We’ve Made it Our Mission

To craft world-class oak barrels and other cooperage products so our employees, customers and communities flourish.

A Growing Heritage


It’s been over 100 years since our founding, and Independent Stave Company continues to evolve thanks to a commitment to quality and innovation, our dedicated associates, and a continual interest in collaborating with distillers and winemakers around the world.

1912

TW Boswell founded TW Boswell Stave Company, a stave mill supplying white oak staves for cooperage.

1919

Due to prohibition, T.W. shifted his attention to non-alcoholic cooperage such as fruit and salted meat barrels.

1920

TW Boswell owned and brokered for 36 stave and saw mills in operation across the Midwestern and Southern states.

1933

Prohibition was repealed and J.E. Boswell entered into the family business - TW Boswell and Son - manufacturing bourbon and wine staves.

1936

Company renamed "Independent Stave Company" to reflect the company's position as the premier stave mill facility not owned by a distillery, brewery or winery.

1950s

J.E. founded the family's first cooperage in Lebanon, Missouri.

1980s

John Boswell became CEO of Independent Stave Company and greatly expanded production, establishing multiple cooperages.

1990

Oak Solutions Group enters the oak alternative industry producing premium oak products and providing expert advice to the wine and spirits industries.

1990s

To ensure a high-quality supply of French oak, John established the family's first international subsidiary, a stave mill in the Vosges region of northeastern France - Merrain International.

1999

Missouri Mulch is created to fully utilize oak used in barrel making, manufacturing and distributing decorative mulch, wood chips and compost.

2000s

The Boswell's developed barrel production on four continents to meet the growing demand of oak worldwide.

2001

A creative French cooperage blending savoir-faire and contemporary expertise, Tonnellerie Quintessence is built in the heart of Bordeaux wine country.

2004

Heinrich Cooperage is purchased amongst the rolling hills and vineyards of Australia’s famous Barossa Valley. They produce premium quality American oak barrels.

2005

A Tonnellerie Quintessence cooperage is built in Santiago, Chile to provide onsite service to customers in South America.

2010s

Independent Stave Company continues to grow building two new stave mills in Kentucky.

2016

Tonnellerie du Monde, subsidiary of Independent Stave Company, partners with an artisan Burgundian cooperage, Tonnellerie Tremeaux.

2017

Brad Boswell is named CEO. He continues to build a company with a commitment to be trustworthy, respectful and fair with our employees and customers.

August 2017

Independent Stave Company invests in Kentucky Bourbon Barrel, known for high-quality used bourbon and whiskey barrels.

May 2019

Independent Stave Company began purchasing timber, starting with 3,000 acres in Tennessee.

November 2019

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel – South opens in Lebanon, KY

2021

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel – Ireland opens in Newbridge, Co. Kildare

December 2022

Commonwealth Cooperage opens in Morehead, Kentucky. It is the third domestic new barrel cooperage for Independent Stave Company.