Mark Glasscock grew up in the sawmill business.
His father owned a sawmill for several years. He quit briefly to become the county judge in Spencer County and then returned to the industry.
"I was brought up in a sawmill," Glasscock said.
As an adult, Glasscock cut hardwood timber, but it was seasonal work, he said. Looking for a year-round job, Glasscock decided to open his own sawmill.
At the time, Glasscock and his wife Karen lived in Spencer County. A drive down Springfield Road in Nelson County one day started to put all of the Glasscocks' dreams into motion.
The property seemed perfect for a sawmill, Glasscock said.
There was no sign indicating who owned the plot of land at 2870 Springfield Road or whether or not it was for sale, Glasscock said. But, after a little leg work, the Glasscocks found out who owned the property and later purchased it and relocated to Bloomfield.
Five years ago the Glasscocks opened Glasscock Log and Lumber, Inc. At that time they had only one employee.
"We put a lot of prayer and thought into our business," Glasscock said.
Over the years the business has grown from one sawmill with one employee to two sawmills, a band resaw, a mulch machine, a shaving mill and 10 employees.
"It just really shot up. It has really grown," Glasscock said.
The business specializes in cedar wood — Aromatic Cedar — a red, fragrant type of cedar wood. Aromatic cedar is the type of cedar used in shavings and cedar chests, he said.
Glasscock cedar products are shipped all across the country. His biggest customer is an Ohio-based company that makes the cedar bird houses and mailboxes for Wal-Mart.
As the Glasscock business grew, so did the waste byproduct of the sawmill. Glasscock used the waste to lead him into a new venture where he began process the cedar shavings into mulch.
"It's huge," Glasscock said. He estimates the company produces about 350 yards of mulch each week.
The mulch is produced about 30 weeks a year bringing the total amount of mulch produced yearly at this one operation in Nelson County to about 10,000 yards.
To put the amount in perspective, Glasscock said one full-size pickup truck load of mulch would equal only about 3.5 yards of mulch. A year's worth of mulch production at the Glasscock business would equal about 1714 full-size pickup truck loads of mulch.
Glasscock said many people prefer the cedar mulch to the hardwood mulch because it is naturally insect resistant; it holds moisture and heat in the ground; it protects plants; and smells and looks good.
Cedar mulch is a longer lasting mulch than the hardwood, he said.
The Glasscocks also sell cedar planks and cedar fencing. Cedar fencing, which is visible around the property of the business. The fencing is a four-rail section.
The Glasscocks even offer customers tips for care of the fencing and how to get it to look similar to the one on their property if customers are interested.
"It was really important to us for our business to look good so Nelson county would be proud of it," Glasscock said.
"We wanted something the community would be proud of," he added.
The Glasscocks said the entire county has welcomed them and their business with open arms.
"We are tickled to death with Nelson county and how they have treated us," he said.
Glasscock said he welcomes everyone to stop by and see what the business has to offer.
For additional information call 502-252-9408.
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