Sawmill Business Podcast

We’re stoked to have maker and furniture designer, Dylan Walters on the show today! Dylan is the owner and head maker at Dillweeds Custom Wood, a woodshop based out of Pensacola, Florida. Dillweeds Custom Wood started a few years back when Dylan lost his job and spent his last bit of savings at the local mill and on EcoPoxy. He went home, started pouring, and the business grew from there. Dylan’s main focus is on furniture design, but as he puts it, “Any piece of wood that I think is cool and can get my hands on, I’ll try to make something out of it!” Feeling Grateful For His Local Mill Dylan sources his wood from the local mill, People’s Exotic WoodPeoples carries anything and everything and Dylan is able to get almost any type of wood that he needs from them

Black Horse Designs has been around for about three years and is the brainchild of former landscaper, Josh Larrabee. It was in 2010 when Josh and his father took a video of themselves using their own creation, the “Tempest Wood Splitter.” The video went viral and soon requests started coming in from viewers asking for Josh to build them their own Tempests. Funny enough, one of his first customers was former podcast guest, Matthew Collins of Matthew Collins Designs! (Check him out on episode 097.) After five years of building and fulfilling orders for the Tempest Wood Splitter, the demand became so large that when Woodmizer showed interest for the rights to the product design, Josh was ready to do so and moved on to milling live-edge slabs after the deal with Woodmizer was completed.

Today’s guest is Patrick Spike of Spike’s Wood Co. a woodworking shop based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Patrick began his Woodpreneur journey six years ago. As the years went by, he improved his skills to the point where he was commissioned by the local high school for a massive project. It was this project that truly launched his business into overdrive.

Joining us for our 100th episode we have an extra special guest and the VERY FIRST person that we ever interviewed on the Woodpreneur Podcast, Treg Sherman of Urbn Timber! The Woodpreneur Podcast (Formerly the Sawmill Business Podcast) started three years ago and we’re curious, what difference have these past three years made for Urbn Timber? Treg says they’ve, Gone from a 1200 sqft. space to a 12,000 sqft. ShopOpened a showroom Opened a metal shopBought a kiln and are now able to dry about 6,000 to 8,000 board feet at a time. Treg credits their increased drying time, various equipment updates, a high level of attentive and passionate customer service, and the company’s unique ownership setup for the boom that the business has gone through.  Their unique partnership is set up like this - Urbn Timber is run by three different owners, all with different strengths. This partnership not only gives them the ability to step back and focus solely on what they’re individually good at, but it also provides a buil

We met our guest today at the Urban Lumber Summit last year and were so inspired by his hustle, we had to have him on the show! Meet Tony Pomo, owner of Metro Millworks; a sawmill owner, finished product supply, and lumberyard out in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally an arborist, Tony was moved one day when his client pointed out to him that the diseased tree he was about to take down was planted when she was only a little girl. Tony was struck with the idea of how wonderful it would be to be able to give her this tree back in some way. Running after his newfound inspiration, Tony immediately took the next step by purchasing a sawmill and breathing life into Metro Millworks. In addition to giving back, his customer’s a piece of their story, Metro Millworks is also a proud sponsor of Urban Salvaged Woods. Tony notes that as people are becoming more environmentally conscious, they’re quite receptive to the knowledge that Metro Millworks gives them in regards to the state of their tree’s health, its hazard p

Andy Johnson was a hobbyist woodworker that set out to make a cutting board simply because it sounded like an enjoyable project to do. However, he ended up enjoying it so much that he didn’t stop at just one and in 2018, Two Acre Woodworks was born. With what started as a hobby, Two Acres Woodworks is now a wood business that specializes mostly in custom cutting boards. With a little over 11.5 followers on Instagram, the IG platform brings in the majority of Andy’s clients and he ships to them all across the United States. Most recently he shipped a board all the way to Alaska! Show Highlights: With a niche that’s not unknown and many other makers in the cutting board sphere, Andy says that initially, one of his biggest struggles was product sales. However, between his Instagram marketing technique and his unique and beautiful designs, he was still able to go full-time and establish himself as a leader in the space.Andy is currently working on an artisan series of design boards that will soon be released

On today’s episode, we have 3rd generation logger and 1st generation sawmill owner, Matthew Collins. About 15 years ago, he invested in a sawmill for his family’s logging business and soon discovered that he had a passion for the work. This passion turned into what Matthew affectionately calls “a hobby that spun out of control.” A true Woodpreneur, he absolutely loves working in the wood industry. On the logging side of things, Matthew and his family run a completely eco-friendly company that lets nothing go to waste. A great example of how they do this is shown in their wood chip recycling process. While the company chips about 2,000 yards of wood per day, the District Energy Center in St. Paul uses all of these wood chips to create biomass energy. When he’s not working or spending time with his family, Matthew’s out in his woodshop using his Lucas Mill and kiln. As far as a business plan, Matthew says the only plan he has is to continue doing what he loves and see what happens. Show Highlights: “If yo

For most people, when they think of drying wood they think of the process as starting from the outside in. With the iDry System, a continuous vacuum kiln drying process is used that dries wood evenly and up to 10 times faster than traditional drying methods. Not only that, but iDry is a family-owned business based out of Vermont and is currently led by Jim Parker. Initially, the iDry System’s clientele consisted of Fender, Gibson, Major League Baseball teams, and high-end designers. However, with a ton of hard work and 40 years of practice in the business, Jim and the iDry System team were able to bring the kiln price point down to a rate that’s affordable for all levels of businesses and hobbyists in the wood industry. Show Highlights: For most people, wood is dried from the outside in. As moisture evaporates off, the wood continues to dry from the outside in. However, with thicker lumber, the moisture content difference between the shell of the wood and the core of the wood causes drying degrade. With

Today’s guest is Joe Nuttbrock, owner and founder of Nexterra. Nexterra is a wood waste processing company based out of Keizer, OR. With a father and step-father who were both business owners in the excavation industry, Joe grew up around heavy machinery and land clearing processes. Joe knew that he wanted to stay within the wood excavation sphere when it came to starting his own business, but with an environmentally conscious mindset. It was out of this mindset that Nexterra was born, a wood waste processing company that believes leftover wood products should be destined for more than just a trip to a landfill. Nexterra: Turning waste into a usable product: Nexterra works with local nurseries and recycles their used compost into renewed compost that can be used again.The company also works with demolition, logging, and development businesses to turn wood that has been destined for the burn pile or landfill into usable, recycled products such as compost and Biomass Fuels. Instagram and raising awareness

Today we’re talking with entrepreneur and speaker, Tad Jacobs. Tad started Tree Masters over 30 years ago with a crew that consisted of himself, his dog, and his truck. Before starting the business, Tad sat down and thought about what it was that he truly felt his career calling was. An avid adrenaline sport lover, the opportunity that tree work gave for him to take his active lifestyle to the “office” appealed to him. Tad started Tree Masters and has never looked back. A thirst for adventure, Tad races mountain bikes and dirt bikes in his spare time. Loving the similar feeling that he gets when climbing trees, Tad will admit he may not be the best tree climber, but he loves the athleticism of what he does. The Early Years Of The Business: In the early years, Tad has (like any business owner) equal times of excitement and frustration. During his most frustrating moments and hardest growing pains, it was the sense of accomplishment that came from a completed job that helped him press on.While the company s

Visiting us on the show today is Dylan Thomas from Black Forest Wood Company. Black Forest Wood Co. is based in Calgary, Alberta and is going on their 26th year in business. Founded by Dylan’s father, Brad Thomas, the company has used hard work, ingenuity, and social media to explode their business and stay on top. (Even through hard economic times!) In the early days of the business, Brad started to notice and grow tired of the waste he was seeing leftover from the wooden door projects. Being a passionate lover of everything wood-related, he thought of a simple way to address this problem- by opening a retail store where he sold these leftover off-cuts. Shortly after the store opened, customers who purchased these off-cuts started asking where they could find the tools that they needed for their wood projects. This led the company to expand once more and start selling tools out of the store. In addition to the retail store, Brad Thomas always knew that he wanted to start a woodworking school for hobby wood

Today’s guest is Mitch Resnik from Manor Floors. In the business since childhood, flooring is in Mitch’s blood. From carpet to wood, his father, a flooring expert and mason by trade, taught Mitch everything he knows. Originally in Brooklyn, the company has been based in New Jersey for the past 25 years. How They Stay On Top In Their Market: Manor Flooring’s business is 90% referrals. Their high standards and quality of work have gained them a solid reputation with all of their customers. By building this trust and authority in the flooring field, Manor is able to maintain a constant flow of business from these referrals.Mitch’s advice with customers? Be transparent and tell your customers exactly why things need to be done a certain way, what they cost, and why they are priced as such.Manor Flooring stays ahead of the curve by working with designers in the area. Business Wisdom: Mitch prides himself on quality control and using products that are high-quality because they’re a high-quality product, not jus

Today, we’re talking to Kenny Finley from Saw Haul about his product and how it’s going to change the Woodpreneur world! It all started when Kenny was out working in the field one day and accidentally ran over his brand new chainsaw with his tractor. Vowing to never let that happen again, Kenny started looking for any way to mount his chainsaw to his tractor. Initially, the thought to create his own solution wasn’t something that had occurred to Kenny. However, after two years of searching for an answer, he decided he was going to be the one to create the solution himself. Saw Haul is a much-needed product in the Woodpreneur sphere- so much so that it’s sold in all 50 states, as well as internationally after only being in business for about 16 months. With a garage company no longer being a feasible way to manage things, Saw Haul has partnered with BMW Truck Hitches and a plastics company in the USA to help with the manufacturing side of things. Show Highlights: As a company, Saw Haul stands for three

We’re stoked to have Roy Scott of Vintage Axe Works on the show today! After watching a survivalist show where a fifty year old man built an entire cabin with his bare hands, Roy couldn’t get the idea out of his head. So much so that it inspired him to start learning how to work and create with his hands. This led to him to collecting, restoring, and selling axes... something that came in handy when he was unexpectedly fired from his full-time job. After a suggestion from his wife that he should start making his own axe handles, Roy invested in a band-saw, a buffer, a table saw, and then dove in and learned how to make high-quality axe handles and heads. Now a full-time business, Roy has been at it for the past three years and now has a waiting list for his one-of-a-kind creations. Not only are most of his axes individually unique, but Roy also sets himself apart from the competition by putting together entire axes. This is key since most of the competition only specializes in certain aspects of the axe. F

Often, we talk about the wood, but how often do we talk about the equipment that makes the #woodpreneur life possible? Connor Crook from Diamondback ToolBelts is here to talk about just that! Majority owner and president since 2016, Connor runs the marketing, sales, dealer, and product development for the company. However, the company itself was started in 1994 by Jim Skelton and it just so happens that Connor was able to track down his family just a few months ago to get the company’s origin story. It turns out that Jim was a true adventurer and spent his days windsurfing, mountain climbing, cross country skiing, and working as a master carpenter. It was after an injury set him back physically that he set about designing a tool belt that would help him with his back pain. After developing his prototypes based off of equipment he had used while windsurfing, he created the belt using cutting edge materials and then put an ad in the paper. Shortly thereafter, Jim, his wife, and children started off making ea

Our guest today is Joshua Crossman, owner of PTL Hardwood Floors. After a client of his former employer put the idea in his head that he should go out on his own, he decided to take the leap in 2004. Now well established, the business has been a success! In his 15th year, Joshua loves what he does and is excited to continue in this line of work. His pride in what he does shines through in the words he speaks and the projects he completes. With 8 kids ranging from 4 months to 17 years old, Joshua stays extremely busy. Within his company, it’s just him, an employee, and his office manager. With extremely high standards when it comes to hiring, Joshua takes on a large workload during his work days. Growing Into The Role Of “Business Owner”: Looking at old invoices and the projects he underbid on, he’s grown as a businessman throughout the years and finds those old bids pretty hilarious.In the past few years, he’s focused on how to run a business and become more of a businessman - not just a laborer. Keeping

Our guest today comes to us all the way from Canada. Paula Goulding, the brain and brawn behind Live Edge Lumber Girl & Company is a slab consultant and woodpreneur. Her knowledge of this space is so extensive, she’s able to give her makers and distributors quotes based on their specific project needs. Getting her start by selling plywood, she soon began working with a sawmill, and the rest is history. Four years later, she’s running her own company and dealing live edge slabs. Show Highlights: Paula spends time each day on marketing by engaging with her followers on IG and FBShe loves working with her clients and seeing the things that woodworkers create.When she’s not in the office, she’s flipping slabs and visiting customers. Challenges and Opportunities: Bringing a new client on that isn’t familiar with live edge can be a bit of a challenge. Paula takes pride in educating clients in this position on the proper use of the wood.Caring about her clients' needs, the crew at Live Edge Lumber Girl &a

Joining us this week on the Woodpreneur Podcast is Woodpreneur and furniture designer, Sawyer Kerr of Sawyers Got Wood.   Sawyer got his official start when he bought a home and converted the entire basement into a workshop. Moving from a 900 sq ft apartment to a spacious home, he had plenty of empty space to fill and fill it he did! Designing and creating his own furniture, he soon decorated his home with styles and creations that he loved.   Shortly thereafter, he began using Instagram as his main marketing platform. Modeling his marketing after profiles of woodworkers he admired and looked up to, he’s been able to bring in the majority of his clients from this space.   Show Highlights: Sawyer used Instagram as a form of mentoring by following woodworkers he admired and respected. He then modeled his marketing after them.Currently, he’s working on samples to help complete the commission page on his website.With his time being limited since Sawyers Got Wood is a side hustle, Sawyer only takes on commi

Joining us today is Michael Hansen of Hansen Tree Service. Located in Southern Rochester, Minnesota, Hansen Tree Service specializes in the care of those tough and hard to reach trees. When it comes to the business, Michael’s favorite aspect of the job is the thrill of the climb. He stresses how vital it is to not grow complacent or cocky in this line of work. After a brush with what could have been a tragic fall, Michael no longer takes shortcuts when it comes to his rigging. The accident left him with a severed thumb, tendons, and knuckle. There are no grey areas when it comes to safety in the tree business. Aside from safety, Michael knows that the only way to grow as a company is to invest time into marketing. Using several different social media platforms, he posts material specific to what the users of that specific platform prefer. Whether it’s written content on Linkedin, captivating pictures on Instagram, or videos on Facebook, Michael creates content that produces several different streams of reve

Joining the Woodpreneur Podcast today is Craig Geddis of the Boston Based Franchise, Monster Tree Company. Starting in the business at 16, Craig instantly fell in love and worked for years up in trees. As time passed and he grew older, thoughts about what 65 would look like up in a tree started passing through his mind. While he was passionate about the work, he knew that he needed to divert his career path in order to prepare for the future. It was at this point in his life that Craig decided to attend college for Forestry. While attending, he worked with Bartlett Tree Service in Arborist sales and continued to foster his passion for trees. In time, he knew he had the know-how and education to step out on his own, and he now works as the “tree guy” for one of the 26 Monster Tree Company franchise locations within the U.S. Show Highlights: Passionate about trees and what they do, Craig says that he finds “nothing as awe-inspiring or as beautiful as that first green in the spring when the trees are pushing