SDS Lumber
Sales Office
P.O. Box 407
Bingen, WA 98605
Phone:
509-493-1444
Fax:
509-493-1149
sales email

SDS Lumber
Business Office
P.O. Box 266
Bingen, WA 98605
Phone:
509-493-2155
Fax:
509-493-2535
business email

EARLY BEGINNINGS
Early Beginnings | Modern Times | Future

When SDS Lumber Company began in the early months of 1946, the surrounding region was populated by fifty or more lumber mills. "There was a sawmill behind every stump," the old loggers used to say. Today, after over fifty years, SDS survives and thrives as one of the last remaining mills in the area.

The origins of SDS are rooted in family tradition. At the end of World War II, brothers Wally and Bruce M. Stevenson both returned from serving as naval Lieutenant Commanders to forge a partnership with Frank Daubenspeck, the long-time foreman of their father's mill, Broughton Lumber Company, located in Willard, Washington. Frank was Broughton's mill foreman for 23 years, and his seasoned experience as a mill operator, his gift for working with others, and his legendary energy made him an ideal partner for starting SDS. Bruce and Wally Stevenson were no strangers to the industry, either. Their father managed the logging and milling operations for Broughton Lumber Company; Bruce and Wally, along with their siblings, grew up around the business, spending their summers at "lumber camp." In January, 1946 the three men took ownership of Nordby Lumber and Box, a small bankrupt mill on the Columbia River in Bingen. The strength of this partnership was the foundation of the company's future success. It was an alliance of mutual respect, compatibility and extremely hard work.

In January 1948, a raging fire burned the first steam-powered sawmill to the ground. Within two weeks, a Smith Brothers portable, electricity-powered speed mill was up and running. By 1949, SDS had its own shop for building mill components, and full-time mechanics for repair and maintenance. This was the domain of partner Bruce M. Stevenson, who took charge of designing and building all SDS buildings and sawmill machinery.

Wally Stevenson's special interests complimented those of his partners, his talents were in running the business, acquiring timberland, overseeing woods operations and selling lumber. SDS flourished for many years from the nearby abundance of second-growth timber, the diligence of a loyal and skilled workforce, and management decisions that put profits back into the business to improve and expand operations and acquire land. Company policy was to own land close to home where it was easy to manage. Today, most of SDS' 70,000 acres are within a 35-mile radius of the mill, in both Oregon and Washington. These lands contribute immeasurably to the promise of continuing success for SDS.
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MODERN TIMES
Early Beginnings | Modern Times | Future

When SDS started in 1946, there were 26 employees in its original crew. This number grew to a high of 450 employees during the 1970s when logging and lumber production were at a peak. Production has since slowed tremendously, as the supply of timber from national forests has sharply declined due to environmental legislation. For this reason, many of the mills in our area and around the country have closed down. Fortunately, SDS was able to survive the crises and changes of the last 30 years and no longer relies on timber from national forests. We have scaled back operations, yet today SDS is one of the largest employers in Klickitat County, employing 325 people during our busiest production times.

Our workforce continually changes to adapt to advancements in operations. In some cases, machines have replaced workers and in almost all cases, employees have learned to use sophisticated equipment and technology in day to day operations. The modernization of SDS Lumber Company was spearheaded in large part by the late Bruce R. Stevenson, son of co-founder Wally Stevenson and nephew of co-founder, Bruce M. Stevenson. Bruce's career as president of SDS coincided with the growth of the environmental movement and the timber industry's radical transformation. From the beginning, many of his efforts were progressive steps toward using all wood by-products, projects that included developing chipper systems, energy-producing steam plants and processes for reducing pollution. As competition for logs grew more severe, SDS' business philosophy changed to seeking out logs of a size and quality no one else wanted, and Bruce focused on modifying and improving the sawmill that processed them.

The better process resulted in the creation of SDS' unique, computer-controlled studmill and a completely new way of sawing lumber. The studmill has run with great success since 1990 and is known to be one of the best in existence. It serves the environment by minimizing waste, positioning and cutting logs to ensure the greatest recovery, and using smaller diameter logs. SDS has implemented computer systems for optimum recovery and efficiency in the plywood plant as well. These advancements represent SDS' transition from a resource-based enterprise to a mature business which relies on high technology, heavy capitalization, competitive marketing strategy and a sophisticated workforce.
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THE FUTURE
Early Beginnings | Modern Times | Future

Leading SDS Lumber Company today is Jason Spadaro. Spadaro joined SDS as a forester in 1990 and became president in January 1998. In line with SDS' tradition of strategizing for the future, Spadaro had the foresight to urge SDS to develop a detailed, sustainable yield forestry management plan. He initiated the process by helping establish an inventory of SDS timberland and transferring the information to a computerized database. With the help of technology, this data made it possible to devise and implement a strategic management plan that serves to protect the long-term health of our forests and business. Under Spadaro's guidance, further applications of technology in manufacturing are enabling SDS to increase its recovery of high value products from every log delivered.

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