October 29, 2025
Wood-Mizer announced today the winners of its 2025 My Wood-Mizer Project Contest, a proudly-held tradition since 1985 that recognizes Wood-Mizer portable sawmill owners for their passion, skill, and ambition in building their dream projects.
Taking place over the span of two months but encapsulating projects that in some cases take years to build, the contest is an opportunity to showcase the limitless possibilities of a Wood-Mizer sawmill. The company handed out over $17,000 in prize credits this year across six categories: People's Choice, Utility Buildings, Furniture & Indoor, Landscape & Outdoor, Residential Structures, and Specialty. In the People's Choice category, the public voted for their favorite project in which the winner received hundreds of votes.
Over 150 entries were submitted for this year's contest, ranging from miniature sawmill replicas to entire homes built on timber frames. Winners for each category are listed below, but see the full gallery at woodmizer.com/contest!
People's Choice: Charles Singleton (Butler, GA) for "The Dovetail Cabin"
Charles was awarded first place for his cabin built from wood felled as the result of a tornado that hit his county. After being inspired by a friend who owned a Wood-Mizer, he knew he had the opportunity to fulfill his life-long dream of building a home from the ground up rather than watch so much wood go to rot.
Utility Buildings: Paul Sirba (Webster, MN) for "The Big Shed"
Paul always wanted to build a barn similar to those of his ancestral heritage and have it stay in his family for generations. He looks to have accomplished the feat with this barn, featuring three years worth of work and recycled telephone poles. Paul estimates he saved around $50,000 on this project!
Furniture & Indoor: Geoff Phillips (Baker, OR) for "Kitchen Flood 25"
After a leaked pipe flooded his kitchen, Geoff chose to see opportunity rather than destruction. He remodeled the full room, including new 2" maple countertops featuring wood from the grounds of his own former elementary school! The process took 7 months from beginning to end and included the removal of a load-bearing wall to get more natural light into the room.
Landscape & Outdoor: Devin Klein Corrigan (Warren, VT) for "Town Pavilion"
When the town of Warren commissioned a pavilion for the community to use, Devin knew his company could help. This 20' x 20' timber frame pavilion features four gables and showcases a mix of locally sourced hardwoods. The posts are made from durable white oak, while the roof structure combines ash, red oak, and a striking black oak live-edge beam. The floor and built-in benches are crafted from teak. According to Devin, all materials and labor were donated for the project!
Specialty: Caleb Hodnefield (Clearwater, MN) for "Timber Frame Sauna"
Caleb won the Speciality category with this stunning hand-cut white oak timber frame sauna. This project was born out of the desire for health and welfare benefits provided to Caleb's family and took around 200 hours. It comfortably seats six people and lets the family watch deer roam by from the inside!
Residential Structures: Andrew Flynn (La Grande, OR) for "Pine Timber Frame in Alaska"
This beautiful cabin won not only for its craftsmanship, but also for the ingenuity in how it was created. With all its components built in Oregon with wood sawn on a Wood-Mizer sawmill, Andrew then placed them in a shipping container and sent them to Alaska, at which time he used the frozen river network to get them to their final destination. With a three-year build period and $75,000 saved, Andrew showed the true passion and creativity of a sawyer.
2025 Wood-Mizer My Project Contest Full List of Winners
| People's Choice | Utility Buildings |
| First Place: Charles Singleton, Butler, GA |
First Place: Paul Sirba, Webster, MN
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Second Place: Jim Ray, Westmoreland, NH
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Second Place: Jim Ray, Westmoreland, NH
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| Third Place: Levi White, Russell, IA |
Third Place (TIE): Theodore Turan, Stanley, NY
Third Place (TIE): Alan Spooner, Hawley, MA
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| Furniture & Indoor |
Landscape & Outdoor
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| First Place: Geoff Phililps, Baker, OR |
First Place: Devin Klein Corrigan, Warren, VT
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| Second Place: Lance Clute, Argyle, TX |
Second Place: Jesse Shaw, Waynesboro, VA
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| Third Place: Stephen Antony, Hackensack, MN |
Third Place (TIE): Ji Haugan, Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada
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Third Place (TIE): Trevor Spence, Roberts Creek, British Columbia, Canada
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| Specialty |
Residential Structures
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| First Place: Caleb Hodnefield, Clearwater, MN |
First Place: Andrew Flynn, La Grande, OR
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| Second Place: Terry Gustafson, Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Canada |
Second Place: Eric Thiele, Mill Rift, PA
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| Third Place: Walter Jones, Springville, AL |
Third Place (TIE): Logan Schepper, Frazee, MN
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Third Place (TIE): Steve Hill, Gladwin, MI
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About Wood-Mizer
Since 1982, Wood-Mizer has earned the reputation as a global-leading sawmill and woodworking equipment manufacturer with a strong legacy from its innovative sawmilling products. From Forest to Final Form®, Wood-Mizer offers an extensive line of equipment including portable and industrial sawmills, resaws, board edgers, wood kilns, planer/moulders, firewood processing equipment, pallet recycling equipment, material handling equipment, sawmill blades, and blade maintenance equipment. For more than 40 years, Wood-Mizer remains committed to serving sawmilling and woodworking hobbyists and professionals all over the world throughout an established and growing distribution network. Visit woodmizer.com for more information.