BEHIND VARN WOOD PRODUCTS

OUR HISTORY

Family: what it was in 1926 and still is today…

What you see today started when two brothers, K.S. and George Varn, decided almost 100 years ago (95 to be exact) to go into business together. Back then the business was naval stores, the production of turpentine & rosin from pine gum. It has since then encompassed investments in timberland, a sawmill, planer mill and pellet plant.

When the naval stores industry started to dry up, the family business got started in the sawmill business. At that point, the business included K.S. and sons, Jacob, Sr., K.S. Jr. and George Varn, Sr., the grandson of George.

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Our Journey So Far

1968

THE FIRST YEAR

the sawmill consisted of just a chipper and was financed by a local paper mill. The next year the sawmill was built by an outside contractor. The mill produced chips and 10 million board feet per year of rough green lumber.

1970-2012

EXPANDING

the cousins worked together expanding the mill to include

producing kiln-dried and planed lumber. For thirty years after, George Sr. made improvements to the sawmill, increasing the production to 50 million board feet.

Since then, the mill has continued to be upgraded and has increased production to a current rate of 100 million board feet per year. Recent upgrades at the planer have included a tilt hoist and an automatic grader. New equipment at the sawmill includes a modified trimmer, trimmer scanner, stacker, profiling canter and gang saw.

THE PRESS

Timber Processing Magazine

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