Event Description

Every year GBA loves to get an in-depth look at Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring (AMHF) – a family operation in Emlenton, PA. The three-part tour is normally done in person, but this year we will use technology to navigate our tour of the Hickman family’s FSC-certified forest, sawmill and flooring plant. We hosted this field trip online in 2020 to rave reviews as the virtual tour offers a unique perspective!

Hickman Lumber was the first sawmill in Pennsylvania to be FSC-Certified, and the family manages the forest both for their living and their legacy, with three generations now involved in the company. GBA member Jessica Hickman Fresch will share a virtual tour of all aspects of the operation, from the forest to the sawmill to the plant, and then will answer questions and engage in discussion with the audience. We will also hear from Jessica’s father, Dennis Hickman, who manages the family operation today. Jessica and Dennis will be joined by their Forest Manager, Mike McKain. Mike has worked as a forestry consultant for more than 25 years and helped Hickman Lumber develop its Forest Stewardship Council program in 1999.

Event participants will learn about the benefits of wood products, understand the different local species used in the AMHF operations, and discover what makes Pennsylvania’s forests so special and so vulnerable.

Architects, specifiers, designers, contractors, sustainable materials enthusiasts, building owners, university students, and sustainability consultants will all enjoy getting an inside look at this family operation.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand forest health and resources
• Gain insight into life-cycle analysis specific to American hardwood
• Compare the sustainability qualities of hardwood to other building materials
• Gain an appreciation for local sustainable hardwoods and their positive impact on the environment and the economy