At its February 28 meeting, Huntsville council welcomed news that Huntsville Forest Products, a division of Haliburtion Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd., is considering a major investment that would turn its hardwood sawmill, operating out of the former Tembec flooring plant, into a state-of-the-art facility.
Company president Malcolm Cockwell and project manager Jamie Sala were before Huntsville council at its remotely held meeting to share the news.
“We’re here today primarily to introduce ourselves and also to tell you about our business and to inform you of a major investment that we are considering making in Huntsville Forest Products,” Cockwell told council. He said the business has been a key part of the local economy for nearly 70 years and was originally located on Hunters Bay.
Information provided to council in a handout noted that “Huntsville Forest Products is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Haliburton Forest & Wild LifeReserve Ltd (HFWR), which also operates the Haliburton Forest Sawmill (Haliburton, ON) and Almaguin Forest Products (South River, ON). It shares common ownership with Limberlost Forest (10,000 acres, Huntsville, ON) and Timmins Forest (145,000 acres, Timmins, ON). The overall organization has become the largest hardwood lumber producer in Ontario over the last five years, managing >250,000 acres of private land and >1,000,000 acres of crown land.”
Cockwell told committee the company was purchased in 2020 and is affiliated with several other Huntsville-area businesses such as the Huntsville Downs Golf Course, Paisley Centre, and The Waterfront at Grandview, among others.
He told committee the company employs 43 staff members and works with more than 100 dedicated full-time contractors. “Nearly all of those people are local to Huntsville, meaning that the business generates tens of millions of dollars of local economic activity each year, just in payroll and contractor services.”
He said the facility consumes mostly hardwood sawlogs, which are sustainably harvested from Crown and private forests in the region. They also draw timber from across Ontario as far as Sault Ste. Marie and east to the Ottawa Valley. “The vast majority of our harvesting practices are single-tree selection, which means that we cut about 30 per cent of the forest on a 20-year rotation and in doing so the forest is able to naturally regenerate with the residual trees,” noted Cockwell, adding that the forest also improves over time in quality and biodiversity.
The sawmill produces mostly hardwood lumber and residues which are sold across Canada and the U.S. for a host of applications from furniture to baseball bats. Sawmill residue is used in applications that range from food products and textiles to medical and computer equipment.
He said while the site the sawmill operates out of is well-positioned strategically off a major highway, issues regarding the industrial energy feed have been problematic. Although, Cockwell also told council that he was happy to report that the electricity issue seems to have improved.
“We believe that with some investment this facility can realize its full potential to be a major player in the North American hardwood lumber industry by leveraging that solid wood supply, the solid staff, and its great location,” he said.
Sala told council the investment being considered would amount to more than $20 million. “We intend to build a new 50,000 square-foot building and install state-of-the-art equipment that optimizes the transformation of sawlogs into hardwood lumber.”
He said the investment would increase production by 100 per cent and reduce their per-unit operating cost by almost 40 per cent, among the lowest costs in the industry.
The investment will not only secure existing jobs but could double the number of jobs created in the next five years, and create additional contract jobs, he said.
The company is hoping to finalize its site plan by mid-2022 and complete the project by late 2024 or early 2025.
Deputy Mayor Nancy Alcock asked what it would take to ensure the investment is actually made. Cockwell said the decision will ultimately depend on cost and a reliable source of electricity.
Councillors expressed support for the project and a willingness to help wherever possible.
“New jobs, new investment to Huntsville is always welcome and we know you guys have a great track record. I personally have enjoyed the Limberlost Reserve for the odd hike, and certainly Huntsville Downs Golf Course…,” said Huntsville Mayor Karin Terziano, who thanked them for thinking of Huntsville as the place to make such an investment.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
Recent Comments