NOHRD Elasko Shadow

Wooden WaterRower NOHRD equipment is given life on the lush, verdant planes of the Appalachian Mountains in North America.

For almost a century, a thriving lumber trade has existed in this region, prized for producing some of the world’s finest, responsibly grown, and harvested hardwoods. Once milled and kiln-dried, the wood that grows here is lauded for the remarkable strength, durability, and grain characteristics unique to the region. To the north, and at higher elevations, a dark, humid evergreen forest of spruce and fir cloaks the mountains. While further south, in the lower glades, a more open broadleaf mix predominates, including the ash, oak, cherry and walnut varieties we have used to make our products for over 30 years.

The special qualities displayed by the hardwoods grown in this region are due to the Appalachian Mountains’ unique ecology. A fortuitous mix of nutrient-rich soil, ideal year-round temperatures, and perfect moisture levels provide particularly fertile ground for trees to thrive. The idyllic conditions allow wood fibres to grow long and strong, forming rich colours and characterful grain patterns.

Protecting this hardwood oasis while supporting the region’s burgeoning lumber trade has always been important to us. The Appalachian hardwood manufacturers trade association (AHMI), of which we ensure all our suppliers are members, is one of the few such associations with a division devoted to forestry, the advancement of sound forestry practices and wilderness preservation. Members of AHMI have been educating landowners and the public about sound forestry practices and sustainable harvesting since its founding in the 1940s.

In practice, that means for every Appalachian tree felled to make our products, 2.5 more grow in its place. Thanks in part to the modern forest management techniques employed by our responsible suppliers, a billion trees have been added to the region since 2007, with 300,000 acres of Appalachian forest added in the past 25 years. That’s nearly 33 acres a day. To put it another way, more wood than it takes to make a WaterRower grows back every second in the mountains.