MUSCATINE, Iowa–Since 1983, Kendrick Forest Products has provided superior quality wood products to their hometown of Edgewood and the surrounding area. Over the years, the company expanded into seven separate divisions, all located in or near Edgewood. However, they received the opportunity to expand even further by purchasing an existing lumber company in Muscatine. Beginning this fall, Kendrick Forest Products looks forward to providing excellent quality wood products to Muscatine County and the surrounding area.

Morgan Christen, the daughter of Kendrick Forest Products founders Tim and Rhonda and a current member of the family business explained that as the owner of a local mill in Muscatine neared retirement, he contacted Kendrick Forest Products to see if they would buy his business and continue to provide good work for his employees. After looking at the capabilities of Muscatine’s mill, Kendrick Forest Products decided to go ahead and purchase the building, making it their only location away from their hometown. “Being 100 miles from our main facility, this location allows us to have more access to standing timber and cut logs that were previously more difficult to access,” detailed Christen. “Also, having a sawmill facility to process the logs allows us to increase our production and meet the growing demands and needs of our growing customer base.”

Kendrick Forest Products offers many types of wood products made from every part of the trees it mills, including bark, green lumber, veneer logs, sawdust, and woodchips. Thanks to their kilns in Edgewood and Vinton, they also sell kiln dried lumber as well.

Throughout the process of purchasing their Muscatine location, Kendrick Forest Products took a team effort to everything they did, sending current staff members to Muscatine to tour the facility and get to know its employees, and bringing the employees in Muscatine to Edgewood to see how they ran their operation there and to let them get to know other Kendrick Forest Products workers. Now that Kendrick Forest Products has started to establish itself in Muscatine, they have taken a team approach to getting to know the community, which included joining the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We are big believers in community involvement and know that it takes a variety of people working together to keep a community thriving,” stated Christen.

Since coming to Muscatine, Kendrick Forest Products has received a warm welcome. “We are new to this area, but so far have found there to be a lot of opportunity and everyone has been very friendly and welcoming,” observed Christen. She encourages anyone needing wood to contact her at  563-928-6431 or kfpmuscatine@kendrickinc.com. Christen can also arrange for buyers to visit their Muscatine location at 2310 US-61 South, suite number one, Muscatine between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays.