Grand Champion
Richard Newton
Eastern Red Cedar Products
Marengo, Indiana

Richard Newton doesn't hide his enthusiasm: "What a machine!" he exclaims when describing the work performed by his Wood-Mizer LT40 Super and edger.

Richard started his business in Marengo, Indiana, near the Ohio River, in 1983 with an LT30 manual and upgraded to the LT40 Super Hydraulic Electric in 1997. The former logging engineer and math teacher affirms that he made a great career choice. "Running Eastern Red Cedar Products (the name of his company) is exhilarating. I believe that life is a journey and we should all enjoy the trip. I love what I'm doing!"

Richard's company is a family enterprise: oldest daughter Barbara operates the website (www.cedarusa. com); oldest son Aaron and his wife Jen manage the company's Oklahoma cedar mulch plant; youngest son Ian served as head sawyer before he started college; and youngest daughter Danielle helps when she is home from Vincennes University.

Richard adds: "My wife of 38 years, Jane, and I have sawn many logs together."

Richard believes that every work day brings new opportunities. "We have done so many things, and I can't believe where we are today." One of his opportunities was to work with Walt Disney World. "They wanted a split look in a large ceiling. We split 4" to 5" x 8' logs with a log splitter. Then we ran the half logs through our Wood-Mizer two-head resaw, and then we used the Wood-Mizer edger. It is a beautiful ceiling."

Thanks to the Internet, word about Eastern Red Cedar Products travels far and wide. A golf course in Italy features benches with wood cut in Marengo, and the Chattanooga, Tennessee Zoo bought 300 cedar poles from the Newtons.

With his company cutting 15,000 board feet per week, Richard is sometimes asked how small an order he would fill. "I tell them, one board. If I cut it in two, then it's two boards."

Richard is quick to praise Wood- Mizer's role in building his sawmill operation. "Of the hundreds of companies I have dealt with over the years, Wood-Mizer is the best in customer service, professionalism and the quality of their machines," Richard says. "When people say Wood-Mizer is top of the line, they are not just blowing smoke."