Established: 1979

Location: 10600 Cordova St., Anchorage

Telephone: 907-522-3458

Major focus of services: Valley Sawmill sells mainly Alaska rough timber and house logs for residential and commercial construction projects. The company also provides custom millwork and sells wood chips for landscaping.

History of the company: Originally started near Wasilla, Valley Sawmill was purchased by Greg Bell, who had worked as a surveyor on the North Slope.

From 1981 to 1999 Valley Sawmill was in Anchorage near the corner of Dowling Road and Old Seward Highway. Operators next purchased land for its current location near C Street and O'Malley Road.

The company purchases most of its logs from forest sales around the state, although most of its supply comes from the Chugach National Forest.Valley Sawmill boosted its supply with trees harvested after they were killed by spruce bark beetles.

Valley Sawmill employs 10 full- and part-time workers, and this year many of those employees worked until Christmas, although the figure typically drops in winter.

The company also has built about 100 log cabins, provided logs for entry columns at the Anchorage Residence Inn and supplied logs for a $500,000 home in Eagle River.

Top accomplishment of the company: Mill owner Bell is proud of working with the Anchorage School District King Career Center to teach millwork skills and perhaps recruit future employees. Bell also is pleased with the firm's work on turned logs, which started in the early 1990s. The company operates a turning mill with a lathe at Point MacKenzie. Another accomplishment was coordinating shipments of Sitka spruce from Southeast Alaska and in 1995 a bargeload of cedar with cooperation from Koncor Forest Products and Ketchikan Pulp Corp.

Major player: Greg Bell, president and owner, Valley Sawmill.

Born in Anchorage, Bell graduated from West High School and later worked on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. He now leads Bay Area Inc. doing business as Valley Sawmill.

"I think there will always be enough supply for a little mill like us. The trick to Alaska is there are a lot of little mills."

-- Nancy Pounds