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Wall Street Journal places JN Firewood’s products at
number 15 on the list of best Christmas gifts
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Joe and Angie Nelson, owners of JN Firewood Inc., in rural Fort Ripley, recently learned their product was listed in the Wall Street Journal as number 15 for the best Christmas gifts for 2011.
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“We have no idea where the Wall Street Journal got their information,” said Angie. “A fella did call from New York City a while back, looking for firewood. We chatted and he did mention he worked for the Wall Street Journal. He purchased a box of wood and that was it.”
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A week or so later, one of JN’s customers called Joe and said, “You made the Wall Street Journal.” Joe and Angie, at that time delivering wood in South Dakota, didn’t believe him.
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“When we got to one of our destinations, I went up to the door to find out where the woman wanted us to drop her wood,” said Angie. “She was yelling, ‘My firewood company made the Wall Street Journal.’ She then gave me a copy of the newspaper and yes, we were listed as number 15, in a color ad.”
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When the Nelsons got home, newspapers, radio and television stations were calling. Angie said the company has been discussed on WCCO Radio, MSNBC television, in the Pioneer Press and in the Duluth newspapers.
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Angie Nelson, along with her husband Joe, own JN Firewood Inc. in Fort Ripley. The company ships firewood nationally and will deliver to one’s door in the tri-state area. Angie is pictured with a small portion of the acres and acres of wood they have ready to deliver.
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“I was watching Jay Leno one night, and he even mention being able to get firewood from us for Christmas presents,” said Angie, who thinks this is just unbelievable.
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The ad in the Wall Street Journal read, “Firewood Delivery: From the area of Minnesota where ‘Fargo’ was set, JN Firewood delivers two-year-seasoned firewood — split hickory, red oak and white birch (blue flames!), among others — overnight to your recipient’s doorstep. Ask for Angie, who says, ‘youbetcha’ (no kidding!).”
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Angie had to ask Joe if she really says “Youbetcha” on the phone to her customers. He said, “Yes, you do. All the time.”
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Angie said that after the ad came out, the calls for firewood have been incredible. And, she has had to remember to say “Youbetcha” or the caller will ask her why she didn’t.
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JN Firewood, who employs 18 people, is the only firewood company certified by the state of Minnesota to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s specifications. Angie said it’s because they kiln-dry their product to kill all invasive species and bugs. The kiln-drying process takes about 18 hours and reduces the moisture content of green wood to 7 percent in that time.
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“We ship our wood to anywhere in the United States, even Florida, whose borders are closed to all alien wood,” she said. “The quarantined states don’t allow wood to cross their borders because of the emerald ash borer. Since the bug will hitchhike on all hardwoods, not just ash, there are states that won’t allow any wood to cross their borders.”
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The counties of Houston, Ramsey, Hennepin and Winona in Minnesota are also quarantined against alien wood. Ash products from a non-quarantined area to one of those counties must remain in the quarantined area.
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As with any new business, JN Firewood Inc. started small. That was about 21 years ago. It now offers 19 different species of wood, even pinion pine from Mexico, which repels mosquitoes.
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“We supply wood to our neighbors and across the country,” said Angie. “We sell to people in both New York City and Hollywood. We sell to restaurants, convenience stores, campgrounds and gas stations. We even send four or five rail containers to Saudia Arabia every year.”
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Now, with its new status, JN Firewood Inc. may have to put its name on its mailbox.
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For more information, call Angie at (320) 232-7328, 1 (800) 630-2960 or go to jnfirewood.com.
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And, make sure she says, “Youbetcha” during the conversation.
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