Third Place
Bruce Robinson
The Kootenay Sawyer
Rossland , British Columbia

Bruce Robinson is known as The Kootenay Sawyer because he lives in the Kootenay region-the southeastern portion of British Columbia. The area welcomes you with rugged mountain ranges and winding river valleys. Just as the scenery of the Kootenay region is grand, so is Bruce's business approach.

As a portable, custom sawyer, Bruce's main concern is to cooperate with people and make sure his customers get what they want. He has been doing business this way since 2005 when he was forced into early retirement. Wanting to keep busy and supplement his income, Bruce explored many business opportunities. Ultimately, portable sawmilling was most appealing. "I had been making timber with a chainsaw mill for my own use for more than 20 years, (so) buying a portable sawmill seemed like an obvious move," comments Bruce.

In 2005, Bruce purchased his first Wood-Mizer sawmill, handed out a few business cards, developed a small clientele, and one job lead to another. His big break came when a timber framer asked him to "cant up a dozen large Ponderosa Pine logs." Although it was a tough assignment due to the size of the logs, he finished and the customer was impressed with his sawing and positive attitude. That job lead to more work and Bruce found himself sawing "truckloads of logs" for the timber framer. To meet his demand, Bruce upgraded to an LT40 Hydraulic mill and full-time work. This came just a little more than a year after starting his business.

Although the timber framer still keeps Bruce busy, he is able to head off to do small jobs for other customers. He likes the flexibility of being portable. In fact his business cards states: "Fast Setup, Big Jobs or Small, Your Site or Mine."

Today, Bruce is keeping several jobs lined-up. First, he approached a local, commercial mill about working cooperatively. Additionally, he will be supplying local contractors with timbers, and continuing to meet the needs of his individual customers in a timely manner.

For Bruce, owning a Wood-Mizer sawmill has not only allowed him to run a successful business, but it also has other benefits. "Working outdoors has improved my health both physically and mentally and I've made new friends that I would never have met if I didn't own a mill," concludes Bruce.