Timber tour highlights local wood-products facilities

Tours of Weyerhaeuser and F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber’s facilities on Thursday, Oct. 25, will highlight Forest Products Week in the Flathead Valley.

The event is free and runs from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Visitors will tour the largest Medium Density Fiberboard plant under one roof in North America, which showcases state-of-the-art technology and Weyerhaeuser’s workforce. The Columbia Falls plant uses residual wood fiber, which is refined and processed into engineered wood products used across North America. These include specialty products in niche markets such as architectural doors, cabinets, engineered wood flooring, store fixtures, and office furniture.

For the second half of this year’s timber tour, participants will visit Stoltze’s Halfmoon sawmill facility near Columbia Falls. Established in 1912, Stoltze is the oldest family-owned, continuously-operating forest-product com­pany in Montana. See how their employees utilize cutting-edge technology coupled with old-fashioned know-how to transform logs into not only lumber, but also renew­able energy and feed stock for other engineered wood products. The tour will give an overview of the entire operation including the sawmill complex, planer complex, and power plant (co-gen) complex.

All registered participants should arrive at the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce office, 15 Depot Park, a few minutes before 12:30 for a brief safety presentation and overview of how forest products play a major role in the Montana economy. All participants will then board a bus to travel to the facilities.

Please dress for the weather, tie long hair back and wear closed-toed shoes.

For more information or to register call 758-2803 or email info@kalispellchamber.com.