The newly upgraded Seneca facility opens soon, bringing with it several new jobs and a boost to the economy. Casey Roscoe and Todd Payne presented today about the company and the following are notes from the presentation.
- Seneca was founded in 1954. Its annual capacity in 1954 was 18 million board feet per year and now capacity is 650.
- Seneca is made up of four companies and has 430 employees. The company is family owned (second generation.)
- The local facility is the only site in the US that can bring an entire tree on site and use it 100% including refuse.
- The Eugene and Noti mills produce dimension lumber, studs, and ties.
- Seneca manages 170,000 acres currently through their Seneca Jones Timber Company. There is 90% more timber today than in 1992 on the same acreage. They do not cut any more than they grow. They are committed to sustainable management and a healthy Eco-system.
- Seneca Sustainable Energy is a 19.8 MW renewable energy facility generating power and thermal energy from wood biomass. They sell 100% of their output to EWEB. The cost was 65M and 25% of that is dedicated to emission control equipment and technology. They provide annual energy needs for 13,000 homes.
- The newest capital project is a mill upgrade and an investment of over 603M. They hope to be complete at the end of this year.
- The new project’s scope included upgrades, new kilns, new shipping and rail loading areas and much more. It gives Seneca a much larger opportunity to diversify and increase their market. Considerations included new regulations, customer preference, and freight savings.
- Seneca looks forward to diversifying their product base, becoming more flexible and investing in other projects down the road.
- Challenges include regulation, timber supply, and labor.
- Strengths include a family focus, community involvement (for 60 years), location in the premier timber growing region, good access to transportation and a good workforce.