News

Lumber industry showing signs of rebounding

After scores of plant closures and more than 20,000 jobs lost since 1990, the forest products industry enjoyed some merciful relief last year.

The industry produced a rare, if tiny, employment gain in this state. Oregon lumber production was on track to reach its highest level in 14 years. Mill closures slowed.

By all appearances, the once-dominant industry has finally found a measure of stability after a radical restructuring that came after sharp restrictions in federal forest logging in the early 1990s.

Last year, more efficient mills, a home-building spree and moderately higher harvest levels helped the industry catch its breath.

Full Story: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/01/19/build/business/35-lumber.inc

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Timber Turnaround

By RICK THOMAS
Staff writer

Industry enjoyed strong year

COEUR d’ALENE — After more than a decade of decline, a strong housing market is making up for much of the ground lost in the timber products industry.

"Last year was spectacular — a phenomenal year for the industry," said Mark Mitchell, sales manager for Stimson Lumber, which operates two mills in the Coeur d’Alene area.

Mitchell said 2005 has gotten off to a good start, with sales up about 10 percent.

That’s helped the industry by driving prices up for finished materials, but getting access to the ample supply of logs remains a challenge, and has kept timber prices high.

Full Story: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2005/01/18/business/bus01.txt

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Modern-day sawmill planned for Everett

By Peyton Whitely

Times Snohomish County Bureau

The old story is about taking coal to Newcastle, but the twist that emerged yesterday was of building a sawmill in Everett.

That could seem like a step back in time, because for nearly a century Everett was known for its sawmills.

So the proposal announced at a Port of Everett Commission meeting yesterday almost seemed like a path to the future through the past.

Full Story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002154242_sawmill19.html

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Reversal of Fortune: New sawmill’s opening is New Economy rarity

Washington state: Many in the area were surprised that Sierra Pacific would want to build a new mill

The Associated Press

http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_2535209

In the Seattle metropolitan area, as in most Western cities, any talk of new jobs these days usually centers on the so-called New Economy: computers, biotechnology, the service industry.

So it came as a surprise when Sierra Pacific Industries, a privately held company out of Redding, Calif., announced a proposal last week to build something that’s become a rarity around here: a sawmill.

”Well, that’s a switch,” said regional economist Dick Conway.

Like many in the area, Conway has become more used to hearing about sawmills closing, not opening.

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