About Four Oaks

the Luder family

Ryan and Jen have been married since 2005. Ryan is a 14 year Navy veteran, leaving active duty as Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician in late 2016 to spend more time with his wife and two children, Audri and Rodrik. Ryan is continuing to serve his country in the Navy Reserve while Jen has a full time career and assists with Four Oaks projects and marketing.

The four Oaks story

Our partnership starts with Roger, who has over 40+ years in carpentry and construction experience. He started building geodesic dome homes and buildings throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota from the mid 70’s, into the late 80’s. To provide more stable income for his family, Roger switched gears and started a career in the Wisconsin prison system, all the while continuing to hone his woodworking skills. Purchasing the farm in Wisconsin allowed him a vast resource of various types of Oak, Maple, and Walnut wood. Turning his hobby into an obsession and additional means of income, Roger started acquiring many tools, saws, and other machinery over the years resulting in an ideal woodshop to pass along his skills and expertise.

The driving force in Four Oaks LLC is Roger’s son, Ryan. Ryan was born and raised in Wisconsin but left the farm in 2003 to begin his career in the Navy. Ryan fought hard to become a member of special operations, and in 2007, he graduated from Explosive Ordinance Disposal school in Florida. While he enjoyed the challenges and adventures being a Navy EOD tech offered, he grew tired of frequently being away from his family. It was while sitting outside the Delirium Cafe in 2011 on a backpacking trip through Europe that he started formulating an exit strategy. After much planning, Ryan and his family left the Navy life in late 2016 so Ryan could apprentice under his father and focus on woodworking full-time.