Generational Legacies at NHLA Inspector Training School

By AMANDA BOUTWELL, Marketing Communications Manager

When the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) was founded in 1898, its primary goal was to establish “uniformity of inspecting hardwood lumber.” So, it makes sense that the Association’s first order of business was to form a committee to create a set of guidelines for hardwood lumber examination. The resulting NHLA Rules Book was considerably more than a simple set of regulations. The Rules acted as a foundation for hardwood ideals, which helped to stabilize the entire industry. Before the Rules were established, prices were determined willy-nilly without any standard. Once the Rules were in place, order reigned where chaos once stood.

By the 1940s, the need for qualified lumber inspectors grew so rapidly that NHLA opened a training school for grading lumber. What was meant to be a pilot program to gauge interest soon evolved into the full-fledged NHLA Inspector Training School (ITS) we know today. 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of ITS, which has seen more than 7,500 students graduate.

Students from all walks of life attend ITS, including those who are part of a generational family legacy - students with more than one

THE GENERATIONAL LEGACY OF THE HAROLD WHITE LUMBER FAMILY:

First Generation: Harold White, Class 12, 1954

Second Generation: Richard White (Harold’s son) Class 46, 1971

Second Generation: Michael White (Harold’s son) Class 61, 1977

Second Generation: Ray White Sr. (Harold’s son) Class 78, 1982

Third Generation: Ray White II (Ray Sr.’s son) Class 184, 2017 generation of graduates from ITS in their families. The trust and value that these generational legacy families have in the School is an outstanding example of how to use the School to springboard careers and grow a business.

The first day of school can be a nerve-wracking experience for some, but when Ray White II attended, he had several former graduates supporting him along the way. Ray is a part of the generational legacy of the Harold White Lumber family. When Ray walked through the front door, he followed in the well-trodden footsteps of his family before him. Not only did his father, Ray White Sr., graduate ITS, but two of his uncles and his grandfather are also among the alumni. He even attended the same class as his cousin, Sawyer White. In total, the Harold White Lumber family has six ITS graduates representing three generations.

Ray White Sr. is proud to be a part of his family’s history with NHLA Inspector Training School, saying, “My father, Harold White, was the first individual from Eastern Kentucky to attend ITS. In fact, he may have been one of the very first Kentuckians because there had only been 11 classes before him.”

Third Generation: Sawyer White (Ray White Sr.’s nephew) Class 184, 2017

White Sr. remembers his time at the School as a thrilling experience, recalling, “I was very excited because my father had spent his entire life instilling a drive to be successful in each of his kids. He believed it was paramount for his family to go through ITS to learn the Rules if they wanted to be part of the business. I felt honored and excited to have the opportunity to be able to represent the 2nd generation of family graduates. In our family, attending ITS is a rite of passage.”

“. . . My fondest memories of the School are of the friendships I formed. My class had about 50 graduates, and some of my best lumber friends today are people I met during my time at the School. I love seeing them each year at the Alumni Reception at the NHLA Annual Convention.” - Harold White, Sr.

As an ITS alumni from a generational legacy family, White Sr. has repeatedly returned to the School to speak at graduation ceremonies. Most recently, he spoke at his son’s graduation in 2017, which made him smile, saying, “Every time I go back into the School building, I experience a flood of happy memories and emotions. I love seeing the history of the hardwood lumber industry every time I visit. Walking down the main hallway, you see photos of every graduating class. I always stop to look at my dad’s picture, then I look at my brothers’ pictures, then my picture and my son’s picture, and some pictures of my employees...and it feels like walking through history.”

White Sr. spoke of the value his family and fellow graduates received from going to ITS, saying, “First and foremost, the greatest value is learning the actual Rules, the understanding and the interpretation of the Rules, and applying that to a real-life practical skill. My fondest memories of the School are of the friendships I formed. My class had about 50 graduates, and some of my best lumber friends today are people I met during my time at the School. I love seeing them each year at the Alumni Reception at the NHLA Annual Convention.”

The White family legacy is likely to continue, with White Sr. saying, “The third generation of ITS graduates in the family, Ray White II, and Sawyer, are still in their 20s and haven’t married yet, so their children would be the 4th generation to attend ITS. They both work in log procurement now, and the family plans to leave the company to them, so I feel really good about the possibility of a fourth generation going to the School.”

THE GENERATIONAL LEGACY OF THE SPESSERT FAMILY:

First Generation: Carl Spessert Class 29, 1962

First Generation: Rodney Spessert (Carl’s brother) Class 58, 1979

Second Generation: Dana Spessert (Carl’s son) Class 89, 1986

Third Generation: Kyatt Spessert (Dana’s son) Class 192, 2020

Another generational legacy family is that of NHLA Chief Inspector Dana Spessert. Dana’s father, Carl Spessert, started the legacy for his family. In 1962, Carl graduated with the 29th Class. He used his certificate to climb up the ranks in his career and eventually opened his own business. When it came time for Carl to hire a lumber grader in 1979, he paid for his brother, Rodney Spessert, to attend ITS. Rodney graduated with the 58th Class. From the time he was a boy, Dana knew he’d attend ITS when he came of age, which was in 1986. Dana is a graduate of the 89th Class. Finally, in 2020, Dana’s son, Kyatt Spessert, continued the legacy graduating with Class 192.

Dana vividly remembers his time at the School and recalls how it felt to drive from West Virginia to Memphis, Tennessee, “In the 80s, there was a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour on every road in the USA. It took me 16 hours to drive from home to the School. Being from West Virginia, I was accustomed to small two-lane roadways. I remember driving into Memphis and, for the first time ever, seeing three lanes of traffic. It was jaw-dropping for me. I was only 18, so many of my experiences at ITS were new, exciting, and sometimes a little scary.”

Dana continues, “I remember the School building was only a few years old when I attended, and it still felt very new. I’d never seen a classroom with stadium seating, which was exciting. I remember finding my dad’s picture on the wall of graduates, which is where the School hangs the graduation photo of every graduating class. Today, the wall of graduates wraps around the building, but back in ‘86, it only covered about two-thirds of the first wall.”

Dana says he knew his son, Kyatt, would be a good fit for ITS because “Some people see crosscut; some people see rips. It’s the students that can see both that succeed long after attending the School.” He saw that Kyatt had that gift and encouraged him to attend. When asked about future generations attending the School, Dana said, “You never know. Kyatt doesn’t have kids yet, but he has said more than once - that he enjoyed his time at ITS more than his four years of college. So, you never know.”

Being Chief Inspector, Dana has a one-of-a-kind view of the School. He saw his father graduate, he attended ITS as a student, and now, he is a leader of the School. He believes in the School and its value, saying, “It’s about generational mentality, I think. Current leaders in the hardwood industry now have children joining the business, and they need training. The Inspector Training School is here to teach the skill of grading lumber, which any family could turn into a legacy. ITS gives graduates a fundamental understanding of the value of hardwood lumber and can lead to great careers in procurement, sales, and more. Many often graduate and start their own business. The hardwood industry has been around for a long time and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

THE GENERATIONAL LEGACY OF THE RON JONES HARDWOOD FAMILY:

First Generation: Ronald Jones Class 23, 1959

Second Generation: Steve Jones (Ronald’s son) Class 97, 1988

Third Generation: Nate Jones (Steve’s son) Class 192, 2020

Bottom Left: All three generations of Jones. (Left to right) Nate, Ron, and Steve.

The Jones Family of “Ron Jones Hardwood” has their own generational legacy of Inspector Training School graduates. Ronald Jones began his family’s legacy in 1959 when he graduated with the 23rd Class. Upon graduation, Ron worked as a lumber inspector at Tri-State Hardwoods. He spent many years there, working his way up to become the company’s Vice President. In 1983, after much contemplation, Ron decided that it was time for him to manage his own company, saying, “With the encouragement of my mentors, fellow suppliers, and end-users, I established Ron Jones Hardwood Sales, Inc., which began with a small office and limited staff. The industry timing was perfect for us, and we worked very hard to build our success.”

Ronald’s son, Steve Jones, graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Marketing. Still, his father’s love of the hardwood industry rubbed off on Steve, who chose to attend ITS, graduating in 1988 with Class 97. The business came full circle in July 2008 when Ron Jones promoted Steve to the position of President of the family business.

Steve talks about his decision to attend ITS, saying, “As for me, I saw my father’s success in the industry, and I had the opportunity to meet many other lumber families. I knew attending the School would be the bedrock foundation for a successful career in the hardwood lumber industry. Once you graduate, you have a skill set that you can use to get a job in practically any state or country. Graduating from ITS set me up for success, just like my father before me and my son now.”

Steve Jones

(From left to right) Steve Jones, NHLA Instructor (Retired) Rich Hascher, and Nate Jones at Nate's graduation in 2020. Nate was part of the last class (#192) Rich taught before retirement after teaching for over 25 years.

Steve’s son, Nate Jones, is the third generation of the family to graduate from ITS. Steve was honored to return to the School in the summer of 2020 to speak at Nate’s graduation (Class 192). Many family photos were taken that day, marking another generation added to the Ron Jones Hardwood family legacy.

After earning his certificate, Nate began his new career by grading kiln-dried lumber. Later, Nate transitioned into purchasing kiln-dried lumber and building domestic and export sales accounts at their sales office. Like his father, Nate is also a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, where he holds bachelor’s degrees in international business and marketing.

Nate feels that the ITS certificate of completion program helped him to build the foundation to become more knowledgeable about hardwood lumber grades and how to defend that grade. In recent instances of selling lumber, Nate recalls being able to say with assurance, “I actually graded that load myself!” Nate continues, “The NHLA Inspector Training School gave me the knowledge to sell hardwood lumber honestly and with integrity, and for that, I couldn’t be anymore thankful.”

The NHLA Inspector Training School is integral to the progress of the hardwood lumber industry. In many ways, all graduates of ITS are part of a single family. Each graduate has their photo hanging on the walls of the School. Steve Jones, echoing the sentiments of Dana Spessert and Ray White Sr., reminisces, “Entering the School in Memphis for the first time was a surreal experience. Seeing photos of all the past graduating classes on the wall feels like you are part of a hall of fame. Looking at all those photos is like stepping back in time. History is alive on the walls of ITS, and it is a wonderful and enriching tradition.”