Interfor Permanently Closes Its Beaver-Forks Mill Operations
Interfor has pulled the plug on its West End operations, planning to close two facilities and consolidate production in Port Angeles, the timber company announced Thursday. The closure affects 52 workers at the Beaver sawmill and another 35 at the Forks planer mill, officials said. “To the greatest extent possible, we will be offering them positions at Port Angeles or at other operations in our company,” said Karen Brandt, director of public affairs for Interfor Corp. in Vancouver, B.C.
Interfor’s West End mill and planer, which work hand in hand, have been on hiatus for about a month. A curtailment of the Beaver-Forks operation was phased in beginning June 27, 2014. Employees were told Thursday that the closure was being made permanent. “It’s really about so many factors, like market conditions for finished products and timber supply problems for that mill,” Brandt said. “These issues have been a recurring theme on the North Olympic Peninsula.”
By closing the West End sawmill and planer, the company plans to “provide some extra investment in Port Angeles,” Brandt said. It plans to increase capacity and optimize operations at the Interfor Pacific mill just west of Port Angeles, which employes about 120, Brandt said. Brandt could not say how many West End workers would be transferred to Port Angeles. The company will evaluate existing opportunities and “where there might be further opportunities down the road as we begin to invest in that operation some more,” she said.
In announcing the curtailment of the West End operation June 24, Steve Kroll, Interfor general manager for Washington operations, said the Beaver mill has been particularly hard hit by difficult market conditions and a “challenging fiber supply that is further aggravated by the impacts from log exports.” The Beaver mill had been operating on a 40-hour-per-week schedule, which is “difficult to maintain,” Kroll said. The curtailment and closure of the Beaver-Forks operation was noted in a Thursday press release about Interfor’s second-quarter performance.
From the Peninsula Daily News: peninsuladailynews.com.
RELATED ARTICLES
Interfor Purchases Four Sawmills From GP
Interfor Is Purchasing WestRock Summerville Sawmill
Interfor Lays Off Gilchrist Staff
Latest News
U.S. Housing Starts Show Significant Jump In September
U.S. housing starts increased 7% in September from August, coming in at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.358 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development monthly new residential construction report. Single-family starts were at a rate of 963,000, up 3.2%, and multi-family starts were 383,000, up 17%…
BE&E Purchases Conveying, Fabrication From BID
BID Group and Biomass Engineering & Equipment (BE&E) announced a strategic supply and outsourcing partnership, in which BE&E will acquire the Vibrapro brand and manufacturing operations located in Boise, Id., and the BID Group fabrication plant in Greenville, Ky. BE&E, based in Indianapolis, Ind., is a rapidly growing engineering services and machinery manufacturer specializing in bulk materials handling for multiple industries across the globe…
Acres Partners With Forisk
Acres, a data-driven land research platform that supports fast, informed decision making, is partnering with Forisk Consulting, a leader in analyzing timber markets and wood baskets, to visualize timber data for both companies’ clients. This collaboration between Acres and Forisk will further expand Acres’ capacity to provide and visualize important information on U.S. timberland through its powerful land valuation tool.
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.