I have a small wood business and I specialize in recycled wood products.  Specificaly, trees that are removed and would normally go in a land fill (hence the term "Treecycle). I also sell cedar and pressure treated pine from recycled Utility poles.  I just found this site and was wondering if you all had any thoughts about the market for these kinds of products.

Just thought I'd reserect this thread and ask it another way.  Does anyone have any experience buying and using recycled wood and or cedar and pine from utility poles?

I recently had to clear my land. It's an infill lot in an established neighborhood, so while there weren't an abundance of trees, there were enough that they would have provided a good bit of material for cabinets and floors for my house, or paneling and fences.

The problem is getting that wood somewhere to be milled, or getting somebody out to do it on site, is so costly that it doesn't end up being economical. Maybe in other places things are set up for that, but not where I am. One ends up paying a lot to have the stuff hauled away and thrown in a landfill.

The only recycled wood I've seen for sale is reclaimed wood which is available for a premium because of its "charm." I would think that if you had the equipment you would have an abundance of material down here in hurricane land. People are always taking out huge oaks to avoid having them crash on their roof before the season rolls around, and the biggest part of the expense is having it hauled away. Where are you and how is your business coming along?

I'm up in Wisconsin. I'm a one man operation. I have a sawmill and I get all my wood from tree services and the utility companies. All the wood would normally go into landfills. Business has been OK, but I'd like to grow it and thought I'd check here for any input about interest in this type of product.

i have had 2000 =- board foot of poplar cut that i am planning on usinfg for interior wall sheathing and for some interior 8" by 8" posts. Tree companys are glad to be rid or big oaks and such because huge trunks are tuff to use for firewood. My buddys co. has a guy that comes from time to time with tactor trailers to take big trunks for some sort of power generation. If you go to your local woodwokers store they can direct you to a local sawyer. Treecycling is a big win win.

Some very nice Mennonite gentlemen backed a portable sawmill on to my building site and whacked four oak trees in my way into 1000 bd feet of eventual millwork. I can now say I haven't sacrificed these trees because they stood in the way of my vanity. I'm just moving them inside out of the weather.

I found the sawmill guys on a Penna ag extension Internet site listing businesses by category and county. The first thing you should do, if you haven't already, is to see what Google returns in a search of sawmills in your part of the world and figure out how to get listed there. Find green architects and give them your business card. If Wisconsin has forestry specialists, tell them you can help assuage the guilt of property owners who have trees in the way. Spread the word among excavation contractors and building officials. Offer referral deals to cabinetmakers: they ask potential customers if they can furnish their own wood and recommend you, and you repay the favor.

Good luck to you. This is an excellent example of how to be double green: frugal and conservation minded.
You should check prices first, but my sales pitch would stress cost, as in "custom millwork at box store prices."