Interfor has announced the indefinite curtailment of operations at its sawmills located in Meldrim, Georgia, and Summerville, South Carolina.
This decision comes in response to ongoing weak market conditions in the lumber industry.
The curtailment process will begin immediately with the reduction of log deliveries to both facilities. An orderly wind-down of operations is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2024. Combined, these sawmills have an annual production capacity of 330 million board feet of kiln-dried Southern Yellow Pine dimensional lumber.
The indefinite curtailment will affect approximately 180 employees across the two facilities. Interfor has stated that it will make efforts to mitigate the impact on these employees by offering work opportunities at other company operations where feasible.
While the projected production impact for 2024 had already been factored into the company’s earlier guidance issued on August 8, 2024, the indefinite nature of the curtailments suggests that production levels may be affected beyond the current year, depending on market developments.
Interfor remains committed to closely monitoring market conditions across all its operations and will continue to adjust its production strategies accordingly.
This announcement highlights the ongoing challenges facing the lumber industry, with market conditions prompting difficult decisions by major players like Interfor. The company’s focus remains on aligning its operations with current market realities to ensure long-term sustainability.
