Challinor Wood Products' founder, Peter Challinor, was a well-known figure in the hardwood industry for over forty years. With a background in engineering and wood technology, Peter was an early proponent of supplying cut to size components (dimension) to manufacturers of cabinetry and fine furniture. After entering the export market in the early 1980's, Challinor Wood Products (CWP) was one of the first North American suppliers to offer hardwood dimension to European door producers. The company developed a strong niche in Western European markets, helping manufacturers make the switch from buying high grade lumber to buying dimension and glued panels, thereby achieving substantial savings in raw material costs.

Peter Challinor's honesty and personal integrity are the bedrock upon which the company was built and the company jealously guards this reputation with every shipment and every customer relationship. We have shipped material all over the world, including Canada, Mexico, Ireland, U.K., Denmark, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

With the price of hard maple skyrocketing in the late 1980's, several domestic customers turned to CWP and asked Peter to put his expertise to work to find a light colored, reasonably priced alternative to maple. CWP turned to northeastern Europe and found an excellent substitute - Baltic Birch (see Baltic Birch). Since that time CWP has expanded its European offerings and also works with European oak and beech.