Small wood conference Wagoner Oklahoma

[Cedarman]

Just got back from a 3 day conference on small wood that was held in Wagoner, Oklahoma.  Lots of great info, a great place to stay, sessions ran from operating kilns to wood turning demonstration.  Junk wood makes beautiful bowls and stuff.

In one session the big boys, (Weyerhauser and other big mill operators) said their mills were pretty much designed to handle logs 22" and smaller and they did not want the bigger logs.  They said some great logs were heading to the pulp mills. They even said they hated to see them used for pulp. Folks, by doing your homework and contacting these big companies in a professional way and talking to their loggers there may be  great opportunities to either buy these logs or custom saw them. There are still a lot of big trees in eastern OK, Ark and La.

Fuel wood was a big topic.  Waste wood will no longer head to the landfill. Pellet mills are going to come on line in bunches this year or next. 

100 dollars bought 2 1/2 days of sessions, 1 buffet breakfast, 2 buffet lunches, an evening of heavy hor d'erves (BBQ cooked over special wood pellets was the best I've eaten) with all you could drink, and a ribeye steak dinner.  Lots of great contacts with a bunch of good people.
Lodging was at the Western Hills guest ranch overlooking a beautiful lake for $63 per night for 2 people.

[Bibbyman]

Now you tell us... :

[Cedarman]

Plan for next year, same place.

[GF]

I stay there all the time when working in that part of the state, I think thats is one of the best Oklahoma State resorts out of them all.  Last time I was there I did some fishing, Dang deer walked right up next to me and just stood there, tapped him with the end of my fishing pole and he just looked at me.  I just went on fishing and he went his way.  I thought about going but, did not make it.  I almost drove over there friday morning, had interface card bad on a router in Wagoner, ended up sending out the contract crew to repair it, figured the demos were already over with.

[Bibbyman]

Cerdarman,  I exchanged some e-mail today with Dave Mann of Wood-Mizer.  He said he spoke at a couple of the sessions.  Did you run into Dave there?

Did they demo mills, etc?

[Frickman]

I had heard about the conference, I think through the FRA. Would've liked to atttended, but too DanG far. Glad you had a good time though.

[Cedarman]

Woodmizer had a big presence at the conference.  They were voted best exhibitor there.  There were some nice demonstrations of mills and log trailers and indoor booths too.

Dave gave two seminars, one on buying your first sawmill and the other on sawmill business profitability.  I went to the second one.  Great session.

For anyone that is making or wants to make sawmilling their occupation, seminars like these are great.  Also the contacts and info gained in conversations is invaluable.  The people you meet here can be very helpful down the road.