our history

The Brown Wood Preserving Company was founded in 1929 by James Graham Brown, a Louisville native and entrepreneur with substantial Southeastern timber, sawmill, mining and railroad operations. Following his death in 1969, the company was operated by the James Graham Brown Foundation.

In 1980 the company was purchased by Lowell D. Stanley of Louisville and he implemented a personal philosophy that gave the company a more focused direction.

Acquiring new facilities, consolidating existing operations and updating practices and processes, Brown Wood Preserving Company gradually settled into its present form and today operates from three locations: Louisville, Kentucky; Kennedy, Alabama; and Mathiston, Mississippi.

In 2003, Lowell’s son David S. Stanley took over as President of the company. David, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, had worked in every facet of the organization from forest to the plant to the corporate offices in Louisville. This comprehensive knowledge of Brown Wood Preserving Co. — the product, people and customers — has served David well when stepping up to this position.

The company’s sole product is pressure-treated wood utility poles.

We still start with the finest timber from the Southern forests, the optimum raw material for long-lasting and affordable durability. And our strategic simplification as a company has meant that our product is never far removed from our customers’ locations. Additionally, as wood preservation technology has evolved over the years, the company offers three different treatments for our poles: Penta, CCA and CCA WITH CLIMBING ADDITIVE.

Since acquisition of the company nearly four decades ago, the direction of the Stanley family’s management has been to narrow the company’s focus and streamline operations. However, since the Stanley family acquired Brown Wood Preserving Company, the cornerstone of our philosophy has never changed. Every decision the company makes — every decision —is an answer to this fundamental question:

“What is best for our customers?”

  • BROWN WOOD PRESERVING CO., INC. 

    Headquarters

    6201 Camp Ground Road
    Louisville, KY 40216
    Telephone: (800)537-1765 / (502)448-2337
    Fax: (502)448-9944

    BROWN WOOD PRESERVING CO., INC. 

    Kennedy Plant

    16851 AL-96
    Kennedy, AL  35574
    Telephone: (205) 596-3529