Who’s Who in Hardwoods – March 2025
The Keim Company Markets Hardwood Mouldings And Millwork
Ben Yoder is the hardwood lumber buyer at The Keim Company in Charm, OH.
Located on 50 acres in the rolling hills of Holmes County, OH, Keim is a source for home, building and woodworking needs. Keim currently serves over 2,000 woodworking manufacturers and over 1,000 contractors.
The millwork operations department purchases approximately 10.5 million board feet of Walnut 4/4-16/4; Ash, Cherry and Soft Maple 4/4-12/4; Birch, Grey Elm and Hickory 4/4-8/4; Poplar and Hard Maple 4/4-16/4; Red and White Oak 4/4-10/4; Beech 4/4 and 5/4; Sassafras 4/4, and many exotic species. All lumber is kiln-dried 6 percent to 8 percent, and most is hit and miss planed. The company’s main manufactured products are mouldings and CNC-routed items; it also offers glued panel products, custom doors and many specialty products. Keim is a member of the Wood Component Manufacturers Association.
Yoder started out in the hardwood business working at a sawmill as a stacker, later working in all positions including grading, sawing, green lumber sales and mill manager.
He has been with Keim for 15 years and has been the lumber buyer for eight years. He and his wife, Betty, have four sons and three daughters. Yoder enjoys spending his time with family, farming and hunting.
For more information, visit www.keimcompany.com.
Whitesville Wood Productions Distributes Oak, Poplar, Maple
Bill Meunier is the general manager at Whitesville Wood Productions in Whitesville, NY, and his duties include buying and selling lumber and running daily operations.
Whitesville Wood Productions is a distribution/concentration yard that purchases 4 million board feet of green hardwood lumber in species such as Red and White Oak, Cherry, Basswood, Hickory, Poplar, Ash and Hard and Soft Maple in thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4 and 8/4 and in grades FAS, F1F, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Common.
Unique services offered by the company include export preparation, kiln drying and the separation of width, color and grade.
Meunier worked for the previous owners of Whitesville Wood Productions for 20 years. The last eight of those years, he was employed as a production manager. For six years, he worked as the general manager at C.B. Nortons & Sons. His first job in the forest products industry was cleaning the Whitesville Wood Productions sawmill on the weekends while he was in school.
He attended high school at Whitesville Central School in Whitesville, NY, enjoys being in nature and participating in politics. He has been married to Tammy Meunier for 30 years. His sons are Tim and Drew Meunier and his grandchildren are Kiera, Wesley and Noelle.
Whitesville Wood Productions is a member of the Keystone Kiln Drying Association, National Federation of Independent Business and the National Hardwood Lumber Association.
For more information, call 607-356-3205, email whitesvillewoodproducts@gmail.com or visit www.whitesvillewoodproducts.com.
Witmer Furniture Manufacturing Solid Hardwood Furniture
Kevin Schlinkmann is president and CEO of Witmer Furniture, located in Abbotsford, WI. Included in Schlinkmann’s duties is knowledge and oversight of lumber purchases.
Witmer Furniture manufactures solid hardwood residential furniture. The company purchases over 1 million board feet annually of Oak, Quarter-Sawn Oak, Birch, Cherry, Aspen and Poplar (No. 1 Common and S&B, 15/16 and 1-3/16, surfaced, 6 to 8 percent moisture content).
Schlinkmann has been with Witmer Furniture for over 33 years and has been president of the company for over 24 years. He began his career in the forest products industry in a sales/purchasing position in 1992.
Witmer Furniture was founded 43 years ago and has operated at its current location since 1995. The company received a certificate of excellence in 1999 from the office of the governor of Wisconsin for manufacturing excellence. Witmer was also nominated for a Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award in 2001 and 2004.
In his spare time, Schlinkmann enjoys skiing and outdoor sports. He has been married to his wife for 31 years and the couple has two daughters.
For more information, visit www.witmerfurniture.com.
