By Paul Miller Jr.
Liberty, Pennsylvania–Wheeland Lumber Co. Inc. has been busy modernizing its sawmill here to improve efficiencies and ensure quality products as it copes with a shortage of good labor.
Located in the lumber-history rich mountains of North Central Pennsylvania, close to the Susquehanna River, the company buys 3 million board feet of hardwood lumber annually, mainly Hard Maple (FAS, No. 1 Common) and Soft Maple (Nos. 1 and 2 Common) in 4/4, 5/4 and some 8/4 thicknesses for its dimension plant. Species also produced at the mill include Cherry, Red and White Oak, Hard and Soft Maple, Ash, Poplar and Basswood.
Wheeland Lumber is situated within the region of the Marcellus shale formation, where natural gas production and its associated jobs have been booming. “Labor has become an issue, trying to find quality people and retain them,” said Derek Wheeland, president of the fourth-generation, family-owned company. “In rural America, it’s particularly difficult to find qualified individuals to run machinery.”
Installation of more productive equipment that requires fewer people to operate has been the company’s solution to that problem. “We put in a TS Manufacturing bin sorter with 33 bins to reduce labor costs and increase efficiencies,” Wheeland said. “We also replaced an outdated stacker with the more current technology of a TS Manufacturing stacker. In doing so, we actually were able to produce more lumber through the system quicker with fewer people. So, once again, we have improved on our efficiencies there.”
In addition, a new Nicholson Manufacturing r2 Ring Debarker is producing a better yield on the logs. “The rosser-head debarker that we were using took off too much wood fiber, whereas the Ring Debarker mainly only pulls off the bark,” said Ray Wheeland, vice president. “We have reduced the amount of bark that we generate by 25 percent. We want less bark fiber because it is not worth anything, so we want to put it more into lumber form.”
A new building was constructed to hold all of the new machinery. “It takes a lot of capitalization, but you need it today to be viable for the market that we are in,” Ray Wheeland remarked. Five fewer employees will be needed because of the automation.
Wheeland Lumber offers specialized services and secondary manufacturing, which continues to grow with the industry. The process starts with a fully computerized double-band headrig equipped with Inovec 3-D scanning and linear positioning. The company has 12 dry kilns with a total capacity of 750,000 board feet. Along with shipping kiln-dried lumber, some specialized services include clear strips, S2S, gang ripping, straight line ripping, optimized cross cut, moulding and millwork, edged and face-glued panels and end matching.
A 100-plus-mile procurement range centered in some of the best hardwood forests of the Appalachian chain gives the company access to the highest quality timber sources to be found, according to Ray Wheeland.
Wheeland Lumber Co. employs 80 full-time employees and more than 25 sub-contractors. Many workers have been with the company for years, through the growth that the company has encountered.
Key personnel include Ray’s wife, Gina, secretary; Damen Wheeland, who handles log and by-product sales; Bill Baker, domestic hardwood and dimension sales; Jeff Wood, yard manager; Tony Massaro, operations manager; and Gary Confair, log yard manager.
Wheeland Lumber updates its equipment to stay current with the times, and one thing has stayed the same. The company’s commitment to providing its customers with the best products and customer service has not changed in the company’s history, nor will it change in the future, according to Ray Wheeland.
“Hard work, honesty and determination are the values that motivate our employees and are the basis for our continued growth in the industry,” Ray said. “We have always believed that one needs a vision for the future, that change is a healthy motivation for growth, and the result of this outcome promotes a strong unity of people working together to accomplish a common goal. We take pride in our products and services, and are experienced and dedicated to providing top-quality forest and lumber products that our customers can rely on.” Wheeland Lumber Co. is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Hardwood Manufacturers Association, Penn-York Lumbermen’s Club, Wood Products Manufacturing Association, American Hardwood Export Council, International Wood Products Association, Sustainable Forestry Initiative of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Forest Products Association.
