Keystone Wood Specialties announced that company founder and CEO Samuel D. Stoltzfus died on December 10, 2020, at the age of 69.

Stoltzfus started woodworking as a young boy. Having grown up the son of an Amish farmer and carpenter, he liked tinkering with wood and mimicking toys that his great-uncle Levi made.

In 1972, at the age of 21, he founded his one-man shop, which he eventually grew to become Keystone Wood Specialties, widely recognized as a leader in the wood components industry. Stoltzfus was active in the industry for the past 48 years. During his career, he was as a member of KCMA, CMA, and WCMA, and served as a past president of Wood Products Manufacturing Association.

In 2006, he was honored for his hard work and dedication when he received the woodworking industry’s prestigious Jerry Metz award that recognizes four areas of excellence in manufacturing that its namesake was known for: safety, training, quality, and productivity. Sam fashioned his company in keeping with these principles and Keystone has earned multiple recognitions for safety and employee satisfaction including OSHA’s SHARP certification (2004), “America’s Safest Companies” (2005), Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania (2005), and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence in 2009.

Stoltzfus’ Christian faith guided all aspects of his life. He was deeply committed to his employees in providing a great place to work. He felt personally responsible for them and made daily tours through the manufacturing facility to chat with them about their workday and their lives.

His greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his wife Elaine, daughter Valerie, sons Tim, Nick and Charles, and seven grandchildren.

To send an online condolence to the family, visit www.GroffEckenroth.com.