For the last decade, talk about the strength of our local economy has often stalled when mention was made about the two sawmills. Together they had a couple of hundred employees and their businesses create many, many jobs that aren’t always visible unless one gets off the beaten path. But times change and the question of their sustainability has been a concern.
With nearly two centuries of operations between them, Wynndel Box and Lumber Ltd. and J.H. Huscroft Ltd. have long been closely tied to the Creston Valley, and more than just economy-wise. The Huscroft family operation started back in 1927, 14 years after Monrad Wigen started a small box factory in Wynndel. Generations of families have been raised and sustained by these two family-owned businesses.
About two years ago, I interviewed Michael Combs, then the new chief executive officer at Wynndel Box and Lumber. A retired lawyer and businessman from California, Combs got involved because his wife is a director of the company. The business had invested heavily in new technology, was in debt and lumber prices had been floundering for several years when the company’s directors, all family members, asked Combs to get involved.
The story he relayed to me in our first conversation turned out to be overly optimistic. He had no experience in the lumber industry and he was passing on information he had been given by other directors and managers. Two years later, the company appears to have stabilized, but not without many changes and a moderate downsizing. Productivity is up, a hundred employees have jobs that are as secure as anyone’s in these volatile economic times, product quality is top-notch and even softwood lumber prices have risen as U.S. housing starts have begun to rebound.
Over at J.H. Huscroft, the family owners have taken a different approach to ensure the company operates well into the future. A 10-year plan to sell the mill to the current manager is in place.
Changes at both mills were inevitable. And they were made more necessary with the deaths of major players. The loss of Ken Huscroft, a daily presence at the mill until just months before he passed away, reinforced common knowledge that he was a remarkable fountain of knowledge, and a creative thinker when it came to keeping the mill running.
The passing of Jack Wigen at Wynndel Box also confirmed that changes were needed for the mill to continue into its second century of operation. Credit the family directors for understanding that and giving Combs the support needed to make some tough decisions.
It’s hard to measure the value of these businesses. The direct mill jobs, employment in the forest operations, contractors, businesses that provide support services — they all add up to a huge number of families and individuals who rely on them. And somehow, through countless changes to the industry and economies, both have played a steadfast role in the economic health of the Creston Valley.
I think it is truly remarkable that nowhere along the line did the families in charge just decide to cash out and move on. Their own lives and history are closely intertwined with the rest of their community and they have stuck with it through thick and thin. They probably have never really been given the credit they deserve for their commitment, perseverance and sacrifices.
The 100th anniversary of Wynndel Box and Lumber Ltd. is truly something to celebrate. It’s also a perfect opportunity to reflect on our history and our direct ties to the forests around us. Logging and sawmill practices haven’t been without their controversy over the decades, but one thing has never changed — these businesses have helped feed, clothe, house and educate generations of residents, most of whom would not have been able to remain here otherwise.
Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.