Success Stories

MEP Member

Manufacturing-Works

Story Title

ASMC Member Providing Hands-On Help through Manufacturing-Works

Client Profile

Buckingham Lumber, a sawmill that has been in business for over 50 years, provides employment for approximately 24 people full-time in Buffalo, Wyoming. With a population of less than 4,000, this amounts to more than 10 percent of Buffalo’s workforce.

Situation

Buckingham Lumber was in violation of various EPA and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) standards and was being threatened with closing because of continued violations over several years. Waste elimination via a teepee waste burner was no longer a valid solution for the sawmill’s operation.

Solution

The City of Buffalo acquired a USDA grant to study the crisis situation and elected to hire Manufacturing-Works, a NIST MEP network affiliate, to find a solution. Andy Rose, Manufacturing-Works’ Field Engineer, determined the best solution would be to utilize the waste from the sawmill for abandoned mine reclamation and utilize funding available through the Federal Abandoned Mine Land (AML) act to alleviate two problems that existed regarding the environment.

Results

•  Eliminated use of teepee burner for waste management.
• Retained two employees who were transferred to other positions within the operation.
• Saved at least 20 jobs with sawmill staying in business.
• AML act paid for waste products, eliminating need to invest in equipment for waste management.
• Rejuvenated environment by utilizing waste from sawmill for abandoned mine reclamation.

Testimonial

“An engineer from Manufacturing-Works has evaluated the scrap situation at Buckingham and has determined the best use of the scrap is to use it in abandoned mine reclamation. They studied the problem and at the end of the contract provided three viable alternatives for the sawmill to pick from. Buckingham championed this alternative,
and Manufacturing-Works has already found a contractor to start purchasing the waste to use in the mine reclamation.”
Jeremy Grimm, City Planner and Mayoral Assistant