After graduating high school in 1976 Lance set out to become a builder. He enrolled in architectural design and blueprint drafting at his local community college, then stepped into the field to gain hands-on experience as a carpenter’s helper building homes and apartment complexes.
Working on job sites, Lance saw massive trees being bulldozed, burned, and discarded during land clearing for new subdivisions. Perfect hardwoods oaks, cherry, hickory, pine reduced to smoke and ash. He couldn’t shake the thought: “What if those trees could become the very homes being built on that land?”
From Concrete to Craft
In 1981, Lance launched Creative Concrete in the suburbs of Chicago, later moving operations to Central Florida. His company handled everything from foundations and sidewalks to curbs and large residential developments including a 110-home subdivision near Disney in Kissimmee. But the burning trees never left his mind.
Then he saw a flyer for a Wood-Mizer portable sawmill. He carried it in his truck for years, telling anyone who would listen: One day I’m going to make a living turning burned trees into beautiful lumber.
In 1994, he made it real.
Lance purchased his first Wood-Mizer LT40 and began transforming discarded land-clearing trees into fence boards, barn lumber, and structural materials. Demand exploded.And then something new happened. Soon, people were asking how their own trees could be turned into flooring, cabinetry, and furniture. Lance discovered that fresh-cut lumber must be kiln-dried at high heat to be safely used inside homes especially in the south, where powder post beetles are a major threat.
After testing local de-humidification and solar kilns (with disappointing results), Lance invested in a Northland High-Heat Electric Kiln in 2007 a turning point that redefined his entire business.
Trees that would have been burned could be transformed into:
- Flooring
- Paneling
- Cabinet stock
- Furniture slabs
- Trim and molding
- Custom architectural millwork
Homeowners could now build their homes from their own land. The ultimate form of recycling.
LumberByLance now partners with professional planer mills to transform kiln-dried rough lumber into finished products including:
- Tongue-and-groove flooring
- V-joint paneling
- Cabinet stock
- Crown molding
- Architectural trim
- Custom live-edge slabs
We start with your trees, that end up inside your home.