When most people think of Idaho, they think of potatoes, but I assure you that Idaho is not just full of potato farms. A "natural" state, Idaho offers plenty of activities for outdoor enthusiasts, including hiking, skiing, hunting, rafting and kayaking.

  With such natural surroundings, it's no surprise that Idaho is home to Woodgrain Millwork Inc., one of the country's top millwork manufacturers.

  Bud Dame founded Dame Lumber & Molding Co. in 1954 in Utah.

  In the mid-1960s, Dame moved his company to Lakeview, Oregon, due to a lumber shortage in Utah. In Oregon, Dame Lumber & Molding Co. prospered and expanded to Fruitland, Idaho, where the company is now headquartered.

  In 1984, Dame Lumber & Moldings Co. officially began doing business as Woodgrain Millwork Inc. Kelly Dame, executive vice president for the company, said that he and his brother Reed, Woodgrain?s CEO and president, felt that Woodgrain Millwork Inc. was a more appropriate name for the business.

  Woodgrain Millwork has grown tremendously in the last forty years. Currently, the company has three manufacturing divisions.

  Woodgrain Millwork--with locations in Marion, Va., Nampa, Idaho; Lakeview, Ore.; White City, Ore.; Montevallo, Alabama; Curitiba, Brazil; and Los Angeles, Chile--manufactures an array of millwork products, including solid lineal mouldings, finger-jointed mouldings, porch posts, doors, window parts, exterior frames, laminated stiles, veneered flat jambs and satin trim.

  Windsor Windows & Doors, which has a plant at its headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa, and in Monroe, N.C., manufactures the Pinnacle Series, Legend Series and Next Dimension Series. The Pinnacle and Legend Series is the company's contemporary wood window and doors series, the Next Dimension series is its vinyl window and door products and the Legend Series is its no-rot cellular PVC windows.

  Atrium Patio Doors, located in Greenville, Texas, was acquired by Woodgrain Millwork Inc. in 2000, and is operating under the Windsor Windows & Doors division. Although the company is under the Windsor division, Atrium has been kept as the patio door brand name. According to Kelly Dame, Atrium is probably the most recognized brand name patio door in the industry.

  The Pre-finished Division, which produces pre-finished mouldings primarily for the manufactured housing industry, has two locations in Albany, Ga., and Fruitland, Idaho. Its product line ranges from vinyl wrap, stained, embossed to primed mouldings to match pre-finished doors.

  Through its acquisitions and growth in sales, Woodgrain Millwork has grown from 1,000 company associates in 1990 to approximately 3300 in 2000.

  Why has Woodgrain Millwork acquired these companies? The company philosophy is to get the most value out of its product. What better way to do this than vertical integration of its products with windows and doors; sales, marketing and pre-finished products.

  One of the most interesting avenues through which the company has grown and has received the most value for its product can be attributed to its businesses in South America.

  Asked why there was an interest in using forests in South America, Kelly Dame said that as the material challenges have manifested themselves in the West, one of the things that Woodgrain was after was a place that could offer a value added product, without supply problems and environmental challenges. Woodgrain has gone on a worldwide search for wood, and there are two areas the company likes -- Brazil and Chile. Woodgrain likes South America because there is an abundance of wood readily available through the plantations.

  Why are there plantations available in South America?

  "These forests [which supply trees with 12-15-inch logs on a 25-year rotation] were all planted under tax incentives from the government. Private land owners planted these trees, and now it has become a major industry in both countries, more so in Chile than Brazil," says Kelly Dame.

  These plantations are producing valuable wood for Woodgrain. One reason is the forests are being managed correctly. For instance, a tree is pruned 2-3 times in its lifetime. The pruning occurs about every eight years. The new growth covering the knots produces clear lumber.

  Kelly Dame explains that one thing that is very deceptive about the plantations is that one tree may look a lot larger than another. However, if you measure all the trees in the forest, they are extremely close in diameter.

  Kelly Dame explained that the sawmill in Chile is currently producing 5 million board feet (62 cans).

  Woodgrain Millwork is building another 110,000-square-foot-plant. After completion, the new plant will double the capacity in Chile by August.

  If you are wondering what equipment is being used in these plants, Mike Ball, vice president for the millwork division, explains that Woodgrain purchased the majority of its assets at auction in the United States.

  "We will install two rip saws in that building along with 18 chop saws, 12-15 moulders and four more finger jointers,"says Ball.

  What's really neat in Chile is that we are vertically integrated. We've got the sawmill and the moulding plant on site. So we take it from the log right to the finished product," says Kelly Dame

  One reason the South American manufacturing plant has done so well is because Woodgrain understands how to do west coast drying.

  We know how to dry lumber for mouldings. One thing that we've found in New Zealand as well as South America is that there is a real tendency to rush the drying, even with Radiata and Elliotis, the species we prefer. We put our lumber on slower schedules and take more time and relieve the stress out of the wood," explains Kelly Dame.

  While the plantations of South America supply valuable clear lumber, Woodgrain is working hard to optimize the dollar of the log. Woodgrain believes in value added manufacturing (VAM), which means a customer wants to pay only for the steps that he or she deems necessary.

  Through Value Added Manufacturing Woodgrain recognized was necessary to process the product where the trees are grown and the lumber is cut. Therefore, the company began moulding in Chile and Brazil.

  "But Value Adding doesn?t stop at manufacturing", says Alex Mohr, Corporate Marketing Manager. "We are continuously adding value to all aspects of our business. Internal and external communications are constantly improved. "Woodgrain is currently developing a website that will set new standards in the industry. ?Our future internet presence combined with the recent purchase of a new ERP system will take us to the whole new dimension in communications?, explains Mohr.

  Woodgrain also thrives to set the standards in other areas, such as employment and environment. ?Providing a safe and healthy work environment and maintain its preservation. The working conditions at Woodgrain Millwork must be harmonious with our aspiration to safeguard our employees ? our most treasured resource. Woodgrain Millwork provides ongoing safety, certification and environmental training for all employees?, explains Alex Mohr.

  ?We responsibly manage and thoroughly evaluate our environmental influences and their consequences. This includes being watchful of our example and stewardship as a leading corporation in a natural resource dependent industry.

  Our wood products are either FSC Chain of Custody certified or SFI Certified. The certifying body depends on where the resources are coming from. The FSC certification is a global certification. This certificate from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guarantees that the forests from which our resources come from have been independently evaluated and meet the FSC Principals and Criteria for Forest Stewardship?, says Mohr.

  Woodgrain?s commitment to the environment includes having an Environmental Coordinator. The Environmental Coordinator is responsible for training; compliance reports and also works closely with the governing bodies.

  Ideas like Woodgrain's VAM coupled with the company's 40 years of experience has given the company a competitive edge.

  With its growth as a company, ventures into other countries and a dedicated and skilled workforce, there's no doubt Woodgrain Millwork could take the lead as the top millwork manufacturer in the country.