“Green River” Greater Wilmington Business Journal September 5-18, 2008

By Abby Stewart / Photos by Chris Wilkerson

Couple rebrands local lumber company as environmentally friendly

Intrigued by the idea of a green business with a flair for history, Anna and Jesse Jarrell dumped their old jobs, moved to Wilmington and bought Cape Fear Riverwood earlier this year. “We jumped into something completely different,” Anna said. Cape Fear Riverwood (CFR), a local lumber/home furnishing company, supplies high-end homebuilders with unique flooring and mantelpieces - rescued from the floor of the Cape Fear River. The small, family-owned and operated business functions in an unconventional way; instead of cutting down trees for their lumber, CFR retrieves century-old heart pine from the bottom of the river. The result: strong beautiful wood products with unparalleled historical value. “People want more choices and more individuality in their homes,” said Anna, co-owner of CFR. “So anytime you can bring a local green product to people’s doors that has a rich history, you’ll get a big response.” More than 300 years ago, when North Carolina was first settled, the land was covered in dense forests of cypress trees and long-leaf pines - trees that grew taller and thicker than most today. When forested, those trees were sent to Wilmington, the Port City, by floating them down the Cape Fear River. In transport, the densest of the logs sank, Jarrell said. Hundreds of years later, CFR brings those logs, preserved from the river bottom, back to the surface to turn into rare furniture and hardwood flooring. By doing so, CFR offers products that possess rare qualities and are harvested through a process that isn’t harmful to the environment, she said.

Finding a green angle: The eco-friendly aspect of the business is a quality that attracted Jesse and Anna Jarrell, who purchased the assets of the business in January. “The fact that it was a green business, that was really important to us and the natural North Carolina history of it, that was really something we latched on to,” Anna said. The product is naturally green because it is reclaimed instead of forested, but the Jarrells have taken additional steps to make their business even more eco-friendly. “We try to be as efficient as possible and find new ways to use our waste,” Anna said. For example, leftover one-inch strips of wood are to make chopping block countertops and sawdust is sent to local horse farmers. “We look for any way we can to minimize our impact and try to make the most of everything that we produce,” Anna said. Bringing up the old logs from the bottom of the river is also beneficial to wildlife, according to environmental studies conducted by the State of North Carolina. The process has been found to help clean out the river bottom which creates new habitats and helps the river to run more smoothly. Aside from riverwood, CFR also uses antique wood from barn and buildings that are already being torn down and works in the tree salvage when storms damage trees and must come down anyway.

Fine-home feel:  Ruth and Mike Taylor of Apex were so impressed with the green aspect of the business they were compelled to re-floor two rooms of their house with the wood. “We like unique things and we like environmentally green projects,” Mike Taylor said. Taylor installed the floors himself and said the unique wood was perfect, no warping like he had seen in regular wood, and was a pleasure to work with. “It took us three to four weeks to put things back into our dining room after we re-did the floor because the wood looked so good, like a piece of furniture itself,” he said. ”The beautiful wood adds to the fine home feel,” Taylor said. “It upgrades the room and the house itself just in the quality of the product.” The wood, which can be made into hardwood flooring, cabinets, mantelpieces, countertop and even Adirondack chairs, starts at about six dollars per square foot. “It is a tad more expensive,” Taylor said, ” but I have always thought it should be priced at premium cost because you can’t make this wood and there’s a limited supply.” Although the wood is more expensive, Taylor said it gives his home a warmer, richer feel.

How it began: After hearing about the business from relatives who lived in Wilmington, Anna and Jesse Jarrell moved to the area and began learning the ropes quickly. “Jesse was fascinated with the idea from the start and we went from there,” Anna said. Jesse left his job in the corporate world and Anna retired as a special needs teacher to devote their time to the new business. Anna said she takes care of everything from janitorial issues to marketing promotions while Jesse deals with the technical, hands-on aspects of the job. “He’s had a lot of fun,” Anna said. “Instead of being in the air conditioning he’s out there with lumber sawing all day.”

With Jesse’s mother and father, two other mill employees and two or three sales personnel, CFR is primarily an eight-person operation. CFR began about 12 years ago with four partners, but became Cape Fear River Wood Products, LLC when the Jarrells purchased the assets. Located in Navassa, about ten minutes from downtown Wilmington, the company provides products for customers all over the country. “We had a woman from Michigan come all the way down just for a mantelpiece,” Anna said. CFR is the only company in North Carolina with the permit allowing them to salvage trees from the Cape Fear riverbed. Their permit is re-evaluated each year and allows them to work with four one-mile stretches of the river. So far, only one stretch of river has provided them with enough wood since the business’s inception about 12 years ago.

“There seems to be a wealth of wood down there,” Anna said. “If you think about the logging industry and how long it was active, that’s a lot of lost logs. Jesse and I look forward to doing this until we retire,” she said.

Cape Fear Riverwood Cape Fear Now Video from Anna Jarrell on Vimeo.

Cape Fear Riverwood 30 Second TV Commercial from Anna Jarrell on Vimeo.

Unique Business: Cape Fear River Wood: Innovative Recycling

Story by Kristen Nieto, Photography by Jessie Baker & Ned Leary

In the nineteenth-century, sawmills lined the Cape Fear River, and fresh-cut logs were floated down the river to be milled. Not just any logs, these were logs from long-leaf pines, cut from virgin forests that had grown into some of the largest and strongest trees in the country. These logs were perfect for building sturdy homes, boats and wagons. But not all the logs made it to the sawmills. Some sank into the water and underneath the mud, making them impossible to reach. Thousands of pounds of timber and hours of labor went to waste. Until now.

Thanks to modern technology and ingenuity, sunken logs can be resurfaced and restored to their former glory. But not just anyone can do this. Since January Cape Fear River Wood held exclusive permits to reclaim logs from the Cape Fear River. Then they transform logs that otherwise would be lying dormant under water into custom building, renovating, and decorative products.

The river water protects the pines from the rotting effects of air, so they’re still as strong and beautiful as they were more than 100 years ago. Cape Fear River Wood specifically cuts out the middle of the pine logs, the “heart pine.” Heart pine not only is the strongest part of the tree, but also the most attractive, containing 6 to 30 growth rings per inch. The old pines took 200 years to grow, while modern pines are grown faster and in larger quantities. By comparison, modern pines only have two or three growth rings per inch, and the wood is not nearly as tough.

Cape Fear River Wood’s products don’t just come from the river. They also rescue wood fro old barns, mills, and other historic buildings facing demolition. Not only is the wood a good quality, buit customers can have a real piece of history in their new or newly renovated home. The reclaiming company also rescues trees that have been cut down in order to clear a lot. Normally, such trees would be used for wood chips, but Cape Fear River Wood turns them into new building materials.

Recycling wood is Cape Fear River Wood’s specialty, but their customers don’t sacrifice quality. All of the reclaiming company’s lumber is guaranteed top of the line, even amongst modern standards. The wood they sell mostly comes from the center of the trees, but no part of the tree goes unwanted; the outer layers are either made into furniture pieces or used as mulch.

As one would imagine, these business practices are great for the environment. “We thought the timing was perfect for an environmentally friendly business,” says Sales and Accounting Representative Sarah Olson.

Recycling trees that were chopped down years ago, or that are going to be chopped down anyway, saves the environment from losing any more forests. Also by clearing logs out of the river, new habitats can be made for small fish and other water creatures. Cape Fear River Wood doesn’t laminate any pf their products, so patrons get pure lumber, free from any chemicals.

Because of its contribution to the environment and its originality, Cape Fear River Wood has gotten some very positve feedback from customers. “It’s something different than standard lumber and other reclaiming companies,” say Proprietor Jesse Jarrell.

The pine, cypress and other wood variations are perfect for floors, furniture and cabinets. The Cape Fear River Wood website also has recommends their chevron pieces for mantles. Chevron pieces are pines that were once used for draining sap; the markings give the wood unique character, perfect for having on display.

Cape Fear River Wood prides itself on fulfilling custom orders; anything that fits the lifestyle and tastes of their patrons. “We are excited to be in the Wilmington area,” says Olson. “We look forward to meeting the challenge of addressing people’s individual needs.” Indeed customers can expect to have an old look with new wood.

For more information on Cape Fear River Wood, their methods and the products, call their main office at (910)371-0388 or visit their website at www.capefearriverwood.com

Our new website launches

In January, 2008 Cape Fear Riverwood became Cape Fear River Wood Products, LLCTM under the new ownership of Jesse Jarrell. Our family is committed to providing you superior products and service.

Take a look at the links below to read articles and press releases about Cape Fear RiverwoodTM, our beginnings, our processes, and our unique products.

River Bottom Yields Heart-pine Logs — Raleigh News and Observer, April 2008

Watch the UNC-TV North Carolina Now video.

Go have a meal on the Cape Fear River at Campbellton Landing Cattle Company in Fayetteville, NC. The restaurant is full of river history, great food, and our riverwood floors.