The History of the Holland Bowl Mill

Bowl turning is an American tradition that began over 150 years ago when wooden bowls were an important part of everyday life.  Each wood bowl was skillfully turned and greatly valued.  Today, turning wood bowls is a vanishing art form, with Holland Bowl Mill being one of only a few commercial producers left in the United States.

The Holland Bowl Mill was started in 1926 by Chester VanTongeren and to this day is still owned and operated by Chester's relatives. The current president and owner of Holland Bowl Mill is Dave Gier, Chester's grandson. The bowl mill is located in Holland Michigan, near the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan.

Because of increasing demand, plans were developed to move and expand the bowl mill in the summer of 2000. With over a year of planning, moving, designing new equipment, and training new craftsmen, the company opened the doors to a new bowl mill production facility in March 2002. The Holland Bowl Mill is now the best and largest solid wood bowl production facility in the world, making beautiful solid hardwood bowls of the highest quality, the same way they were made over 150 years ago.

Holland Bowl Mill manufactures many sizes of beautifully grained wooden bowls. Additional plans are under consideration to expand the product line to different wood bowl shapes and adding other useful wood products.

Holland Bowl Mill sells its products all over the world and in all 50 states. In addition to the general retail market our customers include large kitchenware and specialty retailers, corporate gift and incentive programs and artists and crafters who transform HBM bowls into painted, carved and burned works of art.

It can take close to one hundred years for a hardwood tree to produce the grains that make each Holland Bowl Mill wooden bowl so beautiful. A variety of colors and grain patterns give testimony to the uniqueness of each bowl, no two are exactly alike. We take great pride in bringing this beauty to our all of our customers. Functional and decorative our wood bowls are keepsakes that will last for generations.

Click here to take a picture tour of the Holland Bowl Mill.