Second Place
Kenneth Gee
Creation Woodworks
Hubbardston, Michigan

Hope. Dream. Believe. These are the words by which Ken Gee lives. He is a husband, father, and woodworker who spent 20 years at General Motors, facing the challenges of factory work. In 2008, he left his job and pursued his dream of full-time woodworking. Ken purchased an LT40 Super Hydraulic and established Creation Woodworks, LLC as a family business with his wife and son by his side.

Creation Woodworks specializes in sawing reclaimed wood from local barns which Ken turns into solid tongue and groove flooring, trim and other products that showcase the unique beauty of seasoned wood. While the old wood might look worn and flawed to some, Ken sees character within. "The timbers are full of nails, worm trails, spalting, and weathering which make beautiful flooring," explains Ken.

While the end result is breathtaking, getting lumber from these challenging beams is hard on his equipment. Ken says, "No matter how hard you try to avoid them, nails are a part of sawing reclaimed lumber. But the LT40 Super Hydraulic has enough power to hit several nails and still cut straight through the toughest oak barn beam." Additionally, Ken depends on the sawmill's ruggedness to do his edging, removing dirt and debris on the outer edges of the barn beams, before sending the boards through his planer and moulder. "We use the resaw attachment, too, and find it indispensable with working with reclaimed dimensional lumber," adds Ken.

Behind the scenes of Ken's operation is his appreciation for Wood-Mizer's DoubleHard blades. Sawing reclaimed beams into lumber, Ken needs an aggressive blade. Ken's appreciation for the DoubleHard brand was realized after he tried other brands then returned to Wood-Mizer Blades because "they perform the best."

Ken is quick to comment that his LT40 Super Hydraulic is the main component of his business and allows him to remain flexible in this changing marketplace. "Having our own sawmill, we can make flooring, trim, dimensional lumber, ship lap siding, fine furniture, cabinetry, or almost anything our customers want," states Ken. For those that think owning a business in these volatile times is stressful, Ken and his family disagree. "We instead feel blessed," shares Ken. With his sawmill and other machinery, Creation Woodworks is not dependent on others or big businesses for their income. Rather they can be handson with their products and build personal relationships with their customers.