Today we’re pleased to welcome James Ruig from Salvage Europe to the show! James has been in the wood business for quite some time now, and we consider him an OG Woodpreneur! From online supply hubs to dreams of the biggest lumber company in the world, you can’t help but feel inspired when listening to James talk about his time in the industry.
Making the Big Moves!
Thirty-five years ago, James got into the reclaimed wood business in Australia. When he was starting out, it was a very simple thing that most people didn’t have much to do with. For this woodpreneur, the timing was perfect. There was a lot of wood around and a market of young people who wanted to do projects with reclaimed wood and restore houses.
The demand was there, and James had an answer. One day he got an opportunity to make a risky but ultimately fruitful investment. He purchased about twenty thousand tons of wood that was otherwise going to be burned and suddenly became the man with the most significant stockpile of reclaimed wood in the Southern Hemisphere.
It was all reclaimed wood from local docks, so James had a learning curve in learning how to cut it and use it to its highest value, but it was perfect timing. All of a sudden, reclaimed wood had become popular, and James was able to see the viability of his business model and make some critical decisions, one of those being to start specializing in French Oak.
James moved to the French Oak and European woods because of the stability that they offer. When you look at other wood species, you’ll notice that they can be a very volatile market; French Oak is very stable.
The Next Iteration of The Business
Next, James connected with a family sawmill in France with an amazingly sustainable wood harvesting model of old wood logs that come out of a single origin Forest near Burgundy. That is where he currently sources a large portion of his European Woods.
Salvage Europe in America focuses on flooring jobs. It is based out of Petaluma, California operating from a beautiful barn right on the river in town where the showroom is, and another location has just opened in Round Top, Texas.
At this point, for James, it’s just a matter of getting the name out there, as he says, “You can’t sell a secret.” so he just needs to focus on building the brand and showing people what he can do.
James’s advice for the Woodpreneur community is to find your niche, stick to it and be good at that. For him, his niche is French Oak, and that’s what he does, and he’s excellent at it.
Adapting to the Changing World
With this iteration of the business through Covid, the most significant change has been the lack of regular travel to Europe. Typically James spends two months a year in Europe and has a company in Australasia, so the lack of travel has been very different.
Between his other business ventures Chene Oak and Acorn Road, James had done an incredible job diversifying his business, but even with so much on the go, he keeps a lean team. James explains we used to have fifty to sixty employees, but being an Australian in America, it isn’t always the easiest to craft your way, so he liked to stay very personal and involved in the business.
It seems to be working well with his approach! James discusses some of the projects he’s most proud of, including the Foo Fighters Studio, Dr. Dre’s house, and his current project, The Beverly Hillbillies Mansion. James explains that he tends to build connections by going out and meeting people one-on-one. He focuses on engaging specific companies and customers he knows he can answer a problem for.
Like a Fine Wine
James is highly passionate about his product and is unquestionably a French Oak specialist. He explains that his product is like wine, sure you can get generic European Oak, but that’s the equivalent of a $10 bottle of wine. With high-quality French Oak, you’re getting wood from a two-hundred-year-old tree sourced from a specific region, all of a single origin. The consistency and beauty of which are easily distinguishable, like a fine wine.
James applies this high-quality approach to every aspect of his business. James touches a little bit on how he sends samples to customers and potential clients when discussing marketing systems. They are sent in a handmade box, beautifully organized, and shipped in reclaimed cardboard.
As for the furniture-making side of things, James is currently in eight stores but is looking for closer to twenty or thirty.
One of James’ full circle dreams is to create the biggest reclaimed wood company in the world where he hopes to make enough profit to start buying up land to sustainably harvest trees in a mindful way.
Steve’s Marketing Advice Corner:
The cost of wood has increased 38% in Australia because of the supply and demand. So the question is, how do we work together to use the resource to its maximum benefit?
Steve gives some incredible advice about a summit that James could host in 2022 to launch his dreams and expand his network in his area as well as bring more visibility to his company. On a final note, James leaves off with this!
“Don’t do what everyone else is doing, think of the future, look broadly at the world, get out and about, see what everyone else is doing and then find something for yourself that is different!” – James Ruig