Weyerhaeuser will close its sawmill in Vanceboro this September, leading to the loss of 73 jobs, according to state filings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis closure is expected to be an indefinite curtailment, which will exceed 30 days, and will affect all employees at the New Bern Lumber Mill facility,\u201d the notice stated. Workers have been informed that \u201ctheir separation from employment will be permanent.\u201d The mill will shut down on September 16, Business North Carolina\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n
Out of the 73 affected employees, ten have been offered positions at other Weyerhaeuser locations, primarily in management, superintendent, and human resources roles. Some of the workers are represented by the United Steel Workers International Union.<\/p>\n
The company issued a statement explaining the decision:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can confirm that in response to a combination of site-specific and market-related factors, we are indefinitely curtailing operations at our sawmill in New Bern, North Carolina. We did not come to this decision lightly given the significant impact on our employees, their families, and the surrounding community, where we have a long history. We conducted a thorough analysis to evaluate the mill\u2019s long-term viability and competitiveness, but due to challenging market conditions, as well as the facility\u2019s cost structure, lack of scale, and limited integration with other operations, we made the difficult decision to indefinitely curtail operations at the mill.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur New Bern sawmill has a workforce of approximately 75 employees, and we are working to minimize the impact of the curtailment by providing opportunities at other Weyerhaeuser operations for certain employees and transition resources for those who are eligible. We will continue to monitor market conditions to determine whether there\u2019s an opportunity to resume operations in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weyerhaeuser, one of the world\u2019s largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900 and currently owns or controls about 10.5 million acres of timberlands in the U.S., along with managing 14 million acres of timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. In 2023, the company reported $7.7 billion in net sales and employed around 9,300 people globally.<\/p>\n
Weyerhaeuser operates at least five facilities in North Carolina, including a distribution center in Charlotte. Vanceboro is located approximately 25 miles southeast of Greenville, near New Bern.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Weyerhaeuser will close its sawmill in Vanceboro this September, leading to the loss of 73 jobs, according to state filings. \u201cThis closure is expected to be an indefinite curtailment, which will exceed 30 days, and will affect all employees at … Continue reading