Cascade Premium Alder (PRE) has long been one of the signature grades that showcases the unique beauty and versatility of Western Red Alder. As an appearance-grade product built around sound, tight knots, PRE delivers 83⅓% structurally sound cuttings from the heart of high-quality logs, offering manufacturers an exceptional combination of knotty appearance, yield, and value.

With its warm color consistency, uniform grain patterns, and carefully controlled knot sizes, Cascade Premium Alder provides the ideal balance between a clean appearance and natural character. The result is a product that delivers the rustic charm many consumers desire while maintaining the stability and yield that manufacturers require.

For decades, cabinet manufacturers, furniture producers, door and moulding companies, and millwork operations have relied on Premium Alder for high-quality components such as:

• Face frames
• Door rails and stiles
• Drawer fronts
• Panels
• Case goods
• Architectural millwork

Available in thicknesses from 4/4 through 8/4, with width-sorted options and lengths beginning at 7 feet, PRE offers the flexibility needed to maximize recovery and improve manufacturing efficiency.

More Than a Lumber Supplier

At Cascade, we’ve never been satisfied with simply sawing and grading lumber.

In June 2025, we took a major step forward by commissioning a state-of-the-art planer and gang-rip processing line at our Chehalis, Washington facility. Designed to help customers reduce labor, improve yield, reduce waste disposal costs, and control manufacturing costs, this investment allows us to deliver lumber that arrives ready for the next step in your production process.

The line features an advanced robotic infeed system capable of feeding either the planer or the rip saw, accommodating the full range of lengths and thicknesses we manufacture.

Our knife-planing operation processes both Western Red Alder and Pacific Coast Maple, producing precise, sander-ready thicknesses from 4/4 through 8/4. On the ripping side, the system provides several value-added solutions:

Straight-Line Rip One Edge (SLR1E)
Produces a clean, straight reference edge for customers who perform secondary ripping operations in-house.

Straight-Line Rip Two Edges (SLR2E)
Creates maximum-width blanks with minimal edging loss, ideal for moulding blanks, panel production and further component manufacturing. This provides high-volume, production-ready stock for moulding and millwork operations seeking consistent dimensions and improved efficiency.

Optimized Gang-Rip Processing
Utilizes movable-arbor technology to maximize recovery from random-width lumber, producing accurate finished widths while minimizing waste.

Lower Freight Costs. Less Waste. Greater Efficiency.

Customers utilizing our rip-and-plane services consistently report freight savings approaching 15% because waste remains at the mill—not on the truck. More usable lumber is loaded into every shipment, reducing transportation costs while increasing the amount of finished material received.

Combined with our net-tally pricing, the value is straightforward: you pay only for the lumber delivered to your facility, not for the waste removed before shipment.

The result is a simpler, more predictable cost structure that helps improve overall manufacturing efficiency.

Growing Demand and Expanding Capacity

The response to our value-added processing program has exceeded expectations. Demand for ripped, planed, and width-sorted products has grown steadily over the past year, and our line is now operating near-capacity. To continue providing the service levels and lead times our customers expect, we are preparing to add a second production shift.

We’re close—but not quite there.

A few additional production commitments will help us secure the volume necessary to launch the second shift, increasing available capacity while maintaining the responsiveness our customers depend on.

August Promotion: Help Us Launch Our Second Shift

To help reach that milestone, we’re offering a significant processing incentive throughout the month of August.

50% Off Milling Charges

For any new orders of Premium or Rustic grade gang-ripped-to-width or straight-line-ripped Alder products we will reduce milling charges by 50%.

Extended Savings for Larger Programs

Customers who place orders totaling five or more truckloads will receive the same 50% milling discount throughout both August and September, provided all shipments are completed by the end of the third quarter.

This promotion creates a unique opportunity to secure:

• Lower processing costs
• Reduced labor requirements
• Improved material yield
• Lower freight expense
• Production-ready lumber delivered to your facility

Whether your program calls for Premium grade SLR1E stock for secondary processing, SLR2E blanks for edge-glued panels, or precision gang-ripped widths for door, frame, and component manufacturing, the same discount applies.

Let’s Build Something Together

If you’re looking for ways to reduce costs, improve manufacturing efficiency, and simplify production planning, now is an excellent time to explore Cascade’s value-added capabilities.

Reach out to your Cascade sales representative with your desired widths, thicknesses, volumes, and shipping requirements. We’ll develop a program tailored to your needs and show you exactly how our rip-and-plane services can add value to your operation.

Help us take the final step toward launching our second shift, and we’ll continue investing in the products, services, and processing capabilities that keep your business running efficiently.

Cascade Premium Alder. Premium Service. Greater Value.
We look forward to working with you.