Cleereman Industries

What Cleereman Industries does

Cleereman Industries designs and manufactures sawmill machinery and integrated control systems for North American hardwood, softwood, and stave mill operators from its headquarters in Newald, Wisconsin and a secondary facility in Crandon, Wisconsin. The product portfolio spans primary breakdown (carriages, carriage drives, log turners, HD848 debarkers, turnkey Lumber Pro/Saw Mill Packages), secondary breakdown (bandmills, resaw systems, trimmer lines, multiple edger configurations), ancillary material handling (track frames, log and lumber conveying, log merchandising), and the Cleereman Controls division, which delivers proportional and linear setworks controls with PLC, HMI, Delta RMC motion controllers, and JoeScan 3D laser scanning optimization, plus operator cabs and a VR-based Simulator Cab for operator training.

The company makes money primarily through direct, quote-based capital equipment sales, supplemented by rebuilds and maintenance services, drive maintenance, custom engineering and design work, and a smaller stream of pre-owned equipment sales. Pricing is opaque (no public list prices; engagement via phone and a website quote form), consistent with a consultative, high-consideration sale to independently owned sawmills. Distribution is direct only, with no resellers or dealers, and demand generation relies on customer video and written testimonials, trade show presence (HMA, NHLA, Expo Richmond), and earned media in industry publications. Cleereman is a fifth-generation family-owned private company led by CEO Fran Cleereman and President Paul Cleereman, with Cleereman Controls operating as a division under President Stefan Dracobly; the company carries no external institutional capital and has not disclosed revenue.

Name

Cleereman Industries

Legal name

Cleereman Industries

Website

https://cleereman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cleereman Industries is a fifth-generation, family-owned Wisconsin manufacturer of sawmill machinery and integrated controls — carriages, edgers, bandmills, debarkers, and setworks — sold direct to North American hardwood, softwood, and stave mill operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sawmill Machinery Manufacturing

NAICS

Sawmill, Woodworking, and Paper Machinery Manufacturing (333243)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Logging Equipment (IMAHACAK)

Keywords

• Sawmill machinery manufacturing
• Lumber processing equipment
• Carriage drive systems
• Edger systems design
• Log handling machinery

Headquarters

HQ city

Mauston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sawmill Machinery Equipment Sales: New sawmill machinery including carriages, carriage drives, log turners, debarkers, bandmills, edgers, resaw systems, trimmer lines, stave mill equipment, track frames, log/lumber conveying, cable tighteners, saw husks and accessories. Sold directly to sawmills.
2. Used Equipment Sales: Pre-owned sawmill equipment including Model AS-48 Carriage, Model HS-380 Proportional Carriage, Model LP38 Carriage, Model LP42 Carriage, and Model LP48 Carriage.
3. Engineering & Design Services: Custom engineering and design services for sawmill setup and optimization.
4. Rebuilds & Maintenance Services: Mill equipment rebuild and maintenance services to restore and extend equipment life.
5. Drive Maintenance Services: Drive system maintenance including replacement of gear boxes, shafts, gears & bearings, and cable drums for AC & DC drives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cleereman Industries designs and manufactures sawmill machinery and integrated automation controls for hardwood and softwood mills. Core product lines span carriages, carriage drives, log turners, debarkers, bandmills, edgers, resaws, trimmer lines, conveying, hydraulic power units, and turnkey sawmill packages, all paired with Cleereman Controls (proportional and linear setworks with HMI and optional 3D laser scanning). The company also sells used equipment, and provides engineering/design, rebuild, and drive maintenance services to mill operators.

Product overview

Cleereman Industries is a manufacturer of sawmill machinery and controls with over 70 years of experience. The company does not offer a unified platform with modules; rather, it provides a diversified portfolio of standalone equipment products organized into categories. Primary Breakdown products include Sawmill Carriages (AS, HS, LP series), Carriage Drives, Carriage Rail, Log Turners (Versa Turner, Standard 36 & 42 Bar Turner, Bottom Pivot 42 Bar Turner), HD848 Debarker, and complete Lumber Pro/Saw Mill Packages. Secondary Breakdown includes Bandmills (CL54, CL62), Resaw Systems, Trimmer Lines, and multiple Edger Systems (Cleereman Board Edger, Cleereman Gang Edger, Cleereman Combination Edger, Board Edger Feed Systems). Ancillary products include Track Frames, Log Conveying, Lumber Conveying, Log Merchandising Line, Cable Tighteners & Sheaves, and Saw Husks & Accessories. Cleereman Controls encompasses Proportional Controls, Linear Controls (with 3D scanning), Debarker Controls, Simulator Cab, Operator Booths, and Hydraulic Power Units. Specialized equipment includes Stave Mill Equipment. Beyond equipment, Cleereman offers Engineering & Design, Rebuilds & Maintenance, and Drive Maintenance services. The company also sells Used Equipment and maintains two locations in Wisconsin (Newald and Crandon).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cleereman Controls: Control systems and automation products for sawmill machinery, including setworks, proportional controls, linear controls, and operator interfaces.

Products and services

• Cleereman Board Edger Optimized or manual board edger with poly belt drive system, 3 15/16 inch mandrels, and full 1 inch thick main frames, available in 2 or 3 saw configurations with 4 to 8 inch depth of cut options.
• Cleereman Gang Edger Gang edger with 1-1/4 inch side plates, linear fence with five predefined positions, poly belt drive system, and 5-3/8 inch chromed mandrel.
• Cleereman Combination Edger Combination edger featuring 2 saw board configuration with 15 inch gang, poly belt drive system with 3-15/16 inch chromed mandrel and 5-3/8 inch cluster sleeve.
• Board Edger Feed Systems Rugged board feed system designed for industrial headrigs or heavy-duty board edger applications, customizable to layout, production, and maintenance requirements.
• Proportional Controls Economical setworks system for proportional set shaft carriages using PLC components with HMI interface; supports 4 species, 8 board and 8 cant set sizes per species, and 4 cutting options (Live Saw, Cant Fill, Stack Fill, Back set).
• Linear Controls Setworks system for linear carriages with JoeScan 3D laser scanning, industrial computer, and upgradable 3D log scanning; features coordinated knee skewing, 15 inch HMI, and scanning and optimization capabilities.
• Debarker Controls Control system featuring premium MAG-200 joystick seat, SureGrip electric joystick controls, overhead HMI operator display panel with log line dispatch, and adjustable debarker head pressures from operator seat.
• Simulator Cab Virtual reality simulator replicating a Cleereman cab using real hardware including PLC, RMC Motion Controller, and HMI displays, with three 70 inch TV screens for immersive operator training.
• Versa Turner Compact log turner with heavy wall tube construction, 1 1/4 inch bar sides and 2 15/16 inch ductile pivot pins; economical replacement for worn bar or chain turners.
• Standard 36 & 42 Bar Turner Heavy duty bar turners with 1-1/2 inch fabricated steel main frame, stress relieved T1 alloy steel turner bar, and 2-1/2 inch bore cushioned cylinders in a bottom pivot style log turner assembly.
• Bottom Pivot 42 Bar Turner Heavy duty bottom pivot log turner for mills with structural supports that prevent standard bar log turners from swinging under the track frame; center pivot assembly with 12, 15, and 18 inch backstroke cylinder options.
• Sawmill Carriages Sawmill carriages for primary log breakdown, available in AS, HS, and LP series with multiple configurations including left/right hand and different headblock counts.
• Carriage Drives Carriage drive systems for powering sawmill carriages in AC and DC drive configurations.
• Carriage Rail Carriage rail systems for guiding sawmill carriages during log breakdown operations.
• HD848 Debarker Heavy duty debarker designed for high production sawmill applications.
• Lumber Pro/Saw Mill Packages Complete sawmill packages combining multiple Cleereman products for turnkey mill installations.
• Bandmills (CL54 and CL62) Bandmills in CL54 (8 inch blade, 125 HP) and CL62 (10 inch blade, 150 HP) models with double column frame, heavy-duty air strain, and cartridge pressure guide.
• Resaw Systems Resaw systems for secondary breakdown of lumber, maximizing yield from cants and slabs.
• Trimmer Lines Lumber trim lines for cutting lumber to specified lengths and sorting finished lumber products.
• Stave Mill Equipment Equipment specifically designed for stave mill operations in barrel and container manufacturing.
• Track Frames Track frames for sawmill carriage systems and log handling equipment.
• Log Conveying Log conveying systems for transporting logs through the mill from debarking through breakdown.
• Lumber Conveying Lumber conveying systems for transporting cut lumber through the mill for sorting, trimming, and stacking.
• Log Merchandising Line Log merchandising equipment for sorting and processing logs in sawmill operations.
• Cable Tighteners & Sheaves Cable tighteners and sheaves for sawmill carriage and conveyor systems.
• Saw Husks & Accessories Saw husks and accessories for circular saw and band saw operations.
• Operator Booths / Control Booths Cornerless operator cabs and control booths for sawmill operations, designed for optimal visibility and operator comfort.
• Hydraulic Power Units Hydraulic power units for operating sawmill equipment including carriages, edgers, and material handling systems.
• Used Equipment Pre-owned Cleereman equipment including Model AS-48, HS-380 Proportional, LP38, LP42, and LP48 carriages sold directly to sawmills.
• Engineering & Design Services Custom engineering and design services for sawmill layouts, equipment specifications, and mill optimization sold to sawmill operators.
• Rebuilds & Maintenance Services Equipment rebuild and maintenance services for existing Cleereman and other brand sawmill equipment.
• Drive Maintenance Services Drive maintenance including replacement of gear boxes, shafts, gears and bearings, and cable drums for AC and DC drives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production increased by 4,000 feet per shift and yield increased by 10% after replacing oldest carriage with new optimized Cleereman carriage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA)minorOthersIndustry association representing members in Michigan and Wisconsin, committed to leading Forest Products Industry in sustainable forest management. Cleereman is listed on the industry links page.
• Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA)minorOthersNational trade organization limited to hardwood sawmills and lumber concentration yards in the United States. Cleereman participates in HMA National Conference & Expo.
• Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's AssociationminorOthersNon-profit trade organization comprised of sawmills, wholesale brokers, equipment vendors, and secondary users in the hardwood industry. Cleereman listed on industry links page.
• Lake States Lumber AssociationminorOthersAssociation focused on assuring members and industry of a sustainable forest resource, with active lobbying efforts in state and federal legislatures. Cleereman listed on industry links page.
• National Hardwoods Lumber Association (NHLA)minorOthersAssociation representing over 1400 companies from all aspects of the hardwood industry — sawmills, distribution yards, suppliers, transport companies, and landowners. Cleereman participates in NHLA Annual Convention.
• Pennsylvania Forestry AssociationminorOthersCitizen's organization providing leadership and education in sound, science-based forest management. Cleereman listed on industry links page.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Baker Products: Baker Products manufactures sawmill machinery, log handling systems, and material handling equipment for the forest products industry. It competes with Cleereman in carriages, resaws, and ancillary sawmill equipment sold to US sawmills.
• Mellott Manufacturing: Mellott Manufacturing designs and builds sawmill machinery including carriages, log turners, and related equipment. It competes with Cleereman in primary breakdown machinery for the US hardwood and softwood sawmill market.
• Pendu Manufacturing: Pendu manufactures sawmill equipment, optimizing edgers, trimmer lines, and material handling systems for the lumber industry. It is a direct peer in edger systems and secondary breakdown equipment, serving many of the same North American hardwood sawmill customers.
• McDonough Manufacturing: McDonough Manufacturing builds heavy-duty debarkers, chipper-canters, and related primary breakdown equipment for sawmills. It overlaps directly with Cleereman's debarker and primary breakdown product lines serving industrial sawmill customers.
• Wood-Mizer: Wood-Mizer is a global manufacturer of sawmills, band saw blades, and sawmill equipment, with a strong focus on portable and small-to-mid sawmills. While more focused on portable sawmills, it overlaps with Cleereman in bandmill and sawmill equipment offerings.
• Corley Manufacturing: Corley Manufacturing is a long-established US maker of sawmill carriages, edgers, log turners, and related primary breakdown equipment. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Cleereman in North American hardwood sawmill machinery.

Broad incumbents

• John Deere (Forestry): John Deere's forestry division produces skidders, harvesters, and feller bunchers for the logging industry. It is a broad incumbent adjacent to the sawmill value chain, with overlap limited to upstream forestry rather than stationary sawmill equipment.
• Komatsu Forest: Komatsu Forest is a global manufacturer of forestry machinery, including harvesters, forwarders, and related equipment. It is a broad incumbent in the adjacent forestry equipment space, but does not focus on stationary sawmill machinery like Cleereman.
• USNR (U.S. Natural Resources): USNR is a large, diversified supplier of machinery, scanners, and optimization systems for the wood products industry. It competes with Cleereman at the high end with broader solutions (scanning, optimization, and full mill lines), but its portfolio extends well beyond Cleereman's niche.

Others

• Heinrich Wemhöner / Weinig (woodworking machinery): Weinig is a global leader in solid wood and panel processing machinery, including moulders, planers, and saw systems. It is an adjacent industrial woodworking machinery peer, relevant for benchmarking technology and scale rather than direct head-to-head competition in primary sawmill breakdown.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CleeremanInd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cleereman Industries