My Glorious Career Pt. 4
STORY BY ABIGAIL GIEGER
PHOTOS BY ZACH PETERSON
Greg Reger
Saw Mill Mogul
SEPTEMBER 2015
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
Having been born in California along the coast, Greg
Reger has always harbored a fascination with sawmills
and the work that went on around them. “My step-dad
was a builder and he used to take me to the saw mill
where we’d get wood for his jobs,” Reger said, “And I
was always in awe of the huge trees cut up into boards. I
was fascinated by it and one day I had the opportunity to
work there.”
He began his work at 18, straight out of high
school. His first true foray into the industry was a job in
California that had him keeping count of the cut boards
and helping pull off scraps. “The Sawyer would cut the
wood as I was counting,” Reger said. He started his own
business in January after one of his friends, who had
owned his own mill moved away.
“I ended up buying a Bobcat, trailer, and a mill of my
own and going to work,” Reger said. He’s found that a
lot of his challenges have come from the connections
he makes with others. He strives to make sure that every
first meeting with a customer or supplier is comfortable
and relaxed. “First time customers are going to a place
and they have a need. They’re looking for material and
they’ve got an idea about what they want,” He said, “And
I never know what they’re going to need and they don’t
know who I am.”
With that in mind, Reger makes it his goal to see to
it that his customers know that he’s going to take care of
them whether it’s the first time to deal with his company
or the hundredth time. “They know they can come here
and I’m going to take care of them no matter what,”
Reger said.
It’s clear that he loves his job. His current successes
include the establishment of good relationships with
any and all of his clients as well as the big orders he has
been putting through. “Now that I’ve got it established
everything is coming together really well,” he said with
a smile. His plans for the future include further expansion of his business, growing inventory, and hopefully the
opportunity to acquire another saw mill.
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When asked why he liked his job, Reger’s answer was
enthusiastic. “It’s awesome. I’m taking trees in different
shapes and sizes and turning it into something that can
be used like a barn or arena,” He explained, “I’m making
something out of it.”
His favorite part about it? “The adventure! I get to go
out on these huge jobs, pulling out trees and then loading them up and hauling them from all over,” He said.
Reger has had jobs from Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Colorado, and even New Mexico, but it’s the new people
he meets that he most enjoys. “Meeting the people is a
lot of fun,” Reger said, “I’ve got customers all the way
in New Mexico. I had a guy in Colorado call me and he
wanted these cut pieces of wood for a gate entrance.”
Whether it’s being outside cutting wood or meeting
new customers, Greg Reger clearly loves his work and
enjoys taking c are of his customers. “I talk to customers
from all different walks of life; farmers, builders, younger
guys, older guys,” He said, “I never know what I’m going
to cut or where I’m going to get the material, but having a
satisfied customer is the best part.”
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