Madison Paper made the news tonight!

Woodhauler · January 28, 2016, 05:27:23 PM

Cutting back production, More on this Tuesday! Seems to be a non stop bad news winter!!! On top of mills closing and cutting back I Have to go haul my iceshacks off the pond because its spring time in January!! That is my last place I can go and Get out of this crap going on! The mill said it was sworn to silence until Tuesday when asked for comment!

Woodhauler · January 28, 2016, 05:52:49 PM

Link is on WABI TV 5 website. I have no idea on how to put it on here.

dgdrls · January 28, 2016, 06:55:43 PM

http://wabi.tv/2016/01/28/union-president-says-madison-mill-cutback-will-hurt-workers/

Here we go WH,

Dan

deastman · January 28, 2016, 08:54:04 PM

Just got news that TRG is dropping their log price and heard a rumor that Moose River Lumber might be closing, how much more bad news can there be out there?

grassfed · January 28, 2016, 09:12:23 PM

QuoteTRG is dropping their log price

So what species and how much?

thecfarm · January 28, 2016, 09:14:48 PM

Moose River?? Where are they located?
Madison,I think,was like what was known as the Otis mill in Livermore Falls,Chisholm,Jay. A small,old time paper mill. Hard to compete with old machinery and a small mill too.

sawguy21 · January 28, 2016, 09:59:36 PM

There is one pulp mill left in BC, the local natives have filed suit for huge compensation over loss of the land and fishery, want it shut down and removed regardless of the employment it provides. It was opened 60 years ago. I have no idea how this will play out but it is one more nail in the industry coffin.

deastman · January 28, 2016, 10:54:01 PM

Quote from: grassfed on January 28, 2016, 09:12:23 PM
QuoteTRG is dropping their log price
So what species and how much?

Spruce and fir logs are gonna drop $7/ton on Monday. Forester called tonight and asked if we had any on the yard and if we did could we get them in tomorrow before the price drops.

deastman · January 28, 2016, 11:02:25 PM

Quote from: thecfarm on January 28, 2016, 09:14:48 PM
Moose River?? Where are they located?
Madison,I think,was like what was known as the Otis mill in Livermore Falls,Chisholm,Jay. A small,old time paper mill. Hard to compete with old machinery and a small mill too.

Moose River Lumber is just above Jackman off of rt 201 in Moose River . Funny thing is Moose River was just bought by Pleasant River Lumber out of Dover and now comes news that they might close, who can keep up with what's goin on right now?

Woodhauler · January 29, 2016, 05:46:17 AM

Hopefully its just a slowdown for moose river! If it closes there won't be 15 people left in town!!! I'm kinda antsy about the silence till Tuesday at Madison paper. I think its more then a financial anouncment!

Woodhauler · January 29, 2016, 05:55:28 AM

Quote from: thecfarm on January 28, 2016, 09:14:48 PM
Moose River?? Where are they located?
Madison,I think,was like what was known as the Otis mill in Livermore Falls,Chisholm,Jay. A small,old time paper mill. Hard to compete with old machinery and a small mill too.

Madison is small but I think a very modern mill. Lose this softwood market and you may as well bulldoze your fir into a pile and burn it! barely worth cutting now!

thecfarm · January 29, 2016, 06:03:39 AM

I drive by Madison mill about once every 8 weeks to get my dog groomed. I also have a guy that sharpens my sawmill blades up there too.
The news is not good for us guys that cut wood. Things will change,that much is sure. The state of the forests will change too. Like a thinning on a wood lot. Where will all the small stuff go? A land owner will have to pay the logger to thin his wood lot. :

Logger RK · January 29, 2016, 06:31:34 AM

One thought of what to do with the small wood,could be like what they did over this way a few years back. Three of the bigger Logger's got together & built a pellet mill. They make heating pellets also cow bedding,floor dry & even kitty litter pellets. And it's locally owned. 👍😎

Sixacresand · January 29, 2016, 07:07:01 PM

Sorry to read that your paper company is closing. What ever the reason, it does not make it any better for the local people. Middle Georgia plants have closed due to cut back in the US oil production, mainly the fracking business.

Ken · January 31, 2016, 06:18:05 PM

Here in NB we went through a rash of paper mill closures 10-15 years ago. We only have 2 softwood pulp mills left. One in the north of the province and 1 in the south. We've been leaving our softwood pulp in the woods for quite some time now. It's a shame but I don't see anything changing in the short term.

lynde37avery · February 03, 2016, 09:53:31 AM

Maine is in tough shape I hear. I wish you folks luck up there. My brother lived in Bangor for 20 years. Now in Nashville TN. He told me of the big mills and their importance to you community
I live in a small town where the big factory and family sawmill closed over 20 years ago leaving hundreds jobless and forced to move. I learned how to make my living off the land. I hope our country gets up some manufacturing again especially in the wood department.

Woodhauler · February 03, 2016, 12:08:54 PM

I was there today with 2 loads, got to talk to scaler about things. He said paper orders are bleak in march. They was called to a meeting when I left???? May or may not have something to do with the feb 2 deal? He said if the mill loses money it will close. They have enough wood in yard to fill paper orders. 10 day supply of wood. They in the past have 50 days worth of wood in yard this time of year!!

Maine logger88 · February 03, 2016, 06:37:42 PM

Did they make an announcement yesterday? Its sad used to be a guy could make a decent living cutting fir hemlock and pine pulp now if it doesn't have logs in it and it doesn't get knocked over it stays. Hope things change for the better soon

beenthere · February 03, 2016, 08:27:53 PM

What, if anything, has become of the great plans for woody biomass for energy?
Anyone have a feel for how much volume of wood is being collected and what the impact will be for forest management decisions, harvesting/collection equipment, and trucking needs??
Or is it another smoke and mirrors ~~ethanol~~ charade? i.e does the pulp/paper industry see this coming in their future and competing for their raw material?

Ed_K · February 04, 2016, 07:48:45 PM

Well it's not totally smoke & mirrors, most of the big pellet mill are all built down south. They run y/pine thru and send it to Europe. I heard a rumor that a mill close to me is putting the pencil to building a pellet mill. Right now the closest one is in Jaffery N.H. and the big co's keep that full.

snowstorm · February 04, 2016, 08:08:41 PM

there are several pellet mills up this way. and i read in the paper there is going to be a new 7.5 megawatt biomass power plant in town. georges river energy or robbins lumber.they have a bio boiler must be building another one or making that one bigger

Woodhauler · February 05, 2016, 06:49:31 AM

Quote from: Ed_K on February 04, 2016, 07:48:45 PM
Well it's not totally smoke & mirrors, most of the big pellet mill are all built down south. They run y/pine thru and send it to Europe. I heard a rumor that a mill close to me is putting the pencil to building a pellet mill. Right now the closest one is in Jaffery N.H. and the big co's keep that full.

Pellet mills are full of unsold product up here! My cousin is manager of the one in east Corinth maine and the are going to stop production in a few weeks if things don't change. Athens mill is slowed way down, are not tasking wood. Building anymore pellet plants in the northeast is a recipe for failure!

thecfarm · February 05, 2016, 07:03:43 AM

Woodhauler,been an odd winter too for wood pellets. Oil is low and the temps have been high. I work in a hardware store. Our pellets sales are WAY down. I was there last year and we sold a bunch of pellets. We even ran out and could not get any last year. We have a truck load coming in next week. We don't want or need it,but it was ordered last year so we have to take it.
Sand,shovels,roof rakes,salt and all that winter stuff is way down too.

GDinMaine · February 05, 2016, 07:37:25 PM

It is unfortunate, but we can't seem to win. When oil was very expensive, biomass boiler-created energy was the way to go. However. Hauling the wood was very expensive due to high fuel price.
In previous years pellet mills could not keep up with demand, but the mild winter must be hurting them, while it is easier on the wallets of the Joe Mainer.

Now that oil went down, they are shutting down two biomass plants in Maine, because it is too costly compared to (currently) low price of natural gas. Thousands of tons of chips that had to be cut and trucked to the plants will stay in the woods.
http://bangordailynews.com/2016/01/07/business/biomass-plants-in-west-enfield-jonesboro-to-close/

Woodhauler · March 04, 2016, 05:55:40 PM

Update to this post. Wood buyer called me today, They really don't want any more wood this month. Not taking any in april. Will use up what wood they have on hand and if they get paper orders they will buy wood in may!!!! If the orders don't come in you can guess the outcome!!! As for the pellet plants, they are closed for now. The one my cousin is a manager of has layed crew off. He is running chipper for his boss at sappi now. He works for E.J Carrier. Verso is on a limited quota. I think they will make it now they have down sized. Grim time in the woods industry now. Firewood market is non existent. Hope the summer brings some good news!!!!!!!!!!!!