About Us
Frederik Laleike, Project Advisor
Frederik Laleicke is a Wood Products Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University. Currently, he is working on projects related to urban wood utilization and drying, residential CLT, and artificial aging of wood surfaces for decorative purposes. Dr. Laleicke is known for developing nationwide surveys to develop extension programs. In 2021, he conducted a national survey to develop an Urban Wood Drying Curriculum. Two workshops based on this curriculum were offered in Anaheim and Sacramento, CA. A workshop in collaboration with the Urban Wood Network will be held in Michigan later this year. Four recent projects lay the groundwork for his work in the Triangle Urban Wood Utilization Program.
In March 2023, he published a comprehensive report The Challenges and Successes of Urban Wood Businesses in which he outlined sawmill business investments that led to greater profitability.
Since 2021, he has been working on a four-year $65,000 CAL-FIRE grant in which he teaches workshops about wood drying, and urban wood product development, as a means to increase urban forest utilization.
In July 2023, he concluded a four-year $250,000 U.S. Forest Service grant in which he identified ways to increase wood product business opportunities in North Carolina while improving forest management.
In September 2022, he concluded a four-year $250,000 U.S. Forest Service grant in which he identified and researched opportunities for cross-laminated timber usage in residential construction.
Randall Williams, Owner and Sawyer
Randall Williams is the owner and founder of Fireside Lumber & Sawmill. He serves on the Advisory Board of the NC Urban Forest Council’s Urban Wood Group. With twelve years experience running a sawmill business in the Durham-Chapel Hill area, he has extensive knowledge and networks in the local wood community. Four recent initiatives have laid the groundwork for his work on the Triangle Urban Wood Utilization Program.
Fireside Lumber & Sawmill has been a fast-growth company with 35% annual growth in revenue and yields since 2017. With three sawmills and a kiln running full-time, the company processes over 400,000 board feet of lumber a year.
The company has helped many organizations utilize their urban lumber including Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, University of North Carolina’s Tree Heritage Program, Church of the Advocate’s PeeWee Homes, Duke University, and the town of Hillsborough’s Treasure Tree program.
He has served as a consultant and sawyer on many projects where landowners use timber from their land to build their own homes. In 2022, he worked with Curate Construction to design and build a home using trees from the property. He is working to build a similar home in Cedar Grove, NC. He specializes in helping landowners navigate complex local zoning, inspection, and permitting requirements.
He is a part of a bipartisan team of North Carolina businesses, scholars, and officials working with NC Senator Bobby Hanig to pass HB295: The Promote NC Sawmill Act. The bill would provide training and guidance to the state’s sawyers to inspect and certify lumber for code-approved construction.