Katahdin Forest Products of Oakfield, parent company of Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, has purchased SWP Industries' Ashland sawmill to process cedar for its log homes and fencing.

The acquisition will double the amount of rough lumber the company can produce in-house and will reduce trucking costs due to its proximity to private lumber roads and cedar forests, according to a company press release. Its location also will triple the company's access to cedar grown in responsibly managed forests and allow Katahdin to better meet demand for environmentally friendly homes. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The mill, now staffed by two employees, will resume production in April 2009, adding about a dozen new jobs to the area, according to the press release. SWP Industries, of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, idled production at the mill in October 2008.