The Ashton Lewis Edge begins with the quality of the raw material. And this begins with our location. Ashton Lewis Lumber is located in Gatesville, NC and our region grows some of the densest, highest quality southern yellow pine in the entire United States. Southern Yellow Pine (loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf, and slash pine) is found in 14 states across the southeastern US. It ranges from Maryland to Florida and then west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. The term "loblolly" literally means "mudhole" and is a good description of the wet soil conditions on which this tree occurs naturally. The best growth is on moderately acid soils in areas of poor surface drainage which consists of a thick surface layer and a fine textured subsoil. The coastal plains areas of North Carolina and Southern Virginia capture the best of both growing conditions for Southern Yellow Pine. The combination of swampy and sandy soil of these coastal plains are the perfect soil conditions for healthy old growth pine. Even more importantly, we are on the northern border of the habitat. The longer winters cause the pine to grow much slower and is reflected in a much denser material. The quality of our final product is determined before the timber reaches the gate of our mill. We know that if we are going to be the standard in SYP appearance lumber, we must be obtaining the finest raw material available. We are so selective that our mill saws 80% to 90% butt logs. "The highest grade lumber begins with the highest grade timber." Mike Bunch Our lead forester next to a 140 year old pine tree planted after the Civil War. This begins with our foresters. We are constantly purchasing tracts of timber and we are targeting the clearest, densest old growth in the region. We have recently purchased multiple tracts with timber that was planted right after the Civil War. We normally hold cutting rights to timber that will carry our mill 6 months to a year. At the same time, we purchase from outside loggers their highest grade material. Holding our own timber allows us to obtain the high grade logs from these outside suppliers when it's available and supplement with our own timber when it is not. The result is a consistent high grade raw material - clear and dense. The selective process continues when the log reaches our mill. We inspect every log for size and grade and only keep the logs which match the appearance products which we are currently sawing. Other logs which do not meet these specifications are sold to neighboring sawmills whom are more production oriented. The best region for dense growth and a selective process that ensures a consistent high quality raw material gives us the edge in SYP appearance lumber. Discover the Ashton Lewis Edge!