The Frontier Story

The legacy of Norwood applied to a more affordable portable sawmill

At Norwood, we’ve never been afraid to take on a challenge. We’ve never wavered in our commitment to provide hard-working people like you with efficient, reliable, accurate, no-nonsense sawmilling equipment at fair prices.

We also believe it is of utmost importance to listen to our Norwood family of sawmill users and remain available and responsive. That means we listen to the comments, questions, and suggestions of those who are still waiting to invest in their first Norwood sawmill.

You’ve Asked. We’ve Listened. And This Is the Result…

Since Norwood was founded over a quarter of a century ago, we’ve dedicated ourselves exclusively to portable sawmills and small-scale forestry equipment.

Norwood – The World’s Only Portable Sawmills Specialists

Right from the start, we knew exactly what our purpose was.

We’ve never promoted big industrial-sized wood processing equipment, nor have we ever carried mass-produced machines such as wood chippers or log splitters.

Why? Because we didn’t want any distractions or dilution of our commitment to excellence.

Norwood focuses 100% of our passion and energy on portable sawmills, engineered to help you maximize the value of your trees.

We have channeled our love of portable sawmills into creating revolutionary technologies that make sawing faster, easier, and a lot more fun!

That’s why Norwood has over 50 patents to its credit! And that only covers a fraction of our many innovations. In fact, Norwood has more patents than ALL of the combined portable sawmill companies around the world.

Norwood Means Quality

When we at Norwood take our designs off the drawing board and build sawmills, we are fanatically dedicated to using the very latest-technology fabrication machines operated by highly skilled technicians. In the last two decades, steel fabrication machinery has undergone seismic developments with the advent of computer and laser technologies. But, they come at a cost: 5-axis 3D lasers, heavy precision-steel forming and bending machines, and the like are very expensive. Nevertheless, quality is a Norwood priority – look closely, and you’ll ALWAYS see the Norwood difference!

The Unvarnished Truth About the Sawmill Industry Today

We've been watching as a number of corporations and “sawmill” companies now get all of their machines made in offshore factories, often from China. They are cheaply made and of inferior quality.

What’s more, they are not being truthful about where they make their machines, either leaving you to guess or, in some cases, being outright dishonest. Countless new sawmill purchasers today have no idea that their “name-brand” sawmill is made offshore, or that the low-cost machine they picked is not going to stand up to the rigorous demands of sawing timber.

Norwood Builds Dependable Sawmilling Solutions for All Land-Owners

Keeping jobs at home is equally important to Norwood as it is to Norwood owners. Plus, we have a lot of faith in the quality of what our workers build with our high-tech fabrication technologies. Our team at Norwood has built tens of thousands of premium-quality portable sawmills, which are milling valuable timber all around the world.

Norwood Sawmills are known for their:

  • Dependability over years, and even decades
  • High productivity
  • Easy, user-friendly operation
  • Versatility, with their many capacity-boosting attachments

… all bundled in affordable sawmills backed by a steadfast company trusted to stand behind their owners.

But, there’s no denying the number of people we’ve heard from, imploring us to produce an even more affordable sawmill – asking us to also offer sawmill models that are made abroad.

This wasn’t an easy decision. We believe strongly in our country and the workmanship of our skilled staff.

But we continued to hear from people who tried other brands of sawmills manufactured offshore and who were deeply disappointed in the flimsy construction, poor performance, lack of versatility and undependability of both the machines themselves and the companies selling them. Sadly, many (maybe even most) have no idea that they have been sold machines built in China!

Land Owners Deserve So Much More.

We couldn’t just sit by and ignore the obvious need for Norwood to offer a broader selection of affordable entry-level portable sawmills.

After a lot of thought, numerous intense discussions, months of strategic research and design, and yes, some sleepless nights, we realized that we have an obligation to all of those who want a flagship Norwood sawmill but who need this even more affordable option.

We feel that it’s wrong that honest, resourceful, and hardworking land owners are being duped into buying inferior-quality sawmills, drawn in by lower prices and slick but misleading marketing.

That being said, there IS a way to achieve a more affordable price point while still building QUALITY sawmills! Without smoke and mirrors, without hiding the truth, and without cutting corners.

We’re here to say …

If you’re going to get an offshore mill, do it with us, a company you can trust.

Frontier Portable Sawmills are our only sawmills manufactured outside of North America.

And, as always, we knew if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right.

Frontier Sawmills are the SMART Choice...Because You Get Norwood Innovation

Let’s face it – A lot of companies claim they’re the “best” at something. But what does that mean exactly?

It’s way more than a glossy coat of paint, and some flashy advertising. So, let’s talk facts.

FACT #1: It takes substance  an unshakable commitment to innovation, creativity, quality and implementation – to rise to the top as the best.

And at Norwood, we’ve proven that “substance” is deeply ingrained in everything we do. In other words, we don’t simply talk it, we DO it, just like this…

FACT #2: Norwood’s well-earned reputation as the global leader in portable sawmill innovation is supported by a solid foundation of over 50 patented inventions.

That’s why we’ve included some of our best in the Frontier line…

FACT #3: Frontier sawmills are so well-engineered, they lead the way in a class of their own, ahead of any other offshore sawmill. Created from the enduring reliability of Norwood innovation, they’re tough little mills at an affordable price. You can depend on it.

U.S. Patent Nos. 7,784,387, 8,215,216, 8,276,493, 8,261,647, D818013, D816742 & D831711; Canada Patent Nos. 2,488,216, 2,687,619, 2,687,622, 2,688,407, 169785, 169786, 169787 & 169788; EU Patent Nos. EP 2,332,683 B1, 003736255-0001, 003736255-0002, 003736255-0003 & 003736255-0004; Australia Patent Nos. 201710614, 201710616 & 201710615, China Patent Nos. 4192870 and 201630653054.8, Other patents pending in multiple jurisdictions.

Frontier Sawmills Are Your BEST Choice… Because Norwood Stands Behind Them!

  • Norwood created ALL elements of Frontier sawmill design using our high standards of innovative engineering.
  • The backbone of Frontier sawmills is Norwood’s patented laminated sawhead construction giving them the strongest and most rigid-possible core.
  • Frontier portable sawmills deliver the highest production volumes thanks to Norwood’s patented auto-locking sawhead, a feature that saves you hours of tedious, repetitive operations.
  • Frontier sawmills are built to rigorous international safety standards.
  • Norwood’s quality-assurance team inspects all Frontier sawmills.
  • Customizable – The “economy, Made in China” sawmills offered by others are typically rooted to the ground, giving you no option to quickly and easily mill your trees in different places. With Frontier Sawmills, you can expand your sawmilling horizons with optional attachments like trailer package, auto blade-lube system, and cam-dogs.

But Wait … There’s More!

  • Frontier Sawmills are safer and more stable in the cut: “They” flex. We don’t
  • We use more material to build a heavier sawmill.
  • The sawhead and carriage are more robust.
  • The entire sawmill is powder-coated or zinc-plated.
  • Frontier Sawmills give rough-sawn a whole new meaning!
  • They’re easy to put together, and the sawhead is already assembled.
  • Norwood Sawmills are known for the “smoothness” of operation and “smoothness” of the sawn lumber. Frontier Sawmills are as close as you can get from ANY mill built outside of North America.
  • You’re protected by our ONE-YEAR non-commercial warranty.

And that’s why we say to anyone looking at getting a sawmill made offshore …

“If you’re going to do it, do it with Norwood!”

We realize that Frontier Sawmills may not be for everybody. But we also know we are serving a lot of folks who might not be able to afford a premium-quality “Made in North America” Norwood, and need this option.

Dependability. Reliability. Durability. Affordability.
With a Frontier Sawmill by Norwood, you get it ALL!

Truth, Integrity, and Dependability

Trust that, at Norwood, you will always get honesty

  • Honesty about how best to maximize the value of your wood,
  • Honesty about what equipment will best suit your unique sawmilling needs, and
  • Honesty about where our sawmills are made.

Engineering and building sawmills is at the core of our company, but the heart of Norwood is giving you the tools, facts, and knowledge you need to maximize the value of your trees. The only way we know how to do that is with integrity.

Discover the portable sawmill that’s right for you.