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

Tina South

President

Dawson Buchanan

Operations Manager

Phil Hawkins

Sales Manager

Tony Palomarez

Sales

Ryan Heine

Sales Team Coordinator

Jeff Bawdon

Sales

Dru Lanoue

Office Manager

Renee Lanoue

Credit / AR Manager

Jeff Seitz

Yard Foreman

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

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.