Sawmill owner comments on planned facility on Port Authority property
Letter to the Editor,
I would like to add a few comments and minor clarifications to the front page Western News article “Sawmill Grant is Secured.”
First, I don’t want it misconstrued that I am in any way opposed to a sawmill reopening in Libby, but I don’t think tax dollars should be used to do it, especially when others in the area are working hard to stay in business.
I don’t hold any high hopes, though, with our current federal timber program. It’s an absolute travesty that our local timber economy has all but disappeared, especially when we are situated in the midst of the most productive National Forest lands in Montana.
Second, as for “Rumelhart’s Mill” (for lack of a better phrase) and Kootenai River Development Corp., of which Paul Rumelhart is the Executive Director,) competing with me, there are a lot of unknowns at this time. However, my biggest concern is log supply, not to mention getting $26,250 of “free” public start- up money.
When I expanded my operation last spring, it was primarily to better utilize “oversize logs” (16- to 36-inch in diameter) that I was “stuck” with from my own projects, rather than shipping them off long distances for relatively low prices. When my sawmill business turned out better than expected, I had to supplement my supply with outside sources. As with my firewood business, which incidentally is dead in the water due to a lack of logs, log inventory has been without a doubt my No. 1 headache and expense.
It was news to me, in the letters of support that were attached to the grant proposal, that there appears to be some sort of glut of oversized logs in the area, (“ample supply of raw material” – John Guiliani) and the grant itself states that there are “readily available oversized logs in Lincoln County” and “log supply will not be an issue.” I cannot see how they will NOT be “competing,” if they are buying the same logs I need.
In the grant application, one of the defined purposes and simply written by the Big Sky Community Trust Fund is: “Expand and retain existing businesses.”
When I spoke with Mr. Guiliani, of Montana Timber Products, by phone and tried to give him a sales pitch for providing him with at least a partial supply (he wants 50 to 60 mbf per month of full dimension 1 X 12 Douglas Fir boards), he quickly made it pretty clear this wasn’t going to happen. Quite frankly, I smelled something fishy as I’m proud to think that we can go toe -to- toe with anyone in our niche for product quality, service, and price. He said he’d had bad experiences with small mills in the past, and that was that. A major outlet like that would obviously be a huge boon for our business, (again, if I could get the logs).
I was then doubly miffed when I read in The Western News where Mr. Guiliani somewhat disparagingly labeled us as a “mom-and-pop operation,” which may be somewhat true, but nothing I’m apologizing for. For what it’s worth, I feel as we are in good company as it’s a fact, 93 percent of all Montana’s businesses employ nine people or less!
A few big questions remain lingering from The Western News story though :
• Who is actually going to own and operate Rumelhart’s Mill? Lincoln County? Montana Timber Products? KRDC (grant recipient)? Luck EG Post & Pole?
• Where is the dry kiln and planer operation going to happen? Again, on the Lincoln County Port Authority site? Local vendors? Outsourced to Anaconda or Deer Lodge?
I find it ironic in a community full of folks who seem to be overly concerned with government intrusion and our country’s supposed downward spiral to socialism, the Port Authority functions as such right under our nose. I never liked the idea right from the start and have always been curious how much of our local tax dollars have actually been spent under the guise of “creating” jobs? (Written in the grant, the Port Authority is taking credit for “currently supporting over 400 jobs.” I’m not making this up ).
Lastly, when I’d heard rumors this past summer about Rumelhart’s Mill, I shrugged them off, thinking I’ve got better things to worry about. When I finally asked County Commisioner Tony Berget (who oversees the Port Authority) about the mill after a meeting on Sept. 19, he said he didn’t know anything about it. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a news blurb in Sunday’s Inter Lake Oct. 28, describing the grant. Then you can imagine my disappointment when I got a copy of the grant and saw the letter of support, signed by Mr. Berget,… on August 1, 2012.
So much for trusting Lincoln County to help out local business.
— Tom Horelick
Owner – North Fork Forestry
cc. Nancy Faroni,
Big Sky Economic
Development Trust Fund
Mike Cole,
Lincoln County
Commissioner-Elect