Ghoosing a custom mill

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powerful sales tool for your company. But choosing the right mill is crucial because their work becomes a reflection on your own business.

In choosing a custom mill, check out the sophistication of the grinding room, said Jim Frodsham, South Bay Forest Products, Orange, Ca., noting that state-of-the-art mills typically have $3fi),0fi) to $500,000 worth of equipment. "You want (a mill) that has good support in his grinding room. And can he do the specifications required? Some mills are set up for only planing; a smaller number can also do custom mouldings."

A machine man who can produce a smooth finish and accurate patterns is invaluable to a custom mill. He should take good care of his equipment and hopefully take great pride in his work. That way he won't let anything past him that's not perfect.

Some mills specialize in softwoods and some in hardwoods, which require different cutting angles that many softwood mills cannot achieve. "The mills' understanding of the species is also important," Frodsham added. "You would never think of taking redwood to Lane Stanton Vance (a hardwood specialist in City of Industry, Ca.) or bringing koa (a delicate, expensive Hawaiian hardwood) to us."

According to Frodsham, other considerations in selecting a mill include its experience level, pricing and service - can they get the job out in one week or three? Only so much material can be put though a machine, so mills should not take an order they can't deliver on.

Precision is all important, especially with standard patterns. Mills must be able to produce patterns that match everyone else's. The customer may use the new product with patterns from other mills and will have prob- lems even if a tongue is off just l/16". "Get the right sample," Frodsham emphasized. "We've drawn off a FAX sometimes, but there can be mistakes,"

For John Thompson, custom mill manager, Ganahl Lumber Co., Ana-

Story at a Glance

Quality is key in selecting a custom mill ... reputation, service, versatility, pricing also important.

heim, Ca., "the top criteria for choosing a custom mill is the quality of work that it puts out. But with top quality, there's also the expense. So the versatility of the mill is important. We attempt to offer the highest quality but try to work with people who just want something 'down and dirty."'

Another advantage for Ganahl is its large inventory. "We have the material right on hand, whether it's a hardwood, softwood or construction grade material," he said. "We have the luxury of having a large facility and everything they need is right here."

When selling to builders, sales usually originate with an outside salesman calling on a builder, or vice versa. They start with an architectural plan, a blueprint, even a picture from amagazine, and the mill takes it from there.

At Ganahl, said Thompson, "most of our business comes through our contractor sales people and industrial sales people. So it's important that we keep educating them on what we can do."

"This year we have a new line of stile and rail doors," he added. "I attempt to introduce a new product line each year to give the sales people something new to offer."

Companies also attract business to their custom milling services through advertising and full line catalogs. But since quality is such an important factor in custom milling, the best advertising is word of mouth and a good reputation in the business.