(931) 258-3944
(800) 844-3944
Moss Sawmills Supplies GF Hardwoods' Raw Lumber
Tucked onto the campus of GF Hardwoods is the Moss Sawmills. It is the close collaboration of these businesses that assures that GF Hardwoods lumber has the characteristics you’ve come to expect from when you purchase lumber from GF Hardwoods’ inventory. Sizes produced are 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4 with lengths between 6’ – 14’ long. Occasionally, 16’ lengths are available.
Moss Sawmills was established in 1968, and across five decades has made a practice of training and fostering expertise in its employees, most of whom are area residents who have grown up in the very region from which the logs they process were harvested.
Moss Sawmills owns obtains logs from company-owned tracks of timber and also leases standing timber from other landowners in a 30-50 mile radius of its facility. Over time, it has also developed relationships with area loggers who are committed to the same sustainable logging practices as Moss Sawmills’ employees. Logs area selected for Moss Sawmills that are at least 16″ in diameter at an average person’s chest height. Harvesting these trees allows the smaller saplings to grow, creating a sustainable supply of hardwood timber.
The grading staff at Moss Sawmills is trained in the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) grading system, and continuing education is provided. An onsite visual grade is assigned to each and every cut of wood as it leaves Moss Sawmills for GF Hardwoods. Once at GF Hardwoods, the wood is placed in the dry kiln and then each piece of lumber is once again assigned a grade by the GF Hardwoods NHLA-certified grading staff after drying and before packaging for shipping.
The sawdust from Moss Sawmills is used to fire the kiln, and the bark is collected for transport to the sister company, Barky Beaver, for use in mulch, playground chips and other landscaping materials. This zero waste policy is part of a commitment to by sustainability Moss Sawmills and all its companion companies.
How We Began
The late Doug Smith, GF Hardwoods’ founder, developed an appreciation for wood products from his father, Lemuel, who operated a sawmill to supplement income from the family farm.
“Dad put the sawmill in during the 1940s,” recalled Doug, who grew up not too far away from the wood industry complex the Smith companies now occupy in Clay County, Tennessee. “It wasn’t much but just enough to keep some money coming in during the off-season. By the time I was 11, I found myself in the mill, working with dad and the few people we had on-hand to mill the lumber.”
By the time Doug earned a degree in engineering from nearby Tennessee Technological University, his father had stopped operating the mill. After a few years in the professional world, Doug decided to return home to start up the sawmill again. Moss Sawmills was founded in 1968. Additionally, Green Forest Wood Products, a service company, started with only a handful of employees, focusing on supplying milled products for area businesses.
Customers are invited to visit our operations for a guided tour. Arrange a tour by calling GF Hardwoods at (931) 258-3944
The Team at Moss Sawmills
