Western Kentucky sawmill relies on CAT equipment for maximum productivity in challenging times.      Despite the uncertainty in the nation’s economy and the dramatic downturn in the housing industry, one family-owned western Kentucky sawmill is holding its own thanks to its nimble operations, dedicated employees and a dependable fleet of CAT equipment.

C.B. Goodman & Sons Lumber is located in the small town of Kaler, Kentucky, just south of Paducah. The 60-year old company’s yard covers over 60 acres, and employs about 30 people, depending on the time of year.

To say this is a ‘family’ operation would be an understatement, since eleven of the 30 employees are related. Brothers Clinton, Tony and Mike Goodman and sister Judy Lyles head up the management of the company with Mike’s wife, Nancy, taking care of the bookkeeping duties. A third generation of management consisting of Ryan, Casey, and Tim Goodman and Jimmy Lyles is heavily involved in day-to-day operations at the yard, while Veronica Goodman Atherton and Michelle Lyles McKee (all grandchildren of C.B. Goodman) assist with office duties.

Clinton Goodman is president of the company, and Whaynews caught up with him on a cold, winter day to talk to him about his operation.  "Business is tough right now," said Clinton. "Since the majority of the high grade native hardwood lumber we process is used in the manufacture of flooring, cabinetry, molding and some furniture, the downturn in the housing industry has had a huge impact on all sawmills, not just ours," he said.

Goodman & Sons Lumber processes thousands of board feet of red oak, poplar, cherry, maple, ash and hickory – selling to big manufacturers and smaller mill shops throughout the nation. Some of the rough cut lumber is sold to pallet manufacturers. Sawdust is used for boiler fuel and sold to horsemen and farmers. They also process and sell mulch to landscapers and the general public. The company has seen its ‘mix’ and popularity of hardwoods change throughout the years, and has tried to quickly adapt to offering the ‘hottest’ selling species as the market dictates.

"We've bought CAT for the dependability and serviceability since day one.  We've had other brands of equipment on the yard, but nothing compares to CAT."  Clinton Goodman

"There’s been a huge change in the sawmill industry in just the past five years," said Clinton. "So much of what we did has moved off-shore. The furniture business is almost gone. The demand for high grade lumber is down, even in the flooring industry. You have to be smart and hustle just to stay where you were this time last year," he said.

The Goodmans have always prided themselves on production of a quality product, but Clinton admits the lumber business has become more price-driven as everybody competes for a smaller piece of the pie. "It’s not just the production of the lumber, it’s the cost of transportation and the availability of trucks for shipping farther distances," said Clinton. To economize, the yard has cut back on operational hours, and now works four 10-hour days.

But one thing hasn’t changed for Goodman & Sons Lumber for over 40 years and that is their reliance on Caterpillar equipment.

Today the yard holds six pieces of CAT equipment; five Integrated Toolcarriers and one 930H Wheel Loader purchased in December.

The versatility of the Cat 930H is proven every day loading logs or moving wood planks around the yard.

The ‘stars’ of the yard are the 930H and the IT wheel loaders, and they’re constantly in motion moving heavy logs to the sawmill deck, unloading trucks, moving banded stacks of lumber, and doing a dozen other things with fork and bucket attachments.

"We’ve bought CAT for the dependability and serviceability since day one," said Clinton. "We’ve had other brands of equipment on the yard, but nothing compares to CAT."

Commenting on the longevity of the equipment, Clinton said that even the machines they’ve traded in over the years were well-maintained and in good shape when traded.

"They’re hard to wear out, and we put each and every piece to the test every day around here," he said. Clinton also credits his success with CAT equipment to Whayne Supply’s sales and product support over the years.

"It’s been a great partnership in a lot of ways," said Clinton. "They’ve always come up with good trade numbers, competitive pricing and financing options. They’ve been willing to work with us whenever we needed anything," he said.

And the parts and product support?   "The best," said Clinton. "We’re busy; we can’t afford to have a machine down long. We simply don’t have the expertise to fix these technologically advanced loaders, so we depend on the guys at Whayne to do that. But the new engineering and technology let us get a lot more life and productivity from each machine, so it works out great."

No one knows where the economy is headed or when things will start to improve. But one thing is for sure; family is forever. And the Goodmans stand ready to carry on the sawmill operation for another 60 years – or longer – thanks to dedicated and loyal employees, smart business practices, and continued use of CAT equipment, backed by Whayne Supply.