August 20th, 2026 Local News
Ste. Genevieve, Mo. (KFMO) - Congressman Jason Smith recently visited Naeger Forest Products in Ste. Genevieve County, touring the sawmill with owner Mike Naeger and discussing challenges facing Missouri’s timber and forest products industry.
Smith said the visit provided an opportunity to see firsthand the work being done by a longtime Missouri timber producer and to discuss issues affecting the industry.
"Mike has spent more than four decades building this sawmill into one that produces some of the highest-quality cedar in the country," Smith said. "It was clear from our conversation just how much pride he takes in that work."
Smith said he and Naeger discussed several challenges facing the industry, including competition from cheap and imitation wood products imported from China, the impact of railroad consolidation on the timber tie market and the need to develop additional domestic and foreign markets for Missouri timber.
Smith said the forest products industry plays an important role in the nation's supply chain.
"Our forest products industry is every bit as important to America's supply chain security as our farm, food, and pharmaceutical industries," Smith said. "I'll keep fighting in Washington to make sure it's treated that way."
Naeger has worked in logging for 41 years and opened his sawmill 34 years ago. Naeger Forest Products specializes in cutting Aromatic and Eastern Red Cedar, with timber sourced from within a 100-mile radius of Perry, St. Francois and Jefferson Counties.
The mill also processes hardwood. Oak is sold to McLain Forest Products in Van Buren, while pine is sold to buyers in Indiana and Illinois. The operation moves approximately three million board feet of lumber each year.
During his visit, Smith also met with Missouri Forest Products Association President Brian Brookshire to discuss broader challenges facing the state's timber industry.
The discussion included the decline of the timber industry in recent years, competition from imported imitation wood products from China and the effects of railroad consolidation on markets for railroad ties and barrels used in the whiskey industry.
Smith and Brookshire also discussed efforts to have the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Commerce work to expand markets for American-made wood products.
Smith has also supported the Fix Our Forests Act, which he voted for. The legislation allows for more active management of fire-prone federal forestland through logging, thinning and restoration projects intended to reduce wildfire risks and improve forest health.
Smith said he will continue supporting policies aimed at strengthening domestic timber production, expanding markets for American wood products and reducing reliance on foreign imports.