Generations Of Millwork At The Keim Company
The Keim Company, located in Millersburg, OH, manufactures interior doors, moldings, stair parts, custom millwork and is also a large contractor and retail LBM operation. With over 100 species in domestic and exotic hardwood lumber, Keim purchases 10.5 million board feet of hardwood lumber annually.
“70 percent of the hardwood lumber that we purchase is Poplar, Soft Maple and Red Oak in 4/4 to 16/4 thicknesses,” Executive Director of Marketing Phil Tieszen said.
Keim purchases at least 100,000 board feet of softwood lumber in the following species: southern yellow pine, eastern white pine, hemlock, Douglas-fir, hem-fir, spruce-pine-fir and aromatic cedar. These species are used for specialty items such as interior doors.
With 170 employees in the millwork division and over 600 companywide, products are manufactured from a 250,000-square-foot manufacturing complex with a similar space dedicated for inventory, the company encompasses 900,000-square-feet in total.
As for the equipment used in the manufacturing process, Tieszen said, “Just to name a few of our main production lines, our rough mill rip systems are Eagle Machinery and Mereen-Johnson. We have eight Weinig molders and five CNC routers from CMS and Andersen. Our planer and sanders are made by Costa.”
He continued, “We installed a Woodeye scanning system in 2019 from Eagle Machinery and this has resulted in great gains in ripping production.” We then expanded the scanner line in 2024 to gain efficiencies. With 180,000 board foot dry kiln capacity on site, Tieszen said Keim’s moisture content is six to seven percent. “Our storage yards include 500,000 board feet of air-dried inventory and 2.5 million board feet of kiln dried product.”
When asked about the strong points of Keim, Tieszen said, “With more than 13,000 molding knife profiles available and the ability to reproduce virtually any sample or drawing, molding possibilities are limitless. We can reproduce from an existing pattern or create a new, exclusive design directly from a customer’s imagination. Our on-site mill can help turn their ideas and sketches into reality. We’ve created highly ornate custom trim, custom interior doors, fireplace mantles, distressed and rustic custom floors and more. Among the many services we can provide in addition to custom millwork are: custom ripping, re-sawing, cut-to-length, end match, dado, glue-up, flat sanding and precision CNC router work.”
The Keim Company has been in business for over 100 years and Tieszen said he attributes this to the consistency in quality, dedication to innovation and the overall culture established in the very beginning. Here is a bit of their story:
In 1911, a small lumber mill with just four employees was established by Mose Keim and his brother John. The business was initially known as Keim Bros. The family-owned business grew over the years and in the 1930s, Mose’s son Roman joined the company, and the name changed to M.J. Keim & Son. The business expanded in the 1940s and 50s and included dry kilns, hardwood flooring, plywood, an office and a building materials store.
Tieszen offered, “In the early 60s, Roman’s son Bill took on a significant role in the business and was responsible for purchasing products and handling most of the daily responsibilities. Bill’s father taught him ‘You’ve got to have it to sell it’ and ‘give it to them while they’re here.’ This philosophy became a key aspect of the Keim brand. Today, we attribute Keim’s unmatched selection to this mindset.”
Keim’s mill is equipped with six sophisticated multi-axis CNC routers, allowing Keim to produce specific components for customers.
In mid-1993, his son Robbie Keim began working full time and gradually learned the core aspects of the business.
Bill had a big dream, which was to keep Keim Lumber on the map. He would often cleverly say that Charm, OH, was the center of the world. In 2002, construction began on Keim Home Center, a project that took five years to complete and included 50,000 board feet of Cherry milled on-site. In the years after construction was complete, Bill was diagnosed with cancer, and his health began to decline. By 2010, Robbie had risen to lead the company and was named president in 2014, just before Bill passed away.
In 2019, Jim Smucker became the first non-family president of Keim Lumber Company, and the company rebranded as Keim to reflect the growing diversity of product and service offerings.
both professionals and homeowners since 1911, crafting raw wood into a finished product that is both functional and beautiful.
In 2022, Robbie and Karen became the sole owners of Keim, and they took an active role, serving as both owners and employees.
Today, The Keim Company serves professionals and retail customers and has expanded, now owning a hardware store in Mt. Hope and a contractor sales office in Columbus, OH. Warehousing has been added to accommodate the over 65,000 items available in-stock every day. Keim has become a source for all things home, building and woodworking.
When asked about the future, Tieszen said, “Keim has one noble purpose, which is to Build the Kingdom Together through Diligent Stewardship and Abundant Generosity. The company has undergone significant growth over the recent years, including increases in the number of employees, variety of customers and products offered. The Keim family continues to carry on the legacy of their ancestors, committed to the company’s vision and values.”
For more information visit keimcompany.com.
