Re-saw in feed roll case installation completed

The new roll case installation started last Friday, 7/26/13 was up and running on Monday morning.  

Re-saw in feed roll case installation
 

One of the many upgrades you will be seeing this summer includes a new re-saw in feed roll case. 

It is an exciting time to see so many improvements being done. 

The new roll case is longer than the one being replaced.  Maneuvering the machine into place took some ingenuity and determination.  The new roll case is longer than the one being replaced.  This piece of equipment is used to align the logs going into the 4 foot re-saw. 

Yards, and yards and more yards of concrete….
 

This week concrete walls were poured for the bark pit that is located in the debarker area. The walls will provide a confined space for the bark to fall making it much easier to clean up when we don’t have a truck underneath it to be filled. The walls will also provide controlled run off when the bark gets wet. 

                                 Working around the mill

On Friday we had an opportunity to get some jobs done around the mill while new equipment installation was going on. Jim Runblad, Don Elliott and Jeff Van Derwerker work to set a post in concrete for guide cables by the newly paved parking lot. Thankfully we have a little cooler weather this week.

It goes beyond lumber......

At the sawmill we strive to utilize every part of the logs that come into our yard. Additional products include sawdust, shavings, and bark. Bark chips are used to create mulch. Supreme Forest Products of Harwinton, CT has been purchasing bark from us for many years.
 After loading up the truck I had a chance to talk with Mike Kennedy. It turns out that Mike has been picking up bark from us for 8 years. He tells me that he loves making the trip to New York. After the bark leaves here it will become high quality premium mulch.   To check out the finished product visit http://www.supremeforestproducts.com/ It was a real pleasure chatting with Mike this morning. He sure loves his job and is an ambassador for his company and their products. We look forward to seeing Mike again soon. 

Our Sawmill Supervisor – Rick Whitmore
  

This December Rick Whitmore will celebrate his 30th anniversary as an employee for Wightman Lumber. Rick has been the sawmill supervisor for the past 19 years. His primary responsibility is to insure productivity levels and product quality.  He shared with me that to achieve this goal it requires a combination of training employees so that they are able to achieve high quality standards while striving to meet productivity goals and at the same time keeping a vigilant eye on how the equipment is running. Avoidance of down time is one of his a primary focuses daily.

 

As I have the opportunity to learn more about my co-workers I am finding that many of them have chosen to make this work a life long career. Rick tells me that he has enjoyed his career because he has found “The Wightman’s to be good people to work for who are more than fair and no matter what the job is the owners are right there working beside you.” He enjoys wood products and likes that fact that many of the products produced are exported. He finds satisfaction in the process of taking logs and seeing them all the way to a finished product. In his spare time he enjoys wood working and has turned hardwoods into furniture and cabinetry. In the past he took pleasure in making things for his own home and now for his daughter as she establishes her own home.

With the prior experience he had working for another mill he adds another 31 years to our group.  Adding this to the 185 years already introduced and we are now up to an astounding 216 years of knowledge and experience and there is a lot more to come. It is no wonder that Wightman Specialty Woods produces top quality products with so many years of expertise behind the production process. 

   Improvements Keep Coming

        We are working hard on improvements to the mill this summer. On Wednesday our main parking lot was repaved. Possibly one of the hottest days we will have this summer. 

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4^th of July to everyone…..

What is the meaning behind the red, white and blue colors of the American flag? Red        stands for hardiness and valor. White symbolizes purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.

               Dan Wightman, Cliff Clune and David Wightman

Check out our web site wightmanlumber.com to learn how Wightman Specialty Woods was born. Dan and David Wightman are the current owners. They strive each day to expand the company while maintaining the time honored traditions of delivering quality materials to our customers. If you stop by you will see these guys busy working around the mill.

Not counting the years that spent growing up around the business Dan and David collectively bring another 91 years of experience. This brings the number of experience and expertise introduced up to 185 years. 

We will be closed on July 4^th for the holiday. Our retail sales will be open on Friday, July 5^th from 8 am to 4:30 pm and on Saturday, July 6^th from 8 am to 12 pm. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.