Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated American hardwood lumber manufacturer and distributor founded in 1929 in Antigo, Wisconsin, selling bulk truckload hardwood lumber, logs, veneer, and forestry services to manufacturers, distributors, exporters, and private landowners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1929
- HeadquartersAntigo, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. does
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned American hardwood lumber manufacturer and distributor founded in 1929 and headquartered in Antigo, Wisconsin. The company operates a vertically integrated supply chain spanning forest management, logging, sawmilling, kiln drying, and custom ripping/sanding, with 16 dry kilns capable of drying in excess of 13 million board feet annually and a 48,000 square foot planing and ripping facility. Core products include bulk truckload quantities of North American hardwood lumber (Hard Maple, Soft Maple, Red Oak, Basswood, White Ash, Aspen, and figured maple grades), saw logs and veneer logs, wood burls, sliced wood veneer sheets, and pallet stock lumber.
The company sells primarily on a B2B wholesale basis using a quote-based pricing model, with all orders placed via phone, online quote request, or direct sales relationships. It serves six primary customer segments: cabinet and flooring manufacturers, millwork and component manufacturers, pallet and crating makers, wholesale lumber distributors, international export companies (covering more than 15 countries), and private landowners in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula who use its forestry management and logging services. Distribution relies on nationwide truckload delivery and a dedicated export team that handles all international documentation.
Revenue is generated through one-time sales of lumber and logs, professional services for forestry management and custom processing, and export documentation support. Differentiators include double inspection quality control (NHLA grading rules), vertical integration from forest to finished product, custom SLR1E ripping and sanding, and a 29-acre Ray Kretz Industrial Forest used for landowner education. The company holds memberships in NHLA, AHEC, HMA, Hardwood Federation, WCMA, Lake States Lumber Association, and IHLA, and received the 2011 Wisconsin Governor's Export Achievement Award.
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.
- Legal name
- Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.
- Website
- https://kretzlumber.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1929
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated American hardwood lumber manufacturer and distributor founded in 1929 in Antigo, Wisconsin, selling bulk truckload hardwood lumber, logs, veneer, and forestry services to manufacturers, distributors, exporters, and private landowners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hardwood Lumber Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Sawmills (321113), Timber Tract Operations (1131), Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers (42331)
- SIC
- Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Forestry (800), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hardwood Lumber Sawmills (IMAMABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Logging & Timber Harvesting (IMAMAAAB), Hardwood Lumber Distribution & Trading (IMAMAIAB)
Keywords
Where Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Antigo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardwood Lumber Sales: Sale of American hardwood lumber in bulk truckload quantities. Products include S2S lumber, pallet lumber, and various hardwood species (maple, oak, cherry, walnut, ash, birch, hickory, elm, basswood, aspen). Revenue generated through per-transaction sales with pricing based on species, grade, and volume.
- Log and Veneer Sales: Sale of saw logs, veneer logs, wood burls, and wood veneer sheets in wholesale full truckload quantities. Logs sourced from Great Lakes Region forests, sold in rotary and sliced grades.
- Forestry Services: Professional forestry management services for landowners including forest management plans, timber harvesting, logging operations, and Managed Forest Law (MFL) program administration. Services tailored to landowner goals in Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
- Custom Processing Services: Custom ripping and sanding services through their 48,000 sq ft manufacturing facility, including straight line rip (SLR1E) and custom finishing to specifications.
- Lumber Export Services: International lumber shipping services handling all documentation required to ship products to customer-specified ports of entry. Serving more than 15 countries with export expertise in international markets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based wholesale pricing for bulk hardwood lumber, logs, and veneer |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. manufactures and distributes American hardwood lumber, saw logs, veneer logs, wood burls, and wood veneer sheets in bulk truckload quantities to manufacturers, distributors, and exporters. The company operates a vertically integrated supply chain spanning forest management, logging, sawmill processing, kiln drying, and custom ripping/sanding, with 16 dry kilns and a 48,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Antigo, Wisconsin. It also provides professional forestry management and logging services to private landowners in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Product overview
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of premium North American hardwood lumber and related wood products, in operation since 1929. The company operates a fully integrated supply chain spanning forest management, logging, sawmill processing, kiln drying, and custom finishing. Core offerings include North American Hardwood Lumber (Hard Maple, Soft Maple, Red Oak, Basswood, White Ash, Aspen, Birdseye Maple, Tiger Maple, Curly Maple), Saw Logs & Veneer Logs, Wood Burls, and Wood Veneer Sheets. Supporting services include Forest Management Services, Logging Services in Wisconsin and Michigan, Custom Rip Solutions (precision ripping and sanding), Pallet Lumber, and Lumber Delivery. The company operates 16 dry kilns, a 48,000 square foot planing and ripping facility, and sources exclusively from sustainably managed American forests in the Great Lakes Region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ray Kretz Industrial Forest: A 29-acre educational working forest located at the company's headquarters in Antigo, Wisconsin, used to demonstrate forest management dynamics and educate landowners on proper forest management techniques.
Products and services
- North American Hardwood Lumber
- Saw Logs & Veneer Logs
- Wood Burls
- Wood Veneer Sheets
- Forest Management Services
- Logging Services
- Custom Rip Solutions
- Pallet Lumber
- Lumber Delivery Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Export markets more than doubled since 2008
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA)coreIndustry association membership. Grading lumber according to NHLA rules and sales code is central to Kretz's quality guarantee. The company follows NHLA grading standards for all lumber inspection.
- Wisconsin Commercial Lumbermen's Association (WCMA)coreState trade association membership supporting Wisconsin lumber industry interests.
- Hardwood FederationcoreNational advocacy association for hardwood industry policy representation.
- Lake States Lumber AssociationcoreRegional trade association for lumber manufacturers in the Great Lakes region.
- American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)coreInternational export promotion organization supporting American hardwood exports globally.
- Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA)coreNational trade association representing American hardwood manufacturers.
- Illinois Hardwood Association (IHLA)minorRegional hardwood industry association.
- Wolf River Chapter of Trout UnlimitedminorCollaborated on tree planting project in May 2023. Environmental conservation partnership.
- Rickert's Excavating CompanyminorLogging and excavating services partner based in Birnamwood, WI. Provides timber harvesting operations for Kretz Lumber. Over 4 years of working relationship.
- U.S. Senator Tammy BaldwinminorU.S. Senator toured Kretz Lumber in August 2016 to highlight Wisconsin's timber economy.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cole Hardwood, Inc. Indiana-based hardwood lumber manufacturer and wholesale distributor selling domestically and internationally in the same NHLA-graded species mix and truckload distribution motion Kretz employs.
- Midwest Hardwood Corporation: Regional Great Lakes–area hardwood lumber manufacturer overlapping with Kretz on species sourcing, kiln-dried hardwood output, and wholesale distribution to millwork and cabinet customers.
- Bingham Lumber & Millwork: Hardwood lumber manufacturer and millwork producer offering NHLA-graded species to cabinet, flooring, and millwork manufacturers across the U.S. with custom ripping and surfacing services analogous to Kretz's add-on offerings.
- Baillie Lumber Co. Family-owned U.S. hardwood lumber manufacturer and distributor in continuous operation since 1929 with a comparable nationwide wholesale hardwood model, multiple species offerings, and on-grade NHLA grading — the closest scale-and-legacy analog to Kretz in the hardwood segment.
- Cummings Lumber Co., Inc. Indiana-based hardwood lumber manufacturer producing kiln-dried NHLA-grade lumber from Great Lakes–sourced logs with a vertically integrated sawmill, kiln, and planing operation comparable to Kretz's footprint.
- Hardwood Lumber Company (HLC): Ohio-headquartered hardwood lumber distributor selling NHLA-graded Appalachian and Northern hardwoods to manufacturers nationwide and abroad, operating in the same B2B wholesale motion with quote-based pricing.
- Mader Lumber Co., Inc. Multi-generational Indiana hardwood sawmill and wholesaler with a species mix and customer base (cabinet, flooring, millwork manufacturers) that closely mirror Kretz's primary segments.
- Pinnacle Hardwood Products: Hardwood lumber manufacturer and wholesaler specializing in NHLA-grade Northern hardwood species for cabinet, furniture, and millwork customers — a comparable mid-sized U.S. hardwood sawmill business.
Broad incumbents
- PotlatchDeltic Corporation: Timberland Real Estate Investment Trust with significant U.S. hardwood and softwood timber holdings and a wood-products manufacturing business; overlaps with Kretz at the upstream timber and lumber level as a much larger, diversified incumbent.
- Weyerhaeuser Company: Large, publicly traded timberland REIT and wood-products conglomerate that sells both hardwood and softwood lumber, OSB, and engineered wood products — overlapping with Kretz's hardwood distribution but at vastly greater scale and product breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceKretz Lumber Co., Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.
What does Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. do?
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. manufactures and distributes American hardwood lumber, saw logs, veneer logs, wood burls, and wood veneer sheets in bulk truckload quantities to manufacturers, distributors, and exporters. The company operates a vertically integrated supply chain spanning forest management, logging, sawmill processing, kiln drying, and custom ripping/sanding, with 16 dry kilns and a 48,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Antigo, Wisconsin. It also provides professional forestry management and logging services to private landowners in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Is Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. a public or private company?
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. founded?
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. was founded in 1929. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. based?
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. is headquartered in Antigo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Hardwood Lumber Sales are the primary driver. The others are log and Veneer Sales, forestry Services, custom Processing Services and lumber Export Services.
Who are Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cole Hardwood, Inc., Midwest Hardwood Corporation, Bingham Lumber & Millwork, Baillie Lumber Co., Cummings Lumber Co., Inc., Hardwood Lumber Company (HLC), Mader Lumber Co., Inc. and Pinnacle Hardwood Products. Broad incumbents are PotlatchDeltic Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company.
Does Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kretz Lumber Co., Inc..
What industry is Kretz Lumber Co., Inc. in?
Kretz Lumber Co., Inc.'s product category is Hardwood Lumber Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMABAB, Hardwood Lumber Sawmills, with a secondary code of IMAMAAAB, Logging & Timber Harvesting. Its NAICS code is 321113 and its SIC code is 2421.