Interfor Announces Indefinite Curtailment at Its Philomath, OR, Sawmill and Reduced Production at BC Operations

On Thursday, Interfor Corporation announced that it will indefinitely curtail its sawmill operations in Philomath, Oregon, due to persistent high log costs in the region and ongoing weak lumber market conditions.

Sawmill production will be curtailed immediately followed by an orderly wind-down of operations, which is expected to be completed by the end of Q1. The Philomath sawmill produces a mix of kiln-dried and green Hemlock and Douglas-fir dimensional lumber and timbers and has an annual capacity of 220 million board feet.

In addition, Interfor announced plans to temporarily reduce lumber production at its British Columbia operations by approximately 30 million board feet in Q1. These curtailments are due to a combination of weak market conditions, low log inventory levels, and unseasonably warm weather that continues to negatively impact log deliveries across many areas of the province.

The company said it will continue to monitor market conditions across all of its operations and adjust production plans accordingly.