Thompson River Lumber
About Thompson River Lumber
Thompson River Lumber is a sawmill and timber buyer in Thompson Falls, Montana, up in the northwestern part of the state. It was founded in 1993 by Roger Claridge as a family business, and it's still run that way today, with Dan Claridge handling the day to day work at the mill. If you've got timber to sell, this is a place that buys harvested logs straight from landowners. They say they pay a "fair and reasonable price," and they take timber ranging from 42 inches down to 5.6 inches on the top end, across five different species. When you sell to them, you work from a Log Purchase Agreement, and specific cutting instructions come as part of that timber contract package, so you know what's expected before any logging starts. They also do their own log receiving, loading, and shipping, moving lumber out by rail on BNSF and by truck. Beyond private landowners, Thompson River Lumber also partners with the Montana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs on harvesting work tied to forest health. They have foresters on staff to talk through a sale or answer questions about where to go next with your timber. This looks like a fit for someone in or near northwestern Montana who already has timber cut, or close to it, and wants a straightforward buyer and mill rather than someone to walk a small, uncut tract from the ground up. From thompsonriverlumber.com, read 4 October 2026.
Can they handle a timber sale?
Selling standing timber properly takes three things. Here's what the state register credits this firm with.
Timber AppraisalAn estimate of what your standing timber is worth in dollars, based on how much there is, its quality, and current prices. When you are selling, settling an estate, dividing property, or need a value for taxes or insurance.What does this mean? → — not listed
works out what your standing timber is worth
Timber Cruise & Volume EstimateA field measurement of your standing trees — their species, sizes, and quality — that adds up to how much wood you actually have. Before you sell, so you go in knowing roughly what is out there rather than taking a buyer's word for it.What does this mean? → — not listed
measures and grades what's actually out there
Timber Sale & Contract AdministrationRunning the sale for you: advertising the timber, taking bids, writing the contract, and overseeing the logging so the agreed terms are met. When you want someone on your side handling the whole sale rather than dealing with buyers and loggers yourself.What does this mean? → — not listed
runs the sale and handles the contract
This firm isn't credited with all three, which doesn't make it a worse forester — plenty specialise in management planning, wildlife or wetlands. It does mean that if your goal is to sell timber, you'd likely need someone else for the part that's missing.
Everything they're registered for
Counties covered
Thompson River Lumber
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