In 2019 Cascade pioneered a full-line Alder width sort program in both Superior and Premium grades. Since then, many distributors and manufacturers have tailored their production to their availability. In some markets, distributors now stock the full array of widths in both grades, as they find their customers want to be able to call and order 3000LF of 6-7” PRE to run the same volume in a 5-1/2” base profile. This is the future of the hardwood industry, and for Cascade it is now.
Predictable yields and limited inventory trying up both valuable capital and floor space, especially of off-fall widths and grades, is today’s reality. For our more forward-thinking customers, stocking these items in all widths has set them apart from those offering only random-width products. And because we run width-sort from our full run of grades using our automated width-sorting equipment at our Port Angeles mill, orders can generally be shipped promptly on highly mixed loads. The days of trucks leaving Port Angeles with one or two items seem to be gone; we are now quite used to shipping, giving, or even eight different SKUs on a truck.
For those who have not yet made Cascade width sorts a part of their stocking program, here is a refresher for what is stocked. In Superior, we sort 3-3/4 to 5” (SP4), 5 to 6” (SP5), 6 to 7” (SP6), 7 to 8” (SP7), and 8” and wider (SP8). In Premium, we sort the same widths (PR4), (PR5), (PR6); (PR7), and (PR8).
To keep our distributors stocked in the width sorts has not only changed how much we inventory, but it has also changed how we sell it. Interesting fact – back in 2016, we used to average only about 1.3 different line items per invoice. As distributors and manufacturers have embraced our wide range of grade offerings, that number has approached 5. And to manage the increased time it takes in today’s marketplace to put together these highly specified orders, our sales team has grown.
As we look to 2025, the width sorts are one way Cascade will help distributors and manufacturers sell more Alder. Beyond width sorts, we will introduce a new grade that we think will become the third “go-to” grade in domestic markets, alongside our Premium and Rustic. Visit our Cascade Grade SelectorHERE
for more details about our width sort options.
