David Old holds the President's 'E' Award for Export next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in Washington D.C.
David Old may be the wood industry’s most intriguing global citizen. He grew up in Mexico, went to school in Japan, raced motorcycles in Europe, bought and sold airplanes abroad and, in the 1990s, began exporting sustainably sourced wood products to high-profile international clients. Today, more than 70 percent of Old Wood's business is in exports, he says, and his export efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. In May, Old went to Washington, D.C., to receive the President’s “E” Certificate for Exports, which rewards organizations that work to increase U.S. exports. “[The award] is a statement, a recognition of something we’ve been working pretty hard at, and we’re good at it,” he says. His clients have ranged from the president of the Republic of Georgia to a South African-based billionaire who made his money in the Chicago mercantile exchange. Sometimes his clients want pine, Douglas fir or mesquite, but the common thread that ties all of Old Wood’s products is their sustainability factor: They are either beetle-killed, salvaged after forest fires or grown sustainably. While he says not all his clients are concerned about where their wood comes from, he’s proud to be able to educate them on the merits of his sustainable products and, perhaps, move the needle toward a greener future.
