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Benji Richards

Profiles Benji Richards 1

Benji began his career in the hardwood lumber industry in 1993 at Hardwood Sales in Conover, NC, working under owner Jim Smith and General Manager Stuart Clark. He hand-packed lumber for John Oakes and learned the basics of lumber inspection. During his 8 years of service to Hardwood Sales, he also learned kiln operations and […]

Simon Larocque 

Profiles Simon Larocque 1 1

Specialties: Birch, Maple, and Walnut Inspection, Dispute Resolution, Lumber Inspection, Quality Control, and Training Simon has a bachelor’s degree in computer programming from College De L’Outaouais in Canada. After graduation, he realized that he wasn’t passionate about computer programming and set out to find a new career. Simon’s uncle helped him to get a job as a […]

Kevin Evilsizer

Profiles Kevin 2022 HR 1

Specialties: International Inspection, Lumber Inspection, Certifications, Quality Control, and Training Kevin is a second-generation Lumber Inspector. Kevin’s father encouraged him to join the hardwood lumber industry at a young age, helping Kevin get a job pulling lumber off the green chain at (North Pacific Lumber Company) McClain Forest Products before he had even graduated from high school. […]

Tom Byers

Profiles Tom Byers 1

Specialties:  Dispute Resolution, Lumber Inspection, Training, and Walnut Inspection. Tom was an impressive student and graduated first in his class (class # 95). After graduation, he immediately took a job with ITL Lumber Company, where he spent the next seven years working as a Lumber Inspector. In 1995, he accepted an offer to be a […]

Dana Spessert

Profiles Dana 2022 1

Dana began working for NHLA as Chief Inspector in September 2010 and has more than 30 years of industry experience.  As Chief Inspector, Dana is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the NHLA grading rules by supervising the association’s National Inspectors.  He also serves as the Dean of the NHLA Inspector Training School. Dana was […]

Mark Bear

Profiles Mark Bear 2 1

Specialties: Cross Tie Grading, Dispute Resolution, Hispanic Employee Training, Log Scaling/Grading, Lumber Inspection, Quality Control, Sawmill Management/Operation, Training, and Yield Analysis. Mark has been working in the hardwood lumber industry since he was a teenager. In 1986, he started by mowing grass at Anthony Timberlands, Inc. in Gurdon, Arkansas, and was eventually moved to the sawmill […]