It's A Family Thing

As COVID began, Grant — 19 years old — found himself among the millions suddenly out of work. With uncertainty looming and bills piling up, he knew he needed a way to support his family. Grant noticed a large market in live edge slabs and took advantage of an old Powermatic 37" sander that wasn't being used anymore from his father's custom furniture business. He started sanding slabs flat for clients and even built a trailer from scratch to help deliver them.

As things worsened, Grant's father Levi and his brother Carter didn't see a future in their current employment. Levi was self-employed. For 24 years he made custom conference tables and shipped them across the United States. He designed and built dozens of homes and even full offices for large companies like the Nike Headquarters in Denver. Sadly, this all came crashing down with COVID-19. Shipping became impossible, and the market for such high-end tables crashed. All of his hard work was lost, and the business suffered tremendously.

As for Carter, he worked full-time in the small engine shop at Nixa Hardware. At age 17, he spent the last year in retail, managing inventory and sales. He cared deeply about helping customers have the best shopping experience possible and making sure they felt taken care of from the moment they walked in. He saw Grant's vision and started helping him after work with the slab sanding business. In June, he decided to quit Nixa Hardware and partner up with his brother and dad full-time to make this dream happen.

As the demand for slabs grew, Levi noticed there were few good sources for locals to find hardwoods. Most sources that were available either only sold in large quantities, were way too expensive, or had low-quality product. Most didn't even kiln dry their hardwoods! We wanted to change that. Our clients deserved better slabs. It was obvious we needed a proper kiln.

With a clear goal set, each member brought their unique strengths to the table, and the team was built. There was one way out, and it was only possible together as a family. United by a shared vision and a determination to overcome, OSL began.

As the months went by, OSL became more than a pipe dream. The first accomplishment was officially becoming an LLC in July. Although this was exciting, some large issues were at hand. OSL still had no trailers or trucks to move product besides the small one Grant built from scratch. This was a serious issue as demand increased. The next obstacle was all of OSL started in an old barn on farmland, nothing close to a retail space.

For some time, a close friend lent us his trailer, until finally, in September, a trailer was purchased. And soon after, in March of 2021, the official retail store was opened in Nixa. This was a large stepping stone towards the future. Still with no employees to speak of, we could only open 3 days a week and spent the other days in business operations and sawmilling.

In 2024, we brought on even more family who specialized in inventory, organization, marketing, and helping us improve the way we served our customers. As our product selection continued to grow, we knew we needed better systems while staying true to what made OSL special from the beginning: family, hard work, and a desire to bring better wood products to our community.

In 2025, we ramped up our timber business in a big way. More customers began coming to us for large beams, timbers, pergola kits, pavilion kits, and custom outdoor structures. What started with slabs and hardwoods had grown into something much larger.

That year, we purchased a new location in Highlandville right next to the sawmill. This gave us room for planers and large equipment that allowed us to process wood more efficiently and take on larger orders. With the new location and equipment, we were able to improve production, better organize our workflow, and continue raising the quality of what we offer.

In 2026, we revamped the sawmill lot and expanded the operation again. We improved the layout, cleaned up the area, and continued building a better system for processing and completing orders. Because of these improvements, we are now completing orders better and faster than ever.

Our goals for 2026 are to continue expanding while supporting the small town of Highlandville. As we grow, we are working to clean up the surrounding area, remove trash, and improve the property around us. We have also assisted in fixing drainage issues as part of our effort to be a positive part of the community.

Looking ahead, we want to continue improving our sawmill, kiln, timber, hardwood, slab, and custom milling operations. Eventually, one of our goals is for customers to be able to tour our shops, see how everything functions, and experience the process for themselves.

Through all of this, our family bond is as strong as ever. We still work together every day toward the same goal: to keep improving, keep growing, and keep serving our customers the best we can.

We appreciate every customer who has supported us from the beginning and every new customer who gives us the chance to earn their trust. OSL would not be possible without you, and we are excited for what the future holds.