Episode 130 - Steve and Rebecca Ebner are a father and daughter team who own Mayanunk Timber in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Stephen Ebner
Following several years working in heavy industry, Steve Ebner’s love affair with wood began in 1981 when he started working as a carpenter in Philadelphia. After twelve years of carpentry experience, he started his own furniture shop which would lead to the creation of Manayunk Timber, Inc., the premier urban sawmill in Philadelphia.
Manayunk Timber processes lumber reclaimed from Philadelphia industrial-era factories built from the 1880s through the 1920s and local trees that are no longer viable, due to disease, storms, or construction. Beginning in 1985, Steve began purchasing 300- to 500-year-old timbers from the demolition sites of the old factories. In the 1990s, Manayunk Timber became the only Philadelphia sawmill to capture local trees instead of sending them to landfills.
With a decreasing supply of reclaimed timber from old factories, Steve believes the future lies in the inexhaustible supply of local trees. To be processed into lumber and wood products, the local trees are sawed, stacked, and then dried (a year for every one-inch thickness). Customers can choose between a huge inventory of seasoned (by air-drying) walnut, cherry, oak, cedar, locust, osage orange, and sassafras, or reclaimed beams and joists with aged, deep patinas.
Steve’s commitment to educating Philadelphia about the beauty and utility of wood goes beyond sawing lumber. Recently, he and his team planted a 3,000-square-foot forest of native trees and bushes, designed to mirror a Pennsylvania forest, in what was previously a parking lot on the lumber yard’s premises. Steve hopes that visitors to Manayunk Timber will make connections between the importance of preserving native trees and the furniture and building materials that enrich our everyday life.
Steve is legendary in the wood business for his vast knowledge of reclaimed and native timbers. In the last six years, he has been joined by his daughter, Rebecca, in operating Manayunk Timber. Together, they have gained national attention with a video on urban sawmilling.
Now, Rebecca is putting her own stamp on Manayunk Timber’s future vision in support of sustainability.
Rebecca Ebner
Rebecca Ebner is the manager of Manayunk Timber. Bringing several years of experience working on organic vegetable and animal farms and organizations focused on expanding access to healthy foods in Philadelphia, she joined Manayunk Timber in 2015.
Over the past six years, Rebecca has learned every aspect of the business, from milling and sawing lumber to furniture construction. In her current role as manager, she is responsible for activities such as coordinating customer service, generating social media content, managing the showroom, and assisting in overseeing the yard and with material acquisitions.
Rebecca graduated from Barnard College in 2012 with a BA in Urban Studies and Environmental Science. She brings a passion for urban sustainability and community engagement, a commitment to Philadelphia, and an involvement in creative and artistic projects to her work with Manayunk Timber. Moving forward, Rebecca’s focus is the future of the company; she hopes to continue Steve’s dreams and make Manayunk Timber a sustainable part of Philadelphia’s small-business community for years to come.