Gary Marks - Timber Roots - Jason Todhunter

In 1938 Merle Marks bought an American #1 sawmill from a distant neighbor on the north end of the Elkhorn mountains and installed it on his ranch near Clancy.  This was the start of the timber roots which run deep in the Marks Family to this day. During the ‘40s and ‘50s, the Marks family continued both ranching and milling mining timbers and rough lumber to help support the cattle operation. Merle’s son Bob and his wife, Barbara, continued ranching and milling. As the family grew, Bob had more help with the ranch work and continued operating the mill on an as needed basis and all the kids learned what packing slabs and stacking boards was all about. Bob entered politics in 1969 and served in the Montana legislature for 20 yrs.  As some of you may know the legislature pays very poorly and takes a lot of time so the kids had to put in extra work during these years at the ranch and in the sawmill.  One of these workers was son, Gary Marks. 

Gary Marks started producing and selling fence posts as a sideline while attending vocational technical school. Realizing the need to supplement his income and supply posts for the family ranch, Gary and his father took the opportunity to purchase a homemade post peeler from a nearby rancher and post supplier. Late in the summer of 1975, Gary obtained a contract to provide posts for a Montana Department of Highway job and needed help to fill the order. Gary hired Darrell Miller, who is married to his wife’s cousin, to help him. In January of 1976 he asked Darrell if he would like to become a partner and Marks-Miller Post and Pole was formed.

Luckily, Gary’s wife Debbie and Darrell’s wife Karen each had a job that enabled them to provide food and clothing for their families. As a result, Gary and Darrell were able to build the business by putting any profits back into the business. Many years went by with Gary and Darrell drawing very little in wages. Growth was slow but steady and after several years Marks-Miller had enough assets to begin borrowing operating funds.  In the beginning, Gary and Darrell did everything, including all the maintenance and fabrication. They cut posts in the winter with chainsaws and hand loaded them onto a 2-ton flatbed. In the early spring they would peel the posts on a homemade peeler and stack them to dry. When dry enough they would manually put them in baskets and soak them in a tank of preservative. As time went on, they began to purchase raw fence posts from gyppo post cutters. 

From day one, Gary and Darrell operated the business in an environmentally conscious manner. Their management process has generally stayed one step ahead of the game in this constant state of change in the regulatory world. Both individuals played key roles in establishing and participating in trade organizations including the Montana Logging Association. Through these organizations they lobbied for new, realistic regulations, with the purpose of protecting human health and the environment, while at the same time ensuring that the public can still obtain the products they need at an affordable price.

Growth was slow but steady and equipment and employees (their children included) were added to keep up with the growing demand for posts and rails. Debbie and Karen became an active part of the business early on, with Debbie doing bookkeeping, and Karen handling environmental stewardship and safety culture, which all played a key role in the success of the business.  

In 1987 new EPA registration and regulation on the use of pentachlorophenol, forced the company into a change of chemicals and wood treatment methods. 

In 1988 a new indoor heated waterborne pressure treatment facility was built with CCA being the new preservative of choice. This was a huge investment for us, but circumstances dictated this decision if we were to remain supplying our existing customers a preserved product. It turned out to be a good decision, as our customers adapted to the change and operations were environmentally cleaner, and production was increased at the treatment end of the business.

In 1997 the decision was made to install a new indoor heated peeling facility. This two-year project enabled yearlong daily production with much more automation and a better work environment for employees. A wood chip boiler was added at this time utilizing residuals for total facility heat demands.

Delivered timber needs were met in a variety of ways. Along with individual post cutters who hired their truck to haul the product they cut, gate purchased logs were cut up by hand.  Gary's son Kail swears to this day he cut up over a hundred truckloads of logs by hand one summer. This is probably why he chose to take up teaching as a profession.  In 1996 the company bought a Hahn single grip processor and forwarder to help increase volume delivered.

While working in the woods was most enjoyable for both Gary, Darrell, and woods employees, it proved to be more profitable to try harder to source tree length logs to process up in the yard. Private gyppo cutters gradually became a dying breed, and were replaced by delivered tree length logs. In 2006 the first of four Log Max processors was added to help cut up whips.

​On February 28, 2014, after 38 years in the post business, Darrell and Karen Miller made the decision to retire. Gary and Debbie Marks chose to remain in the business and purchased Darrell’s shares of Marks-Miller Post and Pole Inc.  It was at this time when Gary and Debbie’s son-in-law Clint Weis joined the business to help fill in the void of the retiring partners.

The massive beetle kill in 2009 and years beyond hit most of the Lodgepole within 75 miles of the yard contributing to lots of available timber being sold by the forest service.

While this was devastating to their timber base, the outbreak had short term positive effects on their ability to buy delivered timber. With the quality of wood fiber now deteriorating and becoming unusable it is a concern where the business is going to source timber.

A treatment plant upgrade was made in March 2023. Treatment cylinder length was added, along with new larger piping, pumps, and upgraded computerization. This greatly improved plant efficiency.

We are excited about our existing project to turn our wood residuals into something useful. For the first time since inception, Marks-Miller applied for a USDA Forest Service Infrastructure grant. In 2023 they were awarded a grant to help with financing a large project to briquette residuals into firewood logs. They hope to be in beginning production by the end of 2024. 

Marks-Miller now employs 19 full time and 2 part time employees. Many of the employees that were hired over the years have retired or are still here today. 

Gary and Debbie contribute their success to having good business partners, good family, very good long term loyal employees, customers, loyal loggers, friends, and support from the many business associations who help them keep their Timber Roots growing.