Willie Drake, the President of the Mountain Lumber Company is also its founder. He has built up the organization almost single–handedly.

The story begins in 1974 when he visited West Virginia to procure antique lumber to build a new house. He came across a number of farmhouses and barns in various stages of disrepair and sought to find an application for this huge amount of timber that was being allowed to rot. The answer came to him that this could be used to create antique flooring which is precisely what he set out to do. He founded his company which has since gone on to make some of the finest antique flooring in the world.

Mountain Lumber Company was one of the pioneers in a field that has grown considerably in the three and a half decades since. In the early days, Willie Drake performed all the roles in his company including being chief carpenter. Today the company has two manufacturing facilities and has also diversified into distressed engineered flooring made from specially treated reclaimed wood, which is their own invention. Mountain Lumber's products match any décor, lifestyle, architectural or interior decorative theme. Willie Drake as President tours the world sourcing rare specimens of antique wood for restoration.

When referring to antique hardwood flooring, the words "old growth" and "reclaimed wood" are used synonymously. Many believe they are one and the same. But this is not the case and Mountain Lumber goes to great lengths to explain the difference. Antique wood that ML uses is earlier–cut timber that has already been used for some purpose and is salvaged for reuse, or recycled. Old growth is virgin timber from old trees typically over 100 years old. ML antique wood floors are made only of reclaimed wood which makes a significant environmental impact.

Reclamation is a painstaking process requiring patience and meticulous effort. To salvage old beams and joists, a building has to be dismantled rather than demolished. On reaching ML's factories, the timber is thoroughly inspected to detect signs of decay. Any hidden nails, screws or other metal pieces are identified with metal detectors then removed. Only then is the wood sawn into planks before being kiln–dried. When this process is completed the timber is milled into flooring planks, graded, precision–squared and end–matched then packaged for dispatch.

Quality is a byword at ML. Each plank is rigidly inspected both for appearance, stability and dimensional accuracy. The company offers a unique warranty of a full refund up to 30 days from arrival, but before installation, if the customer is in any way dissatisfied.

The company is equally conscious and proud of its environmental–friendly philosophy. The Rainforest Alliance, one of the world’s leaders in FSC forest management has awarded it with a Chain-Of-Custody certification by the Forest Stewardship Council. This is for its use of post–consumer recycled materials. ML has joined the USGBC in promoting the LEED Green Building Rating System and is totally committed to green building.