Devereaux Sawmill Inc. Has Pride In Niche Products And 4 Generations Of Family Operation
Nestled on 42 acres in Pewamo, MI, Devereaux Sawmill Inc. stands as a testament to four generations of family dedication. The mill produces a substantial volume: 15 million board feet of lumber annually, alongside a significant three-four million feet of high-quality rift and quartered lumber.
Logistically, the mill operates with precision. Logs enter the yard and flow in a carefully orchestrated “U” shape, where advanced technology assists in scaling, grading and sorting. This meticulous approach reflects Devereaux’s commitment to quality, as explained by General Manager Todd Smith. “I think Devereaux is willing to take some risks and invest in trying new things that others might shy away from. These calculated risks, though potentially costly, have ultimately led to the development of unique, niche products.”
“Smart growth” is a cornerstone of Devereaux’s philosophy. Smith emphasized that this isn’t about unchecked expansion but rather strategic growth aligned with specific, meaningful goals. “It’s easy for businesses to prioritize volume over quality,” Smith observed. “We consciously try to avoid that trap. Our focus remains on producing exceptional lumber.”
Devereaux’s success hinges on its efficient communication and strong relationships. The company maintains close ties within all departments, as well as with its partners in the wood, finishing and kiln drying sectors. This interconnectedness allows for rapid market analysis and swift responses.
Trust is paramount at Devereaux, as explained by Smith. “We empower our key personnel, providing them with the flexibility and responsibility to excel. Our success relies on the expertise and dedication of our experienced team.”
4 Generations
Founded in 1966 by Jim Devereaux, Devereaux Sawmill has always been rooted in Pewamo, MI, a prime location for Hard Maple production. David Segerlind, with 12 years of experience in export sales, explained, “We source very bright White Maple with minimal heartwood, along with stunning, Northern wheat-colored Red Oak. Our inventory also includes exceptional White Oak, Walnut, Cherry, Basswood and Hickory.”
Devereaux Sawmill offers a diverse range of thicknesses, primarily from 4/4 to 8/4, with occasional 10/4 or 12/4 options in Hard Maple. Processing thicker stock is dependent on favorable weather conditions and the availability of high-quality logs. Their rift and quartered products include Red and White Oak, White Hard Maple, Walnut, Cherry and occasionally Hickory. They also have 110 sorts on the kiln dried grading line that allow width, length and proprietary grade sorting capabilities.
They have a total of 21 dry kilns, including six new ones, all of which are KDS Windsor kilns. John Gehringer, a kiln manager who has been with Devereaux for 13 years, said the kilns range from “40,000-foot capacity to 60,000-foot capacity, which total 1.2 million feet of drying capacity.” Their mill equipment consists of a 35-inch Nicholson Ring Debarker, 6-foot McDonough Slant Head Rig, 5-foot McDonough Vertical Resaw, Lineal Optimized Edger, Norris Industrial 60-bin sorting system, double-end trimmer, double-end wax table and automated stacker. They also have a Newman 382, which is used to surface all of their kiln-dried lumber before grading, Segerlind mentioned.
Smith went into detail about the measures they take to protect their products, such as heating their storage warehouse and using a U-C Coatings Anchor Seal wax to prevent end splitting and checking.
Domestic Lumber Salesman to the Canadian and Great Plains regions, Rob Paradise, chimed in to add that, “the heated dry storage warehouse where we load indoors, we don’t have to worry about rain and inclement weather. We also keep it from dust and dirt, so the packs have a fresh look to them when we ship them all the time. Customers find a lot less dirt in our lumber when they run it through their moulders because we have an all-paved area. It’s really clean lumber.”
Segerlind commented on their customer base, saying, “our ideal customer is someone that needs the Northern characteristics of the lumber, such as lighter color in the Red Oak or the nice, bright and heavy to No. 1 Common White Maple or appreciate the high-grade and heartwood in the Walnut. Our main customer type would be distributors in the United States and other major markets around the world.”
Niche Products
Paradise explained the main usage for their products are “kitchen cabinets. Our secondary, final product is flooring and beyond that it’s millwork, furniture, musical instruments and odds and ends. Some recreational markets as well.”
Paradise also noted that they place a multitude of products on a load, stating, “80 or 90 percent of the orders we ship out have multiple items on there, multiple species, multiple thicknesses, multiple cuts being ripped.” This allows customers to bring in a mix of what they can sell now and carry less overhead.
Contract carriers move their products. “The flatbed guys are pretty consistent and we have a couple of guys that will bring in the containers. I guess we are 50/50 flatbed with containers and maybe 60/40 towards containers,” said Paradise.
Smith listed skilled labor as a concern within the sawmill industry and Paradise added that finding “tree cutters is a challenge because there are not a ton of guys out there that do that type of work.” Smith continued along that vein, stating, “a lot of the logging we do is with the chainsaw and those generations of loggers have kind of disappeared. Everything is becoming mechanical and mechanical doesn’t necessarily fit the bill for the type of logging that we do.”
Despite their concerns about labor, the company is a family business of four generations, including Vice President of timber procurement, Brandon Devereaux, and Vice President of sales, Craig Devereaux. Owen and Avery Devereaux work with Brandon. Joel Smith is in the procurement department for rift and quartered logs. He also buys some timber. Scott Katich is the planer building manager, overseeing the production on the finish line while Jacob Wiggers oversees the shipping and invoicing. JoElle Edgar is the treasurer and office manager. Rick Wagar handles the West Coast and Rocky Mountains sales and Josh Goodman is the representative for the Ohio Valley and East Coast area. Andrew Smith is the log yard manager who handles the in-bound logs.
Devereaux Sawmill is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, the Lake States Lumber Association, the Great Lakes Kiln Drying Association, the contribution club for the Real American Hardwood Coalition and the Michigan Association of Timbermen.
Visit www.devereauxsawmill.com to learn more about what a company representative deemed an “extensive product selection and unwavering commitment to quality.”
