Municipalities are most often the land owners and managers where urban trees come from. Trees are removed annually from parks, streets, development lots, and residences for a variety of reasons as part of an urban forestry program. At the same time, many more new trees are planted. Municipalities that want to put their removed trees to a better use have found that they can reduce removal and disposal costs, reduce waste and promote recycling, educate the public that trees are renewable resources, and enable the public to utilize a product grown in their community. The City of Milwaukee, for example, estimates its urban wood utilization program is saving taxpayers more than $80,000 per year on disposal fees. All municipalities can be leaders in this movement by taking a holistic view of urban tree management.

Arborists are a natural fit for working with urban wood. After caring for trees from the time they were vulnerable saplings, the last thing arborists want to do at the end of life is throw them away. Expanding an arborist business to offer urban wood removal service- processing into wood chips and firewood and lumber, or even making finished products, are simple and convenient benefits to a consumer. Offering these services may also reduce costs while providing potential additional revenue streams. As you consider adding to your business, here are examples of what others have done.

Sawmills working with urban wood are at the center of the processes that put urban trees to their highest and best use. With the right equipment, sawmills can be flexible when taking on the varying shapes and sizes of urban logs, sawing logs into mill run lumber, and kiln-drying boards to prepare them for local manufacturers, makers, construction companies, and builders. Municipalities like the City of Milwaukee divert removed urban trees to a sawmill rather than a waste stream, where they are processed and sold at the discretion of the sawyer.

Urban wood suppliers work hard to fill a niche market need for consumers, design professionals, and developers who want to work with materials that tell a story. They are also the connection that is critical for the development of an urban wood industry. Most suppliers work with multiple sawmills to source urban wood, either for retail sale for residential and artisanal projects, or to build inventory over months for large volume commercial and industrial projects.

Manufacturers & Makers feature urban wood in their products for multiple reasons ranging from the unique characteristics it offers a design to the increasing importance of utilizing local materials and resources. Consumers are looking for unique and distinctive premium wood products. Craftsmen enjoy bringing out the breathtaking beauty of the wood grain. And, the urban wood story gives businesses a competitive distinction.

Design professionals who regularly specify urban wood are fulfilling two types of client needs: a commitment to environmentally friendly practices and the search for show-stopping material that represents something truly unique and special. Most businesses marketing the local and regional aspects of their products or services are looking for an office or retail space that reflects those same principles.