Over the last decade, Mr. Khamthang has successfully grown his own private sawmill business, thanks to new sawmilling machinery such as the Wood-Mizer LT15 Wide sawmill. His business is now known for supplying local buyers with high quality lumber.
Where it All Began
Operating in the Southern village of Churachandpur in the Indian state of Manipur, Mr. Khamthang has been able to increase production at his sawmilling business by using a Wood-Mizer LT15 Wide sawmill. “Before Wood-Mizer, I used an old type of sawmilling machine which requires an experienced operator. The Wood-Mizer machine does not require a highly trained operator, anyone can operate it,” said Khamthang.
However, this was not how Khamthang was introduced to the sawmilling industry. “I started working as a wood supplier since 1993, before that I worked under some local wood businessman. All the sawmilling was done traditionally with manpower and pulling logs using animals like buffalo.” It was not until 2012 that he was able to introduce sawmilling machinery to his business.
All In a Day’s Work
Khamthang gave an inside look as to what an average day looks like at his mill with the help of his 10 to 15 employees. “My business operates only during the winter season.” This is due to the lack of roads and hilly terrain,” Khamthang explained. “On a normal morning we reach the area where the trees are and, with the truck, transport the logs to the sawmill. Usually in a day we can transport around 3 to 4 rounds of logs to the mill.”
“My production process starts with cutting down the tree, which is then transported by a truck, usually 12 feet long,” Khamthang shared. “Then from the sawmill there is no processing, it is directly supplied to the customer.” Most of their logs and lumber goes to local markets or to private buyers and all the wood Khamthang harvests is Khasi Pine.
This specific type of wood is an accessible, local source, found prominently throughout India and the rest of Asia. He shared that in a day he and his team can saw 120 18-to-23-inch logs of Khasi Pine. “My clients appreciate the timber which is big enough to cut and old enough that it gives a beautiful pattern.”
Looking Towards the Future
Since the opening of his business, Khamthang has been able to grow his business thanks to tools such as the Wood-Mizer LT15 Wide sawmill. “The Wood-Mizer machine is user friendly. It gives a good cut and production has increased since I used a Wood-Mizer,” Shared Khamthang. Though his business has changed throughout the years since he first started, Khamthang’s top priority is still his customers.
Now with access to equipment like the Wood-Mizer LT15, Khamthang can plan for the future of his company. He shared his hopes for his business by saying, “my future is to produce more and give the best for the customer. I also plan to extend the sawmill so that more products can be given out.”
