A month after announcing it will be permanently closing its Quest Wood sawmill in Quesnel, Tolko has announced a two-week shut down of its mills in Armstrong and Williams Lake.
The two mills will take downtime during the weeks of May 27 and June 3.
“High log costs and weak market conditions continue to impact our lumber operating footprint in British Columbia,” said Vice President of Solid Wood, Troy Connolly, in a statement posted to the company’s website. “While we prefer to remain operational, we must manage the business responsibly and ensure we are sustainable for the long run.”
Connolly says employees were informed of the decision Thursday and local human resources representatives are available to assist them with any questions they may have.
“We do not make these decisions lightly,” said Connolly. “We know we have great people working at these operations and this is in no way a reflection on them or their commitment. However, industry conditions in B.C. are challenging right now and could be for some time.”
Pino Pucci, Vice President, Tolko Marketing and Sales assured customers that Tolko’s Marketing and Sales team “will continue to support our customers and do our best to minimize any impacts as a result of these operations taking downtime.”