More Skeena Sawmill Details

Wednesday, April 06, 2011 04:02 AM

Terrace, B.C. – More details are emerging about the purchase of the former West Fraser Skeena Sawmills Division in Terrace.

New owner ROC Holdings says it hopes to start production at the mill by sometime in the fall with an initial workforce of between 30 and 40 people at the operation.

President and owner Teddy Cui was in Terrace Tuesday along with forestry consultant Norm Slavik meeting with a number of stakeholders, including local government and First Nations.

It’s early in the process yet, but the company says the first order of business will be to sort out the forestry tenures and check over the sawmill’s chipping and debarking equipment to make sure things are operational. Slavik says the company is hoping to make use of the strong trades group still available in the area. From that point, it would be about getting logs to the mill.

Slavik says the workforce could eventually grow to well over a hundred at the mill, not including the woodland operations.

The lumber produced at the operation would be for export to China.

Both Cui and Slavik have spent time traveling throughout the Northwest and say they want to make it clear that ROC Holdings will be in Terrace for the long-haul.

BC’s new Forests Minister Steve Thomson says he’s encouraged by the purchase of the mill, adding it shows the benefit of marketing BC wood products to China. Thomson says ROC Holdings’ investment is good news for both the region and the province.

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Posted on Wednesday, April 06, 2011 04:02 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on April 6 2011 5:21 AM

Anyone else notice that this site is getting slower and slower each day?

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 6 2011 6:55 AM

Yup.

Posted by: But on April 6 2011 8:22 AM

Thought it was just me.
As for the mill re-opening, my question would be. Is all the wood covered under thier woodlot to be processed through the mill or just the low grade stuff and the prime logs still be shipped out as logs overseas? What about the existing contractors up in northwest BC whose timber holders are paying salvage rates for stumpage because of the long haul to the nearest mill (Houston), will those stumpage rates now change, now that there is a mill closer. (since that is how stumpage rates for export logs is determined I was told).

Posted by: verballabel on April 6 2011 9:41 AM

Could the slowness be due to all the ads being flash?

Posted by: metalman on April 6 2011 11:48 AM

I thought the site was slow because my internet connection is, well, the opposite of high speed.
The sawmill sale; I think it is too bad it was sold, even if somewhat indirectly, to the Chinese (or any other foreign national)
Obviously they are simply and easily locking up resource supply for their own needs. This is reminiscent of the massive investment (100 million smackers)in the new pipeline to the west coast from Fort Mac. by the Chinese oil co. The natural resources of this country are being squandered, sold off too cheap, with not enough value added at this end.
metalman.