'Planks' for the memories – family owned sawmill goes up for sale

A timber processing plant and sawmill operated by the same family for some 77-years has been placed on the market for sale – either as industrial land, or as a fully operational business.

Baker Timber Supplies in the Bay of Plenty township of Katikati occupies 2.243 hectares of industrially zoned land adjacent to State Highway 2.

Founded just before the outbreak of World War 2, the timber yard and business has been passed on through four generations of the Baker family. When matriarch Flo’ Baker, 83, married her late husband Doug, she automatically become part of the business.

Doug died in 2006 and since then Flo’ has continued to run the operation in conjunction with daughter Val. However, when poor health forced Flo’ into hospital earlier this year, the family decided it was time to sell up and enjoy the fruits of what has been a successful business spanning two centuries.

“Those 77-years have been a pretty good run for the family over four generations, but, as the saying goes, ‘mum’s not getting any younger’ so we’re looking to secure the right price and sell up while she can still enjoy some of the proceeds,” said daughter Val.

“There are so many memories scattered among the machinery and sawdust but the family lineage has done its dash with the timber industry so it’s time to move on. There current young generation of Bakers are all following different professions and careers throughout the country, and while it will mean an end to the family business, that’s just the consequence of modern society.

“The days where every generation was expected to join the family firm are now gone,” said Val, who anticipated finding an administrative role within the Katikati commercial sector at the conclusion of her association with the sawmill.

The operation is now being sold by Brendon Bradley and Duncan Dysart of Bayleys Tauranga. Brendon Bradley said the site was being sold as either a freehold land-only offering, or as a land and business parcel including all buildings, plant and equipment.

At its peak, Baker Timber Supplies manufactured more than 1million kiwifruit packing trays a year and supplied thousands of poles for kiwifruit orchards across the Bay of Plenty.

Mr Bradley said there were nine separate buildings on the complex. Combined, there were approximately 2,400 square metres of various buildings. The land has a rateable valuation of $875,000, while the buildings have a rateable valuation of $540,000.

The site’s administration office was built in the late 1980s and contains a reception office area, storeroom, toilet, and staffroom – complete with all the appropriate amenities. The building was constructed of tanalised timber piles on concrete footings, exterior weatherboard cladding, iron roofing, aluminium joinery, Gibraltar board and seratone interior linings and textured ceilings.

Mr Dysart said the open-sided sawmill facility – including the log sorting area - was constructed with concrete flooring, timber framing, battened timber cladding and galvanised iron roofing. Nearby were the solidly-built planer shed and dry store buildings, along with a drying canopy.

Mr Dysart said the current resource consents for timber treatment would transfer with the sale of the land, and any purchaser could have access to previous suppliers and customers if their intention was to continue milling activities.

“Alternatively, the property could be redeveloped into an industrial park for new business operations such as storage, transport, manufacturing, engineering, horticulture or rural sector activities,” Mr Dysart said.

“With the relatively flat topography of the site, there is also the opportunity to relocate an existing smaller industrial business here - with the option to subdivide a portion of the remaining site.”