Welcome to Central Hardwoods!

Our roots in the lumber industry run as deep as those of the hardwood trees in old Europe. The Wilbert family began in the hardwood timber industry in Germany well over a hundred years ago in the region around the Black Forest. Our ancestors sawed the timber into lumber and from it built houses and manufactured cabinets, furniture and probably beer kegs as well.

In the 1850s, the first Wilbert family members arrived in southern Louisiana and settled along the Mississippi River in Iberville parish. There my father's great-grandfather and his sons set up sawmills, a planning mill and a shingle factory, all of which took advantage of the enormous Ash, Cypress, Gum, and Cottonwood trees which grew along the river.

My father, Joseph P. Wilbert, came to Dallas in the late 1930s as a lumber salesman for P.H. Davidson Lumber Company. His career in lumber sales was interrupted by World War II, but afterward he returned to Dallas with $5,000 won in a dice game on a troop ship (true story!), and that money was used as the initial capital for Central Lumber Company, which opened for business in February 1946.

For a family-owned and operated company like ours, it is especially rewarding when a member of the third generation decides to join the company. We at Central Hardwoods are doubly blessed. Both of my sons are making their contribution to the future success of our company. Peter Wilbert is our Director of Manufacturing and Ted Wilbert is our Director of Human Resources.

Central Hardwoods has had its share of successes because we've tried to maintain the highest possible standards and stay very close to our core businesses. The good fortune we have had is the result of having great people, great suppliers and products, and most importantly, great customers.

This is our heritage and our legacy. We are thankful for your continued loyalty and patronage and look forward to an enduring relationship for years to come.

Sincerely,

Joseph P. Wilbert, Jr.