The other day we were able to arrange a tour at the plywood mill with the construction manager. After spending more than five weeks in forests and grasslands, breathing fresh air, and listening to birds and livestock all day, it was weird to spend time in such an industrial setting.
The mill makes plywood, and recently completed construction to generate all their own power using their waste. They make so much power, in fact, that they not only run their entire mill off the grid, but they actually sell some back to the grid. It’s nice to see measures like this, which are not legal requirements, down here in a place where environmentalism hasn’t really taken off. It seems like our industry prides itself on being ahead of the curve on some things like this, which makes me feel better about being involved, however tangentially.
To make plywood, a machine strips wood off a tree log as it spins – kind of like an apple peeler. These “sheets” then go through many processes as they are glued into several layers and dried into sheets of plywood.
I didn’t understand the whole process, but it was kind of fascinating to see some of the process, and the people working here. My favorite part was watching the machine that wrapped the pallets of plywood in plastic – it was like a huge cellophane roll, and both the pallet of plywood and the machine spin around to get them completely covered and protected for shipment.
Oh, and one more tidbit: there’s a snack cart in the parking lot for the mill guys. I’m guessing the guys here enjoy being able to buy fresh sandwiches and desserts when they feel the need.
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