Planer Mill Machine Operator

Who We Are:
Plain Dealing Lumber is a harvesting and lumber manufacturing company in Plain Dealing, LA, committed to sustainable forestry and producing high-quality wood products. Our fast-paced, hands-on environment prioritizes safety, teamwork, and opportunities for continuous growth and long-term skill development.

Job Summary:
The Planer Mill Machine Operator plays an important role in keeping Plain Dealing Lumber’s planer operations running safely and efficiently. This position operates and monitors planer mill equipment to process lumber according to specified dimensions, grades, and quality standards. Working closely with production and maintenance teams, the Machine Operator monitors equipment performance, identifies potential issues, and helps maintain consistent production, quality, safety, and housekeeping standards while maintaining compliance with company policies and safe work practices.

This is a shift position based out of our Plain Dealing, LA facility, with 1st shift (6:00 am–6:00 pm) and 2nd shift (6:00 pm–6:00 am) options available.

Hourly rate: $18.50

Essential Responsibilities:

• Safely operate assigned planer mill equipment, which may include the planer, trimmer, edger, tilt hoist, green chain, sorter, and stacker, according to established procedures and supervisor direction.
• Develop skills across multiple planer mill positions through our operator progression structure:
  • Operator 1: Qualified to operate one assigned position.
  • Operator 2: Qualified to operate 2-3 positions.
  • Operator 3: Qualified to operate 4 or more positions.
• Feed and stage lumber at the correct orientation, rate, and spacing to maintain consistent production flow and prevent jams, misfeeds, or equipment damage.
• Monitor lumber quality and identify defects or variations, including surface defects, dimension issues, snipe, chatter, and wane, and promptly report or remove non-conforming product.
• Complete pre-shift equipment inspections to ensure guards, rolls, conveyors, and other components are in safe operating condition before startup.
• Operate sorting, stacking, and material-handling equipment to ensure finished lumber is properly organized by grade, species, and dimension.
• Maintain accurate production counts, shift logs, downtime records, and quality information for assigned equipment and work areas.
• Follow all company safety policies and lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures, including completing required LOTO before clearing, cleaning, or adjusting equipment.
• Maintain clean, safe, and organized work areas by regularly removing sawdust, wood chips, trim ends, and other production debris.
• Communicate with other operators, maintenance personnel, and supervisors to address equipment issues, production bottlenecks, or quality concerns.
• Assist with authorized operational tasks as directed and promptly report safety concerns, equipment malfunctions, unusual conditions, or changes in product quality.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED preferred; not required with verifiable planer mill or manufacturing experience.
  • Operator 1: No prior planer mill experience required; willingness to learn and commitment to safety are essential.
  • Operator 2/3: Prior experience operating planer mills or similar production equipment required.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions, including run sheets, shift logs, safety procedures, and basic lumber specifications.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify lumber quality defects and maintain safe work practices around moving production equipment.
• Ability to work in a high-noise, high-dust manufacturing environment, including rotating shifts, scheduled overtime, and weekends as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience on planer mill positions — planer, trimmer, edger, tilt hoist, green chain, sorter, or stacker.
• Cross-training on multiple planer mill positions; Operator 2 or Operator 3 candidates with existing multi-machine qualifications strongly preferred
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills a plus.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements:

• Work is performed primarily in a planer mill production environment with continuous exposure to high noise levels, sawdust, wood chips, vibration, moving machinery, and varying temperatures.
• Regularly work in physically demanding conditions around industrial machinery and lumber production equipment.
• Prolonged standing and walking throughout the shift, with frequent bending, reaching, and movement between assigned production areas.
• Frequent lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling of lumber, materials, and equipment weighing up to 60 lbs.
• Regularly bend, crouch, stoop, reach, push, pull, and perform repetitive tasks associated with lumber feeding, sorting, stacking, and machine operation.
• See, hear, communicate, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity and visual acuity to safely operate equipment and identify product or equipment issues.
• Required use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including safety glasses, hearing protection, steel-toed boots, and high-visibility vests, in designated production areas.
• Follow all lockout/tagout (LOTO) and required safety procedures before performing equipment clearance or adjustment tasks.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

Plain Dealing Lumber is committed to cultivating a workplace where diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences help drive our innovation and success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Plain Dealing Lumber is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.