Idaho Forest Group, a lumber producer in the Inland Northwest, has acquired Merritt Brothers’ finger joint mill located in Athol.

“This acquisition gives us the opportunity to learn the value-added finger-joint manufacturing process, Erol Deren, IFG vice president of sales and marketing, said. “It will enable further utilization of the fiber resource and compliments our other facilities making the most of the logs that we procure for our mills. We will carefully evaluate the capital needs of this site and invest accordingly.”

Buck and Wayne Merritt started Merritt Brothers Lumber Company in 1968 when they purchased an old sawmill in Priest River. In 1990, they bought the Athol site and eventually sold off their Priest River location.

Herb Janhsen, vice president of Merritt Brothers, congratulated Idaho Forest Group on the purchase.

“We wish IFG a prosperous future. We are happy to see the mill continue to move forward and offer employment opportunities to our valued team members,” he said.

“We are thankful for the hard work our employees have put in over the years.”