With Independence Day this week, it’s a fitting moment to celebrate the hard-working individuals who power the forest products industry—an essential part of our country’s economy and rural communities. From forests to mills, these skilled professionals help sustain a supply chain that supports American-made products, jobs, and values.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, millwrights (NAICS Code 49-9044) “install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.”  That’s accurate, but it doesn’t really get at the range of skills needed and the tasks millwrights are called upon to perform every day to keep machinery – and thus the mill – operating. 
 
Millwrights are the folks who can be counted on to:

• Maintain and repair equipment,
• Inspect equipment and structures to assure safety, operability, and correct settings
• Making decisions and problem-solving, often in a team environment.

The motto of millwrights is “If it moves, we built it. If it’s broken, we’ll fix it.” Millwrights can be expected to have skills to perform a variety of tasks that include welding, metal fabrication, and operating mechanical equipment.  Many millwrights start their careers after some specialized training in one or more of these skills, but it is just as likely that an individual working on the production line at a mill becomes a millwright through some combination of on-the-job training and specialized coursework, often at a local community or vocational college. 

For individuals who are mechanically inclined and like to work with their hands, working as a millwright can be a rewarding career.  With 39 percent of millwrights now over 55, there is going to be a need for these positions to be filled at existing and new forest manufacturing plants – sawmills, pulp and paper mills, engineered wood plants, pellet mills, and others. 

In the Millwright Registered Apprentice program run by FRA Member the Idaho Forest Group, the “Millwright Instruction Topics” include:

• Shop Math, Hand Tools, Industrial Safety
• Lubricants, Bearings, Power Transmission
• Blueprints, Drives, Pneumatics Troubleshooting
• Basic Pneumatics and Hydraulics, Troubleshooting Skills
• Rigging, Welding Principles, Oxyfuel
• Arc Welding, Electrical Safety,
• Machining, Basic Milling

Many people pursue a career in forestry to be in the woods – out by yourself or with a small team managing the forest resource. That’s not millwrights. They’re the professionals who keep the mill running, maintain and operate machines, and collaborate with others inside and outside the company to get things done. 
 
In 2024, FOR/Maine released a workforce strategy titled Transforming Maine’s Future Forest Workforce.  This report provides a detailed career pathway for millwrights (as well as loggers, foresters, truck drivers, and so many other key components of the supply chain). 

If working with your hands, problem-solving, and skill-building are parts of the career you or someone you know is interested in, explore being a millwright in the forest industry.