West Fraser Puts Leola Sawmill On Hold
West Fraser announced that it will indefinitely curtail its Huguley oriented strandboard (OSB) mill in Lanett, Ala. and sawmill in Leola, Ark. These curtailments are expected to take effect in the fourth quarter following orderly wind-downs.
These decisions are the result of continued weakness in demand for wood products used in new home construction and repair and renovation applications, according to the company. These actions are expected to reduce West Fraser’s OSB capacity by 500MMSF and southern yellow pine lumber capacity by 225MMBF on an annual basis.
“Over the last quarter, housing affordability continued to be a key constraint for wood products demand, which remains soft,” says Sean McLaren, West Fraser President and CEO. “We were also impacted by higher energy-related input costs. Our teams responded by running mills to demand, reducing inventory and controlling costs.
“Decisions like this are never easy because of the impact they have on our employees, their families and the communities where we operate. We are grateful for their hard work and contributions, and we are committed to supporting them through this transition.”
Latest News
U.S. Housing Starts Hit A High Note
U.S. housing starts soared in March 2021, with both single-family and multi-family starts contributing to the boom, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development monthly new residential construction…
BID Will Upgrade Carolina Facility
BID Group has announced it will invest more than $2.5 million in state-of-the-art technology at its South Carolina operations in St. George. The acquisition of the Correa Axia-70, a large-sized computer numerical control (CNC) traveling…
Hood Appoints Mann To Drive Culture
Hood Industries, Inc. announced the promotion of April Mann to Vice President of People Operations and Culture. She replaces Terry Lawhead, who earlier this year was named the Vice President of Human Resources for Hood…
Spotted Owl Back In Court
Preservationist groups and timber industry interests have filed lawsuits against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over developments concerning critical habitat acreage designation for the Northern Spotted Owl, which has been listed as a “threatened”…
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.