The high-pitched zing of a steel blade biting into timber is music to the ears of Jarrod and Jay Pershouse, owners and operators of Boundary Creek Timber, a family sawmill south of Gin Gin.
While their rural and quaintly rustic sawmill has been operating for around 20 years, the factory has never been busier.
A surge in building activity across the region coupled with boosted interest in home landscaping and handyman projects has seen Boundary Creek pushed to the limits of its production capacity as the demand for timber increases.
The bush setting and the corrugated iron sheds promote the charm of Boundary Creek Timber, but the sawmill is a smoothly functioning operation which has undergone continued improvements and innovation over the past few years.
Living life daily surrounded by logs and stacked timber, the scent of freshly sawn timber is as familiar to the young couple as is the smell of fresh bread to a baker.
“I guess sawdust is in the blood,” Jarrod said.
“My dad Eddie started milling timber on this site in 1981 and in 2000 we changed the name to Boundary Creek Timber.
“My first experience with timber was cutting sleepers for Queensland Rail.
“We’re a hardwood sawmill and produce a range of timber products supplying local builders, the handyman or the DIYs.
“Spotted Gum is our major source of timber along with Blue Gum and Iron Bark as well as a number of other local species,” Jarrod said.
“Our location on the highway about 8km south of Gin Gin is perfect for our transport options.
“We harvest timber from an area within a radius of 100 kilometres of the sawmill and it’s easy to access the mill and also a simple matter for transport out of here.”
Jarrod prides himself on an understanding of timber and the bush environment and says Boundary Creek is committed to a sustainable industry.
“I think every piece of timber has a purpose. We don’t waste anything and mill right down to 25mm by 25mm stakes.”
Even the copious quantities of sawdust produced at the sawmill is trucked off for a variety of uses including to avocado growers who mix the sawdust with other organic products to make a nutrient rich mulch.
While the surge in the demand for timber has been welcomed and Jarrod and Jay have been able to expand their base of employees, they remain a little frustrated that jobs are available at the sawmill, but they have difficulty in finding workers.
“The business has been growing far in excess of what we possibly imagined. Our timber is finding its way to Cairns in the north to Brisbane and even Victoria in the south and we have even fielded enquiries from Western Australia,” Jarrod said.
“We were very proud to be selected to supply an incredible amount of ironbark to Phillip Island in Victoria for the construction of a boardwalk in association with the famous penguin parade.”
Jarrod and Jay are a young couple currently adding to the economy of the region, creating jobs, and supplying products that are literally building the region. But their vision does not stop with sawmilling alone.
Jarrod said he could see additional opportunities to grow the business through accessing the visitor market.
“There’s a long-term idea we are evolving that would value-add to the sawmill. Given our close proximity to the highway we would like to establish some form of attraction built around a timber warehouse where timber-related businesses could display their wares.”
He said the plans would include a café and parking for buses where tour groups can stop, learn about local timber, and have the availability of timber products to purchase.
If enthusiasm and energy are the powerhouses behind achieving goals, it appears certain there are no boundaries to what can and will be achieved at Boundary Creek Timber.
