Celebrating Scaling with Big Sky Wood Company
Celebrating Scaling with Big Sky Wood Company
This month we are going to dive into an update on a company we have been so thrilled to work with and watch grow. Big Sky Dry has officially changed their name to Big Sky Wood Company to reflect the growth of their business and the expanding products and services they offer.
Big Sky Wood Co. originally started as a drying service company for other woodworkers, hobbyists, and sawyers in the area. Having had some proximity to iDRY and realizing the shortage of kiln space was a problem they could solve, Christian and Lauren dove into owning their own business. The idea behind the company lent beautifully to their original name (Big Sky Dry) at the time as there was an expectation that was what the business would mainly remain.
Now, only a short time later the pair have grown their business into a multi-faceted company that not only offers drying services but also sells lumber and slabs, and even apparel! This kind of scaling and growth deserves to be celebrated, and in this post, we are going to do just that. A big cheer from everyone here at iDRY for the next chapter of Big Sky Wood Company!
Community Focused Business
One thing of note for Big Sky Wood Co. is the dedication and involvement they have not only in their home community but also in the wood business community as well. From block parties to advice and support for growing businesses, Christian and Lauren are the definitions of why this incredible industry is so collaborative instead of competitive.
For a young business, they seem to be doing everything right, and the pair have some incredibly creative ideas! Big Sky Wood Co. even takes sustainability to a whole new level with their Wood Scrap Bin that encourages community members to take scraps and cut-offs to use for firewood, crafts, and other higher purposes than just being sent off to a landfill.
This method has the secondary benefit of showcasing to the world their commitment to quality and transparency. Instead of trying to profit off of pieces that don’t meet their standards, or turning those scraps into unusable waste, taking this approach shows they stand so firmly behind the quality of their product they know they can give away pieces that don’t live up to that standard without it impacting their company.
How iDRY Factored in for Big Sky Wood Co.
A few months ago we sat down with Christian and Lauren to check in with them on how things were going with their kiln and their business. Here are some notable moments from the conversation.
[When we invested in our iDRY] “We felt like, “We'll put in a charge every couple of weeks, let it dry, make some money drying.” but it's really developed into so much more now that we're drying our own wood. We're working with so many people in the community, and we actually were just able to upgrade spaces. So now we're moving into a shiny new shop. It's changed our lives. Christian now works full-time for his own business. So it’s been a pretty big change.
And as far as quality goes, we really haven't put a lot into marketing in the last few months and our kiln is all booked up. So I think that speaks for itself that, we haven't even needed to put any marketing dollars to work because word of mouth is enough.”
-Lauren, Big Sky Wood Co.
“This is me being a little sales-y, but I've worked with iDRY for three years at this point and they just back their product 100%. It is a leap to get into one of these, it’s a big investment but it's absolutely worth it.
How I've kind of thought about it through the whole thing is; people spend $60,000 on a car all the time, but that car does not make you money. That always makes me feel a little bit better, and these things are just cash flow. iDRY backs their product the network behind everything is huge. From Acres of Timber to Jim himself and even just any kind of social media group you can get into - they will tell you that iDRY is the best product out there for drying lumber.”
-Christian, Big Sky Wood Co.
To see more from Big Sky Wood Co. Check out their socials below!