Bennett Hardwoods: A Phone Call, a River Road, and a Full‑Circle Supply Chain

How a kiln‑drying icon joined the family, and helped us close the loop from forest to finished board.

When we published the story of acquiring Root River Hardwoods, we talked about shared vision, family values, and the thrill (and chaos) of a transatlantic leap. That chapter set our compass: find exceptional, real‑world businesses, treat people well, and be worthy stewards of the legacy we inherit. 

It started with two questions

The Bennett Hardwoods chapter began with a phone call. One of the owners, Katreen, rang Andy from Root River and asked two simple questions: “Would we be interested? Are they nice guys?” Thankfully, the answers were yes and yes. That set the tone for everything that followed: straightforward conversations, an open book, and mutual respect.

Meeting the Bennetts, and the people who make Bennett

We flew out to Prairie du Chien to meet the Bennett family. From the very first meeting, they involved their senior team. That early inclusion spoke volumes about trust, inside their walls and towards us. It mirrored what we value: decisions made with the people who actually run the operation, not just about them. In follow up meetings we had the privilege of meeting the original founder, Tyler Sr, one of the original lumber Barons of the midwest! 

A place you can feel in your bones

Bennett’s 25‑acre campus sits in a bend of the Mississippi, in the Driftless bluffs along the Wisconsin Great River Road. Drive that river road and you’ll understand why we say the journey between our two businesses might be the most beautiful commute in America, high limestone bluffs giving way to water and sky. 

A relationship years in the making

Root River and Bennett weren’t strangers. For well over a decade, we’ve been both customer and supplier to one another, an integrated relationship built on consistency and craft. That history meant we weren’t just buying a company; we were formalizing a partnership that already worked.

What made the deal feel different

We learned a lot from our first transaction. This time, with Jon alongside us, everything was calmer, clearer, and faster. The sellers stayed directly involved, there was no telephone game, and we could solve issues in real time. It was the kind of deal where everyone could look each other in the eye and say, “This makes sense.”

Why Bennett, beyond the numbers

Bennett has been producing premium kiln‑dried hardwoods since 1988, pairing generations of know‑how with serious capacity: 13 computer‑controlled kilns (up to 600,000 board feet per charge), extensive air‑drying sheds, planing and SLR, and more than 3 million board feet of inventory across Northern and Appalachian species. In short: scale and craftsmanship. 

Closing the loop: from green to dry

With Bennett in the family, we can now put our arms around the entire wood chain, from logs in the forest to kiln‑dried lumber ready for cabinet shops, furniture makers, and millwork partners. Root River’s sawmilling and forestry expertise pairs naturally with Bennett’s drying and distribution. It’s the backbone of our green‑to‑dry, hub‑and‑spoke model: Bennett as the central hub, with additional sawmills joining the spokes near the forests they serve.

What stays the same (by design)

We kept what makes Bennett… Bennett. The name stays. The team stays. The facility and operations stay. Customers will keep working with the same people they know and trust, now with the resources of a broader platform behind them. That was non‑negotiable for us and for the Bennetts. 

What gets better

Being part of our group means more investment in people, process, and equipment; more opportunities for cross‑company learning; and a larger, steadier pipeline of logs and lumber. It also means modern systems where they add value and restraint where they don’t. We’ve seen this energize Root River’s next chapter; we’re excited to bring that same momentum to Prairie du Chien. 

The road ahead

This acquisition isn’t about empire‑building. It’s about building a family of companies with history, values, and heart companies that make tangible things the right way. With Bennett Hardwoods as our drying and distribution hub, we’re looking to add more sawmills into the fold, closer to the forests, and tightening the loop from forest to finished board.

P.S. Our American English is getting much better… Jon needs to translate for us less and less. Sentences that haven’t made the cut;

🇬🇧 “Taking the piss” = 🇺🇸 “Making fun of” e.g., “Are you taking the piss out of me?” ≈ “Are you making fun of me?”

🇬🇧 “Crack on” = 🇺🇸 “Let’s get started” e.g., “Shall we crack on after lunch?” ≈ “Shall we get started after lunch?”

🇬🇧 “Chuffed to bits” = 🇺🇸" Thrilled” e.g., “I was chuffed to bits with that kiln charge.” ≈ “I was really thrilled with that kiln charge.”

🇬🇧“Stop faffing about” = 🇺🇸 “Quit fooling around” e.g., “Stop faffing about with the forklift and load the lumber already.” ≈ “Stop messing around with the forklift and load the lumber already.”

Words such as “Aluminium” are a no go and apparently how we say “water” is very odd.