Our Story and more... 

Our story and more are shared in the video above and our book Tree to Table; Emergence of the Urban Wood Movement, available through Past 9 Publishing

The Short STory

Furniture made from backyard trees.

A SLIGHTLY LONGER VERSION

We believe the hardwoods of Wisconsin are among the most beautiful woods in the world and accent each other nicely when combined. Most of our wood originates in the urban landscapes of southern Wisconsin.  Sawing these logs provides lumber with greater character and amazing size, much of which leave the mill as live edge lumber.  

By having full control from log to finished product, we can maximize the true potential of trees that often arrive with their own stories.  Artistry really starts at the sawmill, where our sawyers read the unusual shapes and character of branch unions, bumps and burls; often cutting logs with specific end-products in mind.  This wood is then tracked throughout the drying and processing, so our end products can be tracked to a specific tree or series of trees from the same source, both preserving the story and resulting in a product where every piece has the same color, grain and character. 

With some back story added

Unofficially, The Wood Cycle goes back through several generations of Dutch immigrant craftsman. Paul Morrison, the founder of The Wood Cycle obtained his passion for woodworking as a young boy following both his grandfathers. One grandfather was a watch maker and jeweler before becoming a cabinetmaker. He in turn followed his uncle "Tinker Bill", who was described as "The Master Craftsman" in the book Craftsmen of Wisconsin.  To a large extent, the principals of The Wood Cycle are based on the practicality and ingenuity of these men; use the resources in your own back yard and the mind you’ve been blessed with, both to the best of your ability and the glory of your God.

Officially, The Wood Cycle of Wisconsin, LLC, was formed in 2001 when Paul decided to trade in his engineering career for his life passion. The Wood Cycle moved from a basement hobby to its current location; an abandoned farm. The restored goat barn became the shop, the turkey shed became the sawmill barn and farmhouse became our office.

In 2008 "LLC" became "Inc" as we expanded our operations.  The largest of our current buildings, a "round rafter" barn was moved from within the Village of Oregon, two miles across the snow covered fields to our site.  This barn now serves as our shop and finishing room and is where The Hayloft Gallery exhibits the scope of our work.

The Wood Cycle name has several sources. Primary among these is involvement in all aspects of wood production:

- Tree planting and wood lot management

- Log harvesting, milling and drying

- Design and production of cabinets and furniture