Southern Indiana Business September-October 2020 | Page 31

either sent to the veneer mill for processing
or shipped off as lumber, flooring or
other logs.
The veneer-quality logs make their
way to a mill, where they’re sliced with
a knife to as thin as 1/42 of an inch. They
then make their way back to the Mitchell
veneer warehouse, where they’re
inspected, measured, sorted, and sent
back out to customers who add the finishing
touches. “Our specialty is knowing
the logs,” Teives said. “How to process
them, how to market them.”
Once the veneers leave the warehouse,
they go to furniture manufacturers, finishers,
or processors like Matt Gilland,
of Superior Veneer and Plywood in New
Albany, who glues the veneers edge-toedge
into panels and sends them off to
furniture or other wood manufacturers for
the final touches. “My customers include
custom furniture manufacturers, cabinet
makers, millwork companies, anybody
who’s using the product to make highend
architectural panels and sheets,” said
Gilland.
Typically, Teives said, it takes three
to four truckloads of logs to bring back
one truckload of veneer. Veneer-quality
logs must be branch and knot-free on all
four sides for a length of at least 8 feet,
6 inches, Teives said. But until it’s cut
down, the log’s interior quality is anyone’s
guess. “It’s a gamble, you don’t know
what’s inside the log and how it’s going
to cut out,” he said. “It’s like reading a
book. Some are good and some are bad,
but you never know until you open it and
start turning pages.”
Expertise comes from years of experience,
knowing geographically where the
good logs grow, and trial and error. But
sometimes, Teives said, even the best-laid
plans go -- literally -- up in smoke, like
a time several years ago when lighting
struck the perfect tree and splintered it
before it could be harvested.
The business was established in 1990
by Steve Mitchell and his two sons, Shane
and Shawn, and remains a family owned
business. It’s decidedly un-corporate
atmosphere is one of the reasons Teives
has stayed with the company for almost
a decade. “I like the Mitchells’ style,” he
said. “It’s their baby. They’re constantly
looking to do new things and change the
way we do things here to keep it running
and keep it growing.”
Mitchell Veneer is one of a number of
wood processing companies in Southern
Indiana, and that’s not by accident -- at
one time, New Albany was actually the
The bar and tables at Board and You Bistro in New Albany were designed and built by M&M
Tabletops.
Photo by Bill Hanson
September / October 2020
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