About "George"

Growing up in the family sawmill gave me a great introduction to the wood industry in Ontario. Sweeping the floors as a teenager helped set down the roots to my passion for wood. I spent 12 years as head sawyer learning to open the log in that special way that would release what nature had provided within. The thousands of logs that passed in front of me taught me how to recognize the subtle hints that the bark would give as to what lay beneath. This was in the day before debarkers and computer scanners that have taken away the need for highly skilled and intuitive craftsmen.

I spent many hours walking bush lots with my father and thanks to his expertise, learned most of what there was to know about buying standing timber. Whether a tree grew on a hill or in a gully could make all the difference in the quality of the lumber it would yield. Even the type of soil that the tree grew in made a huge difference to the natural colour of the wood. All these things could make or break the profitability of the family business.

As with many sawmills, fire brought an end to the long established enterprise, spontaneous combustion the age-old culprit. Unable to rebuild on the same land, and the retirement of my father, I moved on to manage a re-saw facility for one of the largest distributors of lumber in North America. Eventually becoming the Industrial Lumber Product Manager, buying and selling lumber all over North America.

I continued to expand my own woodworking skills, which helped in my daily dealings with my customer and suppliers. After 15 years of service I have retired from the world of business and am now woodworking full time with a focus on wood turning. I still keep in touch with many of my contacts and consult with them when asked. Your questions are welcome and will be answered as time permits.