McDermott, OH - Taylor Lumber Worldwide LLC, based here, has recently been acquired by Ohio Valley Veneer Inc., Piketon, OH, owner Ed Robbins.
A fourth-generation lumberman, Robbins is passionate about sawmilling. His family-owned and operated business has consistently expanded by investing in state-of-the-art technology, processing equipment and new facilities.
With existing sawmills less than 50 miles away, Taylor Lumber appealed to Robbins for a number of reasons. "I was interested in Taylor Lumber partly because of the proximity to our existing mills," Robbins explained. Continuing to expand and broaden his markets, Robbins also had a desire to get involved in the kiln-dried marketplace. "We have always been a green lumber producer," he said. "Taylor's facilities will give us the opportunity to expand into the kiln-dried markets."
Established over 125 years ago by Lafeyette Taylor, Taylor Lumber’s quality manufactured lumber is produced from the highest Appalachian forest logs known for their clarity and excellent grain.
According to Robbins, the acquisition brought a lot to the table for both sides. "Being purchased by Ohio Valley gave Taylor Lumber the opportunity to stabilize our ability to receive the amount of lumber that it needed to run the facility adequately. From the Ohio Valley standpoint, we are now in the kiln-dried business and the Hardwood flooring market all at once. So it's worked out really well for both sides."
Robbins continued, "We now have a sawmill here and Ohio Valley operates four other sawmills. As former competitors in the log market, the purchase has allowed us to consolidate that aspect of the business. Taylor now has the opportunity to get a steady supply of green lumber from Ohio Valley, which puts us into markets that they weren't previously serving."
With 80 percent of Taylor Lumber's production in Rift and Quartered White Oak, Robbins said Taylor is now able to offer a larger volume of Walnut, Cherry and Ash, among other species.
Established over 125 years ago by Lafeyette Taylor, Taylor Lumber's quality manufactured lumber is produced from the highest Appalachian forest logs known for their clarity and excellent grain. Rift and Quartered lumber is offered in Ash, Cherry, Hard Maple, Hickory, Poplar, Red and White Oak and Walnut. "Rift and Quartered lumber expands evenly and vertically, which makes it more stable than plain sawn lumber," Robbins noted. "Vertical grain increases the structural integrity of the wood. As a result it offers increased strength and stability for any project our customer selects our lumber for."
Taylor Lumber 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.
On 66 acres of land, Taylor Lumber inventories approximately 2 million board feet of logs and 3.5 million board feet of green Hardwood lumber. Taylor also stocks 1.2 million board feet of kiln-dried Hardwood lumber at this location.
The entire Taylor plant is operated with Corley Manufacturing equipment. "All of our computerized equipment is manufactured by Corley Manufacturing in Chattanooga, TN, and Lewis Controls out of Cornelius, OR," Robbins explained.
Taylor Lumber has 20 dry kilns, which gives them a total dry kiln capacity of 1.2 million board feet. "Our annual production is 18 million board feet," said Robbins.
The company uses Taylor and Hyster brand forklifts and Caterpillar log loaders.
Additional services offered by Taylor include surfacing, straight-line ripping, width sorting, ripped-to-width blanks, and export preparation. Thirty-five percent of the company's Hardwood lumber production is traded on the export market.
Taylor Lumber also produces Taylor Brand Solid Flooring.
A rift cut Red Oak cant, shown here, is among the many species offered by Taylor Lumber.
The company operates an average of 45 hours per week. Many of Taylor's experienced employees have been with the firm for more than 10 years. Key personnel include: General Manager Art Robbins; Vice President of Kiln-Dried Sales, John Patterson; Sales Representative, Tom Imm; and Sales Manager/Lumber Sales, Chris Moore.
Ohio Valley Veneer 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, Ohio Valley currently owns over 2,000 acres of land in the Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia regions with additional acres that they are also contract timbering.
Located just 30 miles North of the Ohio River, Ohio Valley Veneer 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 25 million board feet of Appalachian Hardwood annually.
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. Ohio Valley expanded again with the purchase of the Crownover mill located in Peebles, OH, in 2010. This mill operates with two Inovec Stereo Scanners, 2-8¡ä band head rigs, and a Cleereman 42 LP carriage for the production of 15 million feet annually.
"In 2012 we bought the assets of Sherwood Forest Products and by the third quarter that year, we had purchased Spencer Veneer Mill," said Robbins. By the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2012, Ohio Valley began offering quartersawn White Oak in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses.
Taylor Lumber’s quarter cut Red Oak.
A facility that produces strictly Walnut Hardwood lumber was purchased recently in Maynardville, Tennessee.
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 was created for the pursuit and execution of international business. Over the past several years, many opportunities have opened up abroad and they have had the ability to move forward with work in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Ohio Valley has approximately 120 employees. Key people include: Bill Robbins, founder, Robbins Lumber Co.; Dwight Imler, CEO, Ohio Valley Chipping; Debbie Elliott, Executive Administrator, 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; Ryan Knight, Agricultural and Mill Manager; Kelly Burton, Transportation and Trucking; Brian Brownfield, Sales Manager; Dave Scharf, Field Log Buyer; Gene Wannamacher, Walnut Division and Steve McCain, CFO.
Ohio Valley Veneer is a member of the Ohio Forestry Association, Kentucky Forest Industries Association and the National Hardwood Lumber Association. For more information visit www.ohiovalleyveneer.com.
Quartered Red Oak cant coming off Taylor Lumber’s linebar resaw.
Taylor Lumber Inc. is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, National Wood Flooring Association, Ohio Forestry Association and the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association.
