PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAM PUTMAN
TIDEWATER LUMBER & MOULDING important to architects to have local material that is not trucked in from Though most people aren’t aware of it, Louis Voorhees takes great three states away,” Louis said. pride in seeing his company’s products throughout the Upstate. He sees Taking the family business concept even further, Ed’s Tidewater Lumber’s work in the wall paneling in homes at daughter Valerie Cherrier does bookkeeping for the company, the Cliffs, in the trim at Greenville Country Club, and in the office flooring at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. while her husband David is plant manager. Today, Tidewater Today, we’re the “Our products are woven into many buildings on Main has a staff of 24. largest unfinished Street such as restaurants and churches around town,” he For Louis, who oversees purchasing, sales, and day-to-day flooring company in said. “We sold products in 15 states, but it’s been nice that management, wood is not just his career but his hobby as well. South Carolina “My hobby is woodworking,” he said with a laugh. He builds as Greenville has grown, we’ve been able to grow with it.” hunting and getaway cabins – only using square logs. He also Tidewater Lumber is a true family business, started by Louis’ father Ed Voorhees in 1980. Ed worked for a builds furniture such as farm tables and Adirondack chairs. lumber company by day and was moonlighting creating teak parts for “It’s tough to get away from it once you’ve got sawdust in your blood,” he boats. When the boat business dried up during a recession, he started said. Away from his wood pursuits, Louis and his wife Regenea have three doing more interior trim such as door casings and crown molding. Ed created a catalog called Tidewater Colonial Moulding Series that children and stay active with lacrosse, basketball, hunting, fishing and became well-known among local builders. “anything outdoors,” he said. After Louis graduated from Clemson University in 1994, he joined the company and built a house two years later. People kept noticing the wood floors he put in himself, and before he knew it, he was adding a new product line – flooring. ‘Today, we’re the largest unfinished flooring company in South Carolina,” Louis said. 596 Anderson Ridge Rd. Now, the company sells lumber, plywood for cabinets and hardwood Greer floors, often supplying custom builders as well as dealers. At age 80, Ed 864.987.9663 still comes to work every day to source local wood to run through the dry kiln, creating flooring, paneling or trim from 20 different species. “It is tidewaterlumber.com 80
Behind The Counter
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2017