Time has come to say goodbye to Welco

An open letter to all of the great people of North Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana whom I have had the pleasure of doing business with over the last 13 1/2 years that I have been the resource manager at Welco Lumber in Naples, Idaho.

One fine day in September 1994, I was doing what I do, walking out in some forest somewhere chasing one more log for Omak Wood Products, when I got back to my pickup there was a message on my phone. The message was from Chris McCoy, who was then the plant manager for Welco of Idaho, Inc., a little cedar fencing mill in Naples. The message was that he wanted to talk to me about coming to work for Welco to buy logs. I called him back. I agreed to meet with him and talk. He met me at the Hydra where he insisted I have the prime rib dinner at Welco’s expense.

We talked for a while and he offered me the job on the spot. I thought about it for a few days and declined. For the next 18 months I would get at least one call per month from Chris where he would reoffer the job of resource manager at Welco to me. Finally, in May 1996, I accepted.

From then until now buying logs for this little cedar mill has been more than a job, more than a career. It has been an all-consuming passion! I have spent every waking hour trying to find one more cedar log for this little mill.

Now I am told that the time has come when I am going to have to say “goodbye” to my beloved little cedar mill. I am writing this letter to try in my own small way to express my appreciation to all of the people whom I have had the pleasure of doing business with over all of these many years. I sincerely hope that somehow, some way, some day I will have another opportunity to do business with all of you again. You are all great people!

KEN CARTER

Sandpoint