D&R Lumber

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D&R Lumber
Private
IndustryTimber
FoundedApril 14, 1933; 91 years ago (1933-04-14)
FounderDominik Tesarik, Russel de Pilva
Headquarters,
Area served
Central Adula
Key people
  • Aleksander Tesarik
    (CEO)
Products
  • Processed Hardwood
  • Processed Softwood
  • Engineered Wood Products
RevenueIncrease $2.7 billion
Number of employees
5,700

D&R Lumber is a Durnstaal-based forest products company which processes wood into construction materials and manufactures engineered wood products (EWP's) such as plywood and particle board. The company is the largest lumber company in Durnstaal and ships wood products across Central and Eastern Adula.


History

Napol Lumber Yard was founded in 1933 by Dominik Tesarick and Russel de Pilva in Napol, Zová, Durnstaal as a sawmill for cutting hardwood. Several years of good business and an inheritance from the passing of Tesarick's father allowed the pair to expand into a full-scale lumber yard by 1942, processing both hard and softwood and quickly becoming the largest sawmill in the area. The business grew steadily over the next decade and was a major factor in the growth of Napol throughout the 40's. In 1951, an outbreak of influenza swept through the town, killing Dominik and leaving de Pilva bedridden for weeks. Upon recovering, de Pilva began preparing Dominik's son, Tom Tesarik, to take over running of the business. Becoming increasingly sickly as time wore on, de Pilva passed 14 months after recovering, leaving Tom in charge of the business.

The business grew rapidly under Tom Tesarick's direction, leading to the opening of 5 new sawmills by 1960 and the official registration of the company with the government. Most of this growth can be attributed to increased demand for wood exports following the Aurelia War which fell sharply in 1965, stunting the business and forcing the closure of two sawmills. This, combined with the death of Tom in a car accident in 1969, caused the company to stagnate, even as Tom's son Russel Tesarick took over operations.

Russel kept the company stable but struggled to promote growth. This prompted his decision to expand the company's operations by buying two nearby paper mills in 1974. He also renamed the business to D&R Lumber that same year in honor of the company's founders. This plan worked and the company began growing steadily once more, soon expanding into engineered wood products with the purchase of a plywood mill in 1980. Further acquisitions and growth continued until Russel's death in 1991, when his daughter Anastasia Tesarick took over operations.

Anastasia focused more on stabilizing the company rather than growing it further, a move regarded then as overly cautious and now as financially sound. Her reorganization of the company's management and logistics lowered operating costs by as much as 14% in some instances and further solidified the company's existing abilities. In 2004 she founded the Wood Engineering Division to enhance their existing Engineered Wood Products and develop new ones. Upon her death giving birth to her third child in 2009, the company was stable and healthy.

Aleksander Tesarik took control of the company after his mother's passing in 2009. His plans were evident immediately as he began attempting to spread the company to more international customers by opening a series of sawmills on continents other than Adula. Very few of these locations were profitable, and those that were ended up being sold when Aleksander abandoned the idea in 2014. This failed plan hurt the company economically and tarnished Aleksander's reputation, but overall did very little harm. In 2017 he founded Forests of the Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable environmental practices and educating people about nature. Today, the company is responsible for 14% of Durnstaal's wood exports and is a leader in the development of lumber and lumbering technology.

Products

The company processes softwoods, hardwoods, and scrap wood into a variety of products. Construction materials, furniture materials, mulch, and wood chips are all produced in a variety of wood types.

Softwoods: Adulan Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, and Duern Linden
Hardwoods: Jiddiyan Cedar, Post Oak, Durnian Sycamore, and Lochmeer Marblewood