Plum Creek Timber Announces Montana Plant Closures

COLUMBIA FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Plum Creek Timber Co. says the weak housing construction market requires closing the company's facilities at Evergreen, next to Kalispell, and eliminating the jobs of 63 people.

The Seattle-based company on Thursday announced the June 26 closures of its Evergreen sawmill and a facility that removes defects from wood and processes it into stud-grade lumber. The closures will be indefinite, Plum Creek said.

"The company's manufacturing business has been hard hit by industry turbulence over the past several months," said Rick Holley, Plum Creek president and chief executive. Holley said the company has "done everything possible to keep these facilities running," but improving their efficiency is not enough to sustain them. ...