Charles H. Bryant Born 1891

Died 1973

In the early 1900’s the Bryant family had lumber and mining operation in Arkansas. By the late 1930’s Uncle Charlie began setting up a series of interlocking partnerships to operate stave mills to saw bourbon staves. Because the transportation of raw material was slow and expensive, it was the practice to move the stave mill to the timber and ship only the produced staves. Each mill had three equal partners. Mr. Bryant supplied the capital, supervised the accounting, and sold the staves. The second partner found and purchased the standing timber, moved a mill into place, and supervised start up operations to harvest the timber and saw the staves. The third partner moved close to the mill and operated the mill and local timber harvesting until the transportation of the white oak in that area became too expensive. The procedure was then repeated in a new area.

This successful arrangement was repeated many times in many states where white oak was plentiful. By the mid 1950’s transportation had improved and a mill could transport white oak timber from a larger area. The mills became more permanent and relied on normal growth in the larger area to create a continuous supply of suitable white oak. As the mills became more permanent the partnerships began to dissolve. Generally the local partner continued to operate the mill as an independent sole owner.

Harciel L. McMillan Born 1912

Died 1983

The partnership mill started in 1940 in Zanesville, Ohio, with Verlin Cowan as local partner, was never moved. The traveling partner, Harciel L. McMillan moved his family to Zanesville in 1948 since most of the post WWII mill development was on the western flank of the Appalachian Mountains. Several portable mills were operated in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania as satellites to the Zanesville partnership. New partnership mills were opened in North and South Carolina.

When the original partnerships began dissolving in the 1950’s, Verlin Cowan and Harciel L. McMillan bought Bryant’s 1/3^rd share and continued operation as a partnership. As transportation and machinery continued to improve into the 1960’s all the satellite mills were abandoned in favor of a single mill at Zanesville. When Verlin Cowan retired in the late 1960’s Harciel L. “Mac” McMillan bought his interest in the partnership and incorporated as Ohio Stave Company, with all the public stock held by his family. Harciel L. McMillan continued successful operation of the Corporation as president until his death in 1983 at 70 years old.

Harciel Wayne McMillan Born 1938

In 1983 Mac McMillan’s son Harciel Wayne McMillan was elected president and continued operation. During the late 1980’s to the turn of the century the emphasis was changed from all bourbon staves to a variety of wine, export, and bourbon staves. Continued improvements in machinery, efficiency, and quality, have allowed successful operation into the 21^st century. With the improvements in transportation and the emphasis on wine and export staves by the end of the 20^th Centaury Ohio Stave Company was, for the first time, competing in the world market.

Transition to the next generation was begun in the mid 1990’s with the employment of son-in-law, Darren R. Darby. Mr. Darby’s employment contract allowed him to convert his performance bonus to company stock. Today Ohio Stave Company stock is still 100% family owned and all development capital is raised from stockholders.

Darren Richard Darby Born 1967

By 2001 Mr. Darby had a substantial ownership position and was elected President of Ohio Stave Company. His planning and administration is now moving the company into the 21^st century. On December 26, 2004 Mr. Darby resigned his position, as President, without notice. An unsolicited sale was refused by the majority of the stockholders and Wayne McMillan, Vice President of Ohio Stave, was re-elected President of Ohio Stave at the March, 2005 stockholder’s meeting.

Mr. Harciel Wayne McMillan, President of Ohio Stave Company, continues to operate the company today.