Heppner Hardwoods - News articles on hardwoods

Establishments that earn the coveted Five Star rating have to give a lasting impression of their commitment to quality. Fine woodwork is one of the time-tested elements used to achieve this impression.

Lorraine Heppner, CEO of Heppner Hardwoods, an architectural millwork supplier, believes the feeling of permanence created by these enduring elements is the reason for their increasingly widespread use in high-end hospitality projects.

"Fine wood elements add a sense of quiet elegance," said Lorraine Heppner. "The public expects to see this kind of woodwork in a spacious, luxurious establishment. The wood provides an air of luxury and a sophisticated ambience."

One such establishment is the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs and when ISEC, a leading contractor for specialized building interiors, was awarded the project to renovate the hotel, matching and replacing the fine woodwork was an important factor.

"The style, finish and quality of installation of premium grade architectural woodwork defines the ambience of the hotel," explained Joan Norblom, Vice President of ISEC. "It is one of the last trades to be installed, yet the first seen by the guest."

Located in Colorado Springs at the foot of the Rockies, The Broadmoor provides an environment of unparalleled beauty and luxury. One of the few resorts in the country to have earned the Mobil Five Star and the AAA Five Diamond ratings every year since the awards were established, the Broadmoor was born in 1891 as a gambling casino.

When Spencer Penrose, an entrepreneur from Philadelphia, purchased the 40-acre site of The Broadmoor Casino and Hotel in 1916, his objective was to create the most beautiful resort in the world. He imported artisans to craft elaborate interior and exterior details fashioned after the opulence and elegance Penrose had experienced in Europe and the Orient.

One of the challenges of this restoration was matching the existing profiles in the Broadmoor created by those original craftsmen. "The quality demanded on a five-star project like the Broadmoor is intense and we cannot tolerate mistakes or late deliveries," said Paden. "We work with only a handful of companies for our hardwoods and architectural millwork."

ISEC turned to Heppner Hardwoods of California for all the standing and running trims required. Heppner Hardwoods has been providing fine architectural woodwork for hospitality contracts for the last 25 years. Located on 5 acres, with their own mill attached to the lumberyard, they have one and a quarter million-board feet of imported and domestic hardwoods on site.

"Designers may not be aware of all the options in style and finish," said Larry Rhymer, Vice President of Operations of Heppner Hardwoods. "It is important to match wood grains to profiles and finishes."

Quartered Red Oak, which has a very dominant grain, needs a plain colonial cove crown or a simple pattern. The wood itself has such character that the simple crown frames it. Sycamore is another good choice for plain patterns. Hard white maple on the other hand is a denser, tighter grain that can carry a complicated pattern with more coves. The wood defines and complements the detail.

Installation of architectural wood elements is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle Excellent precision molding with tight tolerances improves the quality of the installation because no fitting has to be done – the pieces all match up perfectly.

Coming from a design background, Lorraine Heppner recognized the need for excellent quality architectural woodwork in high-end projects. "My career background, prior to taking over the management of the company in 1991, was in fashion," said Heppner. "I am often asked how that discipline translated into architectural millwork, and the answer is really very simple."

"The elements of fashion and architectural design are made up of shapes, profiles, and silhouettes, and the inner eye to bring it all together," explains Heppner. "Then, of course, there is the execution of that vision. As a draftee of apparel patterns, (execution of design) it was crucial that they be accurate. That same exactness is brought to the millwork process. In woodworking terms it is called 'being within tolerance.'"

The Broadmoor called for consistency in tolerance and length for the standing and running trims. Heppner Hardwoods supplied excellent quality milled product and moldings in specified length.

"Before we enter into a partnership with a supplier we have a preliminary phone interview to find out the basics of their plant size, number of employees, type of machinery and volume of work," said Norblom. "Once that is established, we conduct a plant tour by an AWI certified inspector to see first hand the plant flow, craftsmanship, finishing capabilities and quality of product in production. The suppliers ability to produce the quality, coupled with their ability to ship product on time is critical in our decision making."

"We work with WIC and AWI specifications and are also a 'Chain of Custody' company certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance," said Rhyner. "One of the most common complaints we hear when contractors first come to us is that if the millwork is not exactly milled so that every piece is identical, they have major problems with installation. When you join pieces of running trim, if the profile is not exact on each piece, it's a nightmare."

Attention to that kind of detail is the watchword in this mill. The lumber is all nominally sized to obtain standard pieces before it is profiled. A slower feed rate is used, which allows operators to keep the detail sharp and accurate and to inspect each piece individually as comes through. A special profile sander ensures that all pieces hold the profile perfectly, even after sanding.

Their in-depth understanding of both the industry and architectural milling often leads to improved costs on a large project. "There are ways to still have the perfect finish needed for five star quality, yet save money through intelligent use of the wood and milling," explained Rhyner. "We consult to the designer or contractor on design detail. A change of just one sixteenth of an inch on a crown or a base can save 20 percent on the lumber cost."

"Heppner's experience in the field and the volume of work they do allows them to be competitive without sacrificing the quality we demand," said Paden of ISEC.

Heppner provided the architectural millwork for two of the top five hospitality projects in 2001 – the Omni Hotel in San Francisco and the St Regis Monarch Beach Resort at Dana Point in California. Other recent projects include - The Bellagio Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, The Sheraton-Grand in Sacramento, the SeaTac Hilton in Seattle and the Grand Tiara in Japan.

Creating the top-grade wood moldings and architectural elements needed for five star projects requires the finest quality woods. "We purchase only the finest grades of red oak and hard maple, cherry, black walnut, white oak, from the northeastern part of North America," said Brent Heppner, who purchases all the wood. "We also have a selection of woods from around the world – makore, aniegre, and zebrawood."

"Adding the warmth of hardwood details creates an environment where guests feel comfortable and welcome," said Lorraine Heppner. "And the enduring beauty of natural wood not only provides tranquility today, but will continue to communicate its beauty for generations to come."