The sawmills sampled are separated into classes according to reported 

 production. Class I includes mills which annually saw from 1.000 to 100.000 

 board feet, class II, those from 101.000 to 500,000, class III, from 501,000 

 to 1,000,000, and class IV, over 1,000,000. 



Table 1. Number of Sawmills Sampled and Number of Sawmills Registered by the 

 State Forestry Department, Separated into Size Classes 



Sawmill Size Classes 

 I II III IV 



Operating Sawmills Registered by 

 State Forestry Sept., 1954 



Number Sawmills Taken in Sample 

 Number of Sawmills as a Percent 

 of Total Registered 



17.2 



43.7 



57.1 



92.8 



It is sometimes remarked that the small woodland ownerships in New 

 Hampshire present difficulties in doing business. The results of this study 

 indicate that 92 percent of the mills are making purchases from land owners 

 in the 15- to 500-acre ownership class. This shows that business opportunities 

 are favorable for buyer and seller alike. 



Table 2. Volume Cut by Sawmills, Separated by Sawmill Size Classes 



II 



Classes 



III 



IV 



Market Stability 



Since sawmill owners purchase approximately two-thirds of the annual 

 timber harvest, a question may arise about their stability. Thirty-six per 

 cent have been in business over 20 years and only 16 percent less than five 

 years. The mills are well distributed throughout the State and offer a 

 steady market for stumpage and logs. 



All other wood-using industries, including pulp mills, show even greater 

 stability when measured by the number of years in business. 



A maximum figure of 100 years or more in business includes sawmills, 

 pulp mills, and other industries. 



