J.D. Irving Completes Major Upgrades to Truro Sawmill in Valley, Nova Scotia

Last Thursday (7-20-23), J.D. Irving reported that its Truro Sawmill, also known as Sproule Lumber, located in Valley, Nova Scotia, had recently completed a major upgrade which will greatly improve the mill’s operations and productivity. The extensive modernization project, spanning over a year, encompassed improvements to nearly every area of the mill.

Key upgrades to the Truro Sawmill included the replacement of outdated equipment with new, state-of-the-art machinery. Replacing these machines has resulted in faster saw operations thanks to larger motors and advanced scanning technology. The upgrades will also result in better log recovery—a reference to how many board feet can be recovered from the log and how many chips the log can provide—to ensure maximum usage of every log. The new machine scans the log and sends data to ensure the log is cut appropriately to maximize its value.

Another key upgrade was the installation of a new planer and sticker handling system, which has further streamlined the production process. The trimmer/sorter line also underwent multiple upgrades, allowing it to run up to 180 boards per minute. The sorter was expanded with 15 additional bins for dressed lumber and a second a second stacker was relocated from Deersdale. Irving says these machines will ensure that the sorting process of boards by length will be faster and smoother. Completing the upgrades, the mill also added an automated wrapper to allow for less manual labor and a safer workplace.