Before sunrise Saturday, concrete trucks were already rolling out of Missoula, headed for Big Sky Forest Products in St. Regis with the first loads of what will become the foundation of the company's next chapter.

"The first pour went down at 5:15, so they left the plant at 4 this morning," said General Manager Steven Freeman as crews worked steadily across the construction site. "This company is capable of putting down a truck every 10 minutes."

By the end of the day, approximately 290 cubic yards of concrete, delivered in 29 truckloads, had been poured across roughly 12,000 square feet of the new 20,000-square-foot building. Measuring 104 feet by 202 feet, the facility represents one of the largest investments the company has made in years. Another section of the floor, requiring about 145 cubic yards of concrete, was completed last month.

Preparing for the massive pour was no small task. 

"They spent a day and a half tying rebar just for this pour," Freeman said. "They had two battery-powered rebar tiers and it was 'click-click' every couple of seconds. They're fast, but there were a thousand pieces of rebar."

The 6-inch-thick concrete floor is designed to support a state-of-the-art wood treating operation. At the rear of the building, a reinforced section will hold a pressurized retort which is a 9-foot-diameter, 50-foot-long pressure vessel currently being manufactured in Vietnam. 

Once installed, the retort will be used to pressure-treat wood products, significantly expanding the capabilities of the St. Regis operation. A catch basin built into the center of the floor will collect liquids flowing from the treating process, while the freshly poured area will serve as the drift pad where treated materials are dried and handled.

Big Sky Forest Products operates under the umbrella of Panhandle Forest Products of Priest River, Idaho. Freeman said a matching grant helped make the expansion financially possible. Having worked at the St. Regis mill for more than 30 years, Freeman has witnessed the company's evolution since owner Gary Suppiger purchased the business.

"At this point now we're starting to look at the resale value," Freeman said. "Nobody wants just a post mill, but a treating plant, on the other hand, is capable of treating lumber as well, and that is a big deal." 

The expansion also reflects careful planning and resourcefulness. Freeman purchased the steel building from Pyramid Lumber in Seeley Lake, where it had originally been engineered to withstand snow loads of 100 pounds per square foot, well suited for western Montana conditions.

Leading Saturday's concrete work was Quality Concrete and Construction of Princeton, Idaho, owned by Casey Becker and his father, Kevin Becker. "This is a sizable pour, and we do a few of these a year," Casey Becker said. "Everything is going very well today. We've got six employees on site." Becker also credited several partners who helped make the project possible. "Shout out to A Jay Concrete Pumping for the pump and line dragons, and Knife River out of Missoula for the concrete," he said with a smile. "And Steve's great to work with."

Despite the fast pace, careful attention was paid to ensure the concrete cured properly. Crews draped curtains across doorways to shield the fresh slab from direct sunlight, while workers continuously applied curing compounds to keep the surface moist. The early morning start helped the team complete much of the work before afternoon temperatures climbed too high.

As concrete finishers made their final passes across the expansive floor Saturday afternoon, the foundation for more than just a new building had taken shape. Once completed, the treating plant will diversify Big Sky Forest Products' operations, strengthen its long-term competitiveness and represent another significant investment in the future of manufacturing and employment in St. Regis.