Skeena Sawmills announced on Tuesday that it was closing down its Terrace, British Columbia, sawmill for an undetermined length of time, according to reporting by the Terrance Standard. The company cited high operating costs, lack of a secure fiber supply, and weak markets.
News in mill capacity changes
Aspen Planer Mill in BC Resumes Operations Processing Cedar Logs, but Cutting Permit Issues Remain Unresolved
Representatives of AP Group, the parent company of the Aspen Planer Mill located in Merrit, BC, told the Merritt Herald on Friday that the mill was restarted on Wednesday, February 1st. The facility has been closed since early December (for an undetermined amount of time) due to a lack of approved cutting permits.
Stimson Lumber Company Announces Curtailments at Two Oregon Mills
Rising costs and weak market conditions have forced Stimson Lumber Company to curtail operations at its Clatskanie and Forest Grove, Oregon, mills. The company cited rising costs in many areas as weighing heavily on the ability to maintain an effective, safe, and healthy production environment.
Drax Group Announces $50 Million Investment to Expand Its Aliceville, Alabama, Wood Pellet Plant
Citing growing global demand for biomass, Drax Group, a renewable energy company, announced that it is investing $50 million to expand its Aliceville, Alabama, wood pellet plant. The expansion will include upgrades to existing systems as well as new truck dumps and pelletizer units.
Western Forest Products Says it Will Not Restart Alberni-Pacific Division in BC
Western Forest Products announced that it will not restart its Alberni-Pacific Division facility in its current configuration. The company has established a multi-party working group to explore potential viable industrial manufacturing solutions for the facility, which has been curtailed since fall 2022.
Canfor Announces Restructuring of Its BC Lumber Operations to Better Align With Long-Term Timber Supply
Canfor announced on Wednesday that it is restructuring its BC operations to better align manufacturing capacity in the province with available long-term timber fiber supply. As a result, Canfor said it was permanently closing its Chetwynd sawmill and pellet plant.
Fire Significantly Damages Control Room at Canfor’s Houston, BC, Sawmill Facility
The Terrace Standard, a local newspaper in Terrace, BC, is reporting that an early morning fire on Sunday at Canfor’s Houston Sawmill facility has severely damaged an interior control room. As a result, the full reopening of the mill, which has been closed during the prior five weeks, will be further delayed.
Sinclar Group Forest Products Announces Temporary Curtailments in BC
Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. announced on Monday that, effective January 30th, it will curtail lumber production at three locations in BC for two weeks: Apollo Forest Products in Fort St. James, the Lakeland Mills in Prince George, and Nechako Lumber Co. in Vanderhoof.
Tolko Extends Curtailments at Two BC Facilities
On Monday, Tolko Industries announced that downtime at its Soda Creek and Armstrong Lumber divisions in BC will continue through the month of February. The extended curtailments will reduce production by approximately 35 million board feet of stud lumber.
BC Provincial and Canadian Federal Government Offer Financial Support to Paper Excellence for Retooling Its Crofton Mill Facility
The Government of British Columbia and the Government of Canada announced that they are contributing a combined $18.8 million (CAD) to join with Paper Excellence’s investment in retooling their Crofton Mill facility to manufacture new pulp products.