JB Sawmill and Land Clearing suffered a major loss on Jan. 29 when a massive fire destroyed the sawmill building in only 19 minutes. While its owners are grieving the loss of a major component of their business, they stressed that they still are open and grateful for the support they have received from Hopkinton residents and industry colleagues.

In a recent interview with the Independent, Amy Peterson and Josh Brassard said other aspects of their business are open.

The initial report from Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty on the night of the fire called the facility off Fruit Street “a total loss.”

The couple clarified that, while their sawmill is “a complete loss,” the company still provides services, such as firewood, land clearing and silt fence installation. They feared that rumors about the fire may burn some of their business relationships in the competitive industry.

“I think a lot of people interpreted it the wrong way,” Brassard said of the description.

“It’s been a rough time for us,” noted Peterson. “We’re still trying to process everything right now. It’s still very emotional.”

Added Peterson: “It was our heart and soul. And now it’s rubble.”

She has received calls questioning if the company is still in business, which has been frustrating.

“But obviously we need the revenue from the other areas of our business,” she explained.

Added Brassard: “We still need the clientele to keep coming to us, because it’s not something that we intend to give up.”

As they work to figure out their next steps, Peterson and Brassard reflected on the history of their family-owned business and how they see it coming back as a more valuable area resource.

Business purchase not planned

“Josh has always been in the tree business, ever since he was in high school,” explained Peterson. “When we were running the business from Westborough, Josh used to dump his debris at Garner Bros. Sawmill.”

When the Garners began talking about selling the business in 2007, Brassard jumped at the opportunity.

“We ended up getting the land clearing business, and the sawmill just kind of came with the business,” Peterson said. “We had no knowledge of the sawmill prior to buying Garner Bros. So we took it on.”

“It just kind of happened,” added Brassard, noting the purchase was in 2008. “It wasn’t planned.”

Their company used local wood, allowing them to avoid a middleman. The lumber has been used for trailer deckings, fencing and sheds in addition to firewood.

Local Scouts have used their lumber for Eagle Scout projects, including bridges on trails, they said. They take their holiday trees back in January, allowing the Scout to use the money they save for trips.

‘Fuel tanks were exploding’

The couple expressed grief over losing the business they have grown together over nearly two decades. Several employees have been there nearly the whole time.

“A week ago, we had a building that worked fine,” Brassard said. “We made a decent living and kept people employed.”

The sawmill was more than 50 years old, Brassard said, and so was its equipment. Because of its age, it didn’t have sprinklers or fire suppression systems. The old metal equipment still worked well but needed “love and care and a little attention here and there.”

The fire started in the motor room, according to Brassard. The wood quickly caught fire on the windy day as sawdust flew around.

Added Peterson: “The fuel tanks were exploding.”

Peterson said insurance companies denied the couple coverage for the sawmill when they bought it, saying it was “too rustic.”

“What I lost in the sawmill was not that valuable,” Brassard explained. “But it’s the sticker shock. Trying to replace the equipment and construct a new building is going to be tough. But I want to do it so it’s better than before.”

He estimated the cost for construction and equipment to be “close to a million dollars.”

Added Brassard: “I really want to stay in this. But it’s a hard decision.”

He has spoken with the building inspector, who told him he would be able to rebuild there.

Peterson said she wants to retain the charm of the old building.

‘We’re private people’

Peterson said she and Brassard are against creating a GoFundMe online fundraiser to help them during this trying time.

“Josh and I, we’re not that type of people,” Peterson said. “We’re private people.”

“Something like that would be more for someone who lost their home and don’t have anything,” added Brassard. “Fortunately for us, nobody got hurt.

“We lost part of our business and basic revenue for the time being,” he continued. “It’s not like anybody’s going to be homeless over this. And we are very thankful.”

Peterson stressed that they have been able to keep on all 18 workers, at least for now.

“Now they are unfortunately cleaning up the mess,” added Brassard. “We only have a handful of days to get done as much as we can before we get more snow cover.”

Community, colleagues spread kindness

“Hopkinton has really rallied for us,” Peterson said.

She noted that neighbors and Hopkinton residents started delivering food and giving them gift cards. The couple is sharing these resources with the employees, who also are grateful.

Industry colleagues have “picked up the slack for us,” said Brassard, offering to saw their wood so that the business can complete orders.

Added Peterson: “The concern that we have is that, with the sawmill being so different, if we lose customers, we might not get them back.”

Brassard said he has a good relationship with his colleagues. If he had a lot of orders and someone else was struggling, he would give them work to help them out.

“The industry is very difficult,” he explained. “It’s very hard to be profitable. We look out for each other.”

Not first fire at site

The company experienced a previous fire in February 2015 that decimated its firewood-making capability at that time. An outbuilding used for storage was “completely destroyed” in an electrical fire.

“We lost two firewood processors and the building in that one,” said Peterson.

“This one will be a lot harder to recover from,” added Brassard. “We’re down, but we’re not out.”

Asked how community members can help, Peterson said they would appreciate any assistance from planners, architects and others in construction as they plan a new building.

“If anyone were able to donate some of their time to help us build it so we can save some money, it would be really helpful,” said Peterson.