• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Adverticia

Advertising Strategies for Today's Media World

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Business Tips
    • Construction
    • Family
    • Fitness
    • Furniture
    • Health
    • Swimming Pools
    • Technology
    • The Arts
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact

Three Trees in a Successful Forest

Last updated on July 25, 2012 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

j gibson mcilvain lumber delivery truck
J Gibson McIlvain Lumber Company delivery truck

In the wholesale lumber industry, it’s easy to see the forest, but not the trees. By “forest,” here, I’m referring to the overall success and respectability of a company. Factors contributing to the success of McIlvain lumber include its family-centered roots, breadth of products and services, and national and global expansion. Those “trees” may not always be noticed individually, but they certainly contribute to the excellent service provided by J. Gibson McIlvain.

horse drawn mcilvain lumber
Horse drawn cart carrying J Gibson McIlvain lumber

Family-Centered Roots

Not many American companies in any niche can point back as far as 1798 to find their roots. The company’s founder, Hugh McIlvain, had no idea that the small family business he began was the start of something that would last through many changes in the nation as a whole. The small business he started on the Schuylkill River outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, would supply the early urban sprawl of Philadelphia and prosper despite trade embargoes resulting from Napoleonic victories.

1925 j gibson mcilvain lumber truck
1925 J Gibson McIlvain lumber truck

Early exploits include supplying lumber used in the Capitol building and the White House, as well as other buildings of historic national significance; J. Gibson McIlvain wood (website) literally helped build America. Expansion, specialization, and other changes throughout the next two centuries brought many shifts in business details, but 7 generations later, J. Gibson McIlvain is still a family-run company.

Breath of Products and Services

Throughout the company’s first century-and-a-half, responding to market demand meant becoming a hardwoods specialists. Wholesale lumber was supplied to industrial producers who serviced the nation’s emerging shipping, automotive, and railroad industries, as they grew. McIlvain also supplied quality hardwoods to cabinetmakers. The company still specializes in domestic and imported hardwood.

1962 j gibson mcilvain maryland lumberyard
J Giibson McIlvain lumberyard in Maryland in 1962

McIlvain also supplies softwoods, which are popular choices for framing needs. McIlvain also keeps plenty of hardwood plywood, including marine-grade plywood, in stock, and they have a variety hardwood millwork available as well. In fact, in case you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for amid their online millwork catalog, they offer custom work, as well.

National and Global Expansion

While McIlvain started out as a small family business, it certainly hasn’t stayed that way. Progress and expansion have been its loyal friends, throughout its long lifespan. In 1960, a warehouse was established in White Marsh, Maryland, which is just north of Baltimore. From that location, becoming an international lumber importer was only natural. Starting in the 1970s, the company’s partnerships expanded beyond the U.S. to saw mills across the globe.

loading lumber into j gibson mcilvain kiln
Loading a kiln with lumber at J Gibson McIlvain

In 1980, a new lumber yard was opened in Danielson, Connecticut, to maintain more inventory and increase their shipping prowess. Recognizing market shifts and educating themselves about new niches has helped McIlvain keep up with the world around them and meet their customers’ growing demands.

Building on their rich family history and offering an impressive selection of products and services, J. Gibson McIlvain continues to lend vitality to the continually growing wholesale lumber industry.

Filed Under: Construction, Lumber

Additional Articles

fresh ipe wood deck
Should I Use Ipe or Teak? Two High End Lumbers Explained
How Seasonal Demand Affects Lumber Pricing
one by four ipe boards
Ipe Wood – Facts about Brazilian Walnut
gib mcilvain teak log truck
Teak Wood – Facts about Tectona Grandis Lumber
walnut crown molding
The Natural Appeal of Walnut Wood
ipe recessed deck fence
Ipe Wood: Premier Tropical Decking Material, Part 3

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

five × 5 =



Primary Sidebar

Tropical decking lumber
Plywood options

Featured Articles

  • Should I Use Ipe or Teak?: Two High End Lumbers Explained
  • 4 Common Tropical Decking Problems- And Their Solutions
  • Facts about Sapele Wood - Uses & Supplier Information
  • Why Is Cherry Wood So Popular?
  • Decking Considerations: Ipe Timing and Pricing
  • Hardwood Plywood: Is it Dangerous?
  • Thinking Outside the Trends: Afromosia as a Teak Alternative
  • Ipe: Air Dried, Kiln Dried, or a Combination of Both?
  • Inland & Coastal Cedar – Appreciating the Differences
  • Alternatives to Spanish Cedar: Cheaper, Readily Available & Weather Resistant
J Gibson McIlvain Lumber Company
Lyon Financial

Popular Articles

  • Reducing Painful Side Effects of Immobilization Boots
  • Stop Hiding Your Phone Number, Walmart.com
  • Dance Studio Management Software Review
  • Septic Tank Pumping in Mooresville, NC
  • How do They Get Those Surgical Instruments So Clean?
  • Are Your Shoulder Blades Crooked?
  • The Bedroom Source: Maxtrix Furniture for Kids
  • Maxtrix: Bunk Beds with Unlimited Options
  • Top 3 Household Hazards for Kids
  • Getting Started with X10 Home Automation
  • The Bedroom Source: A Unique Kids Furniture Store
  • Why a Swimming Pool Is a Great Addition to a Healthy Lifestyle
X10 Home Automation

Reader Feedback

  • Elina Brooks on Choosing a Licensed Arborist – Quality Tree Service
  • Norie Rie on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Afton Jackson on Wood Flooring: Environmental & Economic Benefits
  • Zoey Bac on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Karen M. on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Jacky Clemente on 3 Options for Pool Heating
  • Abby Cinalla on 3 Options for Pool Heating

Copyright © 2023 Sozo Firm Inc · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer · Sitemap

Adverticia.com does not provide medical advice, treatment or diagnosis; content on this website should not be utilized for medical treatment or diagnosis. The information provided is intended for general consumer information and should not take the place as a substitute for professional medical advice.

FTC Compliance Disclaimer: Adverticia.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.