On the show today is Bryant Dickens from Dickens and Son Sawmill. A fish biologist by trade, Bryant fell in love with live edge furniture in college. Knowing how expensive live edge furniture was, he decided to learn how to make his own designs. Also realizing just how expensive live edge slabs were, he began sourcing his wood from local tree service companies and what they considered their “tree waste” piles. With this strategy, Bryant was able to begin building furniture without spending an obscene amount on slabs.
While he still makes furniture, Bryant’s main focus is on selling live edge slabs. Arizona produces some of the most beautiful and rare species of wood available and he’s seen his slabs used in everything from epoxy river tables to custom coffee tables.
Turning Slabs Into Equipment
- Bryant’s Timberking 1220 lasted almost a decade and he recently upgraded to a Woodmizer LT35
- With a full-time job during the weekdays, Bryant spends his weekends and weeknights milling or building furniture
- He sells his slabs to local makers and uses the profits to purchase more equipment
Educating Critics On The Urban Wood Movement
- Bryant tries to educate people who see the Woodpreneur movement as an attack on trees and the environment. After more than a decade in the business, Bryant has never cut down a tree and continuously gives “ tree waste” a new life.
Contact Bryant Dickens
Instagram: @dickens_and_son_sawmill
Phone: 602-390-2635
What exactly is a Woodpreneur?
So, why the term “woodpreneur”? When Steve first started Acres of Timber three years ago, the wood community and industry wasn’t what it is now.
Slab dealers, wood designers, and more specifically at the time – sawmill users, didn’t have a community or a brand and were going largely unnoticed by potential customers who would look instead to the Home Depot and Lowe’s of this world for their products. Steve sought to change that by creating the Sawmill Business Instagram account and the #sawmillbusiness hashtag as a way to share the products and creations that these innovative makers were producing. It didn’t take long for the account to grow to over 136,000 followers and with a hashtag that has been used over 35,000 times, the Sawmill Business community grew and grew quickly!
As the Sawmill Business following grew, Steve began to notice that this community didn’t just include sawmill owners. Furniture designers, woodworkers, arborists, tree climbers, chainsaw users, slab sellers, and even tree house makers became an integral part of the Sawmill Business family as well. It was at this point that Steve knew the business needed a new name that would truly encompass all that the wood community represents. Hence, @acresoftimber and the term “Woodprener” was born.
With the maker movement now in full swing, there are more podcasts, content creators, (like Anne of All Trades) youtubers, and makers, (such as Matt Cremona) that are putting a spotlight on sawmill users, furniture makers, and other wood related niches. Not only has the wood community turned into a “maker movement” it’s also filled with people who now view the work that they do as a profitable business and not just a hobby. A perception that was lacking without a community behind it.
A “Woodpreneur” Is A…
- Sawmill User
- Wood Business Owner
- Furniture Designer
- Hardwood Flooring Professional
- Woodworker
- Slab Dealer
- Kiln User
- Welder
- Content Creator
- Maker
And an overall innovative, brave, and creative entrepreneur in the wood industry!
“Woodpreneurs care about building their business as much as they care about the quality of the products they make, create, and sell. They don’t just want a job, they want a company. They invest in this company with blood, sweat, and tears and love every minute of it.”
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