Local lumber mill produces record numbers

Idaho Forest Group is meeting record production rates and adding a new product for a positive outlook to the year ahead.

Jesse Short, plant manager for the Moyie Springs limber mill, is excited about the product they are producing for Lowe’s home centers.

the Top Choice stud went into production about 90 days ago, Short said.  This is Lowe’s trademark high-end lumber used in residential construction.

The 2-by-4-by-96 studs made from douglas fir are flawless.   Each board is wane free, meaning there are no natural marks or defects in the wood.

Top Choice as well as all lumber produced at the mill are graded by certified graders who work in the mill.

“Top Choice is Lowe’s trademark and their high-end lumber,” said Short.  “This type lumber is used in high-grade, high-end construction.  We are restocking now as we just sold out of our initial orders.”

Short is very excited about the new product and with overall production in the mill.  He said he expects a modest increase of production for the year ahead.  

Short was also excited that Feb. 22 it marked 100 days with no injuries at the local mill.  According to Short, the entire company is only 35 days away from having 100 days of no injuries throughout every mill site.

“We celebrate every time we make it 100 days with no injuries, and that is no splinters, no falls, no injuries of any kind,” said Short.

The employees celebrate with coffee and donuts and new safe worker T-shirts.

In January the sawmill department set two new production records, the second one being the highest single day of production in mill history;  both records were set accident free.

Short, who started  11 years ago on the clean up crew with the company when it was LP Mill, moved up in the company and has seen it through hard times over the past two years. 

“ We produce just under a half a million of board feet of lumber,” said Short.

Board feet is a unit measure that the industry uses and a board foot equals 144 cubic inches.

The mill produces 9 foot studs of douglas fir, larch, lodge pole, spruce, alpine fir and ponderosa pine.

Short is optimistic about 2010 and beyond.  The mill has gotten off to a good start for the new year and has an inventory of 17 million board feet of logs.

The average inventory is 12 million board feet.  A higher inventory is beneficial because of the of the spring break-up.

“Logs can’t be hauled during break-up because roads are vulnerable to the weight, and this time can typically last 8 to 12 weeks,” said Short.  “Having a higher inventory gives us a cushion and keeps us producing.”

Idaho Forest Group sells only to wholesalers.  From there the product is distributed.  Some of it can beyes’ purchased locally from places like Pro X and other stock builders in Coeur d’ Alene and Montana.

“I would like to give credit to our workforce,” said Short.  “Our contractors, employees and vendors made big sacrifices over the past couple years to keep us in business; we couldn’t do this without any of them.

Idaho Forest Group formerly Riley Creek merged with Bennett Forest Industries in September 2008.