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Richard Vivers, President of Wood-Mizer Holdings, shares that the vision for the expanded production met a growing need for more space, and sets the stage for further growth. “Growth in overall sales volume and product range were both causes for the expansion. Over the years, we started getting more involved in industrial installations of bigger machinery. As we developed into Asia and Africa, where they have long, large tropical logs, the machines became bigger, and you simply need more floor space to be able to build bigger machinery.”
Designed by AiG Architects and constructed by BUDREM, companies that Wood-Mizer has worked with many times before, the new building will allow Wood-Mizer’s production team to be as flexible as possible with future material flow. The roof can support heavy overhead cranes anywhere in the building, and the concrete floor is 30cm (11.8 in) thick, enabling heavy machines to be moved anywhere in the building without reinforcement.
New offices will house Wood-Mizer’s production and purchasing teams. The building also features a large modern kitchen, large conference rooms, and expanded employee break and locker rooms. A new access road from the main highway and expanded exterior parking and equipment staging areas also played a significant role in the project.
“The design and construction of the new access road and production facility is a perfect blend of the architects’ vision to serve our immediate needs and future goals, as well as a testament to the professional performance of our main contractors,” comments Robert Baginski, COO of WMI.
The opening ceremonies were well attended by government officials, business partners, board members, and Wood-Mizer’s international management team. Entertainment was provided by ROMA, one of Poland’s most well-known and award winning theatre groups from Warsaw.
“The guiding principles focused on flexibility, expanding production to a new level, and creating a good working environment for our employees,” Mr Vivers shares. “The architects have designed a stunning building around our practical needs. The expansion of our European headquarters gives us a solid base to move up to the next stage in the sawmilling industry globally.”
Based in Kolo, Poland, Wood-Mizer Industries manufactures and supplies sawmills and sawmill blades to Europe, Africa, and most of Asia. Located in Indiana, the company’s global headquarters manufactures and sells equipment into North and South America and the South Pacific.
