Where is the sawmill located? Business idea - How to open your own sawmill. Product promotion and customer acquisition

Construction wood is always needed; this gives confidence that the enterprise will be profitable. How profitable will a sawmill be? A business plan will help you determine it at the project development stage. The size of the starting capital and the return on investment largely depend on the range of lumber chosen for production, the cost of wood in the given area (which depends on the distance of its delivery).

The amount that an entrepreneur is willing to spend on opening a project affects the scope and speed of development of the enterprise and its popularization among customers of finished products. When developing a business plan for a sawmill, it is necessary to give a full explanation of the ways to sell finished products. As you know, demand creates supply. In order not to miss your potential buyer. It is necessary to offer him all the required lumber of proper quality.

Criteria for assessing wood, the advisability of including scanners in the project

Wood is divided into several categories. Russian and European standards have different requirements for the quality of lumber. The grade of a board is determined by the admission of some defects in color, the presence of small cracks, knots, falling knots, and thickening of annual rings. Russian standards are more stringent compared to European ones.

According to standards, all wood is divided into 4 categories and scrap.

Top grade

Product category 1 has a humidity of 20-22% ± 3% and does not have any visible flaws. The color of extra class wood is uniform, there are no knots or cracks throughout the entire area of ​​the material. This product category is characterized by high cost and increased standard sizes. When designating wide boards of the highest grade, you can see the name “export”, which explains the width that differs from GOST standards.

First grade

Class “A” wood, unlike boards of the highest quality, these may have knots that do not violate the integrity of the product, and up to 25% of end cracks in relation to the cut area. The main thing is that they do not separate. Cracks on the knot and the rest of the fabric are the reason for the grade decrease. Chips and nicks, changes in color and more serious damage such as rot are not allowed.

Second grade

Boards of category “B” can have up to 2 knots per linear meter. The presence of wane is acceptable. The annual rings of the bark are looser, but second-grade boards are not used in load-bearing structures. On the surface of wood cuts there may be drops of resin, spots of fungal infections (blueness, redness).

Third grade

The humidity of boards of category “C” cannot exceed 25%. The number of knots, fungal infections, cracks and resin pockets are acceptable. The only thing that cannot be on a third-grade board is areas of infection by putrefactive pathogens.

4-5 grade or culling?

This category includes materials that have all types of damage, including rot up to 10% of the total volume. Humidity criteria do not apply to boards of these categories. Material of these categories cannot be used in construction; it is often used for household needs as temporary fencing, formwork, and a pressing element for greenhouse film.

In order to determine the quality of future lumber, large woodworking enterprises use special laser scanners. Data on internal damage, deviations in density, the presence of rot, large knots and other damage are displayed on the operator’s monitor. In the absence of such equipment, defects become noticeable only after cutting. Some remain inside the board or timber. This is a special case that does not affect the overall assessment of the batch of goods into which such a board will be distributed.

When conducting an experiment in which a machine competed with a person, the computer turned out to be more loyal. Therefore, it is not recommended to use a scanner to determine the grade of finished board according to GOST. Most wood defects are visible to the naked eye. A person more accurately and quickly determines the quality of the board and its belonging to a certain category.

Purchasing scanners is advisable when setting up a wood processing line in a continuous cycle of equipment operation and when working with elite wood intended for the manufacture of furniture.

What defects does the scanner detect?

In each area where trees grow, a certain defect occurs. It cannot be that a shipment of wood will come from one area with a wide variety of changes in its internal structure. Although, any of the deviations can lead to the formation of cracks during the drying process, which will not be uniform.

Cross-layer – deviation of the fibers from a parallel direction relative to the axis of the trunk worsens the physical indicators of lumber’s endurance to loads, static bending, and resistance to radial tension. Wood with such a defect is difficult to process. When dried, it may shrink and warp.

Curlyness – fibers deviate from each other at different angles and intricately intertwine with each other. Most often the butt is affected, but the defect can appear on any part of the trunk. Mechanical processing of the twisted section of wood is difficult. It cannot be used to make plywood or veneer. It is impossible to evenly split the affected area, although the material becomes less resistant to fracture.

Curl – this is a defect affecting the area next to the knots; the size of this curvature is not large. Depending on the depth of penetration of the curved fibers, the raw material can be used for the production of boards of categories B and C.

Kren - This is a thickening of the annual ring, leading to asymmetry of the trunk. At the point where the trunk is deformed, abnormal compaction of the wood occurs. The presence of deformation is visible without additional equipment.

Attention! Defects associated with changes in the direction of fibers are typical for deciduous trees, while mainly coniferous trees are used for construction.

Range of sawmills and sawmills

Assortment is a professional term for woodworkers and builders; this word denotes a range of products of the same type of all standard sizes. The features of each category of lumber and possible standard sizes need to be known not only to construction team foremen, but also to manufacturers. By working according to standards, procuring the most popular building materials on construction sites, you can speed up the sale of your own products.

List of products offered by the sawmill to builders:

• double-edged beam - two sides are straight, two are convex.
• clean-cut timber - straight sides, rectangular cross-section.
• four-edged timber with wane.

When forming a beam of a certain size from a large diameter trunk, you can make it from scraps:

• slab - a thin round board with bark.
• plank - a debarked decorative board that imitates the appearance of a log house when covering walls.
• unedged board - wane on both sides.
• semi-edged board - wane on one side, an even vertical cut on the other edge.

These materials are accompanying, the main ones are edged boards and timber, they have strictly specified dimensions. Non-standard wood can be used to make “quarters”, when a tree trunk is cut into 4 equal parts.

The release of all of the above product groups will make production virtually waste-free.

Regardless of the scale of production or its equipment, all types of lumber can be produced with the least amount of energy and working time, forming two elements from different categories of goods in one cut.

What is a board

A board is usually called a canvas that is equal in thickness throughout its entire length, the width of which should be at least twice the thickness. The board is made from deciduous and coniferous trees. A board made of deciduous wood is called thin if its thickness does not exceed 32 mm. A pine or spruce board belongs to the thin category if its thickness is ≤ 4 cm. Building materials in this category are used for cladding and decoration. A thick board or timber is used as load-bearing elements.

Boards 1,2,4,6 meters long are considered standard. Large board sizes are in demand in the construction of country houses and cottages; they are made to order. Providing such services requires equipment with a circular saw mounted on an elongated, reinforced bed.

Common wood damage

The most popular in the construction market are edged boards and timber. Their quality is regulated by two GOSTs - 2140-81 and 2486-86. From one tree trunk, when making a board, materials of different types can be obtained, which is due to damage and new formations in a certain area of ​​​​the original raw material.

Losses of raw materials during lumber production

Core differs greatly in density, it is not used in the manufacture of materials of the Extra class and categories A, B. This material is used for the manufacture of timber and boards of category C.

Rotten wood cannot be used in construction; it makes no sense to waste time and energy resources on its processing.

Germination – a section of wood that differs in density from the rest of the canvas, but has a unique pattern. It is not used for the manufacture of load-bearing structures, but can be used in the manufacture of decorative interior elements.

Sineva, this type of fungal infection is not the reason for the rejection of raw materials. After atmospheric drying, the material is ready for processing, after which it must be treated with a specialized impregnation.

Natural cracks with a variety of directions:

• metic;
• spank;
• frosty;
• shrinkage;
• longitudinal, helical, transverse warping.

Many defects appear due to improper processing, violation of storage conditions, lack of free air circulation, and high humidity. Properly equipped warehouses and workshops will help to avoid losses of raw materials and finished goods.

Sawmill: services and sales market

A home sawmill does not necessarily have to work with large timber suppliers. For some areas where private construction is not in great demand, the manufacture of timber, finishing and construction boards is not the most profitable investment. In cities, the following are more in demand:

• timber with sides 60, 50, 40 mm;
• slats with a section of 25 by 35, 40, 50, 60 mm;
• platbands and other elements of the door frame;
• glazing beads and window frames;
• wooden doors;
• window frames.

As a point of sale for these materials, you can use construction chain stores such as Metrica, Vimos, where they ask for slats and other lumber. Agreements for constant supplies of building materials will be mutually beneficial. Locally produced goods are cheaper due to direct deliveries and reduced transportation costs.

It is not always profitable to manufacture window frames and door panels for sale. In private construction, the size of window and door openings often differs from the standard sizes adopted for standard buildings. Windows and doors differ in height and width in city houses of Stalinist buildings. It is better to make replacements for old frames and door jambs to order, which requires good advertising on social networks and stores selling similar goods.

For the manufacture of slats, beams, door leaves, and window frames, wood of standard humidity, converted into a garage workshop, a retractable metal bed with a fixed circular saw, and a carpentry machine are sufficient. This simple equipment is enough to generate an initial income, which will gradually allow you to purchase your own drying chamber, milling cutter and other necessary machines. This is how a simple sawmill can grow into a woodworking shop.

Sawmill as a supplier of raw materials for production

Before opening a sawmill, it is necessary to “test” the sales market, study the demand for the services of potential partners who need wood raw materials for manufacturing products. You can look for lumber customers in neighboring areas. If you have regular customers with stable production of furniture, pallets, pallets, flooring, boxes for storing agricultural products, you can plan your own income from cooperation.

The guarantor of the fulfillment of agreements is a drawn up, partially or fully paid, contract for the supply of raw materials of a certain type, humidity, category. Taking into account the dimensions of the boards used by the customer, it is possible to simplify the loading, dispatch, and delivery of material.

To do this, you simply need to cut the boards to size, which requires trimming equipment. The peculiarity of pine is that its crown is high, which means that most of the trunk is suitable for making materials of category A. But the upper part can also be used for material of the same quality by cutting out knotty areas. It will take more time to process, but the material will be of higher quality, which is beneficial for both the supplier and the customer.

Additional income for a sawmill or how to transform defects into expensive exclusive products

The most expensive material from a sawmill is edged boards. To make it more expensive, you can use a surface planer, then you will get a planed board that does not have roughness or deviations in size. For the production of wooden furniture and decorative interior decorations, wood rejected due to internal deformation is suitable. It can be sold for crafts to craftsmen or processed on a milling machine by setting a multi-layer cutting program using CNC.

When working with construction organizations, supplementing the sawmill equipment with a carpentry or milling machine will also not be superfluous. With individual construction, people want to get the original look of their home. For this you will need:

• balusters for the porch;
• platbands and carved shutters on windows;
• ridge on the roof;
• weather vane in the form of a rooster or pennant;
• valances for the pediment.

Even more wood decorations are required for arranging gazebos and garden decoration.

In order for the elements to match the size of the customer’s requirements, they sometimes have to be spliced ​​together. For this you will need:

• tenon cutting machine;
• gluemaz;
• press.

This equipment is divided into automatic and semi-automatic. If there is a need for constant supplies of boards exceeding the standard length (6 meters), it is advisable to equip the sawmill with an automatic line for continuous gluing of materials.

Cost of sawmill

The cheapest sawmill - production with an authorized capital of ≈ 10,000 rubles, is quite viable if you do not require a lot of return from it. To set it up, you only need a circular electric saw mounted on a metal frame, sheds for storing raw materials and finished products.

Small batches of goods (short length) can be delivered to points of sale or to the customer on a car trailer. To deliver standard boards, you will need an onboard vehicle of the type “I load it myself, I carry it myself,” popularly called “fiskars.” This vehicle is simply not replaceable in the forest when loading and unloading logs on the production site.

Wood is a heavy material. To pre-cut it, you will need a hand chainsaw. When preparing logs for a sawmill yourself, you will also need a lopper (a specialized chainsaw with an extended bar and a specific angle of the cutting elements).

What determines the value of sawmill assets?

Investments in the purchase of machines, working tools, vehicles, premises for workshops and warehouses must be justified within the first 3-5 years from the date of launch of production facilities. Assets, from an accounting point of view, income-generating property are means of production. In the event of bankruptcy of an enterprise, they ensure the closure of financial obligations to creditors dismissed by employees during the liquidation of the enterprise.

To obtain maximum profit, at the planning stage it is necessary to include only the most necessary equipment in the project. Its list should be compiled after the assortment of lumber that will be produced has been determined. Studying the woodworking market segment in the area where the enterprise is located and the surrounding areas will help in proper planning of financial investments. Only a profitable enterprise can count on investment, lending, and government financial support.

A properly drawn up business plan for a sawmill can make it prosper through the acquisition of new – powerful, accurate, safe equipment. Considering that most deviations in lumber dimensions are due to the human factor, it is more advisable to make the sawmill automatic or semi-automatic. Mechanization of processes makes the workshop more expensive, but its return on investment will be higher due to the reduction of rejected products and the cost of paying unskilled workers.

Market analysis

Comparison of prices for similar goods that are planned to be produced will make it possible to determine the income from each cubic meter of wood. This will be reflected in the financial part of the business plan.

Marketing plan

This section of the business plan is a kind of advertising for the project. It details the following points:

• general information about the company;
• goals and objectives;
• direction of activity;
• product range with detailed descriptions;
• target audience, main consumers, customers;
• pricing of product costs;
• forecasting production costs;
• methods of promoting goods;
• distribution routes;
• attracting investments;
• the need for additional funding for the project;
• expected return on investment.

Financial section

A complete list of costs for the purchase of equipment, batches of raw materials, monthly wages of the team, contributions to the pension fund and tax service, loan payments. Each of the expense categories (for clarity) is presented in the form of a table.

Preparatory work and one-time expenses

Equipment for processing 500 m³ of wood

Wage

For a small enterprise, the constant presence of an accountant is not required. It can be shared or hired under an outsourcing agreement. The salary of the manager—the owner of the business—can also be considered symbolic. At first, he will have to combine the positions of HR manager, administrator, clerk, operator of the supply and sales department.

This table may become twice or even three times longer in the next financial year, but this depends on the intensity of business development and the demand for goods.

In the same section, monthly deductions are indicated for:

• credit;
• paying rent;
• taxes;
• utility bills;
• purchasing consumables and spare parts.

After filling out all the lines in the tables, it becomes easier to calculate expenses. It remains to compare them with realistic figures of expected income to determine how profitable the production will be.

Risk analysis and insurance

There are many risks in woodworking production, these include:

• equipment breakdown;
• fire of raw materials or finished products;
• damage to goods during transportation by third parties;
• an emergency involving the company's own vehicle;
• failure to receive the planned income.

These and many other risks of loss are insured by state business insurance agencies.

It is necessary to take the preparation of all sections of the business plan seriously. Each point of this document is necessary for an objective assessment of the feasibility of opening a sawmill in a given area. Marketing, production, and organizational plans can generally be made into step-by-step guides to action. Punctuality is the politeness of kings and senior managers of the administrative apparatus.