Woodgrain Millwork, a manufacturer of doors, mouldings and windows, has finalized a deal with Boise Cascade for the sale of three of its operations in Eastern Oregon. Boise Cascade Co. (Boise Cascade) entered into a sales agreement with Woodgrain in mid-September for the purchase of the sawmills in Pilot Rock and La Grande, Ore., along with the particleboard operations in Island City, Ore. As of Nov. 3, Woodgrain is the owner of the three facilities and resumed full operations on Monday, Nov. 5.
“I am excited about the acquisition of these three facilities as they align well with our strategy of growth through vertical integration. Even more importantly I am excited about the talent of the individuals who will be joining the company. We have been impressed with the caliber of people who will be coming over in the acquisition. It says a lot about Boise Cascade, the individuals and the community. We plan on resuming full production at each facility as of Nov. 5, with minimal delays in production and delivery,” says Kelly Dame, Woodgrain CEO.
“In my town halls last week throughout Eastern Oregon, I heard clearly from community members about the importance of economic opportunity in all parts of our state,” states U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden. He continues, “I am pleased that Woodgrain will continue operating these mills in Union and Umatilla counties because these facilities retain jobs and support rural infrastructure by processing materials from overstocked national forests. I look forward to working with Woodgrain and other industry leaders moving forward on collaborative forestry and long-term stewardship projects that strike a balance between rural jobs and our forests’ long-term health.”
“Investment in Oregon’s wood products industry like the one Woodgrain is announcing today helps us to stabilize and grow rural Oregon economies,” says Chris Harder, director of Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency.
“Retaining these natural resource-based sectors while we also invest in things like rural entrepreneurship and industry innovation will help drive the prosperous future we want across Oregon,” adds Brian McDowell, Business Oregon regional development officer, Union County.