Business View Magazine | July 2022

72 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 The Westville Sawmill currently has around 48 employees, a slight change from 45 last year, indicating modest growth. Over the last 12 months, the Westville mill has invested in marketing efforts to expand its local reach to both suppliers and other local stakeholders like private landowners. “Although we get a significant amount of timber from our Crown Land allotment, our marketing efforts, including Facebook advertising, are helping bring in more timber from suppliers who harvest wood from private land,” Watters says. While these efforts are paying off, he notes that there is still a mismatch in demand for hardwoods and supply, with the mill currently operating at 50 percent capacity. Therefore, the mill is working towards sourcing more timber stocks to meet the demand, especially as the various divisions and subsidiaries at the Groupe Savoie Inc. HQ grow. “The pallet business is growing tremendously, which means we have Sawmill in 1997 to feed the increasing demands of its central processing plant in New Brunswick. It is one of two major hardwood sawmills in a province dominated by softwood timber sawmills, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage, especially when it comes to acquiring hardwood timber from private sellers. “Private sellers have traditionally favored cash sales to firewood buyers and chip wood exporters,” says Jody Hamper, Division Supervisor at the Westville Mill. “Over the years, a significant hurdle has been educating private sellers on the benefits of working with a sawmill, even though they may not provide immediate cash payments.” While this process of sensitizing private landowners is still ongoing, the mill’s expansive sourcing area does offer at least enough timber to keep the mill running throughout the year. WWW.SULLIVANFUELS.CA 902-752-0377 PROPANE Now offering Residential & Commercial propane. Automatic Delivery Service & Installation. Sales, Service, & Installation of: • Hot Air Furnaces and Boilers • Water Heaters • Fireplaces • Cooktops and Ranges • Pool Heaters • Generators • Hot Dawg Heaters HOME HEATING OIL Sales, Service, & Installation of: • Hot Air Furnaces • Boilers • Water Heaters Bulk Diesel and Regular Gas Diesel Cardlock • NEW 2511 Truro Rd, Westville, Highway 104, EXIT 21 • Park St, New Glasgow • Keltic Dr, Sydney • NEW Cardlock coming to Antigonish