Madison Lumber 'Curtailing Operations,' Hancock Says

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Effective Oct. 1, Hancock Lumber began the "indefinite curtailment of production at the company’s Madison Lumber Mill location and consolidation of that business into its Casco, Bethel, and Pittsfield mill operations," according to a statement issued by the company on Wednesday.

Erin Plummer, chief marketing officer for Hancock Lumber, said the Madison log yard will remain open to help support the procurement of eastern white pine.

“This decision is in response to site-specific challenges and changing market conditions,” said Plummer, based out of the Hancock’s Casco, Maine office.

She said “Hancock Lumber remains committed to the forest products industry as it has since 1848.”

Hancock purchased Madison Lumber in October 2022.

A source emailed the Sun on Wednesday, saying that “they have completely shut down the sawmill.”

The source added that “The planer mill will produce an(y) dry wood they have until they run (out), which should be by the end of the month of October.”

The source continued that “They are drying whatever green wood has been sawn and then the boiler will be shut down along with all the dry kilns.”

He added that he believed that there are 60 to 65 employees and “some have already been let go and the remaining employees will be let go as the planer mill finishes up what production is left. What will be left (as an employee base) will be a few for security and to load any trucks they need to ship out any remaining orders.”

Linda Shackford, town administrator for the town of Madison, told the Sun Wednesday that she had not heard about the closing until a reporter’s call Wednesday morning but that later in the day an unidentified man came into town offices asking, “Have you heard about the mill?”

Located an hour west of Hancock Lumber’s headquarters in Casco, Maine, Madison Lumber Mill at the time of the sale in October 2022 was estimated to be the sixth-largest manufacturer of eastern white pine.

In addition to producing pine boards and products, the company operates a significant wholesale division. Hancock purchased the mill from former owners Kim Moore and Jim Smith who purchased the former International Paper mill in 2001.

Madison Lumber Mill is located at 71 Marcella Drive, off Route 41 in Madison.

Courtesy: www.conwaydailysun.com