Our Mill
A proven, capable supplier of American Hardwood and Softwood lumber products since 1978.
“The fully-integrated, quality, specialty manufacturer that adds value to wood and wood products by processing to their highest worth and working to protect these valuable and renewable resources.”
Gates Milling, Inc. operates 58,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. The facility has capacity for more than 12 million board feet of logs and lumber. Gates produces most of that lumber in-house, however the company purchases 2 to 3 million board feet of lumber from other mills annually. This arrangement allows Gates to supplement its in-house supply in order to better meet customers’ unique and specialized needs.
From its North Carolina facility, Gates serves wholesalers and distributors across the country and around the world. With a primary focus on the East Coast, Gates works with clients from New England to Texas, customizing each order to fit the client’s needs and the region’s environment.
In order to create top-of-the-line products, Gates Milling, Inc. utilizes top-of-the-line equipment and techniques during its production processes.
Sawmill Operation
While most milling companies saw their lumber with the goal of gaining the highest yield, Gates Milling, Inc. takes a different approach by sawing what will work best for a client’s project. The sawmill also implements a unique barcoding system that tracks each piece of lumber through its different stages of the milling process. This system allows Gates Milling, Inc. to update its inventory in real-time and provide timely, competitive prices to clients.
Gates Milling, Inc’s Sawmill Equipment Includes:
- MIT Head Rig & Carriage
- McDonough Line Bar & Resaw
- McDonough Horizontal Resaw
- Salem Edger
- Dawson Brothers Drop Saw Trimmer with Lucinyde controls & Grade Mark Reader
- Dawson Brothers 34 Bay Sorter with Lucinyde controls
- Dawson Brothers Automated Lumber Stacker with Industrial Systems Consultants controls
- Fastline Small Log Processor and Brewer Horizontal Twin Band
Dry Kiln Operation
Gates Milling, Inc. processes green material through its dry kiln operation to dry the lumber for further processing. Implemented in 2005, the Dry Kiln Operation is an integral part of the lumber processing technique. Gates Milling, Inc. utilizes the following equipment in its Dry Kiln Operation:
- Two Wellons Track Kilns with zone controls and two Irvington Moore Track Kilns, with the total capacity for 200,000 board feet
Planer Mill Operation
Once the lumber for a particular project has gone through the Dry Kiln Operation, it moves through the Planer Mill Operation to be finished into the desired profile. The Planer Mill is the longest-standing operational facility at Gates Milling, Inc., and has grown in efficiency, quality, and technology throughout the years. Today, the Planer Mill Operation produces over 8 million board feet of finished product on an annual basis utilizing the following equipment:
- Kentwood Highspeed 8-Head Moulder with 12-inch capacity
- Weinig Hydromat Moulder
- Woods Planer
- Stenner Resaw
- Cornell Drop Saw Trimmer