Which Mills Supply IFP Inferno Gold and IFP Nation's Choice?

Here what have learned in correspondence with a manager in IFP:

Hi Steve
Thank you for sharing with me what you were able to share.

Available through the Big Box Stores, previously, the Home Depot Fireside Ultra
and the Lowe's Nature's Own had been
the highest softwood percentage blend at 60% softwood -- both the same product
coming from Energex Canada, as you probably already know.

I am delighted that you have confirmed that IFP has upped the game by offering
Inferno Gold at 80% softwood.
I plan to try out some of the Inferno Gold; I hope the Inferno Gold 80% softwood
ratio remains consistent.
Overtime, wood pellets buyers will start to forget about the old Infernos that came from
the burned-down mill in Rhode Island.

If and when you can share with me more information about which mills
supply the IFP pellets, I would be happy to learn. Some of my sources say that Corinth, ME 100%
hardwood is IFP Nation's Choice.

Information can only help the customer. Moreover, as Bob Kraft would agree, the best
team will always win.

Thank your your time and please keep in touch.
Orson



On Thu, 24 Mar 2016 20:05:24 +0000 "Maneri, Steven" <[email protected]> writes:
Hi Orson,
Both of our brands come from several locations and we lIke to leave it there. Yes we have improved the formula for Inferno Gold which is approx 80% sw and 20% hw.
Thank you for your email,
Steve


-------- Original message --------
From: [email protected]
Date: 03/24/2016 3:54 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: "Maneri, Steven" <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Which Pellet Mills produces the Nation's Choice and the Inferno Gold W ood Pellets?

Hi Mr. Steve Maneri,
I have a few questions about wood pellets distributed by International Forest Products.
If you are not the correct person to address these questions, could you tell me whom I
should contact?

The questions are:
I am a big customer of wood pellets, and somewhat active in the wood pellets forums.
You probably are well aware that the Infernos of past years that came out of Rhode Island
did not have a good reputation.
However, the Inferno Gold's of recent years seem to be a much improved pellet, containing a portion of
softwood. Could you tell me which wood pellet manufacturer supplies the Inferno Gold's?
Could you tell me the percentages of softwood/hardwood?

While I am on the subject, could you tell me the wood pellet manufacturer of Nation's Choice?
The two above brands are common in the Lowe's stores of New England.
Thank You,
Orson P. Yancey
Newmarket, NH

 

Hi Jay and other Pellet Piggies:
Since you probably keep-up on reading all of the posts, given the job of moderator....
Do you have the impression that the IFP Nation's Choice is Corinth 100% Hardwood?
I have not burned any of the Corinth product line. Do you think that the IFP Inferno Gold
80% softwood blend is supplied by Corinth?
I am sitting here with another window open looking at the Corinth product line.
Corinth has access to a great deal of softwood. I see that Corinth make an 80% softwood blend,
which might be the IFP Inferno Gold.
I do not see a Corinth 100% hardwood, which makes me start to think that Corinth is NOT the
supplier of the IFP Nation's Choice.
I can not believe that Corinth has so much softwood that they market a 100% softwood animal bedding.
If IFP isn't going to fess-up to us on who makes the IFP pellets, I suppose we could talk to possible supplier mills such
as Corinth and see if they will confirm whether they supply Inferno Gold? Solving the mystery from
the other direction.
What are your thoughts?

 

I am a fan of purchasing from the BBS, and identifying the BBS pellet bag that has the highest percentage of softwood.
(After all, the BBS sells almost all brands of pellets for the same price. (Except for the ridiculous Green Team.))
The employees of the BBS do not know what is in the pellet bags they sell.
So, up to now my favorites at the BBS have been FSU and Nature's Own (Canadian version), both 60% softwood.
It is now starting to look like Inferno Gold is an 80% softwood.
In the recent sales flush of Lowe's, I purchased Nature's Own over Inferno Gold because there
have been too many uncertainties over Inferno Gold -- past reputation, all these current mysteries to solve,
and it looks like numerous mills supply Inferno Gold. Not likely to be a consistent
process. I am concerned that there will be wide variations in Inferno Gold, not the least being that the
percentage of softwood might not be maintained at 80%. I guess time will tell.

In the immediate future, I am going to burn Nature's Own, Product of Canada.

 

With TSC using almost generic looking bags, that makes it even more difficult to determine what
mill filled the bags. At least at HD and Lowe's, the pellets bags have a brand name which
a person can compile information about, hence sticking with one or two favorite brand names.

 

There are bulk delivery pellet places around here, and like TSC, they say they provide "premium pellets" The push seaming to be to force a TSC mindset that "pellets are pellets" period. their best defense in controlling transportation coast. That is a game they are playing to keep us from playing our game of getting brands based on performance and consistency. If they really want to win that one, they have already shown the path. Put out a decent pellet at a price you can't refuse. I've got 6 tons already tucked away that I wouldn't have bought had the price not come down.

 

I think you are right on that one. where it come to steep competition, there is little mercy to those who break the line. I am also grateful for the honesty. while the word gets about in our group, we are such a small part of the larger picture. That being said, at least we help out each other. Also willing to help any dealer who is decent and reasonable.

 

There sure is a great deal of secrecy among the pellet sellers on what is in their bags. If the stores
succeed in convincing the public that "all pellets are the same", then there will be little incentive for a
particular mill to stand out by producing a high quality, consistent product. I have to laugh a bit about
the secrecy of IFP over what mills supply Nation's Choice and Inferno Gold. During the recent Lowe's sales,
I could have purchased tons of Inferno Gold, which I have been told are 80% softwood. But I decided it was
a lot less risk to purchase Energex Nature's Own (Canadian) 60% softwood because we get good information out the
Energex guys. Energex products have been around a long time, and are a better known quantity, despite the recent
hiccup of finding Stow Chow in some Nature's Own (PA) bags.

 

From the horses mouth...take-it-for-what-it's-worth:

Inferno Gold - SPF (heavy on Spruce)

Nation's Choice (white bag) - 100% hardwood from PA, Ohio, etc. (oak, maple,etc.)

Nation's Choice (green bag) - hard/soft blend 60-90% hardwood and 40-10% softwood in the mix. Batches vary from type of raw fiber they receive.

 

Is the source someone from within IFP? Could your source tell use what mills produces
Inferno Gold?

 

Unfortunately, that's all the info I can divulge.

 

I'm content with what I have in the market to buy. I also know if I have concerns/questions, I know who to ask. I wouldn't want anyone's relations compromised when the same results can be had without doing so.
We all know when anything is heading down the pike, It is just like setting off an alarm where one system is tied into the next etc. This year I save a bit over $700 on that alert system. I'm a happy guy!

 

Who makes the Nations Choice?

 

Not sure but im wondering if its a regional thing. I dont recall ever seeing the white bags here, only the green.