SHERBURNE – Heartwood Forest Products and Heartwood Frame are bringing tradition and sustainable, locally focused wood products to the region. Heartwood Forest Products began eight years ago and owner Matt Lagoe explained his inspiration for starting the business.

“I always had sawdust in my veins,” said Lagoe, who used to work in contracting. “I decided I wanted to get into manufacturing wood products.”

Many locals are not aware of Heartwood's offerings.

“We manufacture all of our own materials. It's all sustainable and comes from local forests,” said Lagoe. “It's all American made.”

Heartwood offers quite a selection. Various types of hardwood flooring are available, as well as mouldings, wainscoting, custom cabinets, log cabin and wood sidings, plywoods, stairs, window/door casings, trusses and custom lumber drying – the list goes on.

Said Lagoe, “We strive to buy local material and support local economies around us.”

Many of Lagoe's customers are working on old house renovations and Heartwood is a great place to start.

“We do custom mill work and custom mouldings to match existing mouldings... We have the capabilities of doing over 200 different moulding profiles,” said Lagoe.

In regards to his lumber supply, Lagoe explained he has a good rapport with local sawmills.

“We can actually take that green lumber, dry it and take it up to the plant and make it into many wood products and flooring,” said Lagoe. “We also try to use local species. There is a big emphasis on woods from this area, hard and soft woods that are sustainable.”

Lagoe is also eager to share a relatively new branch of his business, Heartwood Frame.

“Most picture frames come from Malaysia and other overseas locations. Rain forests are cut down,” said Lagoe. “It's not a good thing – child labor, rain forests (are involved).”