National Hardwood Magazine - September 2019

Linear Sawyers Console

Linear Sawyers Console with Sure Grip Handles CLEEREMAN INDUSTRIES PROUDLY INTRODUCES NEW CARRIAGE CONTROLS COMPANY By Paul Miller Jr. Newald, WI— Family-owned and operated Cleereman Industries, located here, continues to lead the way in innovation among lumber equipment manufacturers today. Beginning in 1955 with the sale of the first Cleereman carriage, Cleereman Industries has been providing top quality sawmill machinery and service that is second to none in the sawmill industry. With an in-house engineering department they now do everything from concept to blueprint and single piece to turnkey sawmills. Besides the carriage lines Cleereman Industries also manufactures the Lumber Pro Thin Kerf Bandmill, Rosserhead Debarkers, Carriage Drives, Bar Style Log Turners, Controls Cabs, Trimmers & Trim Lines, Log Hauls, Metal Detectors, and Log Decks, along with a complete line of material handling items. The company recently introduced its additional entity, Cleereman Controls. The first offerings available are proportional set-shaft carriage controls, linear carriage controls and linear controls with optimization. The first system was installed at JW Perry Lumber LLC, Caneyville, KY; another at Soapstone Lumber, Greenville, PA; and another at Berlin Lumber, Berlin, OH with eight more already on order at the time of this writing. With decades of experience as a business, the company is led by a group of gentlemen whose knowledge in the lumber industry grants them expert insight into what a sawmill needs for optimal efficiency. Fran Cleereman, Paul Cleereman, Rod Chitko and Jeff Krueger own Cleereman Industries that currently employs more than 40 people. Cleereman Controls company president and designer Stefan Dracobly has several years of experience in the industry. After obtaining his two degrees, one in computer science and another in mechanical engineering, Dracobly began working with Lewis Controls, where he worked for over 17 years and became vice president of engineering, before leaving to join Cleereman Industries in November 2018. “When Stefan came on board in November of 2018, we talked about the new controls company and the vision and direction we wanted it to go in,” Vice President Paul Cleereman said. “Stefan started out developing the new platforms for the new Cleereman Controls and had a lot of great ideas that he was able to integrate into the new platforms since he was able to start with a clean slate. Once Stefan had the product fully developed, we were ready to go to market with our Carriage Controls. Cleereman Controls Inc. was formed in April 2019, a panel shop was built at Cleereman Industries, and an office was opened in Vancouver, WA where 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

the research and development of controls takes place. By May we had installed our first proportional set-shaft carriage controls, which are probably the simplest of our carriage systems.” Paul Cleereman explained how the controls company was put into motion. “In the past we have always used other controls companies controls on our carriages. This never allowed us to have 100 percent control of our customer service. Cleereman Industries has built its reputation on customer service and is known in the sawmill industry for heavy built equipment and reasonably priced parts that are in stock. Without controlling our own equipment we weren’t always able to provide the support we felt out customers deserved. This is why we decided to start our own controls operation, both for our customers and our business.” After discussing the options and opportunities with others in the industry, customers and colleagues alike recommended Dracobly for the job. “I wasn’t looking to leave Lewis Controls as they’d always been good to me,” said Dracobly. “But when I got the call from Cleereman, I was a bit shocked but definitely intrigued and excited. I was impressed with where they wanted to go as a business and they had obviously put a lot of thought into it. I liked the challenge to use my knowledge of sawmills and the carriage in particular and to design our product from scratch, and it had always been a dream of mine to start a controls company from the ground up and Cleereman Industries was willing to give me that opportunity.” As for what systems the new controls will support, Dracobly said the primary focus is of course on Cleereman carriages, and their other lines of equipment. “We are supporting Cleereman Industries on all of their additional product lines that they currently have and those that they are going to develop in the future,” he explained. “But our product is adaptable to other manufacturers as well. We get calls asking for new controls on other branded equipment and we’re going to offer it. We’re not limiting our product to just Cleereman equipment applications.” Paul Cleereman added, “Cleereman Industries has always taken care of our customer base and we felt that to serve them better we needed our own controls. You will hear of people switching brands and installing Cleereman equipment, but you will never hear someone has taken Cleereman equipment out and installed a different brand. Once we get a customer, we have that customer for life.” After Dracobly came aboard he hired another engineer with sawmill experience, Dan Tooke. “When I came to Lew- Please turn to page 51 “ CLEEREMAN INDUSTRIES HAS ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF OUR CUSTOMER BASE AND WE FELT THAT TO SERVE THEM BETTER WE NEEDED OUR OWN CONTROLS. YOU WILL HEAR OF PEOPLE SWITCHING BRANDS AND INSTALLING CLEEREMAN EQUIPMENT, BUT YOU WILL NEVER HEAR SOMEONE HAS TAKEN CLEEREMAN EQUIPMENT OUT AND INSTALLED A DIFFERENT BRAND. ONCE WE GET A CUSTOMER, WE HAVE THAT CUSTOMER FOR LIFE. ” - PAUL CLEEREMAN, VICE PRESIDENT, CLEEREMAN INDUSTRIES Stefan Dracobly Paul Cleereman Dan Tooke SEPTEMBER 2019 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 27