Lionel Trebilcock serves as Senior Vice President of Operations at Millwood where he oversees all Whitewood pallet operations and sawmills. With a lifetime immersed in the pallet and sawmill industry, Lionel brings deep operational knowledge, hands-on leadership and a practical mindset to every aspect of his role. His career reflects a commitment to learning from the ground up, solving problems head-on and leading Teams through example.

Lionel’s path into the industry began at a very young age. Growing up, his father ran operations for Lionel’s grandfather at Litco and spent much of his time traveling to sawmills and pallet shops. Family visits often meant time spent around facilities rather than traditional job sites. When his father later started his own business, Lionel was constantly around operations, equipment and people. From those early experiences, the industry became second nature. As Lionel puts it, he knew from a young age what he wanted to do for a career.

Throughout his career, Lionel has worked in many different roles within pallet and sawmill operations. While each position brought its own lessons, one experience stands out as especially formative. Lionel was part of a small traveling team of about five individuals tasked with turning around underperforming plants. This role provided an in-depth education in business, leadership and teamwork. The Team worked closely with Lionel’s father to learn what it truly takes to rebuild a plant from the ground up.

Together with strong background support, the Team was able to transform a facility that was losing one million dollars into a plant generating one million dollars in profit within a year. Each evening the Team gathered to reflect on daily performance, identify changes and plan improvements for the next day. The group lived together in a shared house for over a year until the goals were achieved. Nightly dinners became informal strategy sessions where Lionel’s father reviewed accomplishments and outlined next steps. This experience taught Lionel every aspect of operations from production and people to accountability and continuous improvement.

For Lionel, challenges are part of daily life in pallets and sawmills. People, weather and equipment all present ongoing obstacles. He believes success comes from willingness to try new ideas, even knowing some will fail. Over the years, he has seen successes and setbacks and has learned that innovation requires risk. If you don’t try something, you never know if it will work.

What sets Millwood apart in Lionel’s view is that the company is far more than a pallet supplier. When customers face challenges, Millwood works tirelessly to find solutions. That commitment to service extends internally as well, creating a culture where Teams support one another and push forward together.

Lionel’s leadership philosophy is shaped by strong mentors and years of experience. He believes in leading by example and never asking someone to do something he would not do himself. Showing people that you care builds trust and strengthens Teams. For Lionel, leadership means being present, working alongside others and setting the standard through action. His approach reflects a simple belief that when leaders lead the way, teams will follow.

As Senior Vice President of Operations, Lionel remains focused on building strong facilities, supporting Team Members and advancing Millwood’s mission through dedication, accountability and hard work. His career stands as a testament to learning from experience, embracing challenges and always striving to do better tomorrow than yesterday.