Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
KPAX
Last load of logs being processed at Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake
By Zach Volheim,
17 hours ago
Another key milestone in the closure of Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake occurred on Tuesday, July 2 as the last load of logs was sent through the mill to be processed.
“Yeah, it's, it's tough, you know, I'm 61 years old and I gotta look for another job. So that's not a fun thing to do at my age, but I mean, it'll work out” said Pyramid Mountain Lumber sawmill supervisor Manuel Kesterson.
Pyramid Mountain Lumber is closing its doors for a number of reasons, with one large one being the difficulty of finding enough people to work at the mill. Pyramid Mountain Lumber owner and General Manager Todd Johnson explained that the mill has been winding down its operations in steps over the past few months.
Zach Volheim/MTN News The last load of logs was sent through the soon-to-close Pyramid Mountain Lumber mill in Seeley Lake on July 2, 2024.
“You only got four steps. You got the logs coming into the yard. We got to finish them up in the sawmill, finish them up in the planer, and then they go on a truck. So, you know, it's not too far down the road before the last steps will be taken. And...so, every time you move past one of those steps, it's kind of, kind of surreal, kind of emotional because it, you know, it's, you know, it's done.”
On top of the surreality of seeing these steps go through, Johnson remains worried about the future of the forest industry as a whole, especially in light of not only Pyramid's closure but that of Missoula's Roseburg Forest Products .
“There's too much work to be done. There's too much forest health issues, too much fire mitigation issues to be done in this state. We need...the manufacturing, the logging, and the byproduct stream in order to get that done” Johnson explained.
Zach Volheim/MTN News Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake is closing for a number of reasons including the difficulty of finding enough people to work at the mill.
So far, some of Pyramid's employees have left after receiving other job offers. And as the steps continue along, the remaining employees will be shifted around to make sure the final operations go smoothly.
Many of the employyes are left not knowing what happens next, largely due to the fact that they have worked at the mill for most of their lives.
Some employees, such as head rig operator Charles Wood, are close to retirement age.
“It’s been about 38 years now. But, other than that. You know, I'm...at retirement age. So, it's not gonna hurt me as much as everybody else.”
Pyramid Mount Lumber is still in talks with one party to potentially buy the mill but the deal is complicated and it will take time to fully iron everything out.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0