Roseburg Forest Products has announced the layoff of approximately 90 employees from its plywood plant in Dillard as of Friday.
A release from Corporate Communications Director Rebecca Taylor said continued unfavorable conditions in the North American plywood market prompted the move, which will be in place indefinitely.
The release said Roseburg was able to extend immediate job offers to approximately 50 of the affected employees for roles at the company’s other wood products plants in Dillard and Riddle. The remaining affected employees will be considered first for positions at the company’s other facilities as openings occur.
Senior Vice President of Operations Jake Elston said “after waiting for months for markets to improve, we have reached the point where a layoff was necessary to better match supply with weakened demand”. Elston said that slow housing starts, imported plywood, and increased competition from oriented strand board manufacturers are all driving “the imbalance in the market”. Elston said “this is an unfortunate but necessary step toward preserving the long-term viability of our plywood business”.
The release said operations at other Roseburg facilities, including plywood plants in Riddle and Coquille, will continue as usual.
Taylor said just over 350 people were employed at the plywood plant in Dillard, prior to the announcement.