March-April 2020:

As COVID began, Grant, 19 years of age, found himself among the millions suddenly out of work. With uncertainty looming and bills piling up, he knew he needed to find 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.

 

May-June 2020:

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 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.

 

July 2020 - March 2021:

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.

 

Present Day:

As of today, our storefront is now open 7 days a week, and in 2023, OSL acquired land in Highlandville for a larger sawmill and kiln operation, allowing higher quality production! The vision of OSL though hasn't changed. Together as a family, we strive to bring more product to our clients and lower costs. We believe in small businesses and want to continue improving. We appreciate our clients very much, and it wouldn't be possible without you. Together we can continue growing this community and are very excited for the future to come!

 

 

 

So who are we, you ask?

 

We are