WM3500 Sawmill Producing Quality Timber in Czech Republic

After the Czech revolution in 1989, Václav Chara started his own company producing electrical cables and accessories, which quickly grew into a profitable company that continues to this day. But one day, when a nearby sawmill announced bankruptcy, Mr. Chara decided to buy it and invest in it.

 “Wood was always my hobby and when the opportunity came to acquire this sawmill, I jumped at the chance. In the beginning we bought pre-sawn timber to be dried in the kiln. But I realized it would be better to get a sawmill, buy raw logs and then saw our own timber and dry it according to our specific needs.”

Mr. Chara then set out to replace the old sawmill machinery with modern equipment that fit his vision for profitable and lean timber processing that was flexible to meet the changing needs of the market.

“I did not want a massive sawmill and I so reviewed a lot of quotes from manufacturers - many sawmills with high production volume but with bigger operational costs too. The Wood-Mizer WM3500 sawmill seemed to have the best balance between benefits for good production, while requiring fewer workers and reducing overall energy consumption costs.”

“My philosophy is to purchase something only once, and so it must have quality. There are cheap products available but they must be replaced repeatedly in the future.”

"I sell high quality timber from wood species like beech and oak. In comparison with other sawing methods, Wood-Mizer gives me one additional board from every log because of the narrow blades."

“We produce mainly sawn timber here – from thinner boards to thick slabs for joinery workshops – to be used for furniture and staircases. During the summer we cut a lot of structural timber for the construction industry.”

Depending on what kind of timber sizes they are cutting, the company produces an average of 8 to 12 cubic meters in one shift with a crew of only five workers. "Labour costs in the Czech Republic are high, and the WM3500 requires only one direct operator who works in a comfortable environment."

The sawn wood first air dries and then goes into the kiln, where it finishes drying for several weeks. Air-drying saves on energy consumption.

Customers come daily to his 5,000 square metre warehouse where 1,200 cubic metres of finished timber is in stock. They come expecting quality.

"Our main priority is quality, not volume," shares Mr. Vaclav. ““Quality timber always finds its customer.”

They use Wood-Mizer blades and a Wood-Mizer blade sharpener and an automatic, computerized Wood-Mizer BMT300 toothsetter to maintain the blades and use them as long as possible.