“My grandfather owned two B-20 TimberKing sawmills during his lifetime. He was a true mountain man — a larger-than-life presence who influenced who I am today in so many ways. A farmer his entire life, he was equally committed to his hunting and fishing. Fishing trips to Idaho or being air-lifted into the remote areas of the Brooks Mountain range in Alaska, he thrived from the land well before TV reality shows made it a cliché.
I was a teenager in 1991 when he and I drove to Kansas City to pick up his first sawmill, the TimberKing B-20. That old model’s out of production now but, at the time, it was the biggest TimberKing they made. Though I was never behind the controls (because that’s just how grandpas are) I helped him run that mill. Then he and I began building what he called his ‘shack on the river’ which is nothing short of a family temple today.
He did years of research before he bought his first mill. That was long before the internet, so he talked to everybody he could find who knew anything about sawmills. Based on his research and their hands-on knowledge, he ended up choosing TimberKing.
Carrying on grandpa’s legacy with my sons
My grandfather’s gone now but my goal is to carry on his legacy with my own TimberKing. By that I mean I want my TimberKing to help create the same kind of close family bonds that have been so important to me. That’s the ‘glue’ that holds families together. I bought a TimberKing with aspirations of building equally transformative bonds with my sons.
Sky’s the limit
I chose the fully hydraulic TimberKing 2220. I have big plans for sawing lumber and building all kinds of furniture, fireplace mantles, majestic entry gates, and more.
Part of my plan involves local cedar trees. Around here, they’re considered a noxious weed. But when freshly sawn, the lumber has beautiful, deep reds and purples. But the colors fade over time. That’s why I’m working on developing a stain or clear coat to lock in cedar’s rich, natural coloration that will not fade in prolonged sunlight.
(Editor’s note: any sawyers out there have suggestions for Dave on getting fresh-sawn cedar lumber to hold its rich color? Contact us at TimberKing and we’ll give you Dave’s contact info.)
Taking the bull by the horns
I have a habit of taking the bull by the horns and leading it to bigger pasture. I’m a 28-year union ironworker who’s built two successful structural steel corporations from scratch. I’m early in the process but sawing and woodworking could turn into another business avenue for me and my sons..
My 2220’s a Sherman tank
As a professional who gauges the strength and capacities of steel for a living, I am very impressed with TimberKing’s sawmills. In fact, I’m confident when I say my 2220 is a Sherman tank!
I admire companies like TimberKing
As a businessman and business owner, I admire companies like TimberKing. I drove to TimberKing — as my grandfather and I did decades ago — to pick up my mill. Jason, at TimberKing, trained me meticulously on how to set it up, how to run it, and how to saw lumber with it as we sawed up some logs in TimberKing’s back lot. That’s the same Jason who trained my grandfather on his TimberKing a couple decades ago!
To retain great employees like Jason and others for that long is a testament to the quality of the company culture and the people — TimberKing’s clearly deeply vested in what they do. I’d say the TimberKing company is like a family.
My plan? Wake up each morning knowing I’ll be doing what I love
So, my plans for the future are to carry on my grandfather’s legacy and enjoy life the way I’ve wanted to for a long time. I want to wake up each morning knowing I’ll be doing something I love. Feels like I’m coming home!”
— Dave McCorkindale, TimberKing 2220 Owner, President, DM Steel, Inc, Sioux City IA
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