“The quality of our sawn timber starts with a rigorous selection of the raw material”. Fabrice Chauvin was in charge of supply before this role was entrusted to the two estimators. “We have this double opportunity to choose the wood according to its destination and to be able to intervene on an extended zone, being located in the center of the massif.”
Raphaël Baud is a sawmill owner’s son, passionately attracted since his earliest years by the Jura forest. For more than fifteen years, he has been estimating spruce and fir for the Chauvin Sawmill in the upper Jura, from Pontarlier to Lamoura. “It is a truly magnificent high-altitude massif. The trees grow there naturally and at a slow speed because they are subjected to the rigors of the continental climate. Hence the tight rings, very fine branching and, ultimately, a very high quality of wood and the guarantee of mechanical resistance of the sawn timber. Before integrating estimators, the Chauvin Sawmill had already established bonds of trust with its suppliers. We continue this work today in the same spirit. On the purchasing level, the human factor is extremely important.”
raphael.baud@scierie-chauvin.com / 06 11 13 51 26
Antoine Abadie has been an estimator for twelve years. He has the responsibility of the first plateau between Dole and Champagnole, in Franche-Comté. “It’s a profession with multiple facets. Mostly solitary yes, but also in close relationship with people. In nature most of the time but also at the sawmill and in sales… What matters most is the knowledge of the wood and the trust that our customers place in us. Buying well for the sawmill means making an interesting offer upstream for the seller. The transaction must satisfy both parties, it is at the very basis of our operation.” And he concludes: “It’s working well for us since over the years, we’ve seen a very high level of loyalty from forest owners.”
antoine.abadie@scierie-chauvin.com / 06 01 12 29 35
A high-quality forest environment, rational management and a sustainable supply. The renown of high-altitude conifers from the Jura mountains continues to assert itself among particularly demanding customers.
The Chauvin Sawmill draws its supply for 65% from private domains through forestry cooperatives, operators or directly from owners. The estimators then visit the timber standing or roadside. The purchase can be made on the basis of the logger’s cubage in the forest or on a certified sawmill cubage, at the log yard.
The remaining 35% are purchased in public sales or negotiated in supply contracts.
The high-altitude Jura forest has traditionally been derived from uneven-aged stands. This historical management carried out in favor of natural regeneration has always made it possible to ensure a constant and regular production of wood. In this spirit of preserving nature, the Chauvin Sawmill, PEFC certified, has for many years developed a proximity policy by sourcing from the surrounding forests, thus significantly limiting the impact of road transport.
On site, the material flow has been the subject of studies prior to the installation of the infrastructures, for better circulation. As for the new production lines, they have been designed to achieve greater valorization of the raw material.
Natural regeneration cannot be improvised. We inherit it and pass it on. The forests of the Jura mountains have always been preserved in their original development. The conifers grow there with regularity and concretely display a very high resistance to climatic hazards as well as to phytosanitary attacks.
The Jura forest massif contains exceptional wood.
