Laurens van Kleef has been named the timbers & marine lumber program manager at Nova USA Wood Products Inc., a supplier of high-quality hardwood products and accessories. He is responsible for the development of new products in the Eastern United States as well as supporting the company’s sales activities within the hardwood, softwood, reclaimed and marine timbers industries.
“Laurens’ passion for exotic hardwoods and their harvesting, manufacture and distribution will ensure even greater levels of support and service to our worldwide customers,” says Steve Getsiv, the company’s CEO. “A timber industry specialist, he also has the cross-cultural expertise that will not only help us expand our international presence, but also provide the insights necessary to continually refresh and introduce the premium products that our many partners have come to expect from Nova USA Wood Products.”
van Kleef’s tropical hardwoods background spans more than two decades. He started van Kleef International in the United States nearly eight years ago to facilitate the direct import of timbers from South East Asia, Africa, South America and Europe as well as the purchase and sale of domestic hardwoods like Eastern Cedar and Yellow poplar in the United States.
Throughout the years, van Kleef also worked in the Netherlands where he held multiple sales and import/export positions at companies such as Oberman-Oppedijk/ Pontmeijer, Houthandel Houtex, and Martimber/Houthandel M vd Berg. This was in addition to living in Papua New Guinea, where he worked as the export manager for PNG Tropical Wood Products, a subsidiary for Oilmin Holdings headquartered in Mount Hagen.
Located in Boston, van Kleef holds a Degree from ROC Aventus in Deventer, the Netherlands. He also completed a timber industry specialization program at Centrum Hout in the Netherlands, which focused on sales, customer service, forestry management and timber processing.
van Kleef can be reached at [email protected].