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While most teenage boys spend their time playing video games or hanging out with friends, Dylan LePoudre fills every free moment of his week with back-breaking work.
The 13-year-old and his dad make the 120 kilometre drive to a piece of land near Davidson at least once a week.
When they arrive, LePoudre grabs his axe and gets to work.
The enterprising 13-year-old is putting his impressive work ethic to the test with the expansion of his business — Forrest Firewood.
Thirteen-year-old Dylan LePoudre has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and an incredible work ethic. He puts in many long hours on the weekend and after school to run his business. (Submitted)
“I started this business last summer, when I was 12, with some help from both my parents and my sister,” LePoudre said.
He chose to turn his business focus toward firewood because it is a resource that is easily accessible for him.
“My dad owns a native prairie two hours out of the city, right beside Davidson,” he said.
LePoudre travels to a native prairie near Davidson at least once a week to harvest his firewood. (Submitted)
LePoudre and his dad make regular trips to the prairie, a section of grassland and dense forest abounding with trembling aspen trees, which he says make great quality firewood.
He then uses a trailer to haul the trees to Shields, where he does the majority of the manual labour associated with his business.
“I have a wood splitter that I use to cut the logs into four to six pieces. Then I make a massive pile, and let it dry for four to five months depending on the weather,” he said.
LePoudre said he can tell the wood is ready to move on to the next step in his process when it feels very dry and light. He then bundles the firewood and kindling before selling it.
“Right now I have three different products,” he said. “My firewood bundle, my kindling bundle, and I also sell hand planed shavings that are really nice.”
LePoudre harvests, cuts, and bundles his firewood by hand. (Submitted)
While most other kids his age save their money to buy gaming consoles or fancy new kicks, LePoudre plans to invest his earnings back into the business.
“I’m mainly saving to just buy better equipment. We’re planning to buy a trailer, and that would help me a lot. Right now we don’t have a trailer — I rented one last week to bring back wood.”
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Dylan LePoudre loves making firewood, but he may have some other entrepreneurial aspirations up his sleeve. He has dreams of opening his own vending machine business one day. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
LePoudre said he spends most weekends working on his business, and he also works after school when he needs to.
Last year his business was more of a hobby, but this year he hopes to take it to the next level.
“I made a business card, I am making a website right now that I might publish soon, I have flyers, posters, social media, I am planning to get stickers and magnets soon… I’m trying to do everything I can to advertise.”
He said he doesn’t mind spending most of his free time working, and noted that his muscles have definitely grown over the last year… almost as quickly as his business.
While he loves making firewood, LePoudre isn’t sure if this is going to be a long-term career.
“I’m just kind of thinking of my options right now,” the entrepreneurial teen said with a gleam in his eye.
“I also maybe want to start a new side hustle. A vending machine side hustle. Because my dad… at his work they used to have a vending machine, but they don’t have one anymore,” he said.