News video of WM mill training down in Mississippi.

[Bibbyman]

Wood-Mizer has launched a couple of efforts to bring relief to the Gulf States devastated by the hurricanes.   I'm passing along an e-mail sent to me by Deanna Bunten.

This from Deanna..

Just thought you would like to know a few steps we are taking to make mills available to the Gulf States hit by Hurricane Katrina.

A press release has also been sent to newspapers in Mississippi to notify media of our efforts to make mills and sawyers available.  It is attached for your review.  I am planning on posting this information on the Forum, as well.


NEWS RELEASE   Contact: Deanna Bunten, Media Relations
For Immediate Release   Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.
September 19, 2005   317.808.0849/dbunten@woodmizer.com


WOOD-MIZER RESPONDS TO NEED FOR SAWMILLS IN GULF STATES
Mills Available for Immediate Delivery; Locate Sawyers for Hire


INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Officials from Wood-Mizer Products, Inc. are responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf States by making mills available for immediate delivery.

The company has taken steps to make purchasing a mill easier.  For a limited time, Wood-Mizer has designated a pick up location in Perkinston, Mississippi (south of the Hattiesburg area) and deeply discounted the delivery charge.  On-site customer training will take place at the time of pick up.

For those not ready to purchase a mill at this time but need to find a sawyer in their area, Wood-Mizer can locate a sawmill owner using their extensive database of registered custom cutters for hire.  Calls are being taken at 1.800.553.0182.  Information is also available on their website at www.woodmizer.com.

Wood-Mizer's goal is to be the nucleus for sharing information and supplying mills quickly for the rebuilding efforts.

As the leading manufacturer of portable band sawmills, Wood-Mizer offers an extensive line of mills covering a wide range of cutting capabilities.  For more information about Wood-Mizer Products or for a demonstration, call 1.800.553.0182 or visit www.woodmizer.com.

###


Also, last Friday we sent a letter to all WM Owners in the states of AL, LA, & MS.  It was asking them to share with us the conditions of their mills and their willingness to be on a temporary "custom cutting" list that will be posted on our website.  We asked if they would either be interested in "for hire" or as a volunteer.  They have 3 ways for them to respond...either by returning the letter in a postage pd envelop provided, calling our Katrina hotline at 1-800-645-1011 or they can register on-line.  You can check it out at www.woodmizer.com.

While the letters were mailed to a limited group, being a part of the temporary custom cutting list to help in clean up efforts is available to all mill owners.  In Washington, we have a mill owner traveling to the hardest hit areas to saw.  Here is a link to his story.

http://www.meridianstar.com/articles/2005/09/14/local_news/news_stories/a1-lumberman.txt

Another story that ran in USA Today on 9/13 stated "In Mississippi, so much timber is down that local forestry experts expect much of it to go to waste because there won't be enough loggers or mills to harvest it."

Lastly, our Georgia Branch is doing follow-up New Mill deliveries to a "drop point" in the Perkinston, MS area (south of Hattiesburg).  One was completed last week and the next is scheduled in two weeks.  Sales had more details of these discounted delivery rates and availability.

Feel free to share with forum members.  If you know of other efforts (especially through forum members), let me know.  We would be happy to help spread the word for the common good.

Have a good weekend.

Thanks.

Sincerely,
Deanna Bunten
PR / Advertising
Wood-Mizer Products, Inc

317.808.0849

[Fla._Deadheader]

That's a class operation. That would make me want a WM, if I wasn't so cheeeeep.  : ;D ;D ;) ;)

[Bibbyman]

I've got a few minutes to get caught up on everything else and have went out the WM web site to read some of the info on the hurricane relief efforts they are working on.

If I'm reading it right,  if you are interested in taking your mill down and donating your sawing, they are offering to offset some of your blade costs. 

Found in the registration info ....



Are you interested in volunteering for relief efforts relating to sawing damaged trees?*
If yes, Wood-Mizer is willing to help with a matching blade program and we will contact you with details.



WM Katrina sawyer regestration

I think they are also trying to make it easier to get your mill repaired or replaced if it has been damaged or destroyed in the storm. 

[Deanna B]

This is true.  Wood-Mizer will match blades (up to 30) for those who VOLUNTEER their time and talent to saw hurricane trees.  We will ask that you fill out a quick survey and share your experience with us so that we can in turn share uplifting stories of Wood-Mizer sawyers helping others.  We are also offering mill service through our Customer Service department at the Perkinston, Mississippi location from October 12-19.

[Bibbyman]

Deanna,

Now that hurricane Rita has hit and did additional damage in eastern Texas and western Louisiana,  is Wood-Mizer extending plans to help mill owners in that area?  Maybe another temporary service center further west after the one in Perkinston, Mississippi?

[Deanna B]

Yes.  We are currently working on establishing a temporary location in Texas.  People can also access our website and find sawyers or information on purchasing mills for both Katrina and Rita.

[Bibbyman]

Thanks Deanna,   

I guess if I had went back out to the Wood-Mizer web site I would have seen y-all had updated your web site to include Rita. :-\

Keep us updated on where the new temporary location in Texas will be.

[Bibbyman]

There has been a lot of activity down south but not much news has filtered back.  I got some update from Deanna this morning.  She has given me a press release on one of their efforts.

David Wyatt is still doing volunteer sawing and has a sawing site established and tons of logs to saw.  WM is working with other sawyers that want to come in and help out or take up the effort.   

Link to David's storyHelp from afar   

If you'd like to help out,  you can call Steven Gilbert (David's cousin) at 601.626.7269 to make arrangements.

In other news... John Hicks is sent to prison!  A lot of WM owners know John Hicks.  He's the guy that won the first Sawmill Shootout. 

Anyway,  here is the real scoop from the WM press release.

Hundreds of trees felled by Hurricane Katrina will be cut into useful lumber by a sawmill donated to Stone County for eight days by Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.

The sawmill will be set up in the parking lot next to the Stone County Regional Corrections Facility in Wiggins, Mississippi.  The logs will be cut by inmates enrolled in the facility's vocational education program, supervised by John Hicks of Wood-Mizer.  Hicks is a veteran sawyer who demonstrates sawmills for Wood-Mizer.

The sawmill is expected to cut 30 logs per day from Thursday, October 27 through Thursday November 3.  The visit is being arranged by Stone County Sheriff Mike Farmer and Patty Rogers, director of the five-county Mississippi Coastal Plains Resource Conservation and Development Council.

[Deanna B]

We got an email from our contact person in Mississipp and she was pleased with their first day of training and sawing.  She is hoping to get many government officials to come by and see the mill in action.  She sent us some pictures but I am not sure how to post them.  Can someone coach me through it?

[Furby]

Try this thread and give me a yell with any questions. ;)
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=12416.0

[Colonel16]

I have some pics of John Hicks giving traing in Mississippi for Hurricane katrina help at the prison. So check out my photo gallery

[Tom]

Welcome Colonel!

[Bibbyman]

Wecome to the Forum Colonel.

Mary and I had the plesasure of working with Chad at the small farm show.



Here Mary is pullin' slabs for Chad at the Small Farm show. (And checkin' his work.   ;) )

[Bibbyman]

I've just checked the Wood-Mizer web site and they have a link to some news video on the work Jonn Hicks is doing down in Mississippi.

"Inmate Help Salvaging Downed Timber"