About
A LEGACY BUILT ON LOGGING
Watkins Sawmills wasn’t always in the business of roofing. Bill Watkins started his career in British Columbia, Canada’s logging industry in the 1930s. After gaining experience he struck out on his own and opened a small logging operation. Soon Bill was able to build his own lumber mill on the Harrison River and in 1947, Watkins Sawmills was born. Over the years, Bill’s little company grew to include his son and grandson, and the company’s offerings grew to include manufacturing. Today, Watkins Sawmills is one of the largest manufacturers of cedar siding and roofing in North America.
"Our customers have stuck with us for decades because our values – Loyalty, Ethics, Friendship and Professionalism - come through with everything we do. "
— Ed Watkins, President
ONE SOURCE FOR EVERYTHING CEDAR
Still family owned and operated in British Columbia, Watkins Sawmills offers a complete solution for customers and dealers across the continent looking for high quality Western Red Cedar roofing products. The company employs over 100 people across numerous facilities and divisions. These include a cedar shake and shingle mill, sidewall manufacturing plant, fire safety and preservative treatment facility, logging division, wholesale and shipping division, dry kiln facilities and a sidewall painting division.
PARTNERSHIPS THAT BRING YOU MORE
At Watkins Sawmills, we’re proud to invest in our own logging operation, which is rare in our industry. However, over the years our company has also built a strong network of smaller mills and suppliers of high quality cedar products. This means our inventory is vast and we always have what you need, when you need it. As our customer, you don’t have to shop around to numerous mills or suppliers – we’re your one source for the best of the best.
Environmental mission and strategy (ESG)
QUALITY, LONGEVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
There’s a reason cedar has been used for centuries as a building material. It’s long lasting and it comes from a truly renewable resource. Compared to other building materials such as steel, concrete, plastic and aluminum, wood is the most energy conserving and the only material that’s 100% reusable, recyclable, biodegradable and renewable. When properly produced and treated, cedar roofing has high insulation, high tolerance against the elements, lasts a long time and continues to look great year after year.
"My great grandfather started this company and I plan for it to be around for my children. Responsibility to our environment protects the future."
— Kris Watkins, Chief of Operations
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
In addition to producing roofing and siding products from a renewable resource, Watkins Sawmills is proud to abide by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Custody Guidelines. These embody a stringent set of regularly updated requirements for responsible harvesting that track forest fiber content throughout the harvesting and manufacturing of forest-based products. Learn more about these guidelines at http://www.pefccanada.org/
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
No wood is wasted at Watkins Sawmills. When we manufacture our cedar shingles, all scrap and unused wood is chipped and sold to pulp and paper mills. These scraps are repurposed into various products ranging from high-grade magazine paper to fine sawdust used to create power for pulp mills. Thanks to practices like these, along with our strong principles of sustainable forestry, cedar has the smallest impact on the environment when compared to all the other roofing alternatives. Furthermore; cedar is one the most carbon neutral roofing materials.