Louisiana-Pacific finalized the purchase of Sawyer Lumber Co., a high-tech narrow dimension lumber mill in Gwinn, Mich., on June 16. The sawmill, which had ceased operations on June 12, resumed production on June 19. The facility becomes one of L-P’s 21 sawmills and the only one located in the Upper Peninsula, offering a good geographic fit for servicing L-P’s north central U.S. customers.

Gilbert Travis is no stranger to the challenges of starting up new sawmill equipment systems. He has been involved in the design, equipment selection and installation of more than a dozen sawmill upgrades during his 30+ years in the industry. He’s well aware of the variety and scope of little hiccups that can bring a multi-million dollar expansion and startup to a screeching halt.

Advanced Sawmill Machinery was organized in January 1994 and is located on a 38 acre site here, easily accessible to the one of the heaviest concentrations of sawmills in the nation. Principal shareholders include David Seffens, President; and Keith Bradshaw, Vice President and chief engineer. The company’s primary objective is to offer a full range of heavy-duty, high quality machinery for the mill floor.

Not so long ago, there was enough to worry about. Competition kept profit margins thin. Lumber markets were tight. Labor was hard to find and keep. All those things are still true. Now there’s on-line bidding for pallet contracts. “It’s really gotten to the point where the pallet industry is not a lot of fun,” says Brunswick Box Co., Inc. President John Clary. “That’s a shame.”