Jesse LaSon, Rossi Group

Jesse LaSon, Rossi Group

From The Woodpreneur Podcast by Acres of Timber

April 9, 2026 · 33 min · Season 4 · Episode 481

About this episode

Jesse LaSon discusses his career in the hardwood industry and the challenges it faces today.

What does it take to spend 21 years championing an industry most people take for granted? Jesse LaSon, Vice President of Sales at Rossi Group, has built a career doing exactly that, and his passion for American hardwoods is contagious. In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, Jennifer Alger sits down with Jesse to explore the full journey of Appalachian hardwoods, from sustainably managed timberland to sawmills, kilns, and eventually the hands of craftspeople around the world. Rossi Group is a family-owned business with deep roots in the hardwood industry, and Jesse pulls back the curtain on how they manage multiple sawmills, distribute species like cherry, white oak, red oak, soft maple, poplar, and ash, and compete in both domestic and international markets. The conversation goes far beyond logistics. Jesse opens up about the real challenges facing the hardwood industry today, including the impact of tariffs, shifting export markets, trucking pressures, and the ongoing battle against misconceptions about deforestation and sustainability. He shares why industry advocacy and consumer education are just as important as any sales strategy, and how getting architects, designers…

People in this episode

Host: Jennifer Alger

Guest: Jesse LaSon

Topics covered

  • hardwood industry
  • sustainability
  • sales strategy
  • leadership
  • team culture
  • consumer education

Keywords

  • hardwoods
  • sawmills
  • sustainably managed timberland
  • tariffs
  • export markets
  • deforestation
  • American forestry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rossi Group

Products: cherry, white oak, red oak, soft maple, poplar, ash

Places: Appalachian

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