In 2016 Steven Boivin spearheaded Timber Ridge Firewood during his final year of high school. Steven grew up being heavily influenced by his parent’s running of an arborist company. Juggling school and scaling a business that was rapidly evolving lead to Steven’s brother, Nicholas Boivin, partnering in the business. This partnership created huge growth for Timber Ridge Firewood and allowed the brothers to expand and outgrow their location. “We offer high-quality products. We want to create a good atmosphere and make sure our guys are happy working for us. There are more ways that you get gratification than just financial gain.”
Consistency, high-quality services, and having good systems is the backbone of Timber Ridge and has supported them through drastic economic changes and supply-chain issues. Wildfires, an influx of housing demands, and production issues created a unique barrier for Timber Ridge. “COVID brought a national wood shortage.” Nicholas said, “Now inflation has completely changed the landscape as well. Our systems and operations had to change so that we could weather through the craziness. This is going to be a generational company, if you can make it through all of this you can make it through anything.”
Financing was an ongoing barrier for Timber Ridge Firewood as the demand for products was quickly outgrowing the capacity of their facility. “You can easily get a little bit of start up funding, but it ends there. When you are creating something to this capacity you need more, and the banks look at young people and instantly shake their heads. Community Futures is the reason the new space was possible for us. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to move here.”
The future is incredibly bright for the Boivin brothers, including an upcoming partnership with a sawmill. Future plans for further expansion of the ‘Firewood Experience’ include items that are more than just wood, such as artisan metal and wood products and “the aesthetic of the real comfort that firewood brings. We are aiming to be involved in our community, get our employees involved, and engage in positive initiatives!” Steven says.
