Redwood fuels success of farnily sawnrill

Qtal ing ()n thc cuttrnq .'dsc hlt. LJallorvet.l Bcrrr'. Srtrrrrrill. Cazadero. Ca.. to thrlrc fbr 6.5 1ears. becoming the last familr-ori ncd mill in Sonoma Countl

"If rve had just remained a sari nrill. rve rvould have been out of business a long tinre ago." said Brucc Berrr. ri ho runs the operation ri ith his u ifc'. Maureen. brother Jirn. and his parents. Loren and Bea. "We had to changc our marketin-q strateg)." he explainecl. a practice that is still tirllori cd toclar

"Six or seven )eeirs a-eo. half of our business rvas rvholesalc. but nou. rve"u'e turned our attention to thc- re-tail market." said Bruce. r'"ho is gcncral manager. "Since \\'e carr\ a lot o1'different building products. including hardrvare and plurnbing supplies. people like the idea of doin-e business out here rvithout having to drivc to Santa Rosa."

A major key to the mill's success is its proximitl to a readl suppll of privately orvned redu'oods. Most of thc l-2 million bd. ft. of lunrber (-509i rcdrvood, 50% Douglas fir) that passcs through thc nrill cach r c'ar ir logSe tl rr ithin a l0-nrilc ratlius of thc- rnill.

"Thosc'hrshlr prizcrl trc'c: arc our lucc- itt thc- httlc." said Bnrce. "\\'r- alrtr prle tic.- .clc'e trr.' lt,uSinS. rr itlt tlt.rr'rult thut thc'rr- i' nr()rL' b()i|rd lcc't in \ti.rndtnS trrrhcr riSht r)()\\ thln thcrc ha: hc..n ilr -i(lrcur.."

Unique redwood products have also fueled the mill's success. Redwood slabs-4" thick and 20" to 30" wideare sold for use as tabletops, countertops, or bars. Custom redwood beams-32 ft. or shorter, which are used in homes, restaurants and bridges-are another specialty of the sawmill.

Due to equipment downsizing and the lack of old-growth trees, most mills can't produce these larger beams. At Berry's, old milling equipment has been refurbished and then computerizedfor maximum efficiency. "There is absolutely no waste," said Maureen, an attorney who runs the office and maintains a law practice at the mill. "The bark and sawdust is used for landscaping and other uses."

Thirty employees work for the company, in family-owned timberlands or the sawmill, yard, or office. Since the sawmill only operates three days per week, the l0 millworkers were cross-trained so they can work elsewhere when the mill is closed. The yard and retail store are open Monday through Friday and Saturday morning.

Because of housing prices in the area, Bruce said it is difficult to find skilled workers who can afford to live nearby. "I've found skilled people up north who would love to come to work here, but they just can't handle the housing prices," he said. "But, we made a choice to work here, and we love it."

The only other commercial sawmill in the county is located in Cloverdale and owned by Pacific States Industries Inc. More than two dozen mills operated here after World War II, supply- ing lumber for homes and businesses in the Bay Area and Northern California.

Berry's Sawmill got its start in 1941 rvhen Loren Berry, then a 20year-old logger and now president of the company, decided to build a mill to process the trees that were felled to make way for pasture. When he returned after the war, Loren promoted sustained-yield cutting and replanting.

Until 1979, Berry's was located on three acres in downtown Cazadero, across the street from the general store and post office. When the mill outgrew the site, the machinery was dismantled and moved six miles down the road to its present location on 33 acres. Ten years later, an intense fire destroyed the mill, which was rebuilt within six months with the help of employees, friends, neighbors, and customers.

Both of Loren's sons began working at the mill by age 6. sweeping up sawdust. Within a few years, they were working beside the older men, pulling lumber off the greenchain. Today, Bruce is general manager, focusing on lumber production and sales. and Jim works with his father on forest management, preparing harvest plans, and selecting logs for the mill.

"I've been doing this since I was 15," said Loren Berry, who is now 84. "The fact that we are still in business is really something."