Group Savoie Inc.

6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 GROUPE SAVOI E INC . WESTV I LLE DI V I S ION The new system is slated for a pre-Christmas launch, with the company currently taking workers through training on how to use the system. “All these systems work for some time, and then you have to upgrade them or try something new, which is where we are with our current system,” adds Watters. “Everyone will get trained on this new system so we can have a more tech-enabled work environment.” The last two years have not brought notable change to the mill due to the pandemic’s timber supply constraints and its economic aftershocks. For Watters, an increase in supply is the only factor standing between where the Westville mill is now and what he sees as an opportunity to make significant investments in modernizing and expanding the mill’s operations. to supply more lumber that meets the specific needs of the pallets business,” Watters states. “We’ve recently added some machinery to address this issue, so we are shipping out lumber that meets the pallet business’s specifications.” Other additional investments the Westville Division is making are a rooftop-mounted solar array to feed into the mill’s power needs and an integrated ERP system to run the mill. “The software system we are currently implementing is an upgrade of what we have been using,” says Watters. “We have been using just a small slice of its features, mostly regarding tracking time and worker output. This upgrade will unlock features that cover lumber production, equipment maintenance, and everything that goes into running the mill.”