Interfor selling Oregon sawmill

Interfor Corporation, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based lumber producer, has reached an agreement to sell its specialty sawmill located in Gilchrist, Ore. to Neiman Enterprises Inc.     

The Gilchrist sawmill specializes in ponderosa and lodgepole pine boards. Operations at the mill have been curtailed since mid-June due to COVID-19 related economic factors.  Prior to its curtailment, the mill produced approximately 80 million board feet of lumber per year and employed approximately 150 employees. 

Neiman, based in Hulett, Wyoming is a privately held, third-generation family business with pine board sawmill operations in Wyoming and South Dakota and a stud mill in Colorado.  The company plans to restart the mill in the near future and rehire a substantial number of the furloughed employees. Neiman will also consider potential future capital investment opportunities for the facility. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“After a careful review of the potential future options for the mill, we believe the sale to Neiman offers the best long-term outcome for our employees and the surrounding communities,” said Andrew Horahan, Interfor’s vice president of western operations. “I want to thank all of the employees at the Gilchrist operation for their understanding and patience over the last few months.”

“This transaction represents a significant step for the Neiman group of companies,” said Jim Neiman, president and CEO of Neiman Enterprises.  “We look forward to restarting the mill in short order and partnering with the employees and community to ensure the long-term success of this historic operation.”

Interfor owns and operates three U.S. stud mills located in Molalla, Ore., and in Longview and Port Angeles, Washington. Overall, the company has operations in Canada and the United States with an annual production capacity of approximately 3 billion board feet.