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Stimson lays off 120 at Bonner mill – workers in shock

Stimson Lumber Co. announced the layoff of 120 workers at its Bonner plywood plant on Tuesday. The layoffs will go into effect in 60 days, on Oct. 3.

The closure will mark the end of commodity plywood production at the mill. The Bonner site will continue to produce studs and premium panels, including Duratemp siding and sanded panels, and will still employ about 330 workers, said Stimson vice president Jeff Webber.

The cuts will reduce overall production at the plant by about
20 percent, Webber said.

"This is not a plant performance issue," Webber said. The culprit, he said, is an industrywide increase in production capacity of oriented strand board, a cheap construction substitute.

By ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/08/03/news/top/news01.txt

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Stimson workers in shock – Laid-off employees fear looming bills, hope for rehires, retraining

By ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian

BONNER – Under a blue sky Wednesday, the sweet smell of fresh wood hung on the wind at the Stimson Lumber Co. John Skelton, an eight-year employee at Stimson, paused before heading down a flight of stairs from the parking lot to the plywood plant.

"I’ve got knots in my stomach. We’re losing our insurance, everything. My wife’s in tears," Skelton said.

Skelton learned Tuesday that he will be among 120 workers laid off at the Bonner plant Oct. 3. The layoff will mark the end of commodity plywood production at a plant that once turned out more plywood than any other facility in the world.

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/08/04/news/local/news02.txt

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