Ferche Millwork – Your “Green” Manufacturer

Environmentalism isn’t new; it’s been around for hundreds of years. Recently, however, going “green” has become more important than ever. Ferche Millwork knows this, and can proudly say that it has a history of implementing “green” processes that greatly reduce waste and sustain valuable natural resources.

Ferche Millwork has always been an environmentally conscious company. The company’s proactive approach to recycling wood byproducts for fueling boilers to heat kilns and buildings was recognized in 1985 when Ferche Millwork received a National Award for Energy Innovation. The process that Ferche was awarded for included using sawdust and shavings from Ferche's manufacturing facilities and burning them to produce steam to power the Minnesota kilns and heat the buildings. Excess residues were sold into agricultural and fuel markets resulting in no waste. This was one of the first times Ferche was recognized for its green approach, and the company continues this process today.

Another milestone for Ferche came in 2003 when the company officially adopted another environmentally friendly process when it implemented the “lean” approach to manufacturing. The idea behind this manufacturing philosophy is to supply goods and services with minimal waste, where wastes in production are reduced through continuous improvements of the production processes. Using lean manufacturing is a way to consistently implement processes that benefit the environment, and a way to always try to improve current work methods.

With many environmentally conscious methods in place, Ferche Millwork truly cares about the green movement. In 2009, the company was awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). This is a great accomplishment for the company because while many certification systems guarantee resources are responsibly managed, FSC is the only system currently accepted under the United States Green Building Council’s LEED program.

Ferche Millwork is proud to say that it is a company that works to consistently satisfy all customers through custom capabilities, rapid turnaround and on-time delivery, and an exceptional overall value while also using processes that don’t harm the environment. Going “green” may be of new importance today, but Ferche Millwork has always been ahead of the game.

Proudly Old-Fashioned

As a true entrepreneur, Bob Ferche started Ferche Millwork in 1958 with a simple business model and two helpful brothers. Centrally located in Rice, Minnesota, the company began as a local supplier of boards, simple mouldings, and door jambs. From the start, Bob believed in creating high-quality, dependable products for his customers.

Furthermore, going above and beyond millwork industry requirements has become second nature to Ferche Millwork. By promising the highest quality hardwood mouldings in the industry and a highly sustainable product, Ferche defects out imperfections in multiple stages of the manufacturing process resulting in 100% useable product. Additionally, Ferche strives to create little or no unnecessary waste  from their business practices. For this energy efficiency practice, the Secretary of Energy recognized Ferche by awarding them the “Award for Energy Innovation”.

Regardless of growth and demand, Ferche’s old-fashioned way of doing business has remained the same. Their belief in taking more time and effort than their competitors to create a high-quality, dependable product has and will continue to be their vehicle for success.

Take a look at Ferche’s accomplishments over the years:

1958: Company Founded 

1978: Ferche switches from direct sales to 2-step distribution 

1980: Veneered products added to the solid moulding line 

1983: Ferche purchases first high speed Weinig moulder designed to run hardwoods 

1985: Distribution goes national 

1988: RAF Industries (Philadelphia investment group) purchases Ferche 

1993: Ferche opens air-drying yard in Tennessee 

1998: Ferche initiates an aggressive capital improvement plan to increase capacity and reduce lead times 

2000: Distribution facility expansion completed 

2002: Ferche automates moulder blank production by adding computer driven rough mill 

2003: Company adopts Lean Manufacturing philosophy 

2004: Lead times are reduced to two weeks 

2007: Ferche’s Book of Mouldings concept introduced where profiles are matched in architectural families 

2008: Company celebrates 50 years of business, selling value-laden moulding products across the U.S. and Canada 

2009: Door components category grows substantially as custom manufacturing capabilities increase 

2010: 45-60-90 minute wood FireRated door jambs and frames introduced to commercial market. TN kiln drying capacity increased by 50% 

2012: Innovative ProFile pricing tool introduced. Over 13,000 items produced in over 30 wood species

2013: TN kiln drying capacity increased by 40%