Local Mud Bay Lumber wins $25,000 award

The Path to Prosperity award is a business development competition for Southeast businesses. They’ve been running for six years and received hundreds of applications. This year they’ve selected a business from Haines as one of their winners. 

The Mud Bay Lumber Company in Haines won a $25,000 award in the 2018 Path to Prosperity business development competition. Mud Bay Lumber Company is a small scale, family operated sawmill run by Sylvia Heinz and Chad Bieberich.

They’ve worked for this opportunity before and made it to the finalist category in 2016. This year they won the $25,000 award. 

“It’s really exciting that experts throughout the state think haines has a local timber industry with the potential for social value, economic value, environmental value. Not only for Haines for our local economy but the economy as a whole,” said Heinz. “It’s something I really believe in. This award means other people believe it too.”

She says she’s grateful to all the people who took the time to talk to her about the social value, economic value, and environmental impact of the timber industry during the application process.  Heinz says it was a community victory.

“So many people in Haines made this happen,” she said. “I just wanted to share! Look what we did. It’s not what I did or my business did; it’s look what Haines did.”

Heinz says the Mud Bay Lumber Company is committed to responsible use of resources. They operate with a zero waste goal and within the limits of the State Forest Management Plan. She says their location in Haines contributes to their success. Haine’s road access is rare among Southeast communities. Direct access to the state highway system allows the company to supply locally and avoid using fuel for long distance shipping. That also lets them avoid plastic packaging for their products. Heinz says the money is for continued development of their business model.

“We don’t get to buy equipment, we get to buy knowledge. So the first thing we want to do is visit some of the mills throughout the state,” she said.

Heinz says the company wants to explore solutions like biomass facilities and dry kilns that other companies are using in the region. She says one of the things she learned though the application process is that the timber industry gives back to the community that supports it.

“The timber industry has a 1.5 multiplier effect. Which means every $100,000 we bring in sale turns into $150,00  in Haines. Timber has one of the highest multiplier effects,” she said.

Heinz says that’s a business worth growing. The Path to Prosperity competition is a partnership between the spruce root community development organization and the nature conservancy; the award is co-sponsored by Southeast Conference and the Sustainable Southeast partnership.