What Westmill Industries does

Westmill Industries Ltd. is a second-generation, family-owned Canadian industrial manufacturer specializing in board drying systems for the plywood, veneer, gypsum, and fiberboard panel industries. Founded in 1975 by Victor Crondahl and currently led by sole owner and CEO Mike Crondahl, the company is headquartered in Abbotsford, British Columbia, with strategic parts warehouses in Eugene, Oregon and Atlanta, Georgia. The firm designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs new veneer and gypsum dryers in jet and longitudinal configurations (4-deck and 6-deck), rebuilds existing dryers on all major brands to "better-than-new" condition, supplies replacement parts through the world's largest stocking dryer-parts inventory, and provides on-site dryer inspection and consulting services. Its 2024 milestones include commissioning North America's longest veneer dryer (a 206-foot, 6-deck jet dryer for Roseburg Forest Products in Coquille, OR) and delivering two state-of-the-art jet dryers for Hood Industries in Beaumont, MS.

Westmill's product portfolio is anchored by a deep proprietary technology base: patented systems include the WestVac Emission and Dryer Control System (operating in 20+ dryers across the Americas), Quick-Change Dryer Roll Baffle System (replacement in under 1 hour versus 16 man-hours), Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) for corrosion control, and the patent-pending 2-PEx Exhaust and Dryer Humidity Control System. Design-exclusive innovations span Minimal Heat Transfer Dryer Housing, Channel Vented Hot Box Housing, Safe-Openings Door Handle Load-Dampener, Electrically Actuated Tipple Feeder, Bearing Vibration Monitoring, and a PLC-based touch-screen Westmill Dryer Control System. Supporting equipment lines include Infeed Systems (66+ sheets per minute), Dryer Outfeed Systems, Veneer Stackers with a proprietary dome-shaped vacuum chamber, Veneer Sheet Reentry Systems, and Veneer Redryers.

The business operates a direct enterprise field-sales motion targeting large panel board manufacturers across North America, with selected international projects in South America and Australasia. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time capital equipment sales, project installation services, and a recurring dryer parts and consumables business that benefits from a multi-decade installed base. Quantified customer outcomes reported by Westmill include a 10%+ overall plant throughput increase at Huebert Fiberboard and a 5–15% increase in dry veneer production at Coastland Wood Industries. Westmill is a member of the Engineered Wood Technology Association (EWTA), FP Innovations, and the Decorative Hardwoods Association, and has been recognized with the APA/EWTA Innovator of the Year Award (2010, for LightSORT) and Supplier of the Year Award (2013, Materials/Supplies category).

Name

Westmill Industries

Legal name

Westmill Industries Ltd.

Website

https://westmillindustries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Westmill Industries is a second-generation, family-owned Canadian manufacturer designing, building, and servicing proprietary jet and longitudinal dryers, rebuilds, and replacement parts for plywood, veneer, gypsum, and fiberboard panel producers across North America, with the world's largest stocking inventory of dryer parts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Board Dryer Sales and Installation: Design, engineer, manufacture, and install new veneer and gypsum board dryer systems. Includes full project delivery with installation supervision and startup assistance. Revenue is generated through one-time capital equipment sales and installation services.
2. Dryer Rebuilds and Technology Upgrades: Rebuild existing dryers to 'better-than-new' condition using Westmill proprietary components. Covers all major dryer brands and styles. Typically delivered at a fraction of the cost of new dryers.
3. Replacement Parts Sales: Stocking supplier of dryer parts for all makes and models of veneer and gypsum/fiberboard dryers. Operates online parts stores for both Canadian and US customers. Largest stock of dryer parts in the world at Abbotsford HQ with additional warehouses in Eugene, OR and Atlanta, GA.
4. Services and Consulting: On-site dryer inspection services providing non-biased insight into existing board drying processes. Inspections focus on dryer production, energy utilization, and safety. Findings delivered in confidential comprehensive management reports. Consulting services extend to dryer modification projects and plant layout.
5. Veneer Sheet Reentry System: Supply of automated veneer sheet reentry systems for existing grading and stacking lines. Increases plant production and improves grading accuracy. Available in multiple custom configurations.
6. Veneer Redryer Systems: Specialized short dryers for re-drying veneer that has been initially dried but requires additional processing. Lower capital cost than full dryers. Can reuse existing conveyor components from decommissioned dryers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Westmill Industries designs, manufactures, and services industrial board drying equipment (veneer and gypsum dryers) for the plywood, engineered wood, and gypsum board manufacturing industries. The company supplies new jet and longitudinal dryers, dryer rebuilds and upgrades, replacement parts through online stores and warehouses, ancillary infeed/outfeed/stacking equipment, and on-site dryer inspection and consulting services. It operates the largest stocking supply of board dryer parts in the world through three North American warehouse locations.

Product overview

Westmill Industries operates as a comprehensive solutions provider for the board dryer industry, offering a portfolio of products and services centered around veneer and gypsum board drying technology. The core offerings include new veneer dryers (both jet and longitudinal configurations in 4-deck and 6-deck options), dryer rebuilds/upgrades that restore equipment to better-than-new condition, and an extensive online parts store with downloadable catalogues. The company differentiates through proprietary technologies including the patented WestVac Emission Control System, patent-pending 2-PEx Exhaust and Humidity Control System, Quick-Change Dryer Roll Baffle System, and design-exclusive Minimal Heat Transfer Dryer Housing. Supporting the core dryers is a full equipment suite: Infeed Dryer Systems (capable of 66+ sheets/minute), Dryer Outfeed Systems, Veneer Stacker & Outfeed equipment, Veneer Sheet Reentry Systems, and Veneer Redryers. Services include on-site dryer inspections and consulting for production optimization. The company has installed the world's longest veneer dryer (206 feet at Roseburg Forest Products in 2024) and holds multiple patents with 8,000+ sets of articulating door hardware still in operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Veneer Dryers (Jet and Longitudinal)
• Dryer Rebuilds and Upgrades
• Online Parts Store
• Dryer Inspection and Consulting Services
• Infeed Dryer System
• Dryer Outfeed System
• Veneer Stacker and Outfeed Equipment
• Veneer Sheet Reentry System
• Veneer Redryer

Quantifiable outcome

• 10%+ overall plant throughput increase at Huebert Fiberboard case study by eliminating dryer bottleneck
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Engineered Wood Technology Association (EWTA)coreOthersMember of EWTA. Company participates in EWTA's annual Supplier of the Year Awards Program and has won the Supplier of the Year Award (2013) and Innovator of the Year Award (2010) through this association.
• FP InnovationscoreOthersMember of FP Innovations. Collaborative relationship in the engineered wood products research and industry development community.
• Decorative Hardwoods AssociationcoreOthersMember of the Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA - Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association). Industry association supporting decorative hardwood and engineered wood products sector.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Andritz AG: Global industrial group supplying complete systems, equipment, and services for the wood-based panel industry, including drying technology. Comparable as a major incumbent serving the same panel board manufacturers with broader process line offerings beyond Westmill's dryer specialization.
• Dieffenbacher: Leading global supplier of complete production systems for wood-based panels, including drying systems and process technology. Comparable as a direct competitor for panel board drying equipment serving large engineered wood manufacturers like Westmill's customer base.
• Siempelkamp: German engineering company that builds complete production systems for the wood-based panels industry, including press lines, drying, and finishing equipment. Comparable because it competes directly with Westmill in supplying panel board manufacturing equipment to similar enterprise customers.
• GEA Group: German industrial engineering company providing drying technology, separation, and processing equipment for food, chemical, and industrial applications. Comparable as a broad industrial drying equipment incumbent with similar engineering and customization model.
• Valmet: Finnish process technology company serving pulp, paper, and energy industries, including drying solutions for board manufacturing. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping industrial drying expertise serving similar industrial customers.
• Bühler Group: Swiss industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in drying and processing technology across multiple industries. Comparable as a broad industrial drying equipment incumbent with overlapping engineering and process expertise.

Emerging players

• Carrier Vibrating Equipment: Manufacturer of industrial vibrating and drying equipment for processing industries. Comparable as a niche industrial equipment player with overlapping material handling and drying technology serving industrial manufacturing customers.
• Wenger Manufacturing: Manufacturer of industrial drying and processing equipment for food, pet food, and industrial applications. Comparable as a niche industrial equipment manufacturer focused on thermal processing and drying with similar engineering-to-order business model.
• CPM (California Pellet Mill): Industrial equipment manufacturer with drying, pelleting, and processing technology for feed, food, and biomass industries. Comparable as a niche industrial machinery company with overlapping drying equipment expertise serving industrial manufacturing customers.

Direct peers

• MEKIT: Italian manufacturer of dryers for the panel board industry, with focused product lines in veneer and board drying technology. Comparable as a focused direct competitor to Westmill specializing in industrial dryers for similar panel board manufacturing customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westmill Industries