Business Best Grand Champion

Over two decades ago, Joseph Chapo ended his career as a successful carpenter and cabinetmaker and started his own wood manufacturing business. Catering to small, professional woodshops, he named the business Tiny TIMBERS—a name that not only showed his willingness to work with small companies, but was also fun and easy to remember.

Established in 1986 as a family business, Tiny TIMBERS prides itself on delivering "TREEmendous hardwoods at a 'tiny' price.' The company specializes in servicing the diverse hardwood needs of fine cabinet shops, furniture makers, professional home builders, historic site preservationists, and discerning home owners and hobbyists. Their product line includes: fine kiln-dried lumber, solid plank flooring, historic and traditional mouldings, cypress siding & decking, batten doors, wood siding, stair systems, and more.

Proudly American-made, each Tiny TIMBERS product is individually hand-selected to meet stringent grade and quality standards. Products are meticulously and expeditiously manufactured to ultimately meet or exceed a customer's expectation.

To produce these superior products, Joseph insists on choice lumber. "It is paramount to our existence," he states. As a result, he looked to Wood-Mizer and Wood-Mizer Blades for equipment and support because, according to Joseph, the brand is "recognized worldwide" and the company has a "renowned reputation for quality and service." Additionally, he valued the personalized turn-key solution, assistance prior to the sale, and the "outstanding" technical support after the sale.

Originally, Joseph started off with an LT40 which he later upgraded to an LT40 Super Hydraulic Electric. This model served him well for many years; he owned three of the mills. Recently, in 2007, Tiny TIMBERS took a "giant step forward" in their green lumber capabilities and purchased an LT300, conveyor systems, and an E430 Industrial Edger from AWMV Industrial Products by Wood-Mizer.

"The LT300 is our 5th Wood-Mizer purchase. Along with the Wood-Mizer (industrial) edger and customized feed conveyor systems, the LT300 allows our workforce to double production over the LT40 (Super Hydraulic) it replaced,"explains Joseph.

With an LT300, Joseph's operation can produce up to two million board feet per year of hardwood lumber, but his actual production levels are continually adjusted depending on log availability and inventory requirements. Regardless of production, though, Joseph depends on the thin-kerf headrig to help increase profitability by decreasing labor requirements and enhancing value and yields. Joseph controls the LT300 from a separate operator's station, giving him the best possible view of the log. "The LT300 is elementary and key to our entire product offering and continuation," states Joseph.

Joseph shares how, with today's business climate posing challenges, the high-production, thin-kerf headrig plays an important role: "The LT300 allows us to efficiently concentrate on developing growth segments within our industry. In addition, the LT300's automation and seamless integration with our existing operations helped enable our successful growth today while planning for our next generation at Tiny TIMBERS," says Joseph.

Tiny TIMBERS is located in the scenic Ohio River Valley, situated in a beautiful, rural setting with rugged hills, winding roads, and abundant nature. They strive to offer more than a typical lumberyard and extend a personal invitation to others to come and see their unique offerings.

Tiny Timbers provides responsive, personalized attention to each customer and project. This business approach mirrors Wood-Mizer's and provides for a great relationship between the two companies. "Wood-Mizer has not only grown with our family, but has been an integral partner in our subsequent success," Joseph says. "We look forward to the future with our LT300 as well as other new, innovative Wood-Mizer products."