Bray Holcomb · Founder, High School Firewood

University of Georgia freshman studying finance, with a philosophy minor and certificates in AI and law.

I run a firewood company. I built the software that runs it with AI.

I started High School Firewood at 16 with $500. It's now the #1 rated firewood company in the Southeast on Google. I built it around AI, with agents handling everything from a customer's first text to each driver's route.

Watch the 1-minute videohighschoolfirewood.comSee all 250+ reviews on Google
Front desk booked Ms. Reyes for Saturday. Planner refused Truck C, capacity unknown, then planned 14 stops on 4 trucks with 2 reloads. Dispatch texted Mr. Cole his ETA. Books matched the cash from Truck B. Planning a day went from 3 hours to 10 minutes.
rated firewood company in the Southeast on Google
#1
Google reviews, all five stars
250+
run rate this season
$200K+
high schoolers hired
29
to plan a delivery day, 95% less time
3 hrs → 10 min
on time across 105 deliveries
96%
Stop 01 · The apps

One Saturday, two apps

The operator app on my phone runs the day. The driver app on a high schooler's phone gives him my full delivery playbook, so even on day one, he delivers the way I would.

Driver app

Prepare for Saturday

Not ready yet. Checking…

You’re ready. See you at the barn at 7:30 AM.

No wheelbarrow, strap or blower/broom means you can’t drive

I have my own wheelbarrow

I have my own tie-down strap

I have my own leaf blower or broom

1. Who you are
Paired as Eli. Nothing to type.✓
2. Your route
4 stops for Saturday. Route downloaded.✓
3. Your truck
Carries 1 Junior a trip. Reload at the barn after stop 1.✓
Certified driver
Training video watched. Practice run passed, 12 of 12.Next

Ms. Whitaker Stacked

Canton, GA

Trip 1 of 2 · 1 Junior · cash preferred

1. Open navigation

34.24, -84.49
Open in WazeOpen in Google Maps

2. Text Ms. Whitaker when you leave

Good morning, Ms. Whitaker. This is Eli with High School Firewood. I am headed your way now and expect to arrive around 9:40 AM.
Watch your delivery
ETA 9:38 AM · arriving in 12 minNext
Harry, Bray's AI · on the walk up
“Truck and wood, where it goes, the stacking, then payment. Cash preferred.”Next

Did you say it?

The agenda, to Ms. Whitaker: the truck and the wood, where it goes, the stacking, and when they pay.

  1. “In order to make the best use of your time,”heard
  2. “I’d love to show you to the truck and talk a little bit about the wood.”heard
  3. “Then I’d love for you to show me where you want the wood.”heard
  4. “I’ll do the stacking, and after you’re 100% satisfied, we’ll collect payment. We prefer cash.”heard
  5. “Does that work for you?”heard

Let them test the wood

Say something like this

“We try to differentiate ourselves by showing you how we verify the firewood instead of just asking you to trust us. We burn-test our batches and we check the moisture, so we can guarantee our wood is seasoned. Properly seasoned firewood should be around 20% moisture or less. Pick any piece you want. I’ll show you where to test it, and I want you to use the moisture meter yourself so you can see the reading.”

Ms. Whitaker’s reading14%Seasoned. Around 20% or less.

✓She picked the piece herself

✓She held the meter and read it

A piece reads high, or it is raining?

Stack and count

Count toward 210, then compare the delivered volume to the official Junior photo.

210pieces of 210
Official Junior photo

Does it look like the photo?

Junior standard
Your after photo, live
Matches the Junior standard
About 210 pieces · faces aligned · area cleanNext

✓Delivered and counted carefully

✓Stacked neatly

✓Area cleaned with blower or broom

Amount due$295.00

How did they pay?

CashCheckVenmoZelleDidn’t pay

We prefer cash. She chose Venmo, so the code goes up full screen for her.

Ask for a review

“Would you be willing to leave a review?”

She said yes. The review link goes out after you pull away.

Ask Ms. Whitaker to refer friends

“Would you be willing to refer us to your friends? If so, we can send you our contact information.”

Stop done.

Ms. Whitaker left five stars+$5 to you, from your own customer’s review

Your five-star reviews31

Review bonus this season$155

Payment recordedVenmo $295

Thank-you text, after you pull away

Thank you, Ms. Whitaker. Your High School Firewood delivery is complete. We appreciate your business and your support of our students.
Venmo

Pay High School Firewood

$295.00

Ms. Whitaker scans it with her Venmo app.

She paid. Next
Operator app

Today

Wednesday · 6:12 PM

Live callCanton · 6:12 PMNext

Answered by the front desk.

Do you have a Junior for this Saturday?

We do. A Junior is about 210 pieces, $295, stacked for you. Saturday works.

New order: Ms. Whitaker

Junior$295SaturdayCanton

✓ No duplicate. Not already in the order sheets.

Saturday’s plan

Saturday · 3 drivers · 11 stops

Today

Thursday · 8:47 PM

First cold night: Saturday

Next
Wed52°Thu47°Fri43°Sat36°Sun33°

Reorder texts: 41 due

Ordered this week last year.

Mr. DaltonSophomore · Woodstock

Ms. PruittJunior · Jasper

Mr. OkaforJunior · Cumming

38 more

7replied YES by 9:30 AMNext

What’s going on now

Saturday · updated 9:34 AM

Eli · Sam · Noah · live Next
Sam is 18 min behindNext

Mr. Reyes, Holly Springs, was told 10:15 AM. Noah is 6 min away with the wood on board.

EliStop 1 of 4 · Ms. Whitakeron time

SamStop 2 of 4 · traffic on 92+18 min

NoahStop 3 of 3 · wood on boardon time

Profit per driver hourNext$41

Money

Saturday · 5:40 PM

Saturday close-out

3 drivers · 11 stops · the day took 10 minutes to plan, not 3 hours

Customers paid11 of 11

Cash, 3 customers, handed in$885

Venmo, Zelle or check, 8 customers$1,640

Hours confirmed3 of 3

Five-star reviews6 · $30 bonus

Profit per driver hourNext$41

No driver texted anyone

Problems and payments came in through the app. 0 unpaid, 0 complaints, 2 referrals.

The phone takes the call. A customer calls at dinner. The front desk answers, quotes $295 for a Junior, checks for a duplicate, and books Saturday.

Plays by itself · pick a step to jump
Stop 02 · The barn

One minute at the barn

Watch on YouTube
Four members of the High School Firewood crew in the barn
From our Facebook page

Leaving the barn

  • 01Sat Oct 24, 9:31 AMFirst truck out.Facebook
  • 02Sat Oct 31, 9:07 AMDelivery 2 rolls out.Facebook
  • 03Sat Oct 31, 9:07 AMDelivery 3 clears the door.Facebook
  • 04Sat Oct 31, 9:22 AMDelivery 4 hits the road.Facebook
  • 05Sun Nov 1, 8:44 AMSunday starts, window down.Facebook
  • 06Sun Nov 1, 8:47 AMDelivery 2, three minutes later.Facebook

Six real departures from two weekends this fall, as posted to our Facebook page. Tap any clip to watch it longer, with sound.

From our Instagram

On Instagram

Four crew members, in their own words, as posted to our Instagram. The captions are ours, timed word by word to what each one says.

What we brought in each season. 2026 shows our run rate.

How long can we keep this up?

Longer than the other guys. Our margins are better.

Google Reviews

What customers say

We have 250+ Google Reviews, all five stars. Here are some of them.

Google

We were incredibly impressed with the professionalism and work ethic from this young high-school entrepreneur. Communication was clear and timely from start to finish. ...

Jaclyn B. Nov 2025
Google

His professionalism and manners surpassed any adult I have ever worked with! Will use again!

Elizabeth P. Dec 2024
Google

Bray and his team are top notch professionals that have embraced the lost art of great customer service. They communicate well, show up on time, and deliver a great product. ...

Brian T. Oct 2025
Google

Bray has an amazing work ethic. ... He could serve as an example to other service folks who struggle with communicating and show up when they say they will. This guy does! ...

Jeff W. Aug 2025
Google

Great work! This company is hospitality driven. Enjoy the rest of the school year.

Gil A. Sep 2026
Google

This is our 2nd year ordering wood through High School Firewood. You could not ask for a better experience. ... Call them, book them, tell your friends. ...

Martha R. Oct 2026
Google

... We had some firewood left from last year and he made sure to stack so that we could access it first. ...

Alice C. Oct 2026
Google

... He let my son use his gloves and he stacked the wood up nicely. Will use again!

rearden Oct 2026
Google

Super polite, neat, hardworking firewood hustler! We gladly support young men who work hard to make an honest living in a noisy get-rich-quick world.

kristy p. Dec 2025
Google

... He was responsive over text from the first time I called him through delivery. He showed up exactly when he said he would and was extremely polite. ...

Daniel E. Dec 2025
Google

Sean did a great job stacking the truckload of wood all by himself in the pouring rain!!! Thank you so much!!

Doreen M. Oct 2026
Google

Excellent experience buying Firewood from Bray. Nice young man. I love seeing young people working hard with entrepreneurial spirit!

Chris S. Nov 2024
Google

... We’ve been hosed by a lot of groups saying they sold seasoned firewood but Mack showed up with a moisture meter and confidently tested the wood to show me it was actually seasoned. ...

Spencer B. Oct 2026
Google

... Mack communicated throughout the process perfectly! He was super kind, respectful, and efficient. I will be requesting his service every time.

Hope L. Oct 2026
Google

... They showed up right on time, worked fast, and got out of there without making a mess! ...

Louis R. Apr 2026
Google

Really incredible job by Conner! I was blown away how neatly he stacked the firewood. ...

Rick B. Oct 2026
Google

Quick, affordable, and friendly. Need firewood … help out some kids doing great work heading into college.

Timothy S. Oct 2026
Google

... Logan was great, kept me updated via text, delivered on time, stacked and cleaned up after himself, very courteous young man. ...

Ryan W. Sep 2026
Google

... Bray was amazing from start to finish! Quick and easy to connect with. Delivery was the weekend after I filled out the order form. Dry seasoned wood! I can’t believe he’s in highschool. ...

Jessica W. Nov 2024
Google

My 2nd year getting firewood from this incredible group. Communication was excellent from start to finish. The wood was delivered and stacked neatly. ...

Jason G. Oct 2026
Google

... Great communication, on time and as expected. And great price! I have ordered two years and will be ordering a 3rd.

Shawn F. May 2026
Google

... He stated up front the wood was still slightly wet and recommended delaying the delivery until it was fully seasoned. ...

Matt P. Nov 2024
Google

... The wood was top notch. In fact… it was so good I bought a second load while he was there ...

Jack R. Oct 2025
Google

Never buying firewood from anyone else. Superior quality all day long, and I get to support the local youth. ...

Matthew H. Nov 2025
Read all 250+ on Google
Google · The Southeast

#1 rated firewood company in the Southeast on Google

Run by a 19-year-old.

Google ratings and review counts. Ranked by Google reviews among Georgia firewood sellers on Google Maps, checked Nov 5, 2026.

Stop 03 · Proof of work

The system

I built an operator app and a driver app with AI coding tools. They run our real deliveries, taking orders from the first customer text through delivery and payment.

Animated map on real satellite imagery: this delivery season replays day by day. Trucks leave Ball Ground along real roads, deliver, and come back to reload. It ends on 80 mapped deliveries across 12 delivery days and 47 truckloads, out of 111 orders.
80 of this season's real deliveries, replayed day by day. Locations blurred to about half a mile.
Going over a delivery on the driver app with a crew member

My favorite part is teaching these guys the skills that I wish I knew at their age.

Stop 04 · The route here

How I built it

  1. Sep 2023

    Started the company at 16 with $500, delivering wood from my grandpa's land for gas money.

  2. 2023

    Used GPT to design our service packages, so we would avoid the roughly 10% margins common in commodity firewood. Orders went from 71 to 229 in one season.

  3. 2025

    An ice storm brought 100 orders in 48 hours, faster than I could route them by hand. Planning one delivery day took about 3 hours.

  4. 2025

    I built and launched the driver and operator apps using AI coding tools. The first version broke because the planner ignored truck capacity. I rebuilt it around loads. Planning a day now takes about 10 minutes.

  5. 2026

    I secured $10,000 in funding for High School Firewood.

  6. Now

    Added AI that answers customer texts, plans every route, and confirms each delivery, so the business keeps moving while I'm at UGA.

The High School Firewood barn with cut logs stacked in the yard
A pickup and trailer hauling logs into the wood yard
A full rack of firewood stacked neatly at a home
Stop 05 · Next route

What I want to build next

Next, I want to train a model using reinforcement learning. The model will act as an agent that dispatches our deliveries, learning in a simulator built from our real operating data, with the goal of increasing profit per driver hour. I'll build that, or whatever makes the most sense by then. Finding the best ideas takes a lot of luck.

  • Build the simulator

    I'll build a discrete-event simulation of a delivery day, calibrated using our logged drive times, stop durations, barn loading times, and truck capacities. The goal is to reproduce how a real Saturday unfolds.

  • Train the model

    The model acts as a dispatch agent. It will assign orders to trucks, decide when to reload, and choose when to reroute. Its reward will be profit per driver hour, with penalties for late arrivals and missed delivery windows. I'll train it on thousands of simulated Saturdays, then test it against our current planner on held-out real days.

  • Test before deploying

    I'll run the agent in shadow mode alongside our live planner, without letting it control dispatch. I'll set a passing threshold before testing. If it passes, I'll apply the same design to holiday lighting, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing.