The Evolution of Sawmill History with L and K Hardwoods

The Power of Property

Location is everything when starting a business. Whether it’s along a commonly traveled path to encourage drop-in customers, or easily accessible by road, the value of where your company is located cannot be overstated. In the case of L&K Hardwoods, it was the historical context of the land their business was built on that provided so much excitement for owner Larry Smith.

L&K Hardwoods is part of the national historic registry because the very first sawmill in Jackson County Missouri (The Blue Mills) was constructed on this land in 1834. In those early days, people from as far as New Orleans would come to buy flour, grain, and other supplies. The original mill was constructed entirely out of the black walnut local to the area, and its four stories reached 60 feet into the air.

The Blue Mills remained in operation until the civil war started when it was temporarily converted to a battlefield hospital. After the war concluded, the mill reopened briefly but then closed its doors permanently in 1878 where it was left to crumble into ruin until 1923 when the remaining structure was torn down. Larry couldn’t be happier with the historical significance of his property, and he is thrilled to bring the land back to its roots with his own sawmill in such an important location.

Community Kiln

One of the core tenants of good business is working with those around you, and bolstering the local community and economy. Larry constructed the building that houses his iDRY kiln with that philosophy in mind, and he designed a second storey showroom that he intends to use to showcase not only his work, but the work of other local woodworkers as well.

L&K Hardwoods lives up to their name and their promise of working locally by sourcing many kinds of hardwood trees including, ash, walnut, sugar maple, and green leaf maple from the surrounding area. Their sawmill services, custom milling services, tree-to-table programs, and vacuum kiln drying allow them to provide nearly any wood-related service to their customers, and their great relationships with other wood businesses means that if they don’t handle something personally they will happily refer business to friends.

Despite only having dried three loads of wood using the iDRY kiln at the time of writing this article, Larry notes that the word of mouth has already spread throughout the community and L&K Hardwoods have already begun drying wood for others. Not only has this been an excellent beginning of a brand-new revenue stream for his company, but having the iDRY kiln in his shop has given L&K Hardwoods an additional sense of credibility and elevated reputation among the businesses in the area.

Larry knows that he can bid for bigger jobs because of the enormous effect that the iDRY kiln has had on prospective customers. Larry notes that the kiln is, above all, an investment in himself and his business, and showing that he is willing to spend the money on a device worth more than his first house gives customers the confidence that he will provide only the most excellent service and quality of work. 

If you find yourself in the Jackson County part of Missouri, make sure you stop by L&K Hardwoods. One step into their shop, and you will understand why they are such an important keystone of their community.

Website: L&K Hardwoods

Facebook: L&K Hardwoods

Instagram: @landkhardwoods