(WAUSAU, Wis.) – Northcentral Technical College (NTC) proudly celebrated the grand opening of its state-of-the-art sawmill at the NTC Antigo Campus with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony, marking a significant investment in hands-on, industry-aligned education for students entering or already employed in lumber manufacturing fields.
The new sawmill stands as the only commercial scale training facility of its kind in the United States. Designed to prepare students for careers in the lumber industry, the facility features advanced commercial equipment and emphasizes safety, efficiency and best practices without the pressure of full-scale production.
“We are pleased to partner with state and local government, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and local businesses to bring state of the art, one of a kind training to Antigo, while building educational pathways in the wood and forest products industries at NTC,” said Dr. Jeannie Worden, President of NTC.
“The forestry industry is a huge part of the economy in Wisconsin,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the state’s lead economic development agency. “This sawmill will help train and prepare the industry’s future workforce to make sure forestry continues to thrive.”
Inside the sawmill, students work through the entire lumber production process – from debarked logs to finished, quality inspected boards. Key equipment includes a 54” head saw, a horizontal band resaw, a two-saw optimized edger and a two-saw trimmer. All machine centers ae elevated for better teaching access and are supported by a complete residue handling system that recycles byproducts.
The sawmill is being funded as part of the $8 million state Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG) that the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point received to address the forestry industry’s workforce shortage. The WIG program is a joint effort between the WEDC And the Department of Workforce Development.
“As a public service university, UW-Stevens Point is excited help find solutions to workforce needs in our communities and industries,” said UWSP Chancellor Thomas Gibson. “The new sawmill and UWSP and NTC’s collaborative Mill Technology Immersion Training Program are direct responses to the need for highly skilled commercial operators within the forest products sector.”
The sawmill supports multiple NTC programs, including the Wood Science Associate Degree, Wood Technology Technical Diploma and a variety of specialized certificates. To learn more, visit: www.ntc.edu/about/locations-facilities/wood-technology-center-excellence/sawmill.
