CLANCY — Healthy forests depend on a strong forest products industry. Sawmills help support thousands of Montana jobs, reduce wildfire risks, and provide a renewable resource. Despite recent mill closures in Missoula and Seeley Lake, Marks Lumber in Clancy continues to carry on.
“You know, the mills in Montana, the remaining large mills — things aren't real good right now in the wood products industry, it's tough,” said owner Steve Marks.
Both Roseburg Forest Products in Missoula and Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake closed last year. Marks Lumber has been open for 36 years, and they have adapted to industry changes before.
“It’s had an effect on us, but we're nimble, we can move around these little niches much easier than big mills can,” Marks said.
In light of the recent closures, they have made some changes, including shifting to more board production (processed wood) rather than the raw tree, which is more expensive to manufacture, and slowing down on how much logging they do.
Marks Lumber also had to change where their sawdust and chips go. Roseburg used to buy that material, but now they send them to Weyerhaeuser Forest Products in Columbia Falls, making no profit due to the cost of freighting the material.
“Just not giving up, you gotta, you know you invest your life and resources into a plant like ours, its not something you walk away from,” Marks said.
Marks appreciates the work ethic of his 18 employees, with many of them willing to come early and stay late to get the job done.
“It’s really cool to see the products come out of here and go into these houses and its very beautiful, its pretty special to work in a place like this,” said supervisor Ethan Hollatz.
