campus news and events

Innovation in the Lumber Industry

For Chuck Gaede '00 and Matt Hagerty '02, a barbecue is as good a place as any for inspiration, innovation and opportunity—a casual discussion in 2011 between the two about the lumber industry over plates of ribs and slaw led to the development of a new lumber trading platform: Woodbrowser.

Hagerty and Gaede, who initially bonded through Colby-Sawyer's tennis and club hockey teams, combined their decades of experience in lumber sales and business operations to develop a different method of trading lumber, one that melds traditional lumber trading practices with innovative, transparent online capabilities. Gaede noticed that there was a clear need for an online purchasing platform that connected buyers directly to mills and removed the typical commission-based middleman. He and Hagerty enlisted the support of fellow alumni Timothy Ingraham '03 and Drew Drummond '02 to draft a business plan, raise money and develop the online platform. According to Hagerty and Gaede, Woodbrowser's only goal is to get buyers the best products available at the best price, removing any incentives to push unwanted products.

After years of expansion and hard work, Woodbrowser now has an office and export warehouse in Grantham, N.H., and serves 140 customers in 26 states and four countries. Woodbrowser caters to largequantity buyers and sellers, such as retail lumber yards, developers and modular and prefab manufacturers. A visit to the company's website allows customers to access “the only transparent, flat-fee lumber trading process in the market” and to search the inventories of more than 70 mills.

Gaede and Hagerty intend to double their company's customer base over the next year, hire three lumber sales traders and bring in their first in-house programmer and marketing director. The future is bright for Woodbrowser, proving that innovation and collaboration, with just a touch of technology, can lead to success in our global economy.

To find out more about Woodbrowser, visit woodbrowser.com.

- Lauren Sullivan


About Colby-Sawyer College

Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. The College's faculty, staff and students strive for excellence in an engaged teaching and learning community that fosters students' academic, intellectual, and personal growth. With a strong emphasis on learning outcomes, including breadth and depth of knowledge, self-growth, creative and critical thinking, and effective communication, Colby-Sawyer prepares students to thrive post-graduation and make a positive impact upon a dynamic, diverse, and interdependent world.

Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the College's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.