Local logger keeps home fires burning
Commercial business growing
Staff reporter
Necessity is the mother of invention and such was the case for Brewer.
Nowadays the splitting of wood is a one-man operation, but it wasn't always that way.
"My son was helping me for a while but when he left, I had to figure out a way to do this by myself," said Brewer.
A traditional log splitter still required considerable labor. It also was not as efficient as splitting more than one log at a time.
So Brewer designed and built his own splitter. This splitter splits wood seven ways and more than one log can go through at a time.
"It'll split whatever you send through it," said Brewer.
The splitter also has a hydraulic lift to feed the logs into the blades. Hydraulic force pushes the logs through the blades and onto an elevator that transports the cut wood to a trailer.
When the trailer is full, the logs are transported by Brewer's wife Linda to customers in McPherson, Valley Center, Salina, and around the county.
"Linda is able to haul and deliver the wood because there is a hydraulic lift in the trailer," said Brewer.
A winch truck is used to move the large logs.
Business has been steady and continues to increase.
He appreciates assistance from others with projects that include Siebert, Butch Cogdill, and Doug and Autumn Hanson.
"Butch has been a great help with operating the winch truck (to load logs)," said Brewer.
The Hansons assist Brewer as a means of additional income for them.
Besides cutting wood for fireplaces and heating stoves, Brewer also ships and sells large logs to other parts of the state and country.
"Wally Ross has taken two loads of large logs for me that weighed 24 to 25 tons per load," said Brewer.
He also has sold logs to businesses to be used for other purposes besides firewood.
The work doesn't end when the winter season ends.
"I do this year-round," he said. Hackleberry and ash can be stored for a year, hedge even longer.
"If people want wood for next year, they need to order it now," Brewer said.
Even when his commercial business slows down, Brewer continues cutting wood.
He recently purchased property on Grant Street in Marion to be used for storing logs and firewood. He can see that his operation continues to grow.
As long as there are farmers who need trees cleared, Brewer will have work.
