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Quick Take:
A three-year dream of a working windmill sign is about to become a reality for Great Harvest Bread Co. owner Gordo Wood.
After three years of planning and engineering, Great Harvest Bread Co. owner Gordo Wood is finally seeing his ambitious project — a 20-foot working windmill sign for his Willamette Street bakery — take shape.
Wood, who has owned the Eugene bakery with his wife, Jess, since 2014, had the idea for the sign three years ago.
“Part of our logo is a windmill,” Wood said. “We use wheat from Montana, and it’s just an iconic Americana symbol. I said, ‘Oh man, I want to put a windmill up as our sign.’”
What started as a plan to purchase a working windmill became a custom engineering project after the city of Eugene raised concerns about a spinning sign. Wood received approval after clarifying that while the windmill blades would rotate, the sign itself would remain stationary.
The windmill is being fabricated out of metal. When it’s completed, it will stand at the maximum allowable height of 20 feet.
After spending several thousand dollars on engineering, Wood said he was committed to seeing the project to completion.
“I started throwing money at it,” he said, “and then I was like, ‘Well, I don’t want to waste that money, so I guess we better just keep going.’”
One might say: It’s costing a lot of dough.
The fabrication process involves galvanizing all the parts to prevent rust. Then the windmill will go to a sign company, which will take six to eight weeks to build a container for the sign. After that will come the final assembly and installation at Great Harvest’s location at 2605 Willamette St.
Wood said he purchased the Aeromotor windmill fan and motor from a couple in California. The windmill attaches to an engineered windmill tower that will hold the windmill and the Great Harvest sign. The sign will be next to the street in the corner. Wood says the bakery will have another regular roof sign on the building.
Wood and his wife purchased Great Harvest from the original owner, who founded the company in 1988. The couple moved Great Harvest to its current location, in the former Skopil’s Cleaners building, about 2 1/2 years ago, relocating from the strip of retail stores next to Off the Waffle, across the street. Wood describes Great Harvest as “an American bakery” employing 14 people with a focus on whole grain breads, sliced sandwich loaves, and baked goods such as cookies, brownies and scones. Great Harvest has an extensive menu of sandwiches made using its freshly baked bread.
Want to go?
Great Harvest Bread Co.
https://www.eugenebread.com
2605 Willamette St.
541-345-5398
