Located just 45 minutes south of the Kentucky border is a small Tennessee town.  Rickman, TN is a community much like those that you’ll drive through during a trip on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  Rickman is home to a post office, an elementary school, several churches and small businesses- and is now home to our eleventh stave mill in the United States.  We also have mills in Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Alabama, and Kentucky.

On June 14, 2023, Independent Stave Company officials along with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, announced a $30 million investment to establish new manufacturing operations in Rickman, Tennessee.

After scouring the region, the property in Rickman was chosen as it included a large area of land that could be industrially developed while also positioning the mill among quality white oak timber.  Both those aspects, coupled with an available workforce, made Rickman a perfect fit.  The construction of this new stave mill will help meet the continued growth needs of our customers while also creating nearly 100 new jobs in Tier 4, At-Risk Overton County.

Steven Barlow, County Executive Overton County, grew up on the property and lived in a two-story farmhouse until the age of 8.  His father worked the farm raising tobacco and registered angus cattle.  “The pond on the property was stocked with plenty of fish and we would spend free time fishing it,” Barlow shared.  The old house was rented out until the late 90's and was eventually torn down. Thrasher Farms bought the property in 1995.