Wood products company Pope & Talbot to close three mills temporarily

Wood products company Pope & Talbot will shutter three mills temporarily to reduce the company’s inventory of finished goods.

Mills in the British Columbia cities of Grand Forks, Castlegar and Fort St. James will be shut down for two weeks beginning Oct. 15. The mills produce high-end softwood lumber products.

Company CEO Harold Stanton said the move was necessary due to falling prices of softwood lumber products and a stronger Canadian dollar.

“Moving forward, we will continue to make adjustments as the market dictates,” he said.

Portland, Ore.-based Pope & Talbot produces pulp and wood products for markets in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.