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
After A Period Of Quiet Time, Canadian Buyout Of SYP Mills Resumes
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1548381510056-0’); }); West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. has entered into an agreement to acquire the operations of the Gilman Companies from the Howard Gilman Foundation and other shareholders for approximately US$430 million. The…
U.S. Senators Urge Quotas On Canadian Lumber
Seven members of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday called the Trump administration to set quotas on Canadian softwood lumber and closely consult with Congress during negotiations of a final agreement. Senate Finance Committee ranking…
Washington’s Northwest Hardwoods Marks 50 Years
Arnold Curtis established Northwest Hardwoods (NWH) in 1967 by creating a single alder mill in Arlington, Washington. With his vision, he set out to transform the under-appreciated alder tree into the high quality lumber product…
Multi-Million Dollar Alabama Sawmill Project Right On Schedule
A multi-million dollar sawmill project in Demopolis continues to make progress. The new state-of-the-art sawmill is expected to bring more than new fifty jobs to the area. Demopolis Mayor John Laney says the Two Rivers…
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.