Edward and Carol Robbins are the owners/operators of Ohio Valley Veneer, Inc., which was established in 1990.
OHIO VALLEY VENEER Offers Complete Package
By Paul Miller Jr.
Piketon, Ohio¡ªOhio Valley Veneer (OVV), based here, specializes in the timbering and cutting of hardwoods. Currently, the company's timberlands consist primarily of Appalachian hardwoods. Managed and overseen by Ohio Valley Realty Company, OVV currently owns over 2,000 acres of land in the Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia regions with additional acres that they are also contract timbering.
Located just 30 miles North of the Ohio River, OVV offers 4/4 through 16/4 Walnut, Red and White Oak, Hard and Soft Maple, Poplar, Hickory and Ash in up to 16-foot lengths. The operation cuts approximately 20 million board feet of Appalachian hardwood annually.
Ohio Valley Veneer also started a new operation in countries around the world and will be doing these activities under its international corporation. Ohio Valley International, LLC (OVI) was created for the pursuit and execution of international business. Over the past several years, many opportunities have opened up for OVI abroad and they have had the ability to move forward with work in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Ohio Valley Veneer expanded again with the purchase of the Crownover mill located in Peebles, Ohio in 2010. This mill operates with two Innovec Stero Scanners, 2-8’ band head rigs, and a Cleereman 42 LP carriage for the production of 15 million feet annually.
"OVI is currently pursuing an opportunity in West Africa. With the development of the new company, OVI is continuing to grow and build a company on an international level," Robbins said. "With the opportunities abroad, OVI is looking to move forward with its operations in West Africa. Currently, OVI is looking to acquire over 100,000 hectares of timberland in the interior of this nation as well as over 1 million acres near the coast for future development. OVI is currently positioned to bring industry to the nations in West Africa, building trade and international exports in a way that will bring change to the communities and develop those communities for the better."
OVV was established by Edward and Carol Robbins in 1990. The Robbins' started in the timber business with a logging crew and decided to expand with the purchase of the Piketon, Ohio sawmill. This family-owned and operated mill has been handled by three generations. It was previously owned by Ed's father, Bill Robbins, and his grandfather, Art Barker. The Barker family had several family owned sawmills that date back to World War II to Ed's great-grandfather Floyd Barker, who produced lumber for the government during the war. His grandfather Oval Montgomery was also a logger back when mules were the only equipment used to move logs and where Bill Robbins got his start as a young boy.
William ‘Bill’ Robbins is the founder of Robbins Lumber Company.
In 1999 the Robbins expanded with the purchase of a second sawmill, located on US 23 in Piketon. Ed Robbins installed three Woodmizer LT 300 mills and produces only Walnut lumber at this location today. In 2003, he started Ohio Valley Chipping, a chip mill located in Greenup, Ky. Here the wood is chipped by a Morbark 83¡å four-knife chipper then is loaded onto barges and shipped on the Ohio River to Hawesville, Ky. This mill produces 190,000 tons of chips annually. OVV expanded again with the purchase of the Crownover mill located in Peebles, Ohio in 2010. This mill operates with two Innovec Stero Scanners, 2-8¡ä band head rigs, and a Cleereman 42 LP carriage for the production of 15 million feet annually.
OVV recently expanded yet again with the addition of an office and two more facilities. "We recently purchased our office location in the first quarter of 2012," Ed Robbins explained. "In the second quarter we bought the assets of Sherwood Forest Products and by the third quarter we had purchased Spencer Veneer Mill." By the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2012, OVV began offering quartersawn White Oak in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses.
The company also now offers boules. "We're getting involved in cutting Walnut boules for the European market," he explained.
With 24 company trucks, OVV contracts three logging crews and hauls the logs themselves. "Our Piketon facility has a rail spur," Robbins added. "We ship logs by rail but not lumber."
The firm now offers Walnut boules, which are primarily marketed in Europe.
The company has approximately 75 employees. Key people include: Bill Robbins, Founder, Robbins Lumber Co.; Dwight Imler, CEO, Ohio Valley Chipping; Debbie Elliott, Executive Administrator, Ohio Valley Veneer, Inc.; Kelly Burton, Secretary, Ohio Valley Veneer, Inc.; Steve Robbins, Peebles Mill Manager; Allen Yutzy, International Operations Manager; Don Dewey, Forester and Timber Buyer; Jeff Brewster, Manager, Ohio Valley Chipping; Eddie Robbins, Trucking Division; Ryan Knight, Agricultural Manager; Art Robbins, Transportation and Trucking; Brian Brownfield, Sales Manager; Dave Scharf, Field Log Buyer; Gene Wannamacher, Walnut Division and Steve McCain, CFO.
OVV is a member of the Ohio Forestry Association and the National Hardwood Lumber Association. For more information visit www.ohiovalleyveneer.com.
Ohio Valley’s corporate office is located in Piketon, Ohio.
