Operations News

The change negotiations cover the entire staff of Lappeenranta, Rauma, Renko and Vilppula sawmills, approximately 350 people.

Vice President Darren Pelley says significant rainfall is needed to get back to normal operations at the mill. He says this is financially quite challenging being shut down but Kruger's $700 million transformation plan for the mill, which was announced in July, has now become more urgent.

Smurfit Westrock plans to close a Georgia facility and permanently lay off 55 employees, according to a worker adjustment and retraining notification filed with the state on Nov. 10.

Stora Enso's mill in Bad St. Leonhard, Austria, has produced over 1 million m3 of cross-laminated timber (CLT), becoming the first site within the company to reach this volume. The mill, which began CLT production in 2008, has supplied material for approximately 15,000 projects worldwide.

Citing a drooping softwood lumber demand, compounded by higher duties and additional tariffs that have reached 45 per cent for U.S. markets, West Fraser Timber announced Thursday its plans to permanently shutter both its Augusta, Ga., and 100 Mile House lumber mills by the end of 2025.

Chris Stoicheff with the mill said there are no reports of injuries. It is unknown how the fire started.

A fire broke out Monday, Oct. 20, inside a wood pellet storage dome operated by Enviva at the Port of Pascagoula, triggering emergency efforts to control the incident and protect surrounding infrastructure.

Georgia-Pacific notified employees Oct. 30 it plans to permanently shut its box plant in Mt. Olive, Illinois, by Dec. 31, according to Lauren Campen, senior manager of public affairs and communications for corrugated.

Union head expects shift reduction, extended layoff of 25 workers come November.

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper will temporarily pause newsprint production starting Monday due to low water levels impacting the ability of Deer Lake Power to supply sufficient energy to operate the mill.

The measure will result in the reduction of approximately 180 positions through unfilled vacancies, voluntary agreements, and redundancies.

Smurfit Westrock plans to permanently close a corrugated sheet and box facility in California, and 141 employees will be affected, according to a company worker adjustment and retraining notification letter the state.

Chris Stoicheff with the mill said there are no reports of injuries. It is unknown how the fire started.

At this time, Wayne County officials say it appears to be accidental.

Firefighters in Sussex were on the scene of a fire at the Irving sawmill on the edge of town on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 8.

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. welcomes the recent announcement of the restart of operations at Kap Paper Inc. This development highlights the strong collaboration between the federal and provincial governments and their shared commitment to supporting Northern Ontario communities and Canada's broader forestry sector.

Interfor is extending the temporary curtailment of its Grand Forks division indefinitely due to "ongoing weak market conditions."

Paper and packaging conglomerate Norske Skog is implementing efficiency measures that will result in the reduction of up to 200 full-time positions between 2025 and 2027. The workforce reduction will be carried out through natural attrition and a hiring freeze.

The last day of operations at the plant is expected to be Dec. 31.

The closure will lead to a reduction of 93 positions."

No injuries were reported, and no buildings were damaged.

Employees of GreenFirst have been informed that, effective October 6, 2025, the Company will reduce sawmill operations at its Kapuskasing, Hearst, and Cochrane facilities for the equivalent of one week. The curtailment at the Kapuskasing sawmill could extend beyond this period, given the site's location and the additional challenges it may face.

Ottawa paramedics were called Wednesday and found a person was trapped under a forklift. The victim was declared deceased at the scene.

Employees at the facility said two men were burned in both incidents.

According to the WARN notice, 60 workers will be impacted by the closure, which will take effect December 1.