West Fraser Permanently Closes Its Sawmill in Perry, FL

On Monday, West Fraser confirmed that it was permanently ceasing production at its Perry, Florida, sawmill, ABC27/WTXL reported (4-1-24). Operations at the site were indefinitely curtailed in January 2023, reducing West Fraser’s US lumber production by 100 million board feet.

West Fraser had acquired the sawmill in 2017 from Gilman Building Products.

In a statement emailed to ABC27/WTXL, Joyce Wagenaar, director of communications for West Fraser, said:

“Following the decision in January 2023 to indefinitely curtail the Perry Sawmill in Florida, which saw a small crew kept onsite to maintain the mill, West Fraser is now moving to permanently close the mill by the end of March. The few remaining workers will complete their last shifts this week. The equipment will then be assessed for use elsewhere. High fiber costs at Perry and a low-price commodity environment have impaired its ability to profitably operate. Prior to the indefinite curtailment announcement in January 2023, the Perry Sawmill employed approximately 126 people.”