A sawmill operator with facilities in Langley and Surrey is among the latest forestry sector firm to receive provincial money to upgrade its equipment.
S&R Sawmills, which has a facility on the Langley-Surrey border on Golden Ears Way near Telegraph Trail, will receive up to $4 million in the latest grants from the B.C. Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF), the province announced Thursday, Nov. 30.
The funding will go towards the installation of a trimmer/sorter/stacker line at S&R’s Langley-based D Mill.
The goal is to help the sawmill remain competitive by producing higher-quality wood products, including custom-cut lumber using second-growth timber, to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
“By investing in mill improvements, S&R Sawmills aims to not only bolster our operational capabilities, but also ensure the preservation of British Columbia’s old-growth forests,” said S&R president Jeff Dahl.
The province also said the funding will create 25 jobs at the mill.
“We are investing in innovative projects that will help our forestry sector get more value and jobs out of the wood harvested in B.C.,” said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.
This is the latest in a series of funding announcements for forestry-sector upgrades targeting a number of mills and processing plants.
Another in Langley was a $300,000 grant announced earlier in November for Western Wood Preservers.
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