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Dec 30, 2020

How Marks Lumber Stacks Up Against Other Sawmills

Tags: Lumber Process

Marks Lumber is a family-owned, specialty sawmill located in Clancy, Montana. Our owners still come to work each day to carry on the 75-year family tradition of providing quality lumber directly to consumers. However, a history of excellence is not all that sets Marks Lumber apart from most other sawmills. Our medium-sized sawmill gives us a leg-up on the competition, allowing us to provide a large selection of products and see the product through from beginning to end, maintaining the highest standards of quality.


Quality is King

Most larger sawmills throughout the region only manufacture a few products in high quantities. For example, sawmills may specialize in making framing lumber, which is then planed to a smaller dimension. These are called high production sawmills, where quality is important, but quantity is the priority. Marks Lumber looks at every log and makes the best product it can from that log, whether that be a full dimension 8x12 timber or a 1x4 board.

At Marks, quality is always our first priority, and quantity is second.


Larger sawmills often exclusively sell significant quantities to wholesalers. Marks Lumber sells to homeowners, contractors, and wholesalers. We make sure the customer gets the highest quality lumber needed for any project at hand. This could be a birdhouse for a Girl Scout project, a timber frame home for a retired couple, siding for a contractor’s remodeling job, or bridge planks for a wholesaler.

More Options without the Overhead

While Marks is not the largest sawmill around, it’s also not the smallest. Marks Lumber is considered a mid-sized sawmill -- a sweet spot that gives us significant advantages over small, portable sawmills as well. These smaller, one- or two-person operations have no way to dry their lumber, nor do they have the expertise to grade the finished product. Marks Lumber prides itself in the grading of our kiln-dried lumber - a meticulous and time-consuming process. While small sawmills may have very little room for inventory, Marks Lumber manufactures many different products from rough lumber to timbers, sidings, flooring, and more.

We keep most items in stock, but it’s always best to order ahead to make sure we have enough material for your project. We are continually trying to improve our manufacturing processes and are currently testing a pilot program to increase the inventory of common sized timbers, bringing even more selection and convenience to our customers.

Marks Lumber provides superior, made-in-Montana lumber, with down-home customer service and knowledgeable staff. Call Marks Lumber with your next project list!

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