Marketing Practices in the Urban and Reclaimed Wood Industries
Keywords:
urban wood, reclaimed wood, marketing, wood productsAbstract
In the US, trees felled in urban areas and wood generated through construction and demolition (C&D) are primarily disposed of as low value resources, largely sent to landfills or utilized for energy, composting, and landscaping mulch. In recent years, the urban and reclaimed wood industries have emerged to provide a higher value-added outlet, foster local economies, and divert supplies to landfills. This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey carried out to understand marketing practices of the urban and reclaimed wood industries. Results indicate a majority of respondents were small firms operating for less than 10 years and appealing to consumers between 35 and 54 years of age with upper middle income status. Products and species were variable between firms, and sales were largely made-to-order and priced higher than similar products made from traditional sources. Primary promotional messages include quality, aesthetics, and customization, largely advertised via company webpage, word of mouth, and social media. Prevalent distribution channels include direct sales, online sales, and retail sales. Partnerships appear to be critical for effective raw material procurement, and despite barriers associated with urban and reclaimed wood materials and production, growth expectations were unanimously optimistic, as reported by participating firms.References
Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2013). Marketing: An Introduction. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Bumgardner, M., Montague, I., & Wiedenbeck, J. (2017). Survey Response Rates in the Forest Products Literature from 2000 to 2015. Wood and Fiber Science, 49(1), 84-92.
Cesa, E. T., Knotts, J. H., & Lempicki, E. A. (2003). Recycling Municipal Trees: A Guide for Marketing Sawlogs from Street Tree Removals in Municipalities. Retrieved from https://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/tps/recycle/recycling_trees.pdf
City and County of San Francisco. (2016, November 2016). Urban Forest Plan. Retrieved from http://sf-planning.org/urban-forest-plan
Dillman, D., Smyth, J., & Christian, L. (2009). Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Forest Stewardship Council. (2011). FSC Standard: Sourcing reclaimed material for use in FSC Product Groups or FSC Certified Projects. Retrieved from
https://us.fsc.org/preview.fsc-standard-for-sourcing-reclaimed-materials.a-474.pdf
Hansen, E. (2010). Wood-based Entrepreneurs Toolkit: Strategic Marketing. Retrieved from http://owic.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs/strategic_marketing.pdf
Howe, J., Bowyer, J., Pepke, E., Frank, M., & Fernholz, K. (2014). Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Construction and Demolition (C&D) Wood Waste Generation Recovery in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.dovetailinc.org/report_pdfs/2014/dovetailwoodrecovery0914.pdf
Howe, J., Bratkovich, S., Bowyer, J., Frank, M., & Fernholz, K. (2013). The Current State of Wood Reuse and Recycling in North America and Reccommendations for Improvements. Retrieved from http://www.dovetailinc.org/report_pdfs/2013/wood_reuse_and_recycling/current_state_wood_reuse_recycling_namerica.pdf
Juslin, H., & Hansen, E. (2003). Strategic Marketing in the Global Forest Industries. Corallis, OR: Authors Academic Press.
Lyon, S., & Bond, B. (2014). What Is "Urban Wood Waste"?. Forest Products Journal, 64(5/6), 166-170. doi:10.13073/FPJ-D-14-00023
MNP LLP. (2015). Market Development Strategy for the Value Added Forest Industry. Retrieved from
Nowak, D. J., Stein, S. M., Randler, P. B., Greenfield, E. J., Comas, S. J., Carr, M. A., & Alig, R. J. (2010). Sustaining America's Urban Trees and Forests. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/fote/reports/nrs-62_sustaining_americas_urban.pdf
Qualtrics. (2005) (Version 2018). Provo, Utah. Retrieved from https://www.qualtrics.com
Sherrill, S. (2017). Harvesting Urban Timber: The Complete Guide. Echo Point Books & Media, LLC.
Shupe, T. F., & Vlosky, R. P. (2010). Why and How to Market Wood Products. Retrieved from http://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media/system/5/a/1/9/5a196b56f31ef3fee729932aa46dbde2/pub2702whyandhowtomarketwoodproductslowres.pdf
Smith, B., Hansen, E., & Ola, D. (2010). Marketing for Wood Products Companies. Retrieved from https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/420/420-145/420-145_pdf.pdf
Smith, R. L., Cesa, E. T., & Rappold, P. M. (2008). A Marketing Guide: for Small and Medium Sized Primary Forest Products Processors. Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/naspf/sites/default/files/marketing_guide_na-tp-02-07cd.pdf
Stacey, S. (2017). The Benefits of Reclaimed Timber. Retrieved from http://greenbusinesswatch.org/blog/the-benefits-of-reclaimed-timber
U.S. Green Building Council. (2003). LEED Interpretation ID # 5505. Retrieved from https://www.usgbc.org/content/li-5505
U.S. Green Building Council. (2009). Regional Materials. Retrieved from https://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction-schools/v2009/mrc5
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). Construction Waste Management Section 01 74 19. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/017419.pdf
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Manuscripts published in the journal are open access and copyrighted according to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) which requires attribution to the author, but can be readily shared and adapted. BioProducts Business allows the author(s) to retain publishing rights without restrictions.