing out of his Kane office while Cris, his wife runs the office and aids in logistics lumber transference.

As the wholesale business thrived, Javan and Mike began looking for a company that actually handled the wood. I was in the blood! The Mallery guys grew up in the hardwood business. Their father, uncles and cousins worked in Hardwood lumber for over 75 years. The granddaddy of them all was Mallery Lumber Company of Hancock, NY and Emporium, PA owned by their Uncle Bob Mallery. Mike and Javan's Dad, John L. Mallery, the late George Mee and Bob ran those very successful businesses for many years. Mallery Lumber begat RGM, RAM and Wolverine Hardwoods. Both of the elder Mallery men are still active in the lumber industry.

Wolverine is based on the same concept. Both Mike and Javan believe that a company has to be family to succeed. With our group, we all depend on each other, we are continually learning from each other. Wolverine also has a fulltime lumber purchaser, and a sales staff to help you fill your needs. Our yard force is made up of twenty dedicated guys including two lumber graders, graduates of the NHLA inspection school who are on site everyday.

Wolverine products include primarily green and kiln-dried No. 2 Common and Better Northern Hardwoods. Species include cherry, soft and hard maple, red oak, beech and ash, figured wood, and a variety of miscellaneous species. The firm is equipped with six, 50,000 board foot capacity dry kilns. Wolverine maintains T-sheds capable of storing 500,000 board feet. Equipment includes a Newman 382,a plainer, a stacker, trimmer and straight line rip. The facility is powered by a wood-waste/gas boiler system and a majority of the area is paved.

Wolverine's primary focus is marketing to end users such as manufacturers of furniture, cabinets, moldings, and flooring. In addition to U.S. and Canadian sales, the company exports lumber to Europe and Asia. Most orders are shipped via truck or containers. Just-in-time shipments can also be accommodated.

Wolverine Hardwoods is an active member of Penn-York Lumberman's Club, the Michigan Association of Timbermen, Lake States Lumber Association, Indiana Hardwood Lumberman's Association, Michigan Forest Resources Alliance and Wood Links U.S.A. Wolverine works with these organizations to address issues involving the industry. We believe we have to be on the offensive to protect our future. We have to be involved in the education process to get the message to the public that if we manage our forests properly, we will never run out of strong, healthy forests.

Wolverine takes pride in maintaining relationships with both new and established customers. By meeting both the customers and suppliers' needs, we can build lasting relationships with both. It is our goal to find a need and meet it.