Merrick Hardwoods' Journey from a Family Venture to a Vertically Integrated Powerhouse
Merrick Hardwoods has a long history in the forest products industry. It was founded in 1985, then as Somerset Wood Products by Steve Merrick, CEO and his father, Odell Merrick. Prior to 1985, Odell owned a furniture-manufacturing company; Cumberland Wood and Chair, Co. Steve founded and still owns a Lumber company; Kentucky Hardwood Lumber Co. Odell, along with his partner, S.L. Sears sold their furniture manufacturing company in 1985. Wanting to diversify into other wood products, Somerset Wood Products was formed by Steve and Odell as a Hardwood Lumber Concentration Operation supplying lumber to furniture and cabinet companies.
Somerset Wood Products (Now Merrick Hardwoods) stared to grow and needed to vertically integrate. In 1990, the company began manufacturing hardwood flooring. With continued growth throughout the 90’s there was a need to expand. In 1999, a commitment was made to offer pre-finished hardwood flooring. This entailed a large expansion in our manufacturing capabilities. To help accomplish this some of the industry’s most modern and high tech machinery was installed. The prefinished flooring took Somerset to a new level. The Somerset Brand became recognized as one of the America’s highest quality floors.
Merrick Hardwoods is also committed to being environmentally responsible. A need was recognized to do something with all the sawdust waste that came from the manufacturing plants.
In 2006, a new facility was built to turn the sawdust into heating and grilling pellets. Somerset Pellet Fuel was founded at that time. These products are sold through several of America’s largest retailers. This made Merrick Hardwoods a vertically integrated and thinking company.
Much like the Pellet division, the company needed to diversify its product offerings. Thus engineered flooring was developed and the Solid Plus line formed. A new plant was started in Crossville, Tennessee and all new machinery was installed that allowed Merrick to manufacture the engineered line of flooring.
In 2022, Steve Merrick, sold the Somerset Brand, which only included the prefinished flooring products division, to a Swiss company. All of the other companies remain in the Merrick Group portfolio, which included Kentucky Hardwood, Somerset Pellet Fuel, Interstate hardwoods, Bluegrass Hardwoods, and Merrick Hardwoods (Previously Somerset Wood Products). This is when Somerset Wood Products did a name change to Merrick Hardwoods.
The Merrick Group is now made up of 2 unfinished flooring mills, pellet manufacturing, sawmills, timber land, and 2 kiln dried lumber operations, with facilities in 5 different locations.
