Plum Creek revives 140 jobs

The Daily Inter Lake

Plum Creek Timber Co. today announced that it will restart its sawmill in Columbia Falls on Monday.

The move will bring approximately 140 workers back to the mill to work one and one-half shifts, according to a news release from Plum Creek.

The plant restart is in response to a recent improvement in one segment of the wood products industry.

While the overall market remains weak, an increase in customer demand for pine boards allows Plum Creek to resume production at the Columbia Falls mill.

"We are watching for signs of improvement in the wood products markets and see a modest gain in the demand for pine boards in the repair and remodel market," said Tom Ray, vice president of Montana operations.

"The recent positive trend in pine board demand will let us bring some people in Columbia Falls back to work. However, the broader housing market remains weak."

Plum Creek's Ksanka sawmill in Fortine is scheduled to close permanently. The mill will saw the final logs on Thursday. The planer will continue to run until March 24.

Plum Creek's sawmill in Evergreen, which has been temporarily curtailed since January, is not scheduled to reopen before late April 2009.