Situated close to both softwood resources and its customer base, the Montmartin sawmill—located on a former mining site in the Loire region—aims to stay competitive by modernizing its production equipment, specifically its twin-blade resaw.

The Montmartin sawmill is located in La Talaudière (42), in the suburbs of Saint-Étienne. Close to its customers and major transport routes, it is one of the last remaining service sawmills deeply rooted in the local area. Managed by Jean-Christophe and Sven—representing the fourth generation—the company has grown significantly since setting up in 2002 in the Molinala-Chazotte industrial zone, a site formerly used for mining.

"Our forebears, originally from Saint-Genest-Malifaux in the Pilat region, moved closer to the Saint-Étienne area to start a business sawing mine props in 1930. However, as mining declined during the 1950s and 60s, operations shifted toward cutting timber for structural framing and roofing. That remains the core of our business," explains Jean-Christophe, the sales manager. "We saw only locally sourced softwoods: 70% fir, 20% Douglas fir, and 10% spruce, all from within a 50 km radius (covering departments 42, 43, 63, and 69). We process around 20,000 m³ of logs to produce approximately 12,500 m³ of sawn timber. Our suppliers include private owners (via brokers), a forestry cooperative, and, to a lesser extent, the ONF (National Forestry Office)."

Local Focus

The Montmartin sawmill generates approximately 60% of its business from cut-to-order timber—its traditional specialty—and 40% from standard products intended primarily for agricultural buildings, roofing, and timber framing. Material yield is around 60%. Its flagship product is custom-cut fir or Douglas fir timber. To add greater value to its output, the company kiln-dries about 10% of its volume and planes 20%. Carpenters represent the primary market (70% of sales), followed by local timber merchants (20%), and masons and private individuals (10%).

"Our aim is to supply a customer base located as close as possible to our company—within the department and the region—by leveraging the BTMC certification [see sidebar]. We sell our products directly and do very little trading," explains Jean-Christophe Montmartin. "The company’s website and social media channels provide us with visibility. Furthermore, I play an active role in the timber industry by serving as vice-president of both Fibois 42 and BTMC. Customer demands center primarily on a trio of factors: lead times, quality, and price. We operate in niche markets—specifically custom-cut timber, particularly large-dimension pieces and long lengths—facing competition from sawmills of similar size to our own. However, we each have our own clients, and this tacit understanding is respected."

Precision

"We are a family-run sawmill with a small team but high-performance equipment," explains co-manager Sven Montmartin, who handles log cutting and blade sharpening. "Our strength lies in our responsiveness and adaptability."

To stay up to date and boost productivity, the company has just installed a fully automated mechanization system at the infeed of the MEM twin-saw line, featuring both remote and in-cab controls. Manufactured and installed by Marcon—a company based in Riotord, Haute-Loire—this €670,000 investment enables more precise sawing (processing slabs and cants), higher yields, and the elimination of manual handling, while also enhancing safety. The project received 20% funding from EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), the AuRA region, and the Loire department. The next investment phase will aim to mechanize the MEM resaw line and the processing of cants up to 175 mm thick, using the same approach applied to the twin-saw line.

Local timber

In conclusion, Jean-Christophe Montmartin adds: "Our profession as sawmillers remains little understood, which makes recruitment difficult. That is a shame, because custom sawmilling is fascinating work; every day is different, just as every order is unique. We are concerned about the investments being made by our industrial counterparts; they seem disproportionate to the supply capacity and characteristics (mid-mountain terrain) of our fir forests. This is already driving up log purchase prices—which isn't a bad thing—but the challenge lies in getting the market to accept a corresponding rise in selling prices! In any case, the future must lie in better value creation for our locally sourced sawn timber."

FOCUS ON THE MONTMARTIN SAWMILL

Location: La Talaudière, Loire.

Managers: Jean-Christophe and Sven Montmartin.

Legal status: SARL (Limited Liability Company). Turnover: €3.8 million.

Number of employees: 12.

Wood species: Softwoods. Log volume: 20,000 m³.

Sourcing area: Within a 50 km radius of the sawmill.

Markets: Construction.

Key products: Made-to-order and standard products.

Certification

BTMC: QUAL-BTMC/18-001.

PEFC No.: QUAL-PEFC-COC-06164.
CE No.: 1973-CPR-053.

Production Equipment

BZH carriage, debarker, and butt reducer.

MEM double-cut log saw (140) and slabber.

MEM twin-blade resaw (120).

MFLS stellite and TCT carbide bandsaws; Iseli sharpening.

MEM Cobra resaw center.

Marcon (Riotord, 43) trimmer, 30-bin sorter, and stacker.

A2C spray unit, 14 m; Cl2 treatment.

Maspell vacuum kiln, 15 m³.

Baschild kiln, 40 m³.

Mida planer for large-section structural timber (cut-to-order), four-sided machining.

Weinig line for chamfered framing timber.

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