Glenwood Herald

Area loggers face ‘long winter’ if sawmills don’t reopen August 29, 2007 - No reporter cited

Michael G. Fox
Editor

The recent closure of the Bean Lumber Co. mills in Amity and Glenwood puts a strain on the local economy, not to mention the many families in the area that depend on the sawmills as their major source of income.

The impact is felt outside the mills as area loggers count on Bean as their major buyer of raw timber from area forests.

One local logger, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said loggers are used to having “down time” especially during periods of wet or bad weather.

And while employees of the mills can collect unemployment, that usually pays just half of the income they are used to getting from the sawmill.

“Loggers are used to going weeks with out being able to work, but workers at the mill are not. If this thing stays down for a few months, these people are going to be on hard times,” the logger said.

He added that his crews will be looking at bad times, also, if the mills stays closed for more than just a few weeks.

“I have skidder drivers to pay, not to mention my (log truck) drivers.”

He also has several men in the woods that do the actual cutting down of the trees.
“Once you lose your major buyer, that is not easy to replace. The cost of fuel, tires, that is a lot of expense,” he added.

For the complete story, pick up a copy of the Glenwood Herald.

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