COMPANY HISTORY

Since 1979, Trio Forest Products Inc. has been a leading source of quality lumber and building materials across the Southwest. We are
the oldest independently owned wholesale lumber company in the valley of Arizona.

ABOUT TRIO FOREST

Trio’s longevity in the lumber business is rooted in a firm commitment to understanding both your business and specific product needs. Our mission is to provide you with prices that keep you profitable, confidence that your products are on hand and ready for fast delivery, and access to unsurpassed industry expertise. With these three promises, we can give you the building material solutions your business needs.

We call it our proven process:

Order → Deliver → Done.

Everyone wins, Trust is established, Profits grow

Trio Forest Products Inc. opened its doors in 1979, but the bloodlines of the lumber industry run all the

way back past the founder, Jerry Lilly, whose grandfather owned a lumber mill in Lakeside, Arizona.

The passion for the lumber industry has been passed down from one generation to the next. Today, Trio is run by Jerry Lilly and Tina South, a father and daughter partnership that is nothing short of a dynamic duo.

Jerry and Tina both reminisce on their time spent at lumber yards as children. At 10 years old, they were stacking wood. At 16, Tina graduated to the office and Jerry was driving trucks. Being raised around lumber, Jerry and Tina both learned the lumber and building supplies industry the right way, through hands-on work.

“We learned by doing” and today that same approach continues to ring true as the next generation of lumber legacy.

Dawson Buchanan joins Trio and embraces the core values of ‘Do It, Do It Right, Do It Right Now.’

Founded by hard-working American entrepreneurs who achieved success by building relationships, taking risks, and understanding what the customer needs, Trio has endured the test of time. As one of the Southwest’s core, family-owned lumber suppliers, we continue to fiercely protect our reputation and relationships with the customers, vendors, and employees.

HISTORY & TIMELINE

Trio Forest Products Inc. has been serving the Southwest since 1979, but the tradition of supplying the lumber that builds America’s roads and homes can be tracked back in the family for far longer. Founder Jerry Lilly was raised in his grandfather’s lumber mill. Now, he supplies his own lumber to the Southwest and empowers future generations to follow in his steps. Learn about Trio’s evolution from one generation of lumber experts to three.

Pre-1970: Jerry’s childhood

Far before Trio Forest Products Inc. opened its doors, founder Jerry was spending most of his days around lumber. Jerry grew up at Fish Sawmill, instilling in him a passion for lumber and timber from a young age.

1970: Jerry began at Trio Sales

Jerry officially started his lumber career working for Trio Forest Products Inc., known as Trio Sales at the time. He would deliver lumber for Trio Sales in the afternoons and sell lumber on the side from the back of his truck in the mornings. Jerry still loves driving our trucks and making deliveries to this day.

1979: Trio Forest Products Inc. began

After a few years of selling lumber on the side, Jerry accumulated enough earnings and experience to take the reigns. Jerry bought Trio Sales and turned it into Trio Forest Products Inc. in 1979.

1984: Tina South started working full time

Jerry Lilly’s daughter, Tina South, also grew up around the lumber industry. She was working in the yard and stacking wood at 10. At 16, Tina graduated to working full time at the offices for Trio Forest Products Inc.

2007: Trio expands and Tina becomes President

2007 was a big year for Trio. Tina became the President of the company, as she is today. Trio also received the opportunity to improve operations by purchasing railhead property for carloads of lumber products to flow freely into Trio’s yard.

2021: Dawson became partners with Jerry and Tina

Starting with Jerry, Trio Forest Products Inc. has three generations of lumber expertise. Dawson has become a part owner of Trio Forest Products Inc. Tina, Jerry, and Dawson now form the dynamic trio and keep the legacy alive, maintaining Trio’s title as family owned and operated.

MEET THE FAMILY

JERRY LILLY

Founder

The traits of every great founder resonate throughout the company they built. Trio was founded on hard work, strong character, ethics, and a ‘Get It Done’ mentality. It’s no secret that Jerry grew up around lumber and developed a passion for the industry at a young age. He started his career by selling lumber from the back seat of a car in the morning and driving a delivery truck in the afternoon. He eventually bought the lumber company he worked for, and today it is Trio Forest Products Inc.

After over 50 years in the business, one of his favorite things to do is to jump in a truck and make a personal delivery to our customers. He is the visionary for Trio, he is respected by everyone, he is committed to passing his Legacy of Lumber onto future generations of Trio, and he continues to Get It Done!

TINA SOUTH

President

Tina grew up in the lumber business and has worked in every aspect of Trio since 1984. Her knowledge of lumber, the industry, and business operations is unsurpassed.

Today, she is the President of Trio Forest Products Inc. and her charge is to build a great company, with great people and great results. She is passionate about maintaining the core values that made Trio successful while embracing the concepts of continuous improvement to move Trio to even greater heights of success. She cares deeply about Trio’s customers, employees, and vendors and takes every tough decision to heart. Tina’s soft-spoken authority, wealth of information, and determination make her an amazing leader.

DAWSON BUCHANAN

Operations Manager

Dawson is Trio’s fourth generation in lumber! He is the son of Tina and grandson of Jerry, and he is working his way through the ranks. Dawson is Trio’s Forest Products Inc.’s operation manager and is smart, steadfast, and embraces what it means to lead in the lumber industry. He arrives here before everyone each day, ensuring our customers’ deliveries are set to roll. He knows first-hand the hustle and hard work it takes to thrive as a building material supplier.

PHIL HAWKINS

Sales Manager

Phil is our sales manager and is key to our overall operations. He is responsible for managing the sales team and purchasing many of our building products, which allow Trio Forest Products Inc. to keep a competitive edge in the market. He started with Trio right out of college in 1996 and was personally mentored by Jerry.

Over the last 25+ years, Phil has built trusting relationships through his expertise, honesty, and sometimes humorous way of advising our customers through the purchasing process. He has made lifelong customers and friends for Trio Forest Products Inc. through his easy-going demeanor that makes Phil a joy to work with (well, most of the time).

TONY PALOMAREZ

Sales

Tony has been with Trio Forest Products Inc. since 2001. He has worked his way through the lumber industry and established himself as a subject matter expert in all aspects of building materials, especially on commercial jobs. His experience, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy make him an invaluable resource for our customers. He is also immersed in the changing lumber market conditions daily by actively completing purchases for his customers and ensuring they are receiving the best prices and service in the industry.

RYAN HEINE

Sales Team Coordinator

Ryan works side by side with Phil to ensure lumber sales and deliveries flow with ease. He is gifted at paying attention to the details and creating product tracking systems. His quick wit and determination make him a perfect fit for the team. We are so glad he chose to be a part of Trio Forest Products Inc.

JEFF BAWDON

Sales

Jeff joins Trio Forest Products Inc. with a background in lumber sales that has prepared him to coach our customers to success in selecting the right product for their project. He balances an optimistic and enthusiastic approach with a high focus on your lumber order details. That combination makes him a great fit for the work of building trusting relationships that last with our customers.

DRU LANOUE

Office Manager

Dru has been with Trio since 2005. She wears a wide variety of hats while managing the office. Dru is 100% committed to the success of Trio Forest Products Inc. and our customers and employees. She values teamwork and places others’ needs first. She is focused, accurate, and efficient. Everyone knows they can count on Dru!

RENEE LANOUE

Credit / AR Manager

Renee has worked at Trio since 2005 and is a lifeline to many of us and our customers when we need help. Renee is an integral part of Trio’s success as she manages the setup of every new customer’s account and ensures our existing customers’ invoices are 100% accurate. She is excellent at teaching our new employees our company processes, helping experienced employees solve problems, and ensuring our entire team at Trio Forest Products Inc. is successful.

EMILY ANNIS

Receptionist/AR

Emily is one the first people to greet you when you walk through Trio’s door. She serves on the official welcoming committee, a.k.a. receptionist, and also works on the Accounts Receivables Team assuring absolute accuracy in our customers’ invoicing. She is an amazing additon to an already rock solid Administrative Team at Trio Forest Products Inc. She is over the top helpful and willing to go the extra mile for our customers and staff.

JEFF SEITZ

Yard Foreman

Jeff manages his team in loading and unloading customer and vendor deliveries. He ensures our customers receive quality lumber quickly and correctly. He also makes sure safety measures are in place and adhered to for his team, our customers, and our vendors. Jeff has been an amazing asset to Trio’s team.

PAIGE WALKER

Receptionist/AP

Paige is one of the first people to greet you when you walk through Trio Forest Products Inc.’s door. She serves on the official welcoming committee, a.k.a. receptionist, and also works on the Accounts Payable Team assuring absolute accuracy with our vendor accounts. She openly shares how much she loves working at Trio Forest Products Inc. Her kind, grateful spirit is contagious throughout the office.

JERRY LILLY

Founder

The traits of every great founder resonate throughout the company they built. Trio was founded on hard work, strong character, ethics, and a ‘get it done’ mentality. It’s no secret that Jerry grew up around lumber and developed a passion for the industry at a young age. He started his career by selling lumber from the back seat of a car in the morning and driving a delivery truck in the afternoon. He eventually bought the lumber company he worked for, and today it is Trio Forest Products Inc.

After over 50 years in the business, one of his favorite things to do is to jump in a truck and make a personal delivery to our customers. He is the visionary for Trio, he is respected by everyone, he is committed to passing his legacy of lumber onto future generations of Trio, and he continues to get it done!

TINA SOUTH

President

Tina grew up in the lumber business and has worked in every aspect of Trio since 1984. Her knowledge of lumber, the industry, and business operations is unsurpassed.

Today, she is the President of Trio Forest Products Inc. and her charge is to build a great company, with great people and great results. She is passionate about maintaining the core values that made Trio successful while embracing the concepts of continuous improvement to move Trio to even greater heights of success. She cares deeply about Trio’s customers, employees, and vendors and takes every tough decision to heart. Tina’s soft-spoken authority, wealth of information, and determination make her an amazing leader.

DAWSON BUCHANAN

Operations Manager

Dawson is Trio’s fourth generation in lumber! He is the son of Tina and grandson of Jerry, and he is working his way through the ranks. Dawson is Trio’s Forest Products Inc.’s operation manager and is smart, steadfast, and embraces what it means to lead in the lumber industry. He arrives here before everyone each day, ensuring our customers’ deliveries are set to roll. He knows first-hand the hustle and hard work it takes to thrive as a building material supplier.

PHIL HAWKINS

Sales Manager

Phil is our sales manager and is key to our overall operations. He is responsible for managing the sales team and purchasing many of our building products, which allow Trio Forest Products Inc. to keep a competitive edge in the market. He started with Trio right out of college in 1996 and was personally mentored by Jerry.

Over the last 25+ years, Phil has built trusting relationships through his expertise, honesty, and sometimes humorous way of advising our customers through the purchasing process. He has made lifelong customers and friends for Trio Forest Products Inc. through his easy-going demeanor that makes Phil a joy to work with (well, most of the time).

TONY PALOMAREZ

Sales

Tony has been with Trio Forest Products Inc. since 2001. He has worked his way through the lumber industry and established himself as a subject matter expert in all aspects of building materials, especially on commercial jobs. His experience, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy make him an invaluable resource for our customers. He is also immersed in the changing lumber market conditions daily by actively completing purchases for his customers and ensuring they are receiving the best prices and service in the industry.

RYAN HEINE

Sales Team Coordinator

Ryan works side by side with Phil to ensure lumber sales and deliveries flow with ease. He is gifted at paying attention to the details and creating product tracking systems. His quick wit and determination make him a perfect fit for the team. We are so glad he chose to be a part of Trio Forest Products Inc.

JEFF BAWDON

Sales

Jeff joins Trio Forest Products Inc. with a background in lumber sales that has prepared him to coach our customers to success in selecting the right product for their project. He balances an optimistic and enthusiastic approach with a high focus on your lumber order details. That combination makes him a great fit for the work of building trusting relationships that last with our customers.

DRU LANOUE

Office Manager

Dru has been with Trio since 2005. She wears a wide variety of hats while managing the office. Dru is 100% committed to the success of Trio Forest Products Inc. and our customers and employees. She values teamwork and places others’ needs first. She is focused, accurate, and efficient. Everyone knows they can count on Dru!

RENEE LANOUE

Credit / AR Manager

Renee has worked at Trio since 2005 and is a lifeline to many of us and our customers when we need help. Renee is an integral part of Trio’s success as she manages the setup of every new customer’s account and ensures our existing customers’ invoices are 100% accurate. She is excellent at teaching our new employees our company processes, helping experienced employees solve problems, and ensuring our entire team at Trio Forest Products Inc. is successful.

EMILY ENNIS

Receptionist/AR

Emily is one the first people to greet you when you walk through Trio’s door. She serves on the official welcoming committee, a.k.a. receptionist, and also works on the Accounts Receivables Team assuring absolute accuracy in our customers’ invoicing. She is an amazing additon to an already rock solid Administrative Team at Trio Forest Products Inc. She is over the top helpful and willing to go the extra mile for our customers and staff.

JEFF SEITZ

Yard Foreman

Jeff manages his team in loading and unloading customer and vendor deliveries. He ensures our customers receive quality lumber quickly and correctly. He also makes sure safety measures are in place and adhered to for his team, our customers, and our vendors. Jeff has been an amazing asset to Trio’s team.

PAIGE WALKER

Receptionist/AR

Paige is the first person to greet you when you walk through Trio Forest Products Inc.’s door. She serves as the official welcoming committee, a.k.a. receptionist, and also works on the accounts receivables team assuring absolute accuracy in our customers’ invoicing. She openly shares how much she loves working at Trio Forest Products Inc. Her kind, grateful spirit is contagious throughout the office.

Drivers and Staff

Our Drivers and Yard Staff are the Secret Sauce that makes Trio stand out in our industry. They start early every day and don’t stop until the job is done. We are proud of the outstanding job each and every one of them does for us. Take a minute to watch our Operations Team in Action!

Committed to Our Community

For the betterment of our community and generations to come, we wholeheartedly support local charities.

A rising tide lifts all boats. Learn about our community outreach below!

Getting Good at Giving, Together

Every year Trio Forest Products Inc. asks each one of our employees to select a charity, near and dear to their heart. Then, Trio makes a donation on their behalf. At Trio, we align our interests with our employees, bringing us all together. It makes it more personal and feels good to know that Trio cares about what they care about. Together, we believe that we can make a difference.

Together, We Can End Hunger
Every year Trio Forest Products Inc. partners with their employees and the United Food Bank to end hunger. In the last few years, we have provided over 11,165 meals to our local community.

We were first introduced to the United Foodbank by one of our customers. Now, every chance we get, we spread the word to our employees, families, vendors, and customers to join us in stopping hunger.

Take a moment to learn about this amazing organization.

With only a $20 donation, you can keep a child fed for over a month.

We also donate to Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank.

It’s not uncommon to see food drive boxes stacking up around Trio.

Serving Together, Side by Side
The Trio team frequently takes a hands-on approach to charity work. Together, with our employees’ helping hands, we bought, built, and delivered six new bicycles to families in our community. This giving day came from the hearts of our front office staff and everyone joined in to make it happen.

As a company, we also help pack food together for Feed My Starving Children. Giving can be contagious!

Empowering Our Future Generations

Each year, Trio donates a few thousand dollars to Child Crisis Arizona with the mission of strengthening families and children in need. Family education, emergency children’s shelters, foster care, and counseling are just a few services that Child Crisis Arizona brings to our community. We at Trio understand the power that a strong, safe family can bring. We want to ensure others get to understand the support of a healthy family as well.

Our Forest Preservation Efforts

Sustaining our environment is crucial if we want to continue to have access to the water, materials, and resources they offer. As a building material supplier, we recognize our duty to preserve forests for future generations. Luckily, most of the lumber products we sell come from trees. In fact, we deal in a product that is 100% renewable, recyclable, reusable, and the best biodegradable building material on the market.

Today, advanced technology allows us to use every part of the tree for products. In addition to lumber and paper coming from the trunk of the tree, bark resins, cellulose, scraps, and even sawdust are turned into products that range from camera cases to medicines or drugs.

We support forest sustainability by only choosing lumber mills that invest in overall forest growth, quality, and productivity. The mills we work with are committed to encouraging forest health and productivity research.