Wood Business
Optimil Machinery mourns the passing of Robert Jefferies

Robert Jefferies

It is with great sadness that Optimil Machinery announces the passing of long-time employee Robert Jefferies. He will be missed by family and friends.

He will also be missed by his work friends at Optimil Machinery, and customers from around the globe who have been accustomed to calling for Robert by name for many service trips and start-ups. He serviced sawmills for 45 years, and was an Optimil employee for almost 25 years.

Robert was always willing to go at a moment’s notice to help a customer in trouble, even if it meant driving for four days straight to get there. Robert spent most of his life working  in the forest industry, his customers and sawmills was his life. One could say that he had sawdust in his blood that one can never get out. Robert was a part of the evolution of Optimil’s products, his constant feedback on improvements helped get us to where we are today.

He was a natural prankster, and always made the jobsite as entertaining as possible, yet serious in getting a job up-and-going and on schedule. Many a time Robert would go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that when he left site the customer was satisfied and felt he had achieved the goals they were expecting.

We would like to thank Robert and his family for their dedication over the years. It took a special person to be able to do what he was able to do. He will be sincerely missed.