In this episode, Steve Larosiliere interviews Ben Deumling from Zena Forest Products as he discusses the journey of his company, which specializes in producing hardwood flooring from Oregon oak. The business started as a way to utilize the oak trees on their family’s forest lands and has grown into a vertically integrated operation. They have developed the infrastructure to process hardwoods, with a primary focus on producing hardwood flooring. A pivotal moment for the company was securing a contract to provide flooring for the Portland airport, which led to the development of a new type of flooring. Zena Forest Products is now focused on scaling and marketing this innovative product. Takeaways Zena Forest Products is a vertically integrated company that specializes in producing hardwood flooring from Oregon oak.The company started by utilizing oak trees from their family forest lands and has grown significantly over the years.Securing a contract to provide flooring for the Portland airport was a pivotal moment that led to the development of a new flooring product.The company is currently focused on scaling and marketing this unique and innovative product. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Zena Forest Products 02:10 Starting the Mill Side of the Business 04:36 Providing Flooring for the Portland Airport 07:10 Transforming the Business with a Big Project 10:05 Primary Product and Target Customers 12:15 Demand and Market Expansion 13:22 Exploring Other Byproducts and Product Lines 16:28 Satisfying Aspects of Running the Business 18:47 Utilizing Video and Photography for Marketing 19:37 The Origin of the Name Zena 20:43 Seeking Advice on Scaling and Marketing a New Product Get a FREE Trial to our Woodpreneur Network Community and get the skills, network, and mentoring to level up your business join here: https://woodpreneurnetwork.com/ Connect with Ben at: https://www.instagram.com/zenaforestproducts/