Retail War Games · 2026-06-22 · 26 min
In this episode, I sit down with Don Alexander, owner of the nearly 100-year-old family business behind the premium firewood storage brand, Woodhaven. Operating out of Parsons, Kansas, since 1927, this company has achieved what few family enterprises ever do: reaching four generations of continuous family ownership and operation. Don pulls back the curtain on their incredible evolutionary journey, tracing how they started as a raw woodworking and aluminum casting foundry, transitioned into machine tool and equipment design, and ultimately vertically integrated into a massive, consumer-focused manufacturing power house. Throughout our conversation, Don drops incredible operational insights on managing an absolute 100% American-made manufacturing setup. He explains how they navigate volatile steel markets and raw international supply chain pressures - such as how tariffs directly squeezed his bottom line on imported rack covers - and his strategic pivot to bring all textiles back to domestic production.
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