Harris Wood Machining
Producers of quality WA Hardwoods since 1986.
Continuing a family tradition of timber work that extends through six generations.
With a family history based in the South West of Western Australia spanning several generations, we have a deep sense of belonging to and stewardship of our Native Forests.
The Harris Family
In the late 1860's Great Granddad Charles Harris joined a bullock train, hauling logs from the hardwood forests of South-Western Australia.
His son Charles worked with a broadaxe and crosscut saw, cutting sleepers and bridge beams in the forests. He then turned his hand, with considerable flair, to the making of early settler style furniture.
Grandson Douglas followed suit, adding wood machining and sawmill management to the family tradition.
Ray Harris and his sons Paul and Wade are the fourth and fifth generations of the family to work with the wonderful hardwoods native to the south west corner of Western Australia. In recent years Paul's children have joined the business so we now have the sixth generation of Harris' working in the timber industry. They are proud to continue a tradition established more then a century ago.
Who We Are Now
Changes to forest management practices have meant that Harris Wood Machining has had to change over the years.
Our current structure includes a sawmill and dry plant which are managed by Wade and Paul respectively. We also have a tree plantation that will provide us with our own saw logs into the future. Rebecca and Kaitlin work in our office, coordinating the two sites and servicing the needs of our customers.
Our business produces green sawn timber from our own mill, supplemented by timber from other local mills. This is then dried in our gas assisted solar kilns. Once dry the timber is either sold rough sawn, skipped dressed or machined into quality flooring, decking or mouldings.
Whilst we are predominately a wholesale company, selling to markets in major cities across Australia, we do provide retail sales to our local area in the South West of West Australia.
The Future
As fossil fuels and non-sustainable practices reduce, the practicality and beauty of timber will come to the fore.
Timber products are a renewable source of energy that helps with the capture of carbon from the atmosphere.
Actively growing trees use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to build the structure of the tree. The use of timber products ensures that the carbon held by the tree is retained in the finished products and not released back into the atmosphere as it is 'locked up' in the timber itself.
In comparison to the use of concrete and metal products the production of timber building products has a relatively small carbon footprint. Combined with the regrowth of trees to replace those harvested, resulting in more carbon being locked away, timber is a truly natural, renewable and sustainable resource. It is vital that we care for and grow this industry in decades to come.
As established producers and suppliers of timber products we look forward to being part of the future of this industry.