Manfred Bohlke, founder of M. Bohlke Veneer Corp., died May 20 at 83.

"[He] was a pioneer of the wood veneer business and a legend in our industry," his grandson, and company president, Nick Bohlke, posted on LinkedIn. "He will be greatly missed by all who know him."

M. Bohlke Veneer Corp., which Manfred Bohlke founded in 1966, will "continue to drive forward, carrying on the legacy that MB built, with his love for wood and passion for this business as our compass."

Manfred Bohlke came to the United States as a timber buyer for a German veneer manufacturer in the early 1960s, according to his bio on the company's website. His task, the bio read, was to buy the best quality veneer logs available. 

"When he arrived for the first time in America, it was not just fine walnut logs that he found – it was a new home. With very little money saved, he went out on his own. Mr. Bohlke’s passion for wood paid off and continues to pay off fifty years later. Since then, Mr. Bohlke grew from a logger to a veneer manufacturer, then ultimately to the CEO of the M. Bohlke group of companies that specializes in wood products, including veneer, lumber, logs, spliced faces, and more."

A private burial will be held where he will be interred next to his son, Marc.