Arauco Will Resume Operations at Horcornes II Sawmill


Santiago, Chile, 30 March 2010 -- Arauco announced it will reopen its Horcones II sawmill. This measure will provide jobs for 200 new workers. Horcones II is located in the Arauco community, in Chile’s VIII Region, which was seriously affected by the earthquake and tidal wave that struck the country on 27 February 2010.

“We are pleased to inform that the company decided to resume operations at this sawmill, which had been closed down for more than three months," said Iván Chamorro, Arauco’s Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility managing director. "The sawmill’s reopening will create 200 new jobs, significantly contributing to the country’s reconstruction.”

This production unit had been shut down since December of last year, due to the crisis affecting the forestry sector. Now that it will resume operations, about 150 workers will be hired for the mill and more than 50 people will be hired to work as loaders, guards, and cafeteria staff.

According to schedule, workers will be selected and trained during April and May. The unit will begin producing sawn timber by 01 June, during an implementation phase.

The monthly production capacity of Horcones II will be about 14,500 cubic meters, which will be marketed in Chile, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East.

“This production unit’s reopening allows for employment recovery in an area that was severely affected by the earthquake; it also contributes wood for reconstruction; compensates the loss of Mutrún saw mill in Constitución, which was swept away by the tidal wave; and fulfills the growing internal and external demand,” Chamorro said.