Bearlodge Forest Products to Close Hulett, WY, Operations

Bearlodge Forest Products will cease its sawmill and pallet operations in Hulett, Wyoming, on October 31, ending nearly five decades of operations, the Cowboy State Daily reported (10-5-26). The company produces pallets and other forest products.

In a Facebook post announcing the closure, Bearlodge cited high input costs, a limited labor pool, scarce housing, and sustained downward pricing trends among the factors behind the decision.

“No single issue brought us here,” the company, owned by Doug and Dena Mills, said. “It was the weight of many.”

Local and state officials said the region’s timber industry has faced challenges for years related to government timber sales. Americans for Prosperity-Wyoming State Director Tyler Lindholm said: “The cut-up rate in the Black Hills has been reduced time and time again. And it’s at an all-time low right now.”

Lindholm also said areas of Wyoming where the federal Good Neighbor Authority has been able to function effectively have experienced higher cut rates and better-managed forests. The program allows states to carry out work on federal forest projects using state contracting processes.