Swanson to lay off 150 workers
By Greg Stiles
Mail Tribune
November 10, 2007
Regional lumber company Swanson Group of Glendale on Friday said it will lay off 150 workers at four mills Dec. 1.
Swanson said it eliminated a sawmill shift and a planer shift at its Roseburg studmill, Glendale sawmill and Noti sawmill. The boiler and kilns at the Glide mill will cease operation. The layoff is dispersed across operations, sales, forestry and administration departments. The sawmills will continue to operate on a reduced basis until market conditions improve.
President Steve Swanson said the decision was a result of significantly reduced demand for lumber products following the housing market slump.
"Layoffs are an unfortunate reality of a market downturn like the one we are now experiencing," Swanson said in a statement. "So long as supply significantly outpaces demand, due in large part to the continued dumping of subsidized Canadian lumber, the softwood lumber industry will continue to see job losses and downtime."
Annually, the curtailments will remove approximately 270 million board feet of softwood lumber from the marketplace. The company, which employs 1,110 in southwestern Oregon, said no changes are being contemplated for the company's veneer and plywood operations in Glendale and Springfield.
Earlier in the week, roughly 50 workers at Timber Products' Grants Pass hardwood and softwood operation were laid off, while another 75 were put on a reduced schedule.
It's the second go-around for William Johnson, 59, a mill worker from Kerby, who was laid off 14 years ago when the same plant was operated by U.S. Forest Industries.
"I'm going to sit back for a couple of days and see what's going to happen," Johnson said. "I'll possibly go back for further education and look for some other work."
Johnson went through retraining as a displaced worker, but preferred more active employment.
"I need physical work," he said. "I can't stand sitting at a tiny bench. I've got stubby fingers and my eyes aren't as good as they used to be."
Calls to Timber Products' Grants Pass offices weren't returned and at the company headquarters in Springfield, a spokesman said there would be no comment before Monday.
Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail business@mailtribune.com.
Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace
Mail Tribune
November 10, 2007
Regional lumber company Swanson Group of Glendale on Friday said it will lay off 150 workers at four mills Dec. 1.
Swanson said it eliminated a sawmill shift and a planer shift at its Roseburg studmill, Glendale sawmill and Noti sawmill. The boiler and kilns at the Glide mill will cease operation. The layoff is dispersed across operations, sales, forestry and administration departments. The sawmills will continue to operate on a reduced basis until market conditions improve.
President Steve Swanson said the decision was a result of significantly reduced demand for lumber products following the housing market slump.
"Layoffs are an unfortunate reality of a market downturn like the one we are now experiencing," Swanson said in a statement. "So long as supply significantly outpaces demand, due in large part to the continued dumping of subsidized Canadian lumber, the softwood lumber industry will continue to see job losses and downtime."
Annually, the curtailments will remove approximately 270 million board feet of softwood lumber from the marketplace. The company, which employs 1,110 in southwestern Oregon, said no changes are being contemplated for the company's veneer and plywood operations in Glendale and Springfield.
Earlier in the week, roughly 50 workers at Timber Products' Grants Pass hardwood and softwood operation were laid off, while another 75 were put on a reduced schedule.
It's the second go-around for William Johnson, 59, a mill worker from Kerby, who was laid off 14 years ago when the same plant was operated by U.S. Forest Industries.
"I'm going to sit back for a couple of days and see what's going to happen," Johnson said. "I'll possibly go back for further education and look for some other work."
Johnson went through retraining as a displaced worker, but preferred more active employment.
"I need physical work," he said. "I can't stand sitting at a tiny bench. I've got stubby fingers and my eyes aren't as good as they used to be."
Calls to Timber Products' Grants Pass offices weren't returned and at the company headquarters in Springfield, a spokesman said there would be no comment before Monday.
Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail business@mailtribune.com.
Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace
Labels: layoffs, Swanson Group of Glendale
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