Weyerhaeuser to partially shut two mills

Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser said it will close parts of two mills in Louisiana and Georgia. Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser said it will close parts of two mills in Louisiana and Georgia.

The company will convert its plywood operation in Dodson, La., to a veneer manufacturing operation effective Oct. 26, and will stop veneer production at its Colbert, Ga., mill within the next 30 days. The Colbert site will continue to be used for beam construction, the company said.

“There's a shrinking demand for plywood and an increasing availability of alternative products," said Cathy Slater, vp-veneer technologies. "We made the decision after a thorough review of short-term and long-term demand for our plywood panels and to further integrate dry veneer into our engineered lumber products."

Weyerhaeuser will release its third-quarter earnings statement on Oct. 31.