Irvine, California — Don Whitmore has always loved trees, so it’s not surprising that he would eventually turn that passion into a thriving business called Pacific Coast Teak.
Located in Paso Robles, California, Pacific Coast Teak is the largest direct importer of top-quality, sustainable plantation grown teak lumber in North America.

Formed 12 years ago, Pacific Coast Teak supplies architects, builders and designers with premium quality Teak lumber decking & flooring for high-end homes, restaurants, hotels and other large-scale projects.  The company also operates its own production and milling facilities where it creates custom orders and prototypes.

While there are many challenges associated with Teak farming, Whitmore sees the industry as a labor of love – and for good reason.  Teak, or Tectona grandis, is an amazing hardwood valued for centuries in boat building, fine furniture making, flooring, veneers, cabinetry… virtually anything a woodworker can dream up.  It’s also a relatively fast-growing super wood rich in natural oils, resistant to moisture and impervious to insects.

“Teak is one of the few trees on the planet ideally suited to plantation growing, which makes it a truly remarkable and sustainable ‘green’ resource,” says Whitmore, a lifelong woodworking enthusiast who grew up working at his uncle’s contracting business after school and during summer vacations.  “We operate our own FSC-Certified plantations on reclaimed farmlands located along Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Costa Rica, Columbia, Panama and Ecuador.”

By the way, FSC stands for “Forest Stewardship Council,” an independent, non-profit organization that awards its coveted certification to companies and landowners that practice forestry in an environmentally responsible way.
While Teak Trees can be plantation grown, the process is far more demanding than raising Douglas-firs on a Christmas Tree Farm.  “It’s a fascinating, extremely environmentally-conscious process requiring no herbicides,” he says.  “In fact, Teak must be grown naturally; going through wet and dry seasons just like it would in a forest.  We use high density planting techniques, which allows the trees to compete for sunlight just as they would naturally.  We trim the lower limbs as they grow to eliminate knots and keep the trees growing straight.  After thinning, which is done by hand, there are about 600 Teak trees for every hectare, which is the equivalent of 2.47 acres.”

Whitmore says it takes about 30 years for a Teak tree to reach a level of growth where harvesting is possible.  “The Teak is then kiln dried, banded in random widths and lengths and sent to us as rough sawed lumber,” he explains.  “We then sell it to lumber companies or large cabinet companies who turn the prized hardwood into a wide range of products, including flooring, fine furniture, cruise ship decks – you name it.  Our customers appreciate the fact that Teak won’t rot or mildew… is very slip-resistant as decking and flooring… and there are zero rust issues associated with fasteners.”  ­

One of the wonderful benefits of Teak plantations, says Whitmore, is the fact that all trees are grown using totally green techniques.  “Teak is impervious to insects, so no pesticides are ever used.  These plantations also provide an amazing habitat for countless animals and birds.  In fact, one of our plantations is actually a Toucan reserve, which we also manage in partnership with the host government.”

According to Whitmore, Teak even has antibacterial properties, making it the best food cutting board on the planet.

When Don and his staff aren’t marketing its Teak or visiting plantations, they are busy creating beautiful new artistic prototypes from chairs to chief stations. “We have a fully equipped shop where we are constantly working on prototypes,” he says. “For example, a couple of years ago we built a chair based on an ancient 15th century design that we feel is truly the ultimate Adirondack folding chair.  It’s called the Pacific Coast Chair, and we will be marketing it shortly to high-end commercial markets, hotels, restaurants, big deck swimming pools, etc.”In order to create these prototypes, Whitmore’s staff uses an array of machines acquired form Laguna Tools.

“We attended the big woodworking show in Las Vegas this year, and were very impressed with the machines being demonstrated at the Laguna Tools display. From the very outset of our business relationship, the service has been spectacular,” he says.  “Whenever we have a question, we can pick up the phone and immediately speak with a human being.  They are totally committed to personalized customer service, which is refreshing in this internet-driven, email world.  I was especially impressed with the service we received from their consultant Jay Andrews.  He has provided amazing service before, during and after the sale.”

Among a myriad of Laguna Tool machines in use at Pacific Coast Teak is a Pro 12” Parallelogram Jointer, a 20” HD Planer, a 3HP Mobile Cyclone which is mobile, the Platinum Series 20” disk Sander and a V-Way Horizontal Slot Mortiser.

“Honestly, with these solidly-built Laguna Tools machines – some of which feature their ShearTechII Cutting Heads made of carbite – there are no limitations as to what we can create out of Teak.  I’ve owned other tools at the same time, and Laguna Tools products have a clear cut advantage over their competition,” Whitmore proclaims.  “As avid woodworking enthusiasts ourselves, we love the fact that they are all solidly built, with an emphasis on ease of operation and safety.  Their extremely competitive prices don’t hurt, either.”

For more information about Pacific Coast Teak, go to www.pacificcoastteak.com.  To learn more about Laguna Tool’s complete lineup of woodworking equipment, go towww.lagunatools.com.

http://www.lagunatools.com/company/stories/Pacific-Coast-Teak

The Phantom is the most extravagant Rolls-Royce in terms of pure, indulgent luxury. For example, the wheel wells are lined with synthetic felt to reduce driving noise. Case in point.

Where there is intelligent design and quality, there is luxury teak.

First of all, we want you to know this is about doing well for the earth and respecting it’s natural resources.

FSC Forest Stewardship council carries a profound message; like trees in a forest, each individual effort combined creates a huge effort that makes all the difference.  The following words are taken from http://ic.fsc.org/principles-and-criteria.34.htm

The ten FSC Principles require the forest owner or manager to do the following:

Principle 1: Compliance with laws and FSC Principles – to comply with all laws, regulations, treaties, conventions and agreements, together with all FSC Principles and Criteria.

Principle 2: Tenure and use rights and responsibilities – to define, document and legally establish long-term tenure and use rights.

Principle 3: Indigenous peoples’ rights – to identify and uphold indigenous peoples’ rights of ownership and use of land and resources.

Principle 4: Community relations and worker’s rights – to maintain or enhance forest workers’ and local communities’ social and economic well-being.

Principle 5: Benefits from the forest – to maintain or enhance long term economic, social and environmental benefits from the forest.

Principle 6: Environmental impact – to maintain or restore the ecosystem, its biodiversity, resources and landscapes.

Principle 7: Management plan – to have a management plan, implemented, monitored and documented.

Principle 8: Monitoring and assessment – to demonstrate progress towards management objectives.

Principle 9: Maintenance of high conservation value forests – to maintain or enhance the attributes which define such forests.

Principle 10: Plantations – to plan and manage plantations in accordance with FSC Principles and Criteria.

We are proud to be FSC Certified because the quality and consideration this Council has for themselves, those who they have certified and the world we live in.

Teak is both sturdy and durable:

A must for any patio set (especially if you host a few barbecues or you happen to have a children running around).  Teak is also a very elastic wood, giving it an advantage during temperature and weather changes, as well as making it extremely malleable during the construction process.  It doesn’t splinter, which is another notch in the win column given the tiny nature of summertime clothing and, again, if you have children.  What makes teak so special?  Perhaps it is the 50-60 year maturation process it goes through before being ready to adorn your outdoor living space.  Oak? Mahogany?  Lovely woods, yes, but if you’re planning on spending a lot of time outdoors with family and friends you have no better friend than teak.

People generally prize teak wood above the average length of pine or oak. But why? The answer lies in the natural oils and rubber found within the teak wood. There is an abundance of natural oils and rubber locked into the tight grain of teak. Not to mention that teak retains these oils and its rubber even after being felled and processed. Because of this, it is weather-resistant.

When dried to a proper moisture level, which is about 10 percent of its original content, the oils and rubber weatherproof the wood so you don’t have to. The oils also keep the wood from dry rotting. What’s more, teak’s oils and rubber protect the heart of the wood from invaders like fungi and parasites that can destroy other woods from the inside out. Teak protects itself, so here is no need to apply weatherproof oils and treatments.

As it weathers over time, like a fine wine, the wood transitions from a amber to a silvery gray. Although teak is expensive, you can take the money you would have spent on annual waterproofing and apply it to buying outdoor teak furniture, teak decking or interior flooring. In caves in Western India, objects made from teak more than 2,000 years ago have been found intact — astonishing for untreated, uncared-for wood. This also offsets the initial costs of teak, especially once you consider furniture replacement costs.

Imagine your ideal home, imagine your lifestyle, how do you want to spend your time?  Relaxing and taking in the beautiful honey tones and amber hues? Or re-finishing, and re-purchasing your out-door set-up.

It’s simply not enough for us to tell you that we offer high-quality, sustainable plantation grown teak lumber. If you’re finding teak lumber for your own home or office, you want to know that you have the best available. And, if you are a builder or designer, you need to make sure your clients are getting the very best you can offer.

Official FSC Information

“Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.”

Far beyond just setting high standards, the Council gives accreditation to independent organizations who then carry out the required assessments, making sure those high standards are followed. This means tracking from the plantation or forest, all the way to the finished product that ends up in your (or your client’s) home or office.

For more information, take a visit to http://www.fsc.org/ and learn about the details that distinguish our plantation grown teak lumber in the certification process.

FSC for You

You can source your supplies with Pacific Coast Teak with confidence, knowing that we have gone the extra mile to ensure responsible and high quality lumber is the only thing you’ll ever get from us.

Teak interiors are now available on the elite Phantom and Phantom Coupe range models, as well. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe or “Drophead Coupe” will feature teak in the decking that will hide the convertible’s cloth top. Rolls-Royce’s first foray into adding teak to cars was with the 100EX experimental car.

Why did Rolls-Royce choose teak?

The grains of teak are unmatched and the hardwood has straight lines that make for a clean, attractive interior. Each interior is made from veneer that is cut from slices of the same tree. This maintains the consistency of the grain, color, and age. Teak is most favored for fine finishes on pleasure boats. Permeated with natural oils, teak doesn’t absorb water. It is near impervious to rot. It is easy to work with and dimensionally very stable. It can withstand exposure to sunlight and saltwater for years.

In some ways, the teak deck adds a sort of nautical fashion statement. The wood is reminiscent of a luxury sailboat or yacht. It must be oiled regularly in order to maintain its rich, golden color. The sturdy wood is also capable of holding up to 330 pounds.

Rolls-Royce isn’t the first company to find inspiration in warm color and nautical style. Range Rover mentioned that their luggage space was “super-yacht inspired” when they made the floor out of fine teak. The teak cargo floor comes standard in the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition.

When looking for style, functionality, and beauty, teak wood is hard to beat.

Pacific Coast Teak has portable kitchen island butcher blocks made of FSC©-certified teak lumber. That means we harvest our teak from a renewable plantation as opposed to clear-cutting old growth forests that would take decades to restore. The hardwood is available in cherry wood & black walnut bases to match your current style of countertop.

A teak wood countertops is an ideal surface for anyone who knows that the counter is the functional basis of a kitchen space. Teak can take your kitchen design to the next level. It’s a highly sought-after material for cutting boards and butcher blocks. Our butcher block can add a whole new dimension to your workspace while showcasing the natural beauty and durability of renewable teak.

All Pacific Coast Teak kitchen materials are handcrafted in the USA and supplied by a sustainable resource.

You can customize your butcher block with an optional wine rack, like the one displayed in the photo. Our locking casters that will not mark floors, and we add a German-made Blum self-closing drawer. The butcher block is ideal for small kitchens and where portability is needed. Our butcher block also comes in a variety of sizes so you can customize for your particular kitchen size.

If you’re looking for a stunning upgrade, Pacific Coast Teak has you covered. Large or small, you will get beautiful top-quality teak that fits seamlessly into your kitchen design.

The oil from the seeds is used to cure eczema and helps hair growth. While the bark creates a bitter tonic, it is useful in treating a fever. Digestion is improved by both teak wood and bark.

The root of the teak tree is used in traditional Southeast Asian medicine for its astringent and diuretic properties, which assist in reducing swelling. It has also been used in the curing of bronchitis and can control the spread of skin diseases, including scabies.

The essential oil extracted from the bark is also used traditionally to treat diabetes, and laboratory tests have demonstrated that its bark extract effectively lowers insulin resistance. It helps purify the blood.

Traditionally, the Chinese have brewed teas from teak leaves. Tannins are plentiful in the leaf and can reduce the absorption of food, improving digestion. It reduces excess body fat, combats obesity, and helps lower bad cholesterol. The tea is a popular way to clear toxins from the body, purifying the body the same way the bark oil can help to purify the blood.

The teak oil is extracted from the timber on a small scale, for medicinal purposes, by filling an earthen pot, which is placed inverted upon another, with chips of wood, and putting fire round it, upon which the oil runs down into the lower vessel.

Pacific Coast Teak harvests sustainable teak lumber that’s used around the world. We haven’t tried the tea yet.

Once a staple feature in boat-building, teak lumber is finding new life in another transportation market: cars. Recently, Range Rover has taken the warm, honey colored wood and brought it to the cargo floor of their Autobiography Ultimate Edition.

The top of the automotive market has been dominated by exotic sports cars and luxury sedans. While SUVs have put up a good fight, they still needed that extra push to go over the edge. Land Rover accepted that challenge. Four individual bucket seats are separated front and back by a console with aluminum tray tables and a drink cooler. The rear-seat passengers get the use of a pair of Apple iPads docked into the front seatbacks. The iPads come standard with the vehicle. The high-end semi-aniline leather seating and Oxford leather on the door casings, dashboard top and steering wheel is offsets Kalahari wood veneers. It’s the first time Kalahari wood has made an appearance in the Range Rover.

Buyers can choose from either the 4.4-liter V8 turbodiesel or the 5.0-liter supercharged V8, both mated to ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission and capable of catapulting the truck to sixty in 7.5 or 5.1 seconds respectively.

Of course, finishing touch is the teak decking on the cargo floor in the back. The teak is super-yacht inspired and is accented with metal and leather detailing. The Autobiography Ultimate Edition is hand-finished.

All of these features are set to put Range Rover in the running for one of the top luxury cars on the market. Released at the Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover limited the car to 500 units. This Ultimate Edition is designed and manufactured in the UK. Exclusivity is assured. Each vehicle is built to customer order.

From cabinets and patio furniture to boats and cars, teak is the durable, luxury hard wood at the top of the industry.