Urs Buehlmann

Urs Buehlmann is a Professor of Sustainable Biomaterials and Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Sustainable Biomaterials. He has been with Virginia Tech since 2007, after serving as General Manager at Enkeboll Designs. Buehlmann holds affiliations with the Sloan Foundation Forest Industries Center, serves as an Adjunct Professor at Universite Laval, and is a member of WoodLINKS USA board and the Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers education committee.

Education:

• B.S. - Swiss Institute of Wood Technology, 1993
• M.B.A. - Virginia Tech, 1998
• Ph.D. - Virginia Tech, 1998

Buehlmann's research focuses on Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, Business Benchmarking, Competitive Strategy, and Globalization within the wood products industry. His work addresses critical issues in secondary wood products manufacturing, business competitiveness, and the impacts of globalization on forest products industries. He has developed significant expertise in analyzing housing market trends and their relationship to the wood products sector.

His extensive publication record, particularly the monthly Housing Commentary series with Delton Alderman since 2015, demonstrates consistent focus on economic analysis of housing markets and their implications for the forest products industry. These publications form a comprehensive longitudinal study of market dynamics, showing particular attention to how economic indicators, construction trends, and policy changes affect wood product demand.

Buehlmann has advised numerous graduate students across diverse topics including Lean Manufacturing implementation, consumer perceptions of sustainable products, and economic feasibility studies of wood-based enterprises. His research has been supported through various grants and collaborations with industry partners, the USDA Forest Service, and extension programs.

He directs the Wood Enterprise Institute and teaches courses in Sustainable Biomaterials Enterprises, Wood Design and Innovation, and Global Forest Sustainability. His work with the VTLeanTeam demonstrates practical application of manufacturing systems engineering principles to real-world industry challenges.