C&D Lumber in Riddle, OR, Will Cease Operations Effective May 2nd

C&D Lumber Co. plans to shut down its sawmill in Riddle, Oregon, effective May 2nd, The Oregonian reported (4-6-24). Some operations will continue for at least a few months longer while inventory is dried and run through the mill’s planer.

Nick Johnson, whose family owns the facility, cited “the unprecedented challenges facing the industry today,” including fluctuating market prices, rising operational cost, and timber shortages. “Within the last few months, we figured we would need to purchase Douglas fir logs at nearly half of the going market price in order to sell our lumber and break even. This clearly isn’t sustainable,” Johnson told The Oregonian.

C&D is the fourth Oregon mill closure in recent months. Hampton Lumber closed its mill in Banks last fall, followed by the Rosboro Company mill in Springfield and Interfor’s mill in Philomath. Other mills are reportedly weighing shutdowns too—whether they would be temporary or permanent is not known.

C&D has been in business since 1890 and at its present location since the 1950s. The closure will mean 93 employees will lose their jobs.

The Johnson family said C&D’s sister company, Silver Butte Timber Co., will continue operating, The Oregonian reported.