Full Steam Ahead!
Once the staves have been sized and shaped, they move up the conveyor to the quality check stations. Photo by PJ Martin
PSC is open for business
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
Last Monday, June 12th, what many naysayers said would never happen…happened. Pennington Stave Company officially started production.
The Chamber’s Executive Director Kim Harwood and a Herald-News representative were invited to the factory by owner Chad Pennington to watch the equipment being operated and to answer questions.
According to Pennington, “We are starting out slower.” Explaining that everyone is still in the learning phase of operation. Although, to watch them you wouldn’t know it. While running a bit slower, they are taking the time to get little issues with the machinery adjusted here and fine-tuned there to get the bugs worked out.
The factory has 20 employees working 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in a much cleaner environment than one would think when milling wood. The dust collection system pulls sawdust from the machines as they saw and shape the staves and the trash conveyor pulls all scrap wood to the collection unit outside.
Safety is an important issue and all the employees are required to wear safety glasses and earplugs.
Let’s all welcome Pennington Stave Company to Metcalfe County!
After the logs are cut to length and debarked they travel into the building on this conveyor belt where they move down the line to the saw to be cut in half. Photo by PJ Martin
The first saw cuts the logs in half before they travel on the conveyor to the next saw which cuts them in half again. Photo by PJ Martin
One of 5 inspectors, she is measuring a stave to make sure it is within specifications. Note the stacked staves ready for shipment. Photo by PJ Martin
