Name: Curt Wolfhope
KWPA Role: Vice Chairman
Tell us about yourself:
I’m from Salix PA a small town in south western PA outside of Johnstown. My family consists of many electricians and I took the different roads that lead me to Forestry. My hobbies have everything to do with the outdoors. I camp, golf, hunt, fish and spend as much time as possible with my 2 kids outdoors. I have a son (7) and daughter (5) that gains most of my attention away from work.
How did you get into the hardwood industry?
I enjoyed wood working and shop class in high school and decided to learn more about where the wood comes from. I attended Penn College from 1989 thru 2002, where I achieved 2 associate degrees, forestry and wood products. The wood products degrees lead me to selling wood products from the college saw mill to Dwight Lewis Lumber my last semester of school. I was then offered a career from Lewis Lumber Products in May of 1992 and have been working here since that time. I am the western PA salesman. We offer a large selection of Eastern Hardwoods as well as imported exotics. We provide lumber and custom millwork to cabinet makers, furniture makers, Architectural millwork shops and small custom woodworkers. I spend each month communicating with customers for quoting some of their future job possibilities, current needs and monitoring financials. The job requires a lot of math skills, verbal and written communication and relationship building between our companies.
Favorite part about the hardwood industry?
Getting to meet hundreds of people I never new before, seeing some one of a kind projects made from beautiful woods, feeling the true warmth the people experience from wood in many, many ways and hearing the words” that is beautiful” from people who experience the beauty of wood.
What advice would you have for young people considering a career in the wood industry?
The wood products world is larger than most imagine. It is a very healthy career choice and has hundreds of different job possibilities. The wood industry will always need fresh young minds to keep it growing in this ever changing world economy.