Many people in the portable sawmill community know Chris Browne or have at least heard of him. Born and bred in Rotorua, New Zealand, Chris is a typical DIY Kiwi bloke who can put his hand to anything. He is also Peterson Portable Sawmills’ Factory Manager and Designer and as such, has played a crucial role in shaping the company over the last 30 years.
With a background in automotive engineering, heavy earth moving equipment, farming and manufacturing, Chris has a great insight to the uses and practicalities of machinery.
Chris’s first working role as a farm hand at age 15 taught him to think outside the box which shaped his ‘number 8 wire’ creative mentality.
Peterson Portable Sawmills’ current CEO Kerris Browne (nee Peterson) ‘discovered’ Chris at the age of 18 and invited him into the Peterson business. He fit in perfectly, and promptly set to work making the machines more user-friendly, stronger, more reliable, and simpler to build.
“When I was still at school,” said Chris, “my teachers told me I had to make a choice between working with wood or metal, now I was working with both!”