As published in Toledo Business Journal - July 1, 2019

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G&D Wood finances new
$2M sawmill

G&D Wood Products, Inc., a family-owned forestry and logging company that has been in business for 25-plus years and is based in Camden, Michigan, is using financing provided by State Bank to expand its operations and construct a new $2 million state-of-the-art sawmill.

Glen Page, president and owner of G&D Wood, said, “The new 20,000 square foot mill is state-of-the-art and will reduce our sawdust by half, as well as increase our lumber production by half. The facility will have 3-D scanning, so it will keep track of how and what you are doing as far as fittings go so you have the least amount of waste as possible. It’ll basically take a picture of the log, tell the computer what the footage of the log is, and it’ll tell you how to cut it with the least amount of waste possible.. Our saws will be able to go forwards and backwards, it’ll tell you sizes and edges, etc., and it will really cut down on waste, which is huge in our industry.”

Page explained that if his wife – who works for G&D Wood, as well as his sons and daughters and their spouses – saws four semi-truck loads of logs currently, it would make two semi-truck loads of lumber. With the new sawmill, the four semi-truck loads of logs could make five semi-truck loads of lumber as the product is not being wasted and put into sawdust.

The company has a diversity of processes such as harvesting timber for the State of Michigan and landowners, wood pallet milling / assembly, and sawmill operation. The company has the capabilities to cut any size wood packaging, as well as notching or groove cutting to meet any customers’ needs and also specializes in providing wood packaging and pallet needs including certified heat treatment. The company has also gone green friendly and all excess materials are put through a hammer mill and processed into sawdust for farm bedding and other farm uses.

“We’re a more hands-on company. You’re not talking to a computer. I’m pretty proactive about communication with our customers and people that we deal with,” said Page.

G&D Wood’s services include timber harvesting; wood pallets and packaging; lumber sawmill; milling lumber; heat treat with kiln facility; grade lumber and customized lumber; pallets and skids; sawdust bedding; firewood logs; pallet or lumber transportation; land clearing and leveling; forestry services; and lumber manufacturing.

According to Page, G&D Wood also worked with State Bank to combine its debt load and reduce its interest rate as well.

“They went through all of our financials like all banks do and they even came and visited us. They helped us with our accounts and we now have a line of credit, which we never had in 29 years. They’re more of a hands-on bank, too, kind of like it was back in the day. If you call them, they call you back. They’ve been a great bank to work with,” said Page.

Page noted that the company searched and shopped around the market for different financial institutions, but ended up with State Bank.

“Everybody wants the best rates, but you also need to have great service and communication with a loan and refinancing, and they provided just that. For other businesses looking for financing, I wouldn’t just settle for whomever. We were lucky to work with our guy at State Bank and he’s been great. If you have goals in life and you want to stick to them, plan it out and go through thick and thin. If you do that, you’re going to make it,” said Page.