Joey Cantrell bought a used multi-rip before he had a building to put it in or the three phase power to run it. He drove to Tennessee, hauled it home in a 12 foot dump trailer, and figured out the rest after.

In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, host Jennifer Alger sits down with Joey Cantrell of Longshot Premium Hardwoods in Oklahoma. Joey spent his career in steel manufacturing until a divorce ended that job and he had to start over at 40. He started a tree service on a whim, told his crew he wanted a sawmill, and bought a kiln right after. Within a few years the small hydraulic mill gave way to a bigger diesel one, because the eastern red cedar around him is everywhere and only pays at volume.

You'll hear why cedar became the surprise backbone of a business with hardwoods in its name: it sells green, so it turns over fast instead of sitting in stickered stacks. Joey still mills walnut, pecan and post oak, buying from loggers who call him when they have the right log. He talks about leaning on word of mouth until he was sure he could deliver, hiring a 21 year old to set up his CRM, and sending full kiln loads to a table builder nearby to sell on consignment. His bigger idea is a shared inventory network, so every sawmill owner in it knows what the others have in stock.

Rising costs are what keep him up at night, so the question is always how to produce more with what he already owns. A test run of 20 cedar logs took two hours on the sawmill, and he expects the multi-rip to handle the same cants in about eight minutes. Now the work is feeding it. The conversation closes on why he charges $250 an hour for custom milling and asks for photos first, and on the time he loses handling and rehandling heavy lumber.

Chapters 00:00 Buying a Used Multi-Rip Before He Had Power for It 03:21 Starting Over at 40 With a Tree Service and a Sawmill 04:40 Eastern Red Cedar and Selling Lumber Green 08:13 Walnut, Pecan and Post Oak From Local Logs 12:04 Marketing, a CRM and a Network of Sawmills 22:30 Rising Costs and Feeding the Multi-Rip 32:32 Why He Charges $250 an Hour for Custom Milling

The Woodpreneur Podcast brings stories of woodworkers, makers, and entrepreneurs turning their passion for wood into successful businesses - from inspiration to education to actionable advice. Hosted by Steve Larosiliere and Jennifer Alger

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You can connect with Joey and Longshot Premium Hardwoods at: https://longshothardwoods.com/ https://www.instagram.com/longshot_hardwoods_texoma/