Georgia timber mill reopens in Washington, bringing jobs and hope to struggling industry

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A sawmill that once stood as the largest east of the Mississippi River in the 1990s has reopened, offering relief to Georgia’s timber industry as it struggles with mill closures, Hurricane Helene damage and recent wildfires.

Wilkes Lumber has brought the old mill back online in Washington, a small mill town surrounded by endless pines along Highway 78. The facility is already operating in phase one with about 50 workers, with more hiring expected as phase two comes online in the next few weeks.

Mill closure devastated region

The mill shut down because of the cost and capability of getting rid of chips, according to Mack Winfrey, a mill worker who lost his job when the facility closed.

In a sawmill, chips are what’s left over when logs are cut. For years, paper mills bought them up, but as digital replaced print, demand dropped and paper mills closed.

“It was devastating,” Winfrey said. “It didn’t just hurt the people, it hurt those families, but it widespread — truckers, landowners, gas stations, grocery stores. It hurt the community all together.”

Reopening provides closer market for timber farmers

With the shutdown, the region lost a major place to sell wood. After Helene and wildfires hit the area even harder, timber farmers have struggled to stay in business.

Without nearby buyers, some timber farmers are left so strapped they may have to sell generational land to developers just to stay afloat.

The reopened mill gives timber farmers a closer place to sell.

“They don’t have to take them 150 miles,” Winfrey said. “They can bring a 40 mile, 50 mile haul. That should help them. We’ll probably employ about 60 to 65 people.”

For timber farmers, that shorter haul means less fuel, less time and more money left over.

Materials headed to major retailers

All of the mill’s materials will go to big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s for people building houses, Winfrey said.

For Winfrey, the reopening is a full circle moment. He was there when the mill went dark and helped design and put together the facility.

“It’s great to me,” he said. “I’ve been here from day one, helped design it, put it together, put my hands on about everything. It’s a good feeling.”

At a time when Georgia’s timber industry is fighting to hold on, Washington is getting back something it lost a quarter-century ago: jobs, a market and a little more hope.

Courtesy: www.wrdw.com