Dreams do come true for lucky few

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Wood-Mizer, a portable sawmill manufacturer, announced the winners of its 2013 Personal Best Contest, a tradition since 1985 that recognizes customers who have fulfilled their dream projects by sawing their own lumber.

A gazebo captured the exterior project category, built by Gary Allison of Turlock, Calif.

The biennial contest is open to Wood-Mizer sawmill owners who compete for $20,000 in prize credits.

“We had more entries than in 2011,” company spokesman Chase Warner says. “We had 158 entries, compared to 118 in 2011 when we started allowing online entries. This year we also allowed them to use past entries and that also helped increase the number of entries.”

The contest categories included homes and major structures, small homes and cabins, large barns and garages, small barns and sheds, interior projects, exterior projects, goodwill and “wide open,” or anything that didn’t fit one of the previously listed categories.

A wraparound porch, built by Craig Forman of Meadville, Miss., placed second.

Each entry was judged on creativity, originality, complexity, quality of workmanship and overall use of the Wood-Mizer sawmill to complete the project.

“Every year, we receive more outstanding projects and are overwhelmed with the craftsmanship and dedication of our sawmill owners. Their projects are extraordinary,” Wood-Mizer sales director Dave Mann says.

To view all of the winning entries, visit www.woodmizer.com.

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue.