PALco unveils ing mill

SCOTfA. Ca.. has been home to \)continuous sawmill operations since 1869. And while the building that houses the newest mill in town has historic ties to the heart of redwood country, the mill itself is nothing short of futuristic.

Inside what once served as a redwood storage facility, laser beams scan logs, three-dimensional images appear on constantly monitored screens, and computers re-set saw blades every few seconds. Bark, sawdust, and wood scraps are turned into encrgy to run the mill. Every part of every log is put to use.

"I've been in this business for more than 40 years," says Huey Long, Pacific Lumber's vice president of operations. "This is truly a state-ofthe-art operation-as efficient as they come and uniquely designed to handle redwood. The computer automation helps us maximize volume and value."

The new fence plant, part of Pacific Lumber's "value-added" department and home to Britt Lumber's fencing products line, is adjacent to another of the company's high-tech operations. The new production facility has allowed Pacific Lumber to lower its maintenance and handling costs while increasing its thru-put and improving worker safety.

"Speed is king when you're dealing with smaller logs and generating fencing material," Long says. "We've lowered our operating costs and we're able to produce quality products with good trim and edges. You always want to minimize wane, and we have to be sensitive to redwood's grading requirements. This new facility lets us do it all remarkably efficiently."

The new operation allows Pacific Lumber to consolidate and increase its fence production capabilities. The new mill can process up to 45,000 ft. of redwood lumber per hour-enough to construct a 6-ft. fence about a mile and a half long. The mill includes separate production lines for large and small logs, with most of the production derived from logs 5 to 17 inches in diameter.

The facility also includes a re-saw capability to fulfill special orders. The mill employs about 85 people and runs a single eight-hour shift per day.

The mill is driven by leading-edge computer technology and features a brand new planer. It also incorporates a head rig, sorting systems, and other components from Pacific Lumber's former operations in Carlotta and Fortuna, Ca.

"Redwood is going to continue to be the premium choice for fences for the foreseeable future because of its beauty and the way it stands up to the elements," says Kevin Paldino, Pacific Lumber's director of sales and marketing. "This new mill reflects our commitment to quality and innovation. It helps us better serve our customers. We're delivering quality products more efficiently than ever."

While Pacific Lumber and Britt Lumber products are available nationwide, the vast majority of the fencing materials produced at the new mill stay in the West.