About Us
Bucks Valley Sawmill isn’t a large company, it is a local, family-run operation that prides itself on personalized service and customer focus. Every project is handled with care, and when you visit, you’re working directly with the owner.
From large hemlock timbers for pergolas and entryways to hardwood flooring, tongue-and-groove knotty pine boards, wide slab surfacing, and custom sawing, Bucks Valley Sawmill provides the quality products and attentive service their customers have come to trust.
Owner, Derek Smith
Derek is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. He worked for 15 years as a Biologist in the state and federal government as well as in the private sector.
After purchasing some land in Perry County, he decided to buy a little hobby sawmill that he set up in his barn to run in the evenings and on weekends. However, an idea took shape - to start a business that would provide the public with personalized service & custom offerings for obtaining lumber and timber products.
Fast forward 20 years and that business, Bucks Valley Sawmill, is celebrating another year in business delivering quality products as a one-stop-shop for all your services!
Benefits of Choosing Bucks Valley Sawmill
Fully Hydraulic
Computerized Sawmill
20 Years Experience
& Customer Focused
Wide Range of
Products & Services
Quality Results & Wide Slab Accommodating
Affordable Rates for Any Wood Projet
Rising from the Ashes:
The Bucks Valley Sawmill Comeback
In February 2023, Bucks Valley Sawmill faced one of its greatest challenges when a spark from work in the parking lot ignited the exterior wall of their log showroom. Within hours, the fire had leveled the entire operation—every building and every machine, except the kiln, was lost. The showroom, built a decade earlier from Derek’s own lumber, had been a warm, inviting space with vaulted hemlock ceilings, oak floors, rustic log furniture, and mountain stone accents. It served as their office, their meeting area, and the first impression customers received of the quality they put into every board.
Rather than letting the loss define them, Derek and his family began the long process of rebuilding. It wasn’t easy - months without income, a full redesign of the facility, and the challenge of replacing equipment that typically takes years to procure. But thanks to the support of their manufacturer, they secured an expedited delivery of a new wide-head hydraulic bandsaw mill. More upgrades followed: a four-sided planer molder for T&G and flooring, a wide-head SlabMizer for large slabs and bar tops, a new wide planer, an upgraded skid steer, and a redesigned building with significantly improved workflow and storage capacity. As Derek puts it, they now have “a lot of new equipment with shiny paint.”
What made this comeback possible was the overwhelming support of the Bucks Valley community and beyond. Neighbors brought meals, loaned equipment, and helped with cleanup. Friends volunteered time to rebuild. Local contractors rearranged schedules to assist with framing, electrical work, and construction. Churches reached out with practical help, and local businesses stepped in to loan machinery at no cost. From customers to timber industry peers to the Wood-Mizer corporation, the outpouring of help came from every direction.
Today, Bucks Valley Sawmill stands stronger, more efficient, and better equipped than ever. Though the beloved showroom is missed, the spirit behind it lives on in their craftsmanship, resilience, and commitment to serving customers with honesty and hard work. As Derek says, sometimes setbacks give you the chance to rebuild with the future in mind—and with faith, positivity, and perseverance, good can come from even the hardest moments.