Arcata Sawmill to Close; ‘About 123 crew members’ Affected

Press release from Sierra Pacific Industries:

CaptureSierra Pacific Industries (SPI) … announced it will close its sawmill in Arcata, CA.

This is a particularly sad day for Sierra Pacific and for my family” said A.A. “Red” Emmerson, Chairman and President Emeritus of SPI. “Our company started in the Arcata area when my father and I leased our first mill there in 1949 near Jacoby Creek.” “We went on to build the Arcata mill on the Samoa Peninsula, which we’ve run steady since 1951” he noted.

About 123 crew members will be affected by the closure. According to SPI, reduced harvests of suitable timber and regulatory burdens are the primary reason for the closure. That, combined with a difficult lumber market have profoundly impacted operations in Arcata.

A fall-off in the amount of suitable timber for sale in this area, coupled with flat home construction in the U.S., and increased lumber imports from Canada have all played a role in our decision to close the mill” said SPI spokesman Mark Pawlicki. “But, make no mistake, the largest factor was that the type and size of logs that this mill cuts are simply not available in ample supply to continue to run the mill” he added. “When combined, these factors leave us no choice but to close the plant” said Pawlicki.

In an effort to keep the Arcata mill running, SPI has been transporting logs from the interior of California, and has barged logs from British Columbia and Washington. However, those efforts proved to be uneconomical.

Sierra Pacific is a strong, growing company and has job openings at other locations. Crew members are being encouraged to consider opportunities at these locations, and relocation assistance will be offered for each person who is approved to transfer.

Sierra Pacific Industries is a third-generation family-owned forest products company based in Anderson, California employing over 4,500 crew members. The company owns and manages 1.9 million acres of timberland in California and Washington, and is among largest lumber producers in the U.S. Sierra Pacific has 13 other sawmills operating in California and Washington, and has started construction of a new mill in Shelton, WA. The company also has window, renewable power, sales, and lumber remanufacturing facilities in operation in multiple states.

Sierra Pacific is committed to managing its lands in a responsible and sustainable manner to protect the environment while providing quality wood products for consumers.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
deb
Guest
deb
8 years ago

Wow. 123 people are out of work unless they move. SPI is a land baron with 1.9 MILLION acres. SPI landholdings in Humboldt have not been logged sustainably. They clear cut and run. SPI just mowed down a forest next to my property. There is so much waste. There was no consideration for the neighborhood. Gone are the days of selective cutting, rotating that method throughout the properties so the people employed can continue to be employed. I guess small favors are that this didn’t happen December 21.

Cody
Guest
Cody
8 years ago

SPI is a good neighbor to me. I find them more easy to work with vs the forest service who works for US! Try running a power/phone line on forest service land and see what it costs you vs SPI. Or try putting a research station on forest service land vs SPI. I would take dealing with SPI any day……

As for the clear cutting….at least it leaves the Oaks!

david
Guest
david
8 years ago

Looks like some people are going to need to get a college degree to proove themselves instead of being able to just get a job cause someone likes you! With all respect I obviously imagine there are hard jobs that require college skill but cmon it’s lumber and trees! Not a sustainable choice for anyone or thig

Brian Chadwick
Guest
Brian Chadwick
8 years ago

R u building a new mill next the old Simpson mill on Tide Water Flats? I worked in sales for Simpson for many years prior to retirement and was always impressed with the Tide Water Plant!