By Alexa Vorster, Wood-Mizer Oceania
April 14, 2026
Inspired by CSK's story? Find out how you can build your own successful sawmill business — become a Wood-Mizer dealer today.
How It All Began
In 2000, Liz Flanjak and her husband purchased Combined Saw and Knife (CSK) — a bandsaw blade and sawmill services business based in Deception Bay, north of Brisbane. Liz recalls that at the time she “didn’t know what a bandsaw blade was.” Tragically, on the very day the business settled, her husband was killed, and Liz found herself responsible for running a business in an industry she was only beginning to understand.
It was not the start either of them had planned. But with the support of her team, Liz chose to continue — learning the trade from the ground up, building product knowledge, and establishing the customer relationships that would become the foundation of everything CSK is today.
Learning the Trade in a Male-Dominated Industry
Running a business as a woman in the Australian timber and sawmill industry is not the path of least resistance. Liz navigated it anyway — asking hard questions, making mistakes, and earning the respect of customers who deal in results, not credentials.
The knowledge she and her team built over those years is not theoretical. It comes from years of working alongside Australian sawmillers — sole operators, timber farmers, small manufacturers — who depend on sharp, consistent blades to make a living. When a blade performs poorly, production stops. When it fails mid-cut on hardwood, so does the job.
That practical, experience-based understanding became, and remains, CSK’s most valuable differentiator.
Why Australian Hardwood Is a Different Challenge
Here’s something many overseas blade suppliers don’t fully appreciate: Australian hardwood is brutal on blades.
Species like ironbark, spotted gum, and jarrah rank among the densest, most abrasive timbers in the world. They blunt edges faster, generate more heat during cutting, and demand greater consistency in blade tension and tooth geometry than softwoods or many imported species. Off-the-shelf solutions that work elsewhere often fail — literally — when they meet Australian conditions.
CSK’s customers range from weekend hobby sawyers on rural properties to commercial operators processing hundreds of cubic metres a month. What they share is a need for advice grounded in real experience with Australian materials — not general-purpose recommendations lifted from a catalogue.
This is the gap CSK fills. And it is why the right blade, set up correctly for the right timber, is at the heart of everything they do.
Ahead of the Curve: Going Online Early
One of Liz’s early decisions proved to be particularly far-sighted: launching an online store for bandsaw blades and sharpening services at a time when most competitors in the Australian market hadn’t yet considered it.
Within days of going live, the first order arrived. It was the beginning of a growth trajectory that allowed CSK to serve customers across the whole of Australia — not just those close enough to drive to Deception Bay. That combination of deep local expertise and genuinely national reach remains one of CSK’s core strengths today.
A Global Partnership Built on Performance
Around 2019–2020, Liz was introduced to Jean-Jacques (JJ) Oelofse, President of Emerging Markets at Wood-Mizer. It was through that relationship that CSK began trialling Wood-Mizer blade coils as a solution to the limitations of local supply. The results were immediate and clear.
Wood-Mizer’s blades consistently outperformed alternatives on the demanding species CSK’s customers were cutting. The quality was reliable enough, and the performance difference significant enough, that Liz had no hesitation in taking the next step: becoming the official Wood-Mizer blade coil distributor for Australia.
The partnership transformed CSK’s product offering. Where customers once had to choose from a limited range, they could now access blades precisely matched to their timber type, mill model, and cutting style. For hardwood operators in particular — who have less margin for error — that precision makes a measurable difference to productivity and cost per cut.
From Blades to Sawmills: A Natural Next Step
In 2023, Liz attended LIGNA in Hanover, Germany — one of the world’s premier woodworking and timber processing trade shows. Walking the floor among global manufacturers and innovators, she saw clearly what her customers had already been telling her: demand for portable sawmill solutions in Australia was growing, and CSK was uniquely positioned to serve it.
CSK brought in its first container of Wood-Mizer sawmills. The logistics were challenging. The space constraints were real. But the move was a natural extension of what CSK had been building for years — and the customers confirmed it.
In October 2024, CSK officially marked the expansion with an opening event attended by Robert Baginski, President of Wood-Mizer Europe, who flew from the company's headquarters in Poland specifically for the occasion. His presence said more than any formal announcement could — for Liz, it was a recognition of everything CSK had built, and a reminder that the relationship with Wood-Mizer runs a lot deeper than a supply agreement.
“Performance is not just about the machine — it’s about the right blade, the right setup, and the right knowledge.”
What Working with CSK Actually Looks Like
For customers — especially those new to sawmilling or switching from another setup — CSK offers something most online retailers cannot: hands-on support grounded in real-world experience.
Prospective sawmill buyers are regularly invited to cut on-site before taking delivery. They run their own timber through the machine, test different blade profiles, and see firsthand what feed rates and tooth geometry work best for their specific wood. It removes the guesswork from what is often a significant investment.
CSK’s team includes qualified saw doctors, delivery drivers, and customer support staff who understand the practical realities of sawmilling — not just product specifications. Jim, Liz’s husband, starts early each morning in the workshop, while Liz manages customer enquiries and overall operations. Together, they run a business where knowing your customer’s timber is as important as knowing your product range.
The Next Generation
Liz’s son, Nick, is now taking a lead role in the business, focusing on Wood-Mizer sawmill sales, customer support, and expanding that side of the operation. His involvement brings fresh energy while maintaining the continuity of relationships and values CSK has built over more than two decades.
With Liz, Jim, and Nick working together, CSK is not just sustaining a legacy — it is actively extending it into its next chapter. A family business, in the truest sense, built around practical knowledge, strong partnerships, and a genuine commitment to the people who depend on them.
Legacy Still Growing
CSK’s story is not, at its core, a business story. It is a story about a person who chose to keep going — and in doing so, built something that genuinely matters to the people who rely on it.
From a business inherited on the worst day of her life, to a nationally recognised supplier of bandsaw blades and Wood-Mizer sawmills across Australia, Liz and her team have earned their reputation the hard way. That reputation is built on knowledge, relationships, and consistency — not on marketing.
It is not just a story of products or progress, but of people — of choosing to carry on, and in doing so, building something lasting.