By: James Kennedy | EastLeeNews.com
ALVA, Fla. — Tucked along a rural stretch of Alva is a business that reflects both Old Florida practicality and decades of craftsmanship. But behind the stacks of rare hardwoods at Alva Hardwoods is a life story that stretches far beyond lumber.
Merrill Morrison, owner of Alva Hardwoods, has spent more than 50 years in the hardwood industry. A retired U.S. Air Force captain, pilot, rancher, and longtime wood specialist, Morrison has quietly built a life centered on hard work, aviation, and helping others. “I’ve been in the hardwood business about 50 years,” Morrison said. “I had a bigger facility up in Ohio.” That Ohio operation included decades of supplier relationships, including connections throughout Amish country.
Eventually, Morrison relocated to Southwest Florida, where he envisioned more than just a business. “I came down here looking for acreage where I could put an airstrip,” he said. “We found about 200 acres and got that done first.” The property eventually grew into a working ranch, lumber yard, and private aviation site where customers could browse specialty woods much like they once did in traditional northern lumber yards.
Today, Alva Hardwoods has become known for carrying materials that are increasingly difficult to find. “We try to carry things nobody else has,” Morrison said. “Some of these woods are extinct or unavailable now, like bubinga, African rosewoods, and certain mahoganies.” Morrison said changing environmental regulations, depleted forests, and shifting global markets have dramatically altered the hardwood industry over the years. “There’s no mahogany coming out of Brazil anymore,” he said. “What we have is some of the last Honduran mahogany and sapele.” He said even domestic materials have changed significantly. “The big cypress trees are gone,” Morrison said. “You used to be able to get much larger cuts.” His customer base includes boat builders, restoration specialists, craftsmen, and hobbyists seeking materials that still meet traditional standards. “I supply the people who build,” he said.
Long before entering the lumber business full-time, Morrison began his professional life as an industrial arts teacher in northeast Ohio. Soon after, he entered Air Force pilot training. “I got an early start,” he said. “I entered pilot training at 17 and a half and had my wings by 20.” That connection to aviation remains visible today. Morrison’s Alva property includes private east-west and north-south runways, and at one time housed five airplanes in a barn on the property. “It makes it easy to get places, sometimes in a third of the time,” he said. While Morrison’s career and business accomplishments are extensive, much of his focus today centers on service. In Virginia, he operates a farm that helps supply fruit to food pantries. He also coordinates what he describes as a “firewood ministry,” providing split hardwood to widowed women struggling to heat their homes during winter months. “There are widowed women up there trying to heat their homes on very little income,” Morrison said. “If we can cut and split hardwood and put it on their porch, it helps keep their house warm.”
Locally, Morrison volunteers with the Bethany House food pantry and remains active with the Alva Methodist Church. “I worked there three days this week,” he said. For Morrison, business and service have always remained closely connected. “The goal is to make life better for other people,” he said. In a region where rapid growth often dominates headlines, Morrison’s story reflects a quieter side of East Lee County, one built on craftsmanship, aviation, faith, and community service.
For more information about Alva Hardwoods, contact Merrill Morrison at 7307 State Road 80, LaBelle, Florida 33935, or call
(239) 989-9158.
