Robbins Lumber Company Sells Its Hancock, ME, Sawmill to Jordan & Sons; Property to Be Used for Other Purposes

Robbins Lumber Co., a lumber manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Searsmont, Maine, has reached an agreement with Elliott Jordan & Sons Inc. to sell its Hancock sawmill, which it acquired from Pleasant River Lumber Company in 2023.

In a previous interview with Mainebiz, Robbins President Jim Robbins said that, shortly after the company bought the Hancock plant, it experienced a major failure of a specialized machine responsible for 60% of the plant’s production. The company continued to operate at reduced capacity while also looking into replacement machinery. However, it would have taken two years to get the replacement, leaving the mill at a reduced capacity that wasn’t sustainable, he said.

According to the report, Robbins is one of the top three Eastern white producers in New England and will continue to operate sawmills in Searsmont and Sanford and a facility in East Baldwin, Maine.

Jordan & Sons have said they do not intend to operate the sawmill. With 108,655 square feet across 22 buildings, the complex is two miles from US Route 1 and downtown Ellsworth. The property was marketed as a redevelopment opportunity, zoned for uses such as a business parks or campgrounds.

“We love logging, but Down-east Maine has been hurt pretty hard with all the mill closures,” Duane Jordan, a third-generation logger, told Mainebiz. “We had to diversify.”

Jordan added that he views the mill purchase as an opportunity for further diversification. “We know it will take some time, but we’re excited about it,” he said.