Builders, secondary wood products manufacturers, and retail buyers in New Hampshire now have an updated resource for finding the products that they need and use.
The updated Directory of Sawmills & Lumber Wholesalers lists New Hampshire businesses that sell primary forest products and identifies the products available including types and species of lumber, chips, shavings, and sawdust, among others. The directory is a resource for local, regional, and international customers. Andy Fast, Forest Industry State Specialist, emphasizes that this resource “highlights the importance of our state’s sawmills and lumber wholesalers.”
The forest-products industry started when the state sent its first cargo of masts to England for the Royal Navy. There is some debate about where the first sawmill was located. Some say the first was in 1631 near Portsmouth on the Salmon Falls River. Some say it was in South Berwick on the Salmon Falls in 1631, while others say 1623 in York Maine (History of the Lumber Industry Vol. 2 p. 6). Today, sawmills contribute approximately 220 million dollars directly to New Hampshire’s economy and employ 750 people.
According to Andy, there is increasing recognition statewide and regionally that supporting local forest product manufacturers results in economic, societal, and environmental benefits. Whether it is retaining money in the local community or storing carbon in durable wood products, the forest industry in New Hampshire is here to stay.
