
We at J. Gibson McIlvain, as a renowned wholesale lumber distributor, do our best to maintain enough of popular products like Ipe decking on hand. The traditional notions of supply and demand, on the other hand, have a significant impact on our price. We’d like to give you a quick rundown of the challenges at hand in order to assist individuals looking for wholesale lumber.

Sources of Ipe Decking
While Ipe decking is not an endangered species, it does have a restricted availability. It comes from Brazil, a South American country where the government’s forestry program closely monitors forestry practices. Each mill we operate with has its own set of regional rules and local ordinances. We do an on-site analysis of a mill’s quality and supply before forming a partnership with it. We also seek legal advice from local attorneys. When we make our initial purchase from a new partner mill, we frequently inspect and grade the lumber ourselves. We’ll be able to compare the quality of our first shipment from a new mill to what we saw on location, once it arrives in our own wholesale lumber yard.

Seasons of Ipe Decking Growth
Ipe decking is similar to many tropical hardwoods in that we’re dealing with a different hemisphere and opposing seasons, in addition to the hands-on research required for us to work with each individual mill. South America is in the midst of their rainy season, which prevents Ipe harvesting and lumber delivery to the mills, just as we’re getting ready for barbeques and constructing. While harvesting will start in June and July, the time required to transport and manufacture the lumber into decking products means that this summer’s stock will not arrive in the United States until at least Christmas. As a result of this timeframe, the amount of wholesale timber we have in any given spring season will not be refilled until after the summer heat has passed us by.

Solutions for Ipe Decking
You may rest confident that J. Gibson McIlvain’s expert wholesale lumber buyers thoroughly research the market and make informed judgments based on the economy and previous data from the peak decking season. Giving in to demands from less-than-reputable saw mills would be one method for us to provide a more consistent supply of Ipe decking without subjecting our consumers to higher prices. However, doing so would entail more than just jeopardizing our own good name and depriving our clients of the service caliber which they deserve: we would become supporters of the kind of rash harvesting that puts the entire market and our global environment in jeopardy.
As a consumer, you may minimize your exposure to these recurring difficulties by preparing ahead of time and purchasing before the start of the decking season. We aim to give you the greatest pricing while continuing to provide the high-quality wholesale timber that has earned us your trust at J. Gibson McIlvain.