Shawano County, WI, Sawmill to Reopen and Expand With USDA Loan

The Timber Professionals Cooperative Enterprises (TPCE) will reopen and expand a shuttered sawmill in Shawano County, Wisconsin, using an $800,000 loan from USDA Rural Development’s Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program, WAOW reported (11-19-25).

The project will revive the former Hoffman Wood Fiber LLC mill in Tilleda. TPCE said the reopening will create six initial jobs, with further employment expected as production increases. Organizers recently held a ribbon-cutting for the facility, noting it is the first chip mill in the US purchased by a logger cooperative.

The financing will allow TPCE to acquire more than 49 acres and purchase equipment to improve efficiency and expand the mill’s product range. Production is expected to rise from 2,500 to 4,000 tons per month.

“This project is a win for Wisconsin’s economy, consumers who want American-made products, and for forest management, which will help keep Wisconsin forests safe and reduce wildfire risk,” said Andrew C. Iverson, Wisconsin State Director of USDA Rural Development.