Woodsman renovation will bring 80 jobs to area

A planned $1.5 million expansion planned for Woodsman, a wood chipper manufacturer in Farwell will not only add 80 new jobs to the area, but $7 million in reconstruction to M-115 between Clare and Farwell.

M-115 (Ludington Drive) will be reconstructed between Cunningham Street in Clare and Harding Road in Farwell with left turn lanes and passing flares (paved shoulders) to carry a heavier traffic load between the two communities.

Woodsman is expanding its business, “to meet national demand” and needs the road improvements for safety and transportation access, according to a press release from Representative Tim Moore and Senator Michelle McManus.

According to www.mybaycity.com, Woodsman specializes in large-scale wood chippers that are used in the biomass (wood energy) industry. By 2025, projections are that about 25 percent of America’s energy needs will come from land-based resources such as biofuels, wind energy, solar, hydropower and biomass. The company recently invested approximately $1 million into a 50,000 square foot facility located in the Farwell Industrial Park, established as a Renaissance Zone.

Wood chips from forest waste and the waste from the logging industry are used by Woodsman and other chipper firms and often pressed into pellets and shipped to European countries, according to Company founder and owner Bob Engler in the internet article. Their use helps meet the 10 percent renewables requirement by burning wood from the U.S.

“First, congratulations to Woodsman on the growth of their business, which proves once again that helping small businesses succeed is the economic development tool Michigan can count on,” said Moore, R-Farwell. “As someone frequently on that road, the safety upgrades will be great for everyone driving between Farwell and Clare the job growth in the area is just tremendous news.”

The Woodsman expansion to a new facility in Farwell is based on a partnership the company has formed with Caterpillar Inc., whose dealers will sell Woodsman products. The $1.5 million private investment in the expansion will add 80 local jobs to the existing 25 at the local company.

“The jobs the M-115 infrastructure improvement project brings to the area are obviously sorely needed as we look for Michigan’s economy to rebound in 2010,” said McManus, R-Lake Leelanau. “This state funding is a wonderful investment for the future of the Clare and Farwell communities.”