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Pyramid Mountain Lumber Company in Seeley Lake is the oldest surviving family-owned and operated lumber mill in Montana, surviving a decline in the housing market and operating on a decreasing supply of raw materials.

“We’ve seen a lot of mill closures since I’ve been here,” said Loren Rose, the Chief Operating Officer for Pyramid Mountain Lumber. “Most of them were not family-owned, not locally-owned, and the decisions were not made in Montana.”

To avoid closure in November of 2000 by modernizing, the company purchased state-of-the-art equipment that uses lasers and robotics technology to get the most out of every log. Mike McGrew is the Quality Control Specialist at Pyramid Mountain Lumber. “And, in a nutshell,” he said, “What I do is make sure that we’re getting the most value out of every log that we possibly can.”

While producing quality lumber products is the company’s objective, Rose says being a trustworthy steward of the land is its hallmark. Because the business works to create and maintain healthy forests, it is recognized as The Stewardship Company.

Most recently, Pyramid Mountain Lumber teamed up with Bitterroot National Forest on a stewardship contracting project to harvest timber in the Bass Creek area to help thin out trees, reduce mountain pine beetle spread and improve the overall health of the forest.

From ABC/Fox Montana: http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/22195374/pyramid-lumber-looks-to-the-future-of-the-timber-industry