Integrated Forestry Management

Opportunities in Forest Management

Log cost constitutes from 60% to 70% of the total cost component of a typical sawmill.  Mill recovery and value can fluctuate as much as 50% on a per unit basis from trees with the same per unit cost.  Getting the right log in the right mill at the right time has potential to increase yield and value by 10% to 20% or more.

Advancements in process technology have allowed mills to get as high as 11.0 BF/CF (2.8 tons/MBF) on select logs.  When you consider that a cubic foot of solid wood only has approximately 14.2 theoretical board feet of lumber, it is easy to see that our process technology is approaching maturity.  But why can we not get 11.0 BF/CF on every log that passes through the mill?  The answers lie in the logs and their unique physical attributes such as diameter, taper, sweep, and cross-sectional shape.

How Can Mid-South Help?

Modern technology affords the means to collect data needed to evaluate the mill performance of standing timber.  Mid-South has intricate knowledge of sawmill equipment and process design combined with an understanding of silvicultural practices, forest management, and economic analysis.  Using these tools,  we help clients evaluate their timber as it relates to their conversion processes and markets.  In practice, we will provide you with information to help you accurately evaluate opportunities that can boost your profits while improving mill performance and enhancing resource stewardship.  We believe that some of the questions that we can help you answer are as follows: 

• “What is the value of this stand of timber in my mill?  Will it be greater today or in the future?”

•  “What is a reasonable price to bid on this tract of timber if I plan to process it in my mill?”

•  “How would the economic and process performance of this stand of timber change if harvest were delayed for 1-year, 2-years, 5-years?”

• “What is the breakdown of lumber and by-products that I could expect from processing this stand of timber in my mill?”

• “What impact would processing this stand of timber have on my existing lumber inventory and sales contracts?”

• “How many board feet of a certain product can I get out of this stand of timber without sacrificing optimum recovery?”

 These questions can be difficult to answer and they represent many more that present opportunities for improvement by understanding more about the timber that you process.  We believe that the answers to these and other similar questions will provide the basis for reaching the next level in mill performance and company-wide profitability.

What specifically does Mid-South Offer?

We can provide you the same level of customized integrated forest management services that we strive to offer in our engineering services.  In fact, we believe that forest management and planning are an integral part of the wood products manufacturing process as it identifies where mill technology can be used to effectively link markets closer to the resource.  Contact us today about the major integrated forestry management services that we offer:  

•  Resource sampling, testing, and analysis

• Optimized harvest planning services

• Comprehensive economic evaluations from regeneration to finished product.