Welcome & Overview

Introduction and conference kickoff. (Agenda order subject to change)

The California Wood Products Landscape: Challenges & Opportunities: Clarke Stevenson with Jennifer Alger

California imports 80% of its lumber and 90% of its wood products, while local logs often go underutilized.

Architects and builders are eager for sustainable, traceable, local wood—but struggle to source it reliably.

Small and mid-size sawmills face barriers in reaching these markets.

Framing the Watershed Research and Training Center and the opportunities it creates for sawyers.

Why this moment matters for California’s wood products industry.

Panel Discussion: The Future of Local Wood in California

Alyssa Olson: Landscape Architect & Furniture Designer

Kyle Dowd, Sawmill and Millwork owner

The market gap: demand vs. supply.

The resilience gap: rural producers need stable outlets.

The trust gap: buyers need standards and accountability.

Collaborative solutions: how networks and shared branding can bridge these gaps.

Inventory Management as Profit Strategy: Andrew Bragg

Why lost inventory equals lost profit.

Practical steps to reduce waste, speed up turnaround, and keep product moving.

Yard layout, storage, and tracking improvements that increase cash flow.

Case examples of mills that unlocked hidden profits with simple systems.

Building a Lumber Brand: Steve Larosilliere, Builder Growth

The power of a strong brand to build trust and open new markets.

Why consistency and storytelling matter in the lumber business.

How to communicate sustainability, traceability, and local sourcing in ways that resonate with architects, designers, and builders.

Lessons from mills that elevated their lumber beyond commodity status.

Overcoming Business Obstacles: Bryan Alger, Alger Consulting; Every business owner faces challenges: staffing, scaling, time management.

This session is designed as an open Q&A with a business consultant who will work directly with participants to address their most pressing business obstacles.

Bring your challenges, questions, and roadblocks—this is your chance to get practical solutions tailored to your situation.

Sawmill Systems: Boosting Productivity & Profits; Wood-Mizer Industrial Team

Small tweaks in material handling and layout can dramatically improve throughput and reduce costs.

Practical, affordable steps for systemizing operations in mills of all sizes.

Real-world examples of mills that increased production with simple changes.

Interactive Q&A: Bring your mill layouts and photos. Wood-Mizer Industrial experts will provide personalized recommendations to help you maximize productivity and profits.

Scaling Up: High-Volume Production for Larger Mills; Wood-Mizer

Practical strategies for mills looking to scale up to 1 million board feet per week.

How systemization, industrial-grade equipment, and advanced material handling unlock high-volume output.

Real-life California case study of a successful business that went from a portable sawmill to an industrial-scale sawmill operation producing ½ a million bd ft per week.

Lessons smaller mills can take from big players to improve efficiency at any scale.

Grant Discussion: Funding Opportunities for Mills: Multiple speakers;

Updates on current and upcoming grant programs Speakers; USFS, CalFire and John Mccarthy/John Britton.

How to position your business to take advantage of funding opportunities; Speaker, Regine Miller- Forest Business Alliance

• Q&A on eligibility, application tips, and successful examples.