Lance Forest Products LLC will be hiring 40 employees to operate a sawmill the company is relocating to Cimarron. The State of New Mexico is investing $350,000 in LEDA funds in the project which is part of an effort to reinvigorate the timber sector in Northeast New Mexico.
The Village of Cimarron also plans to develop an industrial park around the new sawmill to serve businesses that can use wood products for furniture and pellets for heating. Lance Forest Products has agreements in place with Northern New Mexico ranches for timber harvesting and thinning. This is important work that will reduce the risk of wildfires. In 2018 the Ute Park fire burned nearly 40,000 acres, destroying 14 buildings.
The Lance family has extensive experience in the wood products industry, having built and operated three sawmills. They will invest $3 million in Cimarron and pay employees $15 to $18 an hour. In addition to the direct jobs, the company will hire contract workers, such as loggers, foresters, and truck drivers. The family will be relocating $1.2 million in equipment and plan to be operational by mid-2020.
