August 25, 2021 4:30 p.m. 

In the KQEN Business Spotlight:

On Wednesday, Roseburg Forest Products announced that it is closing its particleboard plant in Dillard, affecting 179 jobs.

Communications Director Rebecca Taylor said Roseburg plans to make a multi-million dollar investment in new technology at its western manufacturing operations, the result of an extensive analysis of strategic business opportunities in the west. Taylor said current team members are being offered employment opportunities elsewhere in the organization.

The Dillard Composites plant has operated since 1965. Taylor said some machine centers will continue to operate for up to 60 days.

Roseburg Senior Vice President of Operations Jake Elston said, “The decision to stop production at a facility is never easy, and these transitions have significant impact on the people involved”. Elston said staff has already begun working with the current team members on the upcoming transition to identify other opportunities within the organization.

Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery said, “The analysis led to the decision to close Dillard Composites and look toward the investment, growth, and continued modernization of our western integrated business model”. Mulbery said the coming investment in automated technology will create a more competitive business and allow the company to “…maintain a robust long-term presence in Douglas County, the state, and the industry as a whole”.

Taylor said the company will continue to manufacture particleboard at its plants in Missoula, Montana; Simsboro, Louisiana; and Taylorsville, Mississippi.