RAWLINS, Wyo.—Intermountain Resources LLC. still plans to reopen the Saratoga sawmill, though it missed its original target of early 2009, a company official said.
The Montrose, Colo., company purchased the mill from former owner Louisiana Pacific shortly after the mill closed six years ago.
Nancy Fishering of Intermountain said the company intends to open the facility as soon as possible but has not set another target date.
“We are not stopping,” Fishering said. “We have no intention of stopping.”
That’s welcome news to Dick Perue, 73, a longtime Saratoga resident. He said the mill would provide good jobs for Saratoga residents.
“I’d really love to see it come back,” he said.
Fishering said the company has been hampered by poor lumber and credit markets.
Numerous sawmills in the Rocky Mountains have closed in recent years. The industry blames low timber prices, inconsistent supply from federal lands, increased transportation costs and competition from Canadian sources, among other factors.
Fishering said Intermountain currently has enough timber under contract to keep the mill operating for about three years, and it plans to buy more.
She said the company has completed most of the construction to refurbish the old mill.
The company could also get some assistance from the U.S. Forest Service. Fishering said Intermountain recently received notice that a portion of the down payment it made on its timber sales will be returned and may be used for capital expansion and operating expenses.
She said the down payment to the Forest Service is “a show of good faith that you will be harvesting” timber sales purchased from the Forest Service.
She said it’s unknown how much of a down payment the company will receive.
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Information from: Rawlins Daily Times,
