Annual Flathead Timber Tour To Highlight Impact Wood Product Manufacturing Has On Flathead Economy – 10/25

WHAT: The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce is partnering with local wood products manufacturers Weyerhaeuser and F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber to host the annual Flathead Timber Tour. The tour, which started in the 1990s, is the Flathead Valley’s celebration during the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Montana Forest Products Week. This year, the tour will highlight two different manufacturing facilities, speaking to their sustainability, workforce, and community development efforts.

WHEN: Thursday, October 25 from 12:30pm to 4:30pm.

WHERE: Buses will depart from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce (15 Depot Park, Kalispell) after a brief overview at 12:30pm. The tour will visit the Weyerhaeuser MDF plant (105 Mills Drive, Columbia Falls), and the FH Stoltze Land and Lumber sawmill, planer, and power-plant/co-gen complexes (600 Halfmoon Road, Columbia Falls).

WHY: Manufacturing is one of the fastest growing industries in Montana, paying wages 17 percent higher than the state average and providing jobs to over 24,000 Montanans. As manufacturing has becoming increasingly high tech, wood products manufacturing has kept up and continues to play a major role in the Flathead economy.

RSVP: This tour is limited to 40 participants and is full, however members of the media are extended a special invitation. Due to safety requirements, all interested participants must register with Kate Lufkin, Marketing and Communications Manager for the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce at (406) 758-2801 before 10:00am on Thursday, October 25.

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ABOUT THE KALISPELL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Since 1904, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau has been a leading voice in strengthening our community and the business climate, with the goal of making Kalispell and the Flathead Valley an ideal location to live and work. The Chamber consists of 700 businesses and organizations, which employ over half of the workforce in Flathead County, Montana.