Blog
News, notes, updates, photos, announcements and more.Our news blog includes important information about pricing, product availability, new offerings, changes, updates and industry news. We are also featuring stories about our company’s 50 years in business.
Why We Buy Green Lumber From Outside Sources
As some of you may already know Doug Smith started GF Hardwoods and Moss Sawmills decades ago. Over the years he owned and operated several sawmills in local communities. Like most things time change and prices go up, so the Smith family made the decision to close the...
GF Owners Meet U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
It’s not an everyday occurrence for me to talk directly to a member of the POTUS’s cabinet, but I had that pleasure Oct. 7, 2019, when the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, came to Tennessee. It was a “town hall” style meeting with the Secretary mainly fielding...
GF Hardwoods Customer Appreciation Hunt
GF Hardwoods sponsored our annual turkey hunt in April 2019 to show our appreciation to some of our valued customers we do business with. Although the weather was not the best, we had some successful harvest and even more important, we had great food and...
Unseen Benefits of The Sawmill Process
If you've read our post of the applications for the hardwood produced by GF Hardwoods, you'll realize that we have a lot of byproducts resulting from the milling process. Some people think we might be wasteful, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth....
Applications of Our GF Hardwoods Lumber
Some people think of a sawmill as a place to buy lumber for their building project. When you go to a lumber hardware store you typically are looking for 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 and so on, that are made mostly out of Pine lumber or (softwood). This lumber is used for framing up...
Department of Agriculture Visits Smith Companies
The Doug Smith Family Businesses headquartered in Moss, Tennessee, welcomed Tennessee Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Charlie Hatcher, Keith Harrison, Assistant Commissioner for Agricultural Advancement, State Forester David Arnold and several other senior...
Upper Cumberland Home and Garden Show 2019
Get ready for Spring at the Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show, March 1-3 at the Hyder Burks Pavilion in Cookeville. GF Hardwoods' sister companies Honest Abe Log Homes and Barky Beaver Mulch and Soil Mix will have a booth at the show. See the latest trends for...
Sister Companies on PBS Special Feature in December
Mark your calendars to watch Honest Abe Log Homes, GF Hardwoods, Moss Sawmills and Barky Beaver during a live stream from the website of WCTE, the PBS station out of Cookeville, Tennessee. These sister companies are featured on the "Discover Upper Cumberland"...
50 Years in Business Celebrated by Smith Companies Oct 27
The Smith Companies, based in Moss, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Oct. 27 with a community event attended by more than 200. “My heart was so full seeing so many people from our community and our employees, past and present, come out for this event,” said April...
50th Anniversary Proclamation
P R O C L A M A T I O NWHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this legislative body should recognize and commend those exemplary businesses that, through an abiding commitment to excellence, have contributed greatly to this State for many years;...
Smith Family Traditions
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Where we are now…The Doug Smith Family
By April Smith PattersonDad passed away in September of 2011 leaving a huge void and emptiness in us – his family – and in the companies as well. It’s a hole that will never be filled, but we know his dream and concern was that the companies continue providing jobs...
Janie Smith: The Heart and Soul of the Family and Business
By Claudia Johnson Love takes people on unexpected paths, and that’s certainly true for Janie Pennington Smith. Back in 1972 when she was a social worker, Janie’s life changed forever merely because she crossed the street at the exact moment a handsome, young...
Doug Smith was a Man with Big Dreams He Made Come True
By April Smith Patterson It all started with a dream – a dream that eventually came to fruition. My father, Doug Smith, was born Feb. 24, 1943, to Lemuel Smith, a blacksmith and sawmill operator, and his wife, Leam, a homemaker. Along with Dad’s seven siblings, he...
A History of Our Companies
In honor of the Smith Companies' 50th Anniversary, Shane Smith takes a look at the progress of the companies. Smith Companies’ Development Over 50 Years By Shane Smith, co-owner History Pa Smith (Lemuel Smith, Dad’s father) was a sawyer and sawed...
President Emeritus Awards
The Latin word “emeritus” is defined as "having served one's time" or "having merited one's discharge by service.” In current usage, it is a postpositive adjective used to designate a retired professor, bishop, president, prime minister or other...
Company’s First Employee Still Happy After 48 Years
By Claudia Johnson The Smith Companies’ first true employee, Tim Smith, celebrated his 48th work anniversary in 2018. That’s a lifetime spent in one job, but Tim says he has no plans to retire. After all, he’s been there as the vision in the mind of his first cousin,...
Master Logger Jr Key Valued for Timber Selection Experience
By Claudia Johnson It takes a special talent to stand in the forest and determine which trees will yield the greatest quantity and quality of lumber. That’s why Jr Key is…well, key, to the success of Moss Sawmills. “If there’s any tract of timber we send Jr because he...
Looking Back and to the Future
Quentin Moss, President, G.F. Hardwoods and Moss Sawmills G.F. Hardwoods and Moss Sawmills are located right in the heart of the Appalachian hardwood region. The company has been a manufacturer of hardwood lumber for the past 40+ years, and I’ve spent almost 25 years...
The Moss Sawmills Process From Log to Lumber
I'm sure some of you when thinking the word “sawmill” think of a 2x4 and 2x6 to build your house with, but here at Moss we run a different kind of sawmill than most would think. We process 4/4, 5/4 and 6/4 mainly for the flooring, furniture and cabinet markets. The...
The Invasive Emerald Ash Borer
The invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle was first introduced in Michigan 15 to 20 years ago on wood packing material sent from Asia. The ash borer is now found in 33 states and unfortunately spreading. The first known case in Tennessee was at a rest stop on I-40 near...
Live Edge Boards Available at GF Hardwoods
By Joey Dyer, GF Hardwoods I'm sure most of you have heard the term “Live Edge.” This is a term describing a board or plank that still has bark on one side or both. In most cases the bark is removed to leave a wavy appearance on the edge. Live edge or natural edge is...
Doug Smith Memorial 5K Run or Walk
The life of Clay County entrepreneur Doug Smith will be honored on Saturday, Sept. 29, with when friends, family and community members gather at Dale Hollow Dam Park (Celina, TN) at Pavilion below the Dam 200 Campground Road, Celina, TN 38551 for The Doug Smith...
Forestry Offers a Variety of Services With New Rates
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry offers a variety of services for landowners to assist with management of Tennessee’s forest resources. Beginning July 1, 2018, new rates will take effect. The division’s vendor services include prescribed...
Safe Burning Saves Forests and Lives
While human safety is priority one, fire fighting also protects Tennessee’s 14 million acres of forestland. Forests and the forest products industry accounts for $21.7 billion or seven percent of Tennessee’s economy, employing more than 184,000 workers, 5.2 percent of...
Tim Smith Celebrates 48 Years at Smith Family Businesses
Tim Smith recently celebrated his 48th year work anniversary at Moss Sawmills, a sister company to Honest Abe Log Homes, GF Hardwoods and Barky Beaver Mulch and Soil Mix. Tim was honored by his fellow workers with a catered lunch, gifts and time to tell stories. “Tim...
50 Year Celebration Set for Oct. 27 at Moss
Join the celebration as a Clay County family business commemorates 50 years of entrepreneurship in 2018 with a special public event on Oct. 27. “It has been 50 years since my dad started manufacturing mop and broom handles in 1968,” said April Smith Patterson,...
Presentation of 2018 AEF Grant to GF Hardwoods
Neil Owens, Forestry Business Consultant, Tennessee Department of Agriculture Ed Harlan, Assistant Commissioner, Agricultural Advancement, Tennessee Department of Agriculture Jai Templeton, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Agriculture Quentin Moss, President, GF...
GF Hardwoods Receives Agriculture Enterprise Grant
GF Hardwoods in Moss is one of nine Tennessee businesses that will continue to grow and positively impact rural economies through a grant a provided by the Agriculture Enterprise Fund. “GF Hardwoods has been a supplier of hardwood lumber for domestic and international...
Progressing After the Fire
We have had a crew at Moss Sawmills who have worked so hard to get a deck built so we can CONTINUE to run and so we only lost two days. Isn't that amazing? So what got damaged? The trim saw, chipper, air compressor system, electronics to the mill (but they...
Aftermath of Sawmill Fire
January 30, 2018 Aftermath of sawmill fire.... You all have been so kind. Because of all the texts, calls, and concerns, we wanted to share an update from the recent fire at Moss Sawmills. Everyone who has came out and expressed their concerns has truly...
Fire Guts Portion of Moss Sawmills
January 27, 2018 A statement about the fire at Moss Sawmills ... The fire did damage to the sling sorter, but we are so thankful no one got hurt. As I sit here tonight and reflect back on the day, I feel beyond thankful and blessed. We have the most...
Holiday Schedule
We work hard at GF Hardwoods and Moss Sawmills, so we want our employees to enjoy the holidays. You'll find us here Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. but on major holidays, we'll be spending time with family, taking advantage of the woods or the lake...
Download Grading Guide
Understanding grading standards may seem a little daunting, but you can download a number of informative guides that will help you to understand the grading system used by hardwood processors like GF Hardwoods. Download one of the many helpful guides HERE.