Whiterock is offering rough-cut lumber, by order.

Owner Jack Smith Sr. said he went into the lumber business a month ago and has an inventory of mostly spruce at 6.5 Mile Haines Highway, where his mill is set up. “We had a bunch of trees and instead of having them rot or cut up into firewood, I figured a guy might as well use it. We’ve got quite a bit of wood down, enough (to mill) for a couple years.”

Smith said he would also cut logs brought to the mill. “One guy called and wanted cottonwood so he could trim windows with it. We can do that, but we’ve been cutting pretty much a lot of (spruce) beams.”

Smith’s mill can cut beams up to 12” by 12” and 24 feet long and as small as one-inch. “We’ve got quite a bit of wood that’s been down for a couple of years. So it’s not green and it doesn’t check as bad.”

Until he improves security at his mill site, he won’t be stockpiling inventory, so customers should call him at 314-0427 to place an order, get information about pricing and arrange for pick-up.

Smith said this week he hasn’t decided whether he’d keep the operation going after he exhausts his inventory. “I’m looking to get a timber sale, but first I want to see how things go.”

Smith said he’s doing the milling himself but said he might bring on a mill operator if demand increases.