A well thought out process, highly trained machine operators, and state of the art equipment give Ashton Lewis Lumber the edge in manufacturing. Overview The physical plant occupies 75 acres in the rural Gates County, about 60 miles southwest of the port of Norfolk, Virginia. The sawmill is quite modern, utilizing state of the art scanning and computer optimization at nearly every machine center. Logs are separated for product mix, inventoried on a concrete yard then mechanically debarked and dispatched to either of two sawing lines. A scanning carriage and single band mill breaks down larger logs while a unique and versatile end-dogging machine processes smaller logs through twin bandsaws. Further reduction occurs down stream as lines merge to a twin horizontal resaw and then are edged with either of two multiple saw scanning optimized edgers. All sawn lumber is optimized for end trimming and sorted for drying by thickness, length, width, and grade in a computerized 26 bay drop bin sorter. All lumber is mechanically stacked and dried in one of seven computer controlled low temperature steam dry kilns. All steam for this segment of the operation is produced by a gasification type wood waste boiler plant. Lumber is cooled in covered areas and routed to a very versatile finish mill. Two high-speed pattern planers finish most domestic sales lumber and a German 8 head Weinig Moulder produces architectural profiles. Simultaneously, rough kiln dried lumber can be graded on a parallel system. All lumber is graded in air-conditioned, constant lighted room and passes to a computerized separator and package maker. Finish lumber can be shrink wrapped for consumer packages, offering an attractive presentation for mixed item truckloads. The state of the art equipment is available and is used by other southern yellow pine sawmills. What sets us apart is the training given to our people and the process in which we use this state of the art equipment. The Process and People All forest products companies are proud of their modern machinery and we are no exception. Where we are different is the way our people interact with technology to manufacture appearance grade items. In fact, each machine operator is essentially a grader - highly trained to select cuttings for heart content, color, grain orientation, and clarity. Experienced and highly trained operators inspect the grain and grade prior to the optimzation at each machine center in the sawmill. Operators are cross-trained on each machine, giving the ability to work as a team, efficiently producing a wide mix of products simultaneously. Because these valuable products are sawn collectively and straight from the logs, the process yields more consistent quality and less waste than with a re-manufacturing facility offering similar products. This same philosophy is carried through the entire operation. Products are assigned to dry kilns with drying schedules that properly match moisture conditions to customers' requirements. Our flow from the raw material to kiln dried stock is so fluid that no water or chemical treatment for lumber stain is necessary. Grading for the demands of the customer is the focus of our process in the finishing mill. Trained graders separate stock depending on appearance and the best end use for each piece. Just how much of an edge do we have? Only a mill as flexible as Ashton Lewis can deliver the variety of grade products simultaneously produced with a consistent quality. On most given log batches, the mill may be producing 4/4 in seven widths, full cut as well as scant cut 5/4 items, dimension lumber, heart pine, and as many as ten sizes of metric vertical grain window components... all at the same time. Rough dry material is kept in inventory ahead of the finishing mill, allowing for changes in production schedules or variations in grading instructions to better react to a constantly changing market demand. Because the finishing mill can perform as many as three functions at the same time, coordination to assemble mixed- item shipments can be done much quicker than a mill with conventional in-line high production process. An example of the effectiveness of our process is our ability to produce vertical grain. Vertical grain is the most stable form of grain structure in most applications. Ashton Lewis is one of the very few suppliers of vertical grain flooring, paneling, and window and door scantlings. The process and people of Ashton Lewis Lumber allows us to saw for "vertical grain" scantlings and other appearance grades simultaneously gives us the edge for customers who appreciate a consistent quality product. Discover the Ashton Lewis Lumber Edge.