In Oregon, two lumber mills located at opposite ends of the state are shutting down, adding to the already extensive list of closures in the industry.
According to the Lincoln County Leader, the mill of Western Cascade Industries, located in Toledo and employing 50 people at its 25-year-old site, is set to completely cease operations on Thursday.
According to the Leader, General Manager Walt Adams has informed employees that the mill will be shutting down at the end of July due to a struggling timber market. Adams stated that the market has been consistently low, leading to the unfortunate closure.
Toledo, a small town of approximately 3,500 residents located on the Yaquina River east of Newport, has been dealt a blow by the closure of the mill. Ross Stock, the mill’s owner, did not provide a response to interview requests.
According to Doug Wiggins, the City Manager of Toledo, the mill was the second-largest employer in the town. It’s worth noting that Western Cascade’s mill was the only remaining lumber mill out of the many that used to operate in the area. Another paper mill is still in operation, located just across the river from Western Cascade’s facility.
According to Wiggins, there have been talks with other parties interested in purchasing the mill, but no agreement has been reached yet. Despite this, he remains optimistic that a buyer will step forward and revive the mill in the near future.
According to the Blue Mountain Eagle, the Malheur Mill in Grant County, which has a workforce of over 70, will close down after it finishes processing and shipping its remaining logs. This marks the end of the line for the last mill in the county.
Located in the town of John Day, with a population of approximately 1,700, the mill had faced almost certain closure back in 2012. However, government officials intervened, and the mill was kept operational. Unfortunately, Grant County’s other sawmill shut down in March.
This month, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, reaffirmed his commitment to finding solutions for the mill. Wyden played a key role in the deal that helped save the mill over a decade ago.
Malheur Mill declined to comment and referred all inquiries to its parent company, Ochoco Lumber, which did not respond to a request for an interview.
According to the Blue Mountain Eagle, the mill provided several reasons for its shutdown, which included a shortage of a drug-free and motivated workforce, increasing production costs, government regulations, and an unprofitable timber market.
