Rooted in Family Tradition
As a fourth generation family cooperage company, our roots run deep. For over 100 years ISC has grown by focusing on family, innovation, hard work, and customer service to become a worldwide leader in the coopering industry.
1st Generation: T.W. Boswell
T.W. Boswell grew up in the Missouri Ozarks, where slow growth, fine grain white oak timber is plentiful. T.W. sold his first stave in the early 1900s, modestly advertising “Good Oak Staves and Heading.” He was known to be very generous with his spirit, wealth and time.
1912
T.W. Boswell founded T.W. 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
T.W. Boswell owned and brokered for 36 stave and saw mills in operation across the Midwestern and Southern states.
2nd Generation: J.E. Boswell
J.E. Boswell also grew up in the Ozarks. After graduating with a civil engineering degree from Georgia School of Technology, he returned to join his father in making and selling staves. J.E. was a disciplined, hard-working man who would do calisthenics before breakfast and arrive at the office with a name-tag pinned to his shirt.
1933
Prohibition was repealed. J.E. Boswell entered into the family business, T.W. Boswell and Son, and re-focused on 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
3rd Generation: John Boswell
John Boswell continued his grandfather’s philosophy of providing the market’s best value by designing and building new technology to improve efficiencies and over-deliver on quality. John expanded the family business internationally and established the company’s Research and Development division. He is known as a great innovator, engineer and businessman.
1980s
John Boswell became CEO of Independent Stave Company and greatly expanded production, establishing multiple cooperages.
Late 1980s
John focused on further developing the company’s Premium Wine Barrel Division
1990s
To ensure a high-quality supply of French oak, the family established its first international subsidiary, a stave mill in the Vosges region of northeastern France. International subsidiaries were formed to develop sales teams to best serve the local markets in South America, Australia and Bordeaux, France.
4th Generation: Brad, Amie and Joe Boswell
Siblings Brad, Amie and Joe Boswell trained as coopers throughout their childhood. Having grown up in business, they’ve developed an enthusiasm for barrels and the spirits industry. Today, Amie, Brad and Joe work together with their father to continue the Boswell legacy in the world of cooperage. They are excited to some day pass on the family business to their young children, the 5th generation of Boswell’s to operate ISC.
2000s
The Boswell’s developed barrel production on four continents to meet the growing demand for oak worldwide.
2012
Over 100 years after its founding, the company continues to evolve thanks to a commitment to quality and innovation, our excellent associates, and a continual interest in collaborating with distillers and winemakers around the world.
2017
Brad Boswell is named CEO of the company. Over his 15 years of leadership, Brad has built a company grounded in integrity with an authentic commitment to be trustworthy, respectful and fair with our employees, customers and business partners.