Potlatch to Take Downtime at Wood Products Facilities


Spokane, Washington, USA, 04 November 2008 -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Potlatch Corporation (NYSE: PCH) today announced that its manufacturing subsidiary will be taking downtime at three sawmills, one plywood plant, and one particleboard plant due to continuing poor market conditions.

The Lewiston, Idaho, sawmill will be down 10 November and will resume production on 01 December. The Gwinn, Michigan, stud mill will be down 17-30 November and will resume production on 01 December. The St. Maries, Idaho, plywood plant will be down 10-14 November 14. Production will resume on 17 November, stop again 24 November, and resume regular production on 01 December. The entire Bemidji, Minnesota, stud mill, which already took one shift down 27 October through 07 November, will be down 10-24 November and will resume production on 17 November. The Post Falls, Idaho, particleboard plant is currently down and will remain down until orders increase.

Potlatch owns approximately 1.7 million acres of forestland in Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and operates 12 manufacturing facilities that produce lumber and panel products and bleached pulp products, including paperboard and tissue. The company, which employs 3600 people, also conducts a land sales and development business. Potlatch, a verified forest practices leader, is committed to providing superior returns to stockholders through long-term stewardship of its resources.