Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 01 October 2008 -- Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd. today announced that it will temporarily curtail operations at its oriented strand board (OSB) mill in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, on 06 October due to reduced customer demand and log shortages.

“Business demand continues to reflect the severe decline in U.S. housing starts and the credit market issues,” said Robert Allen, chief executive officer. “Our outlook is that these very difficult conditions will continue for at least the near term.”

Ainsworth will reevaluate this closure in late October.

The Bemidji mill has an annual production capacity of approximately 350 million square feet (3/8-inch basis) and employs 140 people.