Guests are escorted on a tour of Wagner Lumber’s state-of-the-art wood processing facility located at 4060 Gaskill Rd. in Owego, N.Y. on Friday, Nov. 6. The company received a $400,000 economic development grant from NYSEG for electric infrastructure investments. (Photos by JoAnn R. Walter)
From left, Cindy Chadwick, director of NYSEG and RG&E Public Affairs, Wagner Lumber President Les Wagner, Baillie Lumber Company President Jeff Myer, President of Southern Tier Environmental Services Joe Shortino, and Bob Pass, NYSEG Regional Community Outreach and Development manager pose for a check presentation at Wagner Lumber on Friday, Nov. 6.
At a presentation held on Friday, Nov. 6 at Wagner Lumber, located at 4060 Gaskill Rd. in Owego, N.Y., New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) awarded the business a $400,000 economic development grant for electric infrastructure investments.
Representing NYSEG were Bob Pass, Regional Community Outreach and Development manager; Clay Ellis, Corporate Communications manager; and Cindy Chadwick, Public Affairs director for NYSEG and RG&E. Also in attendance were Les Wagner, president of Wagner Lumber and Jeff Myer, president of Baillie Lumber Company, as well as other Wagner Lumber representatives and several community representatives, elected officials and other guests.
Bob Pass opened the presentation by stating, “This is a significant event for Les and his organization. We’re here to recognize Wagner Lumber and their expansion.”
Chadwick congratulated Wagner Lumber on their recovery and resounding success, and commented, “This program enables us to connect with our customers to assist them. The grant supports electric infrastructure improvements in the rebuilding and expansion at Wagner Lumber.”
From a press release, Mark Lynch, president and CEO of NYSEG & RG&E shared, “Wagner Lumber’s story is remarkable, having literally risen from the ashes following a devastating fire in February 2014. Recognizing the benefits this project brings to the region and knowing that Wagner Lumber is committed to our community as evidenced by their fifteen million dollar rebuilding and expansion investment, makes us especially pleased to support them.”
Wagner Lumber, located at 4060 Gaskill Rd. in Owego, N.Y. received a $400,000 economic development grant for electric infrastructure investments, which will allow for an energy efficient, modern facility. Eighty-five full-time jobs will be retained and as many as a dozen more full-time jobs will be added.
And a remarkable story it is. A massive fire destroyed a majority of Wagner Lumber’s Owego operations in February 2014, however the company opted to rebuild and renovate and secure a future for current employees and generations to come.
Wagner Lumber was founded in 1976 by Les Wagner and Steve Schaeffer. Following expansions in 2001 and 2007, Wagner Lumber has grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of hardwood lumber in the northeastern United States, and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Baillie Lumber Company, a lumber manufacturer, distributor, and exporter based out of Hamburg, N.Y.
The grant money received will allow Wagner Lumber to create an energy efficient and modern facility and in turn increase their daily lumber production by 50 percent or more while retaining 85 full-time jobs, and as many as a dozen new full-time jobs are anticipated.
Lee Ann Tinney, director of Tioga County Department of Economic Development and Planning and IDA thanked Wagner Lumber for their outstanding resilience and commitment and also thanked NYSEG for partnering on the project.
Tinney stated, “Not only did Wagner Lumber build back, but they rebuilt to the highest energy efficiency standards with a capital investment of fifteen million dollars, and because of this investment and commitment to energy efficiency, Wagner Lumber was provided NYSEG assistance by way of the utility infrastructure investment program.”
Gwen Kania, Tioga County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO shared, “Thank you, Wagner Lumber, for being a great community steward and taking care of your employees. Thank you for doing what was right and not what was easy.”
Don Castellucci, Town of Owego supervisor, thanked NYSEG for investing in Tioga County and also thanked Les Wagner for his “social responsibility,” which included arranging work for dislocated employees at other Wagner facilities while the Owego facility was in the rebuild process. Castellucci stated, “Not only does Les do things for his business, he does a lot within the community.”
The Wagner Lumber rebuild was a huge commitment from the aged sixty-something business partners who had actually had their retirement date on the calendar prior to the February 2014 fire.
Les Wagner thanked NYSEG and also Joe Shortino, Southern Tier Environmental Services president, who was instrumental in the insurance documentation after the fire and subsequent grant preparation.
Wagner stated, “Key people in Owego wanted to rebuild a mill that could be the best it could be. Our thought was to build it for the next couple of generations.”
Wagner explained that in the old days when operators had to be industrial athletes “wrestling boards all day,” the new mill has opened up operations to an entire workforce with its state-of-the-art capabilities.
Shortino explained that not only would new jobs be added at Wagner Lumber in Owego, it would most likely equate to support jobs being created elsewhere, such as loggers and contractors, among others.
Shortino added, “That saw mill out there is the music that lets everyone dance, and that’s one of the things we get to leave behind, and it’s a privilege.”
For additional information, find Wagner Lumber on Facebook or their website, wagnerlumber.com.
