Guido DeVisser, a talented Canadian timberframer, submitted seven entries to WoodMizer’s Personal Best Contest. Another sawmill owner is living his dream and making them come true for others. After years of running a circle mill, Guido turned to a WoodMizer LT40 bandmill to support his creativity.
Throughout the years of Wood-Mizer’s Personal Best contests, participants have impressed and entertained Wood-Mizer with projects that showcase their talents and craftsmanship. Guido DeVisser is a talented Canadian timber framer who submitted seven entries. Upon seeing his projects, Wood-Mizer discovered yet another sawmill owner who was living his dream and making dreams come true for others. After years of running a circle mill sawmill and selling lumber, Guido decided to try a new venture, one closer to his heart.
“In 2002, I set out on my own and started my business, Cowboy Trail Mountaineer Cabins Ltd. It is a family run business, with my wife, my two sons and my daughter. After realizing that I really enjoyed building cabins, I knew that I needed to find another mill…something that I could run by myself without a 4-6 man crew and one that had less physical work then the previous mill and less sawdust! I looked into it more, and found out that someone in the area had a Wood-Mizer, so I went and took a look at it….I was impressed with the whole set up and how accurate it was. In February 2005, I brought my LT40 Super Hydraulic Wood-Mizer home.”
“Once again, I was very pleased and happy with the accuracy of the Wood-Mizer and how easy it was to run. It was one of the best investments that I made for my business. In the next year or so, I bought a 12-foot extension for my mill as the timbers and lumber needed to be longer for my business and customers…I could cut up to 32 feet long! My Wood-Mizer is the key component in my business. Many cabins, sheds, barns and other structures have been built with the wood I cut on my mill. Everything including beams, flooring, rafters, and siding (board and batten, log siding, and tongue and groove).”
“In 2009, after seeing my work, customers from outside of Calgary, Alberta, came to me to discuss building a timber frame house. Before this opportunity came about, I did a small bit of timber frame work and notching in my own home and beam work in a couple other cabins previously. I have always liked the timber frame structures, so when I got a chance to build a complete shell, I jumped at the opportunity! In 2010, the work on the entire timber frame structure started, but all timbers were cut on my Wood-Mizer throughout the winter of 2009. All wood and lumber I used in this timber frame was cut on my mill, I couldn’t have done this project without the Wood Mizer.”
Guido’s creativity and passion with which he tackles each new project is working to keep jobs coming his way. His mastery of recreating the ‘rustic look’ attracts local attention and several of his customers have called him back for additional work. Together with his sawmill, he has been able to carve a career path that years ago he would have not thought possible. Guido DeVisser exemplifies everything that a Wood- Mizer sawmill represents; Making Dreams Come True.
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Editor’s note: The preceding was a paid advertorial by Wood-Mizer.