Automatic Stick-Placing Stackers
Gillingham-Best provides the world's most reliable automatic stick-placing stackers — a true specialist, focused on one category. Mills run single-man operation, no scheduled PM, no service contract required. GBI stackers just run.
GBI's Core Business
Green-End Sawmills
Post-saw, pre-kiln. Automatic or manual stick placing matched to your throughput target and species mix.
Learn More →Dry-End Planer Mills
Post-kiln solid-pack stacking. Dimensional and random-length packages staged and ready for shipment.
Learn More →Lumber & Plywood Treatment Plants
Pre-treatment stick placing and post-treatment solid pack — often handled efficiently by a single GBI machine.
Learn More →Automatic Stick-Placing Stacker
GBI's flagship. Patented VPG technology stacks lumber and places stickers in a single automated cycle — single-operator, no scheduled PM, bowed-board capable. Over 90% of GBI's business.
Learn More →Manual Stick-Placing Stacker
Automated stacking cycle with operator-placed stickers. Right-sized for hardwood mills and specialty softwood operations where fully automatic stick placing isn't the fit.
Learn More →Solid Pack Stacker
No stick placing required. High-volume solid packages for dry-end planer mills and post-treatment stacking — same extreme duty cycle hydraulic design as the VPG line.
Learn More →Hybrid Plywood / Lumber Stacker
One machine handles both plywood panels and dimensional lumber on the same treating plant line — without sacrificing throughput on either product type.
Learn More →Sticker Feed & Collection
Automated unscrambling, distribution, and return keeps the stacker magazine supplied hands-free.
Infeed & Outfeed Transfer
Feed chain and transfer systems engineered to the throughput capacity of the stacker line.
Breakdown Hoist
Powered destacking at kiln outfeed or dry storage, matched to stacker throughput.
Why Mills Choose GBI
Specialist Focus
Over 90% of GBI's business is automatic stick-placing stackers. GBI is a true specialist — going deep in one category rather than broad across many.
No PM. No Service Contract.
GBI's hydraulic systems are engineered to run without scheduled preventive maintenance programs or mandatory service agreements. Zero hidden recurring costs.
Hydraulic Ruggedness
Hydraulic architecture is a deliberate engineering choice — field-proven, shock-tolerant, and cold-weather capable. Built for real mill environments, shift after shift.
Single-Man Operation
GBI stackers are designed for efficient single-operator control. High throughput without a large dedicated crew — more output per labor dollar spent.
Modern Controls on a Proven Machine
The mechanical architecture that makes a GBI stacker rugged — VPG, the Fastack frame, hydraulic drive — hasn't changed. What has changed is the controls, sensing, and operator-experience layer around it.
Every new GBI stacker ships on the Third Generation platform: a Rockwell ControlLogix L8 processor with FactoryTalk Optix HMI, EtherNet/IP and IO-Link networking, quick-disconnect field wiring, and a sensing package built from Allen-Bradley, Keyence, and Pepper+Fuchs components. The same capabilities are available as the Controls, Sensors and Monitoring Upgrade for GBI machines already in the field.
Explore the Third Generation Platform →- Crash preventionLaser-based overhead rake-off and pulled-back stick detection halt the cycle before a mechanical crash occurs.
- Stick-in-pan verificationPer-pan IO-Link lasers confirm every stick is correctly seated and verify lumber length before the next cycle runs.
- Auto-cycle operationPhotoeye-driven auto-cycle reduces operator workload and supports sustained single-operator production.
- Retrofit-readyThe Controls, Sensors and Monitoring Upgrade brings Third Generation capability to existing GBI field machines.
Startup and Training Included. No Surprises.
Every GBI quote includes startup and training — no hidden end-of-job costs. Tell us your throughput targets, lumber product mix, and mill layout, and GBI will engineer the right system for your operation.
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