Malheur Lumber Announces Permanent Closure of Its John Day, OR, Sawmill

Malheur Lumber Company, a subsidiary of Ochoco Lumber Company and the last remaining commercial sawmill in John Day, Oregon, has announced it will be winding down and then permanently shutting down its operations, the Elkhorn Media Group reported (7-25-24).

A copy of the closure letter sent from Ochoco Lumber Company and obtained by Elkhorn Media Group is below:

“Malheur Lumber Company has regretfully decided to permanently shut down its operations in John Day, Oregon. Our intent is to operate this facility until all log inventory has been milled to a finished product and to allow sales and shipping to work with our customers for delivery. We employ 76 full and part time employees, and we will be working with them and keeping them informed as we develop next steps. With the announced closure of the bio-mass facility at our plant site, the company is researching further related opportunities. Over the next several weeks we will work on getting a strategic plan in place which will allow us to answer more in depth questions.

We are proud to have been a part of this community for 41 years of continuous operations. We want to thank the hundreds of loyal current and past employees along with their families that have helped to make our operations and contributions impactful within our county for so many years. Also, during this time we have worked with and supported the greater portion of the local businesses, trades people, and leaders in Grant county and neighboring towns, and it has been an honor.

Malheur Lumber has faced several hurdles throughout their years of operation and as a whole we were able to weather the difficulties and continue operations. We have spent several years trying to find solutions to the challenges we face today as have others, we are just one of many wood manufacturing facilities and other small business that cannot resolve them successfully or alone. The current cost of operating a small manufacturing business in the rural part of the state seems no longer sustainable: lack of a willful/drug-free workforce, lack of housing to allow to recruit from outside the area, market conditions of lumber over the last couple of years, cost of manufacturing (due to inflation) and low/inconsistent production (due to lack of employees), and continuing layering of governmental regulations upon small business in Oregon.

As Ochoco Lumber enters its 100th year of operations in Central and Eastern Oregon, the company would like to recognize the local Forest Service workers, county and city leaders, elected officials of the State, certain members of the environmental community, non-profit association members involved in good forestry practices, and our loyal customers all who have helped in our success. We especially would like to thank our Senators Wyden and Merkely who have led the government in finding solutions to forest health issues in our local public forests which has provided a secure and robust timber supply.

We look forward to meeting with you all over the next several months to address your questions and listen to your concerns.”