BRISTOL —  The Northeastern Loggers’ Association (NELA) recently honored Tom and Pam Lathrop of Exclusively Vermont Wood Products LLC as the recipient of its 2013 Outstanding Use of Wood Award. NELA President Bill Polihronakis presented the award at the annual Loggers’ Banquet in South Burlington, in a ceremony attended by over 200 members of the Northeast’s forest products industry.
During the awards presentation, President Polihronakis told the audience, “The Craftsbury Academy World War II Memorial Gym, built in 1947, had served the town of Craftsbury well over its 60-year history. In 1986 the gym was officially condemned as structurally unsound. For the next 12 years, plans for a new gym were drawn, costs were estimated, and bond votes were held — and defeated.
“The cost of replacing the gym — $150,000 — was felt to be too expensive. It was then that Harry Miller, a local builder, made note of the fact that the local forested landscape and wood resource had always played a major role in his community — and perhaps it was time to look outside the box. That’s when he approached the Lathrops. Tom Lathrop is a fifth-generation sawyer from Bristol whose top quality hardwood flooring is part of many local homes. When Miller approached him about the gym — Lathrop’s response was ‘Count us in.’
“The project involved 38 land owners, approximately 180 trees — including nearly 9,000 feet of sugar maple for the main gym floor — and almost 3,000 feet of yellow birch for the out-of-bounds area. The logs were trucked to the Lathrop’s mill in Bristol, where Tom supervised the sawing and the tongue-and-groove planing of the new flooring. And he did this at a very favorable rate, saving the town $40,000. Over a long weekend 60 volunteers installed the flooring — all of which was grown within 10 miles of the gym.”
Polihronakis concluded, “Tom and Pam Lathrop, known for their integrity, hard work and the pride they take in producing superior quality products are very deserving of the Outstanding Use of Wood Award in connection with this project as well as their lifelong commitment to the forests of Vermont. The Lathrops’ personal investment of time and talent allowed this project to become a reality, a legacy that will live on for future generations.”
The Northeastern Loggers’ Association, headquartered in Old Forge, N.Y., is a trade group representing nearly 2,000 members of the Northeast’s logging, sawmilling, and paper industry. The Loggers’ Banquet is held each year immediately prior to the Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Exposition.