--- title: "Inside Gates Milling: Three Generations of Craft, Care, and Continuous Growth" description: From Atlantic White Cedar to cutting-edge innovation, Gates Milling blends tradition, technology & family to lead the way in specialty wood products. image: https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-04-25%20114431.png --- [![McDonough Manufacturing Company](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BID%20+%20McDonough%20logo%20horizontal.png?width=233&height=60&name=BID%20+%20McDonough%20logo%20horizontal.png "McDonough Manufacturing Company")](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com) Open main menu Close main menu - [Home](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com) - [Products](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products) Open the submenu - [Resaws](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/resaws) - [Bandmills](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/bandmills) - [Carriages](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/carriages) - [Board Edgers](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/board_edger) - [Gangs](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/gang-edgers) - [Material Handling](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/material-handling) - [Custom Rolls](https://info.mcdonough-mfg.com/en-us/mcdonough-custom-rolls) - [Current Inventory](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/inventory) - [Equipment Videos](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/videos) - [Parts & Service](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/parts) Open the submenu - [Parts](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/parts) - [Wheels](https://info.mcdonough-mfg.com/wheels) - [Service](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/service) - [Specialty Services](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/services) - [Tips & Tricks](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/tips) - [Linear Bearing Saw Guide Assembly](https://info.mcdonough-mfg.com/en/linear_guide_assembly) - [Linear Edger Guide](https://info.mcdonough-mfg.com/en/linear_edger_guide_download_page) - [Our Story](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/about) Open the submenu - [Projects](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/projects) - [Blog](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog) - [Careers](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/careers) - [Contact Us](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/contact) [Team McDonough](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/tag/team-mcdonough) # Inside Gates Milling: Three Generations of Craft, Care, and Continuous Growth [Jenna Kennedy](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/author/jenna-kennedy) [Share this blog post on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/gates-milling) [Share this blog post on Facebook ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/gates-milling) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/gates-milling) ![](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-04-25%20114431.png) 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. Mark came on board in 1988, bringing a deep curiosity and hands-on understanding of how equipment and systems work together. His technical insight helped Gates Milling evolve from a modest operation to a leader in innovation and efficiency. Under his leadership, annual production jumped from 400,000 board feet to nearly 12 million. He’s also known for his calm, steady presence—something the whole team will tell you goes a long way in a fast-moving manufacturing environment. Nancy officially joined the company in 1992, stepping in with a background in finance and sales. As Brian’s daughter, she’d seen firsthand what it meant to build something from the ground up—and she brought that same drive into expanding Gates’ presence in the wholesale market. She’s played a key role in shaping the company’s customer-first mindset and has always believed that sales isn’t just about product—it’s about understanding its value, its purpose, and its impact. Her focus on environmental stewardship has become a cornerstone of the company’s identity: process wood responsibly, add as much value as possible, and waste nothing. Then came the third generation. Kelsey Kennedy, Mark and Nancy’s oldest daughter, hadn’t always planned to join the family business. She studied Psychology at the University of Virginia and earned an MBA from South University with the intent to pursue healthcare administration. But in 2017, when Gates Milling was looking for someone to help with operations and brand management, Kelsey stepped in. She’s since helped streamline day-to-day production, boost planer mill output, and led a full refresh of the company’s branding—including trademarking its flagship product, *American Cypress*. Today, she’s both the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer. Kaitlyn Wood, the youngest daughter, graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Business Information Technology and spent time with some of the biggest names in the corporate world, including Ernst & Young and CapTech. Since joining Gates Milling in 2020, Kaitlyn has brought her IT and financial acumen to the table as CIO and CFO. She’s helped modernize internal systems and bring a forward-looking, data-driven mindset to how Gates operates—while keeping the company grounded in the family values it was built on. Together, this team brings something rare: decades of hands-on experience, fresh thinking, deep respect for the resource they work with, and a shared commitment to doing things the right way. We’re currently working with Gates Milling on a new OptiFit system—designed to help them maximize their production efficiency and maintain the high standards they’ve built their reputation on. More on that to come. ### Leave a Comment ## Related Articles [![](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/hubfs/jones10.jpg) ](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/jones-lumber) ### [Progress in Motion: Jones Lumber 6’ Resaw System Coming Together](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/jones-lumber) We’re making good progress on the custom-built 6’ Resaw system for Jones Lumber, and things are starting to come together. The system features a Maxx infeed, full run... [Bob Bell](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/author/bob-bell) [Read More](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/jones-lumber) [![](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/hubfs/McDonough%20Manufacturing%20Linear%20Edger%204.png) ](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/why-more-softwood-mills-are-choosing-linear-edgers) ### [Why More Softwood Mills Are Choosing Linear Edgers](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/why-more-softwood-mills-are-choosing-linear-edgers) As the demand for efficiency and recovery grows in the softwood industry, more mills are moving toward linear edger systems. McDonough has been building edgers for... [Jenna Kennedy](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/author/jenna-kennedy) [Read More](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/blog/why-more-softwood-mills-are-choosing-linear-edgers) #### Products - [Resaws](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/resaws) - [Bandmills](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/bandmills) - [Carriages](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/carriages) - [Board Edgers](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/board_edger) - [Gangs](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/products/gang-edgers) - [Material Handling](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/material-handling) - [Current Inventory](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/inventory) - [Sterling Drill Grinder](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/sterling-drill-grinder) #### Parts & Service - [Parts Request](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/parts) - [Service Request](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/service) - [Specialty Services](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/services) #### Our Story - [The McDonough story since 1888](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/about) - [Work at McDonough](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/careers) - [McDonough on the Map](https://www.mcdonough-mfg.com/map) ### Sign up for our newsletter. 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