When it came to the task of bringing first class firewood to the masses, this small business turned to Isuzu for a small truck solution that could be driven on a car licence
While working on the job as a farmhand soon after graduating from high school, Xavier Phyland decided to investigate starting his own business.
He turned his mind to firewood, and now at the age of 22, Xavier he has joined forces with his father, Paul, in a highly successful business based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
The business, First Class Firewood, now supplies more than 2,000 service stations and processes timber used for specialty foods requiring wood-firing and smoking.
“First Class Firewood services the Riverina, which stretches as far as Deniliquin down to Albury, out to Junee, and then out to West Wyalong,” Xavier says.
Initially, when the business opened in 2019, Xavier and Paul were supplying wood for homes throughout Wagga Wagga.
The business grew rapidly after Xavier scored a big client that supplied wood to service stations—but the pandemic also brought a boom in business that left the team working flat chat.
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The trusty Isuzu is the perfect size for the firewood business
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“When the business grew and we needed a truck for our delivery of firewood and kindling bags in the Riverina, the obvious thing was to go to John Beattie at Wagga Motors and talk to him about our needs,” Xavier says.
“We wanted to carry as much weight as possible but stay within the car licence range so that it was easier for our staff to drive.
“That’s when John introduced us to the NLR 45-150 Traypack.”
Revving things up
With a GVM of 4,500 kilograms and a GCM of 8,000 kilograms, First Class Firewood’s new NLR 45-150 Traypack means the team don’t have to worry about overloading when chucking bagged wood and kindling into the tray for delivery through the Riverina.
Because the Traypack can be driven on a standard car licence, no team member has had to upgrade to a heavy vehicle license – yet. With plenty of room in the tray for huge firewood deliveries, Xavier and Paul save time and money, avoiding multiple trips back and forth to the mill to load up for deliveries.
Powered by the Isuzu 4JJ1-TCS engine, the NLR 45-150 has 110 kW (150PS) of power at 2,800 rpm and 375 Nm of torque at 1,600 – 2,800 rpm.
Hot stuff
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Paul on the tools turning logs into firewood sized pieces for happy customers
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In 2020 and 2021, home heating became a priority for many families in the region with a higher proportion of people working or studying from home.
“The last two years have seen things really ramp up for us here at First Class Firewood, so much so that we’ve received contracts for milling and for supplying restaurants with ironbark wood for specific cooking styles,” Xavier says.
“Eighteen months ago was the turning point for us when the pace really picked up. While we still deliver bagged wood throughout the Riverina, we now supply bagged firewood throughout New South Wales, Canberra and Victoria.
“Plus, there’s also the kindling for restaurants and producing heavy-duty wooden stock pallets.”
Generating growth
The boom in business led Xavier and Paul to upgrade their old generator in mid-2022, and they again turned to John at Wagga Motors for guidance.
The duo selected an Isuzu Power Solutions GS020PTY generator set that provided the business with lower noise pollution and fantastic fuel economy.
“John helped us pick out our Isuzu gen set and he was excellent with explaining everything and offering advice,” Xavier says.
“The gen set powers our log docking saw, firewood splitter and kindling machine. Without it, the mill would grind to a halt.”
First Class Firewood purchased a mill outside Wagga Wagga in early 2021 with space to spread out, store more product and increase production on the heavy-duty wooden pallets that became in demand during the pandemic.
With things on the up and up, Xavier is now looking to the future.
“When First Class Firewood is ready to expand, I know we will continue with Isuzu; start looking into building a small fleet and moving into larger Isuzu models,” he says.
“I have been really impressed with the knowledge and the support from John and Wagga Motors.
“The advice we were able to get with our gen set lead us to buying our first light-duty Isuzu truck. After such a positive experience with our IPS generator there was no way that we were looking elsewhere.”
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Xavier and Paul heading out for a delivery
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