Larry Caldwell
Super Member
Roseburg Lumber, one of my largest local employers, is building a new sawmill in North Carolina. It will be called Roanoke Valley Lumber.
I know there are NC folks here, so I wanted to let you know that this is really good news. Roseburg Lumber is a privately held, family managed, wood products company. Freedom from bean counter management and quarterly reports lets them manage for the long term. I actually met Pappy Ford, who was the founder of the dynasty. He started out with a small sawmill in the Depression, and grew it into a real economic force in the county. His family believes in giving back, and on his death they founded the Ford Family Foundation for charitable work, scholarships, and encouragement of other small businesses.
I attended the dedication of the Ford Family Foundation headquarters. I was wearing a tux, but felt shabby beside the $2000 tuxedos and $10,000 dresses. They may put on the dog from time to time, but they haven't lost the common touch. I took a log scaling class about the same time, and my "lab" partner was a young woman who had just married into the family. She was out there in bad weather, logger boots and a hard hat, learning the wood products business from the ground up.
Pappy Ford once said his biggest mistake was not buying more timber land. His kids were listening. That 150,000 acres in NC is a good start for the mill. Roseburg lumber also provides a great log market for small woodland owners. They responsibly manage their land for fish and wildlife as well as timber.
Congratulations, NC. This one is a win-win for the rural economy.
I know there are NC folks here, so I wanted to let you know that this is really good news. Roseburg Lumber is a privately held, family managed, wood products company. Freedom from bean counter management and quarterly reports lets them manage for the long term. I actually met Pappy Ford, who was the founder of the dynasty. He started out with a small sawmill in the Depression, and grew it into a real economic force in the county. His family believes in giving back, and on his death they founded the Ford Family Foundation for charitable work, scholarships, and encouragement of other small businesses.
I attended the dedication of the Ford Family Foundation headquarters. I was wearing a tux, but felt shabby beside the $2000 tuxedos and $10,000 dresses. They may put on the dog from time to time, but they haven't lost the common touch. I took a log scaling class about the same time, and my "lab" partner was a young woman who had just married into the family. She was out there in bad weather, logger boots and a hard hat, learning the wood products business from the ground up.
Pappy Ford once said his biggest mistake was not buying more timber land. His kids were listening. That 150,000 acres in NC is a good start for the mill. Roseburg lumber also provides a great log market for small woodland owners. They responsibly manage their land for fish and wildlife as well as timber.
Congratulations, NC. This one is a win-win for the rural economy.
