William Calloway Meadows was a Baptist minister in Pores Knob, NC, who, in about 1900, designed a new type of burr (grist) mill. He patented his invention in 1907 and formed the W. C. Meadows Mill Co. The following year he sold the company to a group of investors from North Wilkesboro, and moved the factory to that city. In 1924 they got into the sawmill business with the purchase of the W. J. Palmer Co.; the combined business was called the Meadows Mills Co., with owners Edward Finley and Richard Finley.

In 1990 the Finleys sold the business to a group of investors, including Bob Hege and June Hege; the business was renamed to Meadows Mills, Inc. The Heges assumed complete control the following year.

In 1998 the company purchased Andrus Saw Sharpeners division of Apex Manufacturing of Eugene, OR. In 2001 they purchased the Miner Edger division of Soule' Steam Feed Works, Inc. of Meridian, MP. In 2004 they purchased sawmill manufacturer Lane Equipment Co. and Lanetech of Barre, VT.

Information Sources

• The Meadows Mills website provide all of the information here.
• The U. S. Forest Products Laboratory published a booklet dated March 1936, Operating small sawmills, methods, bibliography, and sources of equipment by C. J. Telford. A table lists the makers of various types of equipment, including circular sawmills, band sawmills, edgers, and planers. This company was listed as a maker of circular sawmills and edgers.