Gabby

[Gabby]

Recently purchased a Lumbermate 2000 (Norwood) and here is my situation and question. Located in St. Lawrence County (Northern New York) about 2 hours north of Syracuse,NY. Have been only cutting for myself (hobby farm) and some for neighbors on a share basis.  Alot of competition with Amish mills in the area. (ALOT) Have a good amount of good, cheap help and the willingness to work.
Question- Is there a way to make money (niche?) without competing with the Amish? Any market up here for ties? Some sort of custom lumber?
Hope this ? isn't too dumb.

[fstedy]

Give Gerry Roskovensky from Koppers Industries a call at 570-568-0945 he's the procurement manager for them in the northeast. He can answer your queations about making and selling ties to them. Good luck !!!

[Bibbyman]

You have a number of advantages over the Amish you could exploit. 

1) You can have a truck w/trailer and make deliveries.  This is something that helps us with regular commercial customers like factories and lumber yards, etc. 

2) You can have a phone in your home or place of business.  (Our local Amish now have cell phones). 

3) Some people won't deal with the Amish for reasons of prejudice or think they always cheat them.

[Minnesota_boy]

I compete with the Amish and do quite well.  Their price is always lower than mine, but I give better service.  I bring the mill to their yard, pasture, woodlot, wherever the logs are and saw them right there.   No loading and hauling to the Amish mill.  That can be worth quite a bit right there, but I go farther.  When I'm done the lumber is stacked and stickered and I do a good job of it.  That just took out another hauling and handling the boards twice.  Their slabs are neatly stacked too, ready to be bucked into firewood if they wish.  8) 8)

[Sawyerfortyish]

I'm glad I don't have to compete with the amish. I've never had very good dealings with them. They lookout for themselvs 100%.

[pigman]

I don't compete with the Amish in my area. I saw for them. 8) They are a small group and no one has a mill yet. ;D

[Kirk_Allen]

In order to compete there would first have to be competition ;D  I have found the best formula for success is to focus on your business and dont ever worry about the others.

A while back I mentioned a local logger that wanted to rent my mill.  At that time he was having the Amish cut his logs for less than I would.  He thought renting the mill would be a great idea.  I did not go for it.  Last week the logger stopped by and now wants me to start cutting his logs.  6000 bf every two weeks. 

Turns out the business relationship with the Amish miller fell through the floor.   The logger said he will never take another log to such an operation.  Turns out he was skimming lumber off each log for himself.  It was not a pretty site.

[Sawyerfortyish]

See what I mean. Sounds like some of the deals I've had with them Kirk

[Gabby]

You folks are generally correct. I forgot to mention the Amish in this area, 10-12 mills within 10 miles of me, do not do a very good job because:
1. Using very old mills.
2. Dad makes the deal, but the kids do the milling.
8" board 5/4 at one end, almost 2" at the other.
Hopefully people will pay extra for quality.
tks for the replies.

[maple flats]

I'm surprised to hear the Amish are less than honest all of the time. I have never competed with them however there are several menonites in my area and I have dealt with them with complete satisfaction. It would not surprise me if they favor cutting for their own but I think we are all guilty of that. I have only run 2 small classified adds in our local newspaper all year and I have not run out of work yet for portable custom sawing, but then I am only available weekends now. They must not be any competition there. Scheduled again this weekend to go out sawing but if it rains I will reschedule because the milling site is back in a cornfield and I can't see me sawing using my canue to keep up out of the water in this location. Would that give wavy boards on a Peterson? ;D ;D ;D, I doubt it!