HeartBeat Winter 2017 | Page 5

MEMBER FEATURE Integrity First Eagle Ridge Shavings thrives on honesty, teamwork By Joann Pipkin East of the Queen City of the Ozarks, the four-lane winds along the hillsides of the Ozark Mountains. The crispness of the season chills the air this autumn day as gold, red and orange paint the skyline. Known for its apple festival and as a hub for the area’s Amish community, a quiet country road turns south on the outskirts of the sleepy rural town of Seymour. Along the ridge at the lane’s end, the region’s timber and poultry industries join hands. Most of the logs processed into shavings are trucked in from Texas, Wright and Howell counties in south central Missouri. Mill Manager Wayne Ramer (below) prepares the logs for the mill. A hammer mill transforms each log into wood shavings and helps maintain product uniformity.