Sawmill to be re-started by San Group as Meadow Creek Forest Products

— Photo courtesy Meadow Creek website.

The Nelson Star is reporting that a Surrey-based company has purchased Meadow Creek Cedar’s long-idled sawmill at Cooper Creek and that the deal includes the company’s forest license.

“We are going to be manufacturing product and getting the mill fired up as quick as we can,” Bob Bortonlin told the Star. Although they brought in some people from the Lower Mainland to see what will be required for an initial start-up, Bob Bortolin, of the San Group said they intend to hire locally.

“Unfortunately over time there’s been vandalism, theft, and standard degrading of equipment when it sits [unused], but it’s not stopping us,” he said.

The mothballed sawmill is projected to restart in June of 2014. The operation will be renamed Meadow Creek Forest Products so potential customers don't mistakenly assume they deal exclusively with cedar, Bortolin said.

San Group was founded in the 1980s by brothers Kamal and Sukhi Sanghera. Bortolin said the company has 45 to 50 employees in the Lower Mainland and markets its products in Japan, China, India, and the US. He said the ownership is well versed in manufacturing and has been involved in sawmill startups in Europe.

In addition to Bortolin and the Sangheras, the management team includes Iqbal Deo, Neil Shimizu, Richard Zeller, and Andrew Cairns. Bortolin said they will be hands-on and won't run the operation from Surrey. The owners will visit regularly and at least initially, someone will be here every week.

Source: Nelson Star and Forest Network