Wood-Mizer LT15 Sawmill on Top of a Mountain in Slovenia

Wood-Mizer sawmills can be found in some of the most unusual places in the world, such as the peak of a mountain in Slovenia at 1220 m above sea level, where the Catholic Church of St. Anne is located. The church was built more than 700 years ago and is a holy place for many pilgrims, as a shrine - a sculptural image of a dark-faced Madonna - is kept here.
 

The keeper of St. Anne’s, Jože Potocnik, lives right next door to the church. His son, Vinko, is a successful businessman living in the nearby city of Ravne na Koroškem. 
 
“I visit my father on the weekends to help with housework,” Vinko says. “We do our best to keep the church neat and well-maintained, but time and weather inevitably wear on the church building, and repairs are necessary.”

While ordering lumber for upkeep and renovations Vinko realized they would need different-sized boards for the repairs. “We had a pile of boards, all different sizes, and we did not have two pieces of the same size — this was no good,” Vinko explained.
 
In 2011, to allow them to start producing their own lumber, Vinko bought a Wood-Mizer LT15 sawmill. “I chose the LT15 because of its size,” Vinko says. “Many people visit here, and we do not want our equipment and tools to be visible. Everything should be clean and tidy and the LT15 is small enough to fit into the barn."

“We were also impressed with the affordable price of the Wood-Mizer LT15,” Vinko continues. “In Ravne na Koroškem, there is also a convenient service center where we can sharpen the Wood-Mizer blades.”
 
Vinko works with the sawmill about once a month and cuts up to three hours a day. He started with small projects, such as sawing boards for a fence. He then continued onto more significant projects, such as furniture and shops that now stand outside the church.

Vinko also renovated the wooden roof atop his father’s house and lined their shed with new wood. 

The church is very well-equipped for its harsh, yet also peaceful, surroundings. The church is a place of prayer and meditation, where the worries and anxieties of visitors cease.

The nearest village to St. Anne’s at the bottom of the mountain has a daily church service. However, the bells of the Church of St. Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary, beckons the parishioners about once a month or during church holidays. 
 
When the service ends, and the villagers return home, they are grateful to Lady Mary for her hospitality and the people who sacrifice their time and labor for the common good and for the sake of The Church of St. Anne, which the hearts of pilgrims seek.

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