In 1913, Monrad Wigen started a small box factory in Wynndel, with help from his father, O.J. Wigen. Horses delivered the logs to a small portable mill which supplied lumber to produce the boxes and crates. This same mill was used in the winter to go out and cut rairoad ties in the bush.

Over the next few years the local fruit industry grew rapidly. Monrad found himself producing boxes and box parts (called box shook in those days) which were shipped to other fruit growing areas or filled with local produce and railed to their destinations.

The 1920s brought new challenges for Monrad. He began producing boxes for apples, pears, peaches, and apricots, and crates for strawberries, rasberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers. All of these products were different sizes, and required specialized box making machinery.

In 1924 Wynndel Box and Lumber (WBL)was incorporated. The mill survived the lean years of the 30s, mainly by growing strawberries and asparagus.

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By 1954 business was booming, and the company had grown to the point where the planermill had its own steam power and the sawmill consisted of a circle headrig, a Linck Sash Gang from Germany and an edger. Product lines grew, and soon a second planer was added to keep up with the demand for patterned stock.

In 1992, a new larger Linck Sash Gang was installed to maintain the boards’ unique ruff sawn appearance, but it is really in the last five years that WBL has seen the most remarkable changes in growth and innovation. In 2003, WBL began a complete overhaul of the sawmill. The first addition was a HewSaw, purchased from Finland, to effectively deal with the smaller log profile. In 2005, another breakdown line for the larger logs was added, with the addition of a double arbor circular edger. This renovation also saw the addition of an optimizing edger, an optimizing trim line, and a 62 bin drop sorter assembly. These additions truly brought the sawmill into the 21st century.

However, it was 2008 that saw the most ambitious project to date. The most advanced board finish line in the world was installed, centering around a 2008 SuperThundermac high speed planer/moulder the flagship of the line. It runs at 1000 fpm and is producting the highest quality planed product in North America.

At present the mill produces specialty forest products in the form of primed facia, trim, decking, boards, and patterned stock. Wynndel Box and Lumber Co. Ltd. has never lost the resolve to produce quality niche forest products. We still, today, employ machinery that gives our products a warm and timeless feeling. Wynndel Box and Lumber Co. Ltd. has been in operation for nearly 100 years and is well into its fourth generation of family ownership. We hope to keep the tradition alive for many years to come.

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