Sales still above last year

I do love selling firewood to Nashville’s hard working people. My first customer today is a big time self storage place owner. Life wasn’t easy for him in the beginning, but he is crushing it now. Loved hearing his life story as he helped me unload and stack.

 

On track for selling 90 cords this year @$840 per. Tips not included. No deliveries today because I moved all my customers to Friday & Saturday so I could cut today. Cut some very well seasoned white oak and hickory t0day

 

Bagging about a cord of free firewood a week from my logger’s processor operation. I collect all the shorts, longs and knotty pieces and run through my splitter. 14” and above I sell and the shorts and uglies goes to my parents. Have been selling a lot of hickory lately to outside fire pit burners. A lot of BTUs being wasted, but filling my wallet with Benjamins. Had a hickory delivery to a musician/song writer this morning. All I know is his first name and don't like to pry into who they are. Always amazed that people pay me $300 to burn some wood in their fire pits.

 

I don’t turn down any customer wanting firewood no matter how small the quantity. I just ask they give me a few days to deliver until I am in their area. Delivered three face cords plus 1/4 today. Bagged $890 for the three face cords and $95 for the 1/4. The 1/4 was five minutes out of my way and took 10 minutes to stack start to finish. Was an idiot turning down small purchases in the past.

 

$20 tip on the 1/4 rick.

 

Have a delivery tomorrow 90 miles away. Fortunately, have another just five miles away from the first. Weird how that came about, but frequently does. Driving time and fuel expense get smaller with each additional delivery per outting. My hickory and white oak are now $290 a face cord.

 

Burned $40 worth of diesel on two long deliveries today. Six Benjamins with tips. Both used and abused me with hard wheelbarrowing to their storage places. Bought 1/2 a cord and got most of it split and stacked afterwards. Have three customers wanting 1/2 face cords this coming week. Pain to make those work into my delivery plans, but don’t turn them away. Hickory is in big demand lately.

 

Need more hickory??

 

Gorgeous hickory! Can never have enough hickory or white oak.

 

Why did you stop? I thought 19 cord was your personal best.

 

One of my deliveries today the customer had me stack the firewood below a gutter down spout coming off the back patio roof. What the customer wants is what they get.

 

Slow day. Sold two, bought split and stacked one. Finally figured out how to make money selling firewood. Don’t ever run out of seasoned firewood.

 

First delivery of the day; white oak and hickory.

 

I would argue that running out makes them think about it more and they do some planning which puts it in more demand...especially if they buy from another guy and get a load they aren't happy with.

 

Have delivered to some repeat customers lately that bought from me two plus years ago. Thinking they bought from another cheaper dude and then came back to me. Very telling when I see a few stick of firewood in their racks that I certainly didn't cut and deliver.

 

Have a regular restaurant customer about 70 miles south of me. Deliver two face cords about every three weeks. Have been selling a lot of smoking firewood to customers 50-60 miles south of my restaurant that meet up with me while delivering to the Thompson's Station restaurant. So selling to customers about 150 miles away from me. These dudes tell me they like my advertisements and pictures/videos.

 

Yes, I discount the purchase by the amount of gas they expend to meet up with me.

 

A face cord of sugar maple and hickory was in the bed of my truck. He is smoking turkey for his family and friends for Thanksgiving