TPM Member Since May 2022
Columbia Construction, Inc., can be reached at:
PO Box 2689, 555 4th Avenue EN, Columbia Falls, MT 59912
406.892.2689 https://www.columbia-construction.com/
Columbia Construction, Inc. is a name that does not seem to show its significance. First thoughts might make you think of a commercial building contractor. But, that is not it at all.
Columbia Construction has been a leader in machinery installation and manufacturing. Columbia Construction was founded in 1986 just to the west of Glacier Park in Columbia Falls, Montana by engineer Larry Luce. In 2013, Luce decided it was time to retire full time and the company was purchased by Scott Bye.
A native of Kevin, Montana, Bye had previously worked at Ukiah Machine and Welding & McGehee Equipment in Ukiah, CA for 13 years, before returning home to farm and ranch. Bye took over Columbia Construction in 2013 and has seen the company grow significantly over the last 10 years.
The company is made up of engineers, millwrights, and fabricators with over 30 years of experience in the sawmill industry. They do not mill the logs, but construct the machines used in the milling process. With many years of completed successful projects, quality materials, and the latest technology, they meet or exceed the industry standard.
Columbia Construction serves sawmills by building machines, retrofitting used machines, or installing new equipment. Retrofitting extends the machine’s usefulness and saves the customer time and money.
Rebuilding is a large part of the company’s work. It has rebuilt double-length infeeds for primary breakdown, canters, edgers, gangs, chip screens, hogs, and various other sawmill equipment. Columbia Construction has a staff of experienced engineers that specializes in “one-off” or custom projects, which require adaptation to fit with existing machinery or conditions.
The construction team has over 50 years of combined experience. The entire staff (engineers, millwrights, and fabricators) often travel all over the United States and Canada, rebuilding and installing sawmill equipment.
Columbia Construction engineers, modifies, retrofits, and fabricates new and used sawmill equipment and machines. Horizontal and vertical arbor gangs, edgers, debarkers, and canter lines are some of their more frequent machinery. Currently, Columbia Construction has around 20 employees, with a road installation crew that travels, installing equipment all over the United States and Canada.
For machine work, Columbia Construction, Inc., is the company to call; you will be glad you did.
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