West Fraser to Indefinitely Curtail Lake Butler, Fl Sawmill

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): On Thursday, West Fraser announced that it will indefinitely curtail its sawmill in Lake Butler, Florida, by the end of September. The decision is a result of high fiber costs and soft lumber markets.

According to the press release, the indefinite curtailment of Lake Butler Sawmill will impact approximately 130 employees and reduce West Fraser’s US lumber capacity by approximately 110 million board feet. West Fraser expects to mitigate the impact on affected employees by providing work opportunities at other company operations.

High fiber costs at Lake Butler and the current low-price commodity environment have impaired the ability to profitably operate the mill. The indefinite curtailment of Lake Butler sawmill better aligns West Fraser’s lumber capacity with demand, the company said.

West Fraser anticipates taking an impairment charge in Q3 associated with the announcement.

Courtesy: www.getfea.com