In The News

Gates Milling, located in Gatesville, NC, is a fully integrated sawmill, planer mill, and dry kiln facility. Founded in 1978 by Brian Martin, the company is now in its third generation of family leadership, led by owners Mark Tuck (COO) and Nancy Tuck (CEO), alongside family leaders Kelsey Kennedy (VP of Operations & Marketing) and Kaitlyn Wood. The leadership emphasizes treating employees like family, using quarterly profit-sharing to boost morale and accountability.

Gates Milling was founded in 1978 by Brian H. Martin in Gatesville, NC. Martin purchased an existing operation to create a niche company focused on producing and remanufacturing Atlantic white cedar products, specializing in custom millwork that larger mills wouldn’t handle. In 1981, burglars set the facility on fire, forcing the company to rebuild and begin expanding. Gates Milling later added Poplar products in 1997 and Cypress products in 1999.

Christopher Sackett is President of Sales and Purchasing at Gates Milling, Inc., a fully integrated hardwood and softwood manufacturer in Gatesville, NC. The company is the largest US producer of Atlantic White Cedar products and exports globally to Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Gates Milling produces over 22 million board feet annually across green lumber, kiln-dried lumber, sawmill lumber, and moulder/planer woods. They offer a wide range of products including Cypress, Atlantic White Cedar, and hardwoods like poplar, available in various grades and dimensions, plus custom pattern stock and moulded products. Sackett brings 29 years of industry experience, with 10 years at the company. He holds a BA from Washington and Lee University and is a graduate of the NHLA inspection school. He has served as vice-president and president of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association, and enjoys fly-fishing and canoeing.

Before we get into the exciting work we’ve been doing with Gates Milling, we want to take a step back and talk about the people behind the name—and why we’re so proud to be partnering with them. Gates Milling started in 1978 as Gates Custom Milling—a small Atlantic White Cedar reman facility launched by Brian Martin. His goal was simple: add value to a beautiful and underutilized resource. A decade later, his daughter Nancy and her husband Mark Tuck joined the operation—and that’s when the next chapter began.