Welcome to the NHLA Inspector Training School located in Memphis, Tennessee at the headquarters of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. The first class of the School was in 1948 in a one-room garage area of Nickey Brothers Lumber Company in Memphis.

In September of 1949, a permanent school structure was built on Tutwiler Avenue and housed the School until 1980 when the National Hardwood Lumber Association moved its headquarters from Chicago to Memphis. The Inspector Training School and the Association now reside together and have graduated more than 7,200 students from around the world since its modest establishment.

The NHLA Inspector Training School offers the only Hardwood Lumber Inspector certificate program in the world. Due to the reputation of the School, graduates are often in demand, as many companies require their inspectors to be trained by NHLA.

The NHLA Inspector Training School is Flexible! 

There are two ways to receive a certificate.  The first is an 8-week Inspector Training School program; offered in the spring, summer, and fall at NHLA headquarters in Memphis, TN. This course is a mix of hands-on training, testing, in-class lecturing, sawmill site visits, one-on-one training with our instructor, and more. Students who successfully fulfill all program requirements will receive a certificate of completion.