Fire destroys Graf Brothers Flooring's warehouse
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SOUTH SHORE, Ky. - No one was injured in the fire that destroyed Graf Brothers Flooring's 75,000-square-foot warehouse on Dec. 30. The manufacturer of rift and quartered lumber and flooring said firefighters were able to contain the fire and "save the overwhelming majority" of its South Shore, Kentucky sawmill. The company also has a flooring plant in Portsmouth, Ohio.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to local media sources.

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Producing monster quartersawn boards at Graf Brothers flooring

At its 70-acre lumber mill in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, Graf Brothers produces 125,000 board feet of lumber and 35,000 square feet of flooring daily.


On its website, the Graf family posted: "Everyone is safe and there were no injuries.  Graf Brothers Flooring and Lumber will remain steadfast to our goals and will continue to do business as usual. We will rebuild and continue to be the world’s largest manufacturer of rift and quartered products. Thank you for all your thoughts in prayers during these trying times."

Graf's produces more than 125,000 board feet of lumber per shift and 50,000 square feet of flooring per shift, according to the company's website. It boasts 14 state-of-the-art drying kilns, enabling the company to dry more than 2 million feet of hardwood lumber per month.

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Karen Koenig | Editor

Karen M. Koenig has more than 35 years of experience in the woodworking industry, including visits to wood products manufacturing facilities throughout North America, Europe and Asia. As senior editor, her responsibilities include writing and editing for Woodworking Network publications FDMC Magazine and Closets & Organized Storage Magazine, as well as the website. She also oversees many of Woodworking Network's special projects and programs, including Red Book: Resource Guide for Best Practice, FDMC 300, 40 Under 40, and the Wood Industry Market Leaders. She can be reached at [email protected].