IFG's Moyie Mill has long history in region

MOYIE SPRINGS – On the far east end of Boundary County, situated above the confluence of the Kootenai and the Moyie rivers, the Idaho Forest Group Moyie Springs Mill has provided a source of income for families in the timber industry in one form or another for almost a century.

From the loggers who harvest the trees and maintain the forests, to the mill workers who calculate the board footage and utilize every available square inch, to the companies who use the excess wood shavings for pellets, to the numerous companies that purchase wood chips in order to make cardboard, paper towels and even the paper you’re reading this article on, the timber industry affects millions of people every day.

IFG, headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, was formed in 2008 when two regional timber interests – Riley Creek Lumber and Bennett Forest Industries – combined their resources.

According to Moyie Mill Plant Manager Chris Pease, the state-of-the-art plant cuts most local species to many specifications, and utilizes 100 percent of incoming timber.

IFG harvests their logs from industrial private land and non-industrial private land – as well as U.S. Forest Service land and state land – in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Canada.

IFG harvests responsibly and is actively seeking logs to purchase. They pay fair market value for desired species including: Douglas Fir, Western Larch, Grand Fir, Western Hemlock, Lodgepole Pine, Englemann Spruce, and Sub-Alpine Fir.

The Moyie Mill has 138 employees working two, 10-hour shifts, five days a week. On average, Moyie produces around ¾ million board feet of lumber per day, supplying customers with quality products across the United States via large companies such as Lowes and Home Depot.

“For some jobs, we use state-of-the-art technology, however we take pride in human excellence by using the human element as much as possible,,” Pease said. “For example, some mills have purchased grade readers for surfaced lumber, but we prefer to still utilize people behind our planers, not electronics.”

Idaho Forest Group offers career-level positions to technically savvy individuals in skilled trades such as electrical, industrial automation and operations.

“During the Great Recession, the market got hit and we felt it,” Pease said, “but we were resourceful and figured out a way to survive it. And, since 2010, every year has exceeded the previous year’s production numbers. We are continuing to produce more volume every year. We expect 2017 to be around 60 percent greater production than 2010, with the same, top quality products. While at the same time, being good stewards of the land. n