Hopkins County sisters cut unique business out of wood

By PATTI SELLS | Sulphur Springs News-Telegram

August 15, 2002 -- The custom-made cedar benches and picnic tables displayed at the corner of Loop 301 and Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs are not the only things that make the SanVig Sawmill unique -- running the bandsaws are two sisters from Cumby.

Sally SanVig and Cindy Price are no strangers to the lumber business -- their father was the owner of Price Hardwood in Cumby -- but running a bandsaw is quite different from the buying and selling of bridge timber that he did.

SanVig Sawmill is a custom mill specializing in cedar mantels, furniture made of oak, black walnut, pecan and hickory, as well as cedar, and lumber custom cut for the public. Sally's husband, Gary SanVig, owner and operator of J&G Construction, a framing business of 15 years in Sulphur Springs, bought the sawmill in 1997.

"I taught Sally the basics, but a lot of it she just learned on her own and began cutting for my business," said Gary.

"It didn't take long before people began stopping and asking if we cut for the public. Sally would say, 'bring your log in and I'll cut it for you. She really enjoys what she's doing," he added.

After five years, Sally says the business is growing like crazy.

"We've never advertised," she said. "Every day someone new comes by, and we have just grown."

Cindy began working with Sally about eight months ago, Gary explained.

"Sally has taught her everything she knows about being a sawyer, and together they figure out cuts and how to get the most lumber out of the log," he said.

Soon after that, they began setting aside unique cuts of lumber and came up with the idea of making benches and picnic tables. Eventually, they hope to start creating indoor furniture such as, beds, couches, tables and chairs.

"We want to build unique furniture designed by nature," Gary said. "Whatever the tree looks like, that is what the furniture is going to look like."

Sally anticipates that in the next six to 12 months they will be building furniture.

The sisters operate two Woodmizer Bandsaw Mills. Not only do they do all the cutting, they hand-peel the bark and sand and finish the wood themselves.

Gary is very involved in the sawmill business as well. Aside from his framing, he sharpens the blades, does maintenance on the mills, and designs the framework for and welds the pieces for the tables and benches.

"The guys like to kid me by saying I'm in the house watching TV, while she's out here working, but really I am out on location working on a job," Gary said.

Gary also does select cuttings and his own logging. They use only East Texas cedar, cut within a 100-mile radius of Sulphur Springs.