Rough and Ready mill closing
#1
According to the Grants Pass Daily Courier, the Rough and Ready lumber mill in Cave Junction is closing.
Man, that is bad news for the 85 folks that work there and the Illinois Valley in general.
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#2
(04-17-2013, 08:24 PM)gapper Wrote: According to the Grants Pass Daily Courier, the Rough and Ready lumber mill in Cave Junction is closing.
Man, that is bad news for the 85 folks that work there and the Illinois Valley in general.

It would help if we could cut some trees without lawsuits.
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#3
who would buy them?
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#4
Quote:Rough & Ready Lumber closes, lays off 85 workers

CAVE JUNCTION -- Rough & Ready Lumber Company announced Wednesday the closure of its lumber mill, a major local employer that recently celebrated its 90th year in business in the Illinois Valley. The business will lay off 85 employees.

In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, company officials said the decision is the result of the mill’s inability to secure a sufficient supply of logs from the surrounding federal forests.

“We deeply regret having to close the family lumber business that my grandparents founded in 1922,” said Jennifer Phillippi, CEO and co-owner of Rough & Ready.
http://www.thedailycourier.com/articles/.../news1.txt
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#5
Maybe if they looked for logs on private land rather than Federal land.
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#6
(04-17-2013, 08:50 PM)bbqboy Wrote: who would buy them?

Mills would buy them.
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#7
A very sad day for the employees and the IV, and one which I believe could have been avoided.

It is too bad that they have not adjusted to be able to mill small diameter logs coming from thinning and restoration and projects, and that they have chosen to stick to their niche market that limits their needs to pine rather than the fir that is so abundant in our second growth plantations locally.
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#8
(04-18-2013, 07:14 AM)gapper Wrote: A very sad day for the employees and the IV, and one which I believe could have been avoided.

It is too bad that they have not adjusted to be able to mill small diameter logs coming from thinning and restoration and projects, and that they have chosen to stick to their niche market that limits their needs to pine rather than the fir that is so abundant in our second growth plantations locally.

A case of bad management and they like to blame the government.
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#9
(04-17-2013, 09:43 PM)chuck white Wrote: Maybe if they looked for logs on private land rather than Federal land.

Private landowners can not always be depended on for a reliable and steady influx of logs. R&R was going to invest a sizeable amount of money into their plant but because of no reliable source of logs, they are closing down instead.
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#10
(04-18-2013, 10:35 PM)Snowlover Wrote:
(04-17-2013, 09:43 PM)chuck white Wrote: Maybe if they looked for logs on private land rather than Federal land.

Private landowners can not always be depended on for a reliable and steady influx of logs. R&R was going to invest a sizeable amount of money into their plant but because of no reliable source of logs, they are closing down instead.

Private land owners have given up on the saw mills, because they were not reliable customer of buying trees
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#11
(04-18-2013, 10:35 PM)Snowlover Wrote:
(04-17-2013, 09:43 PM)chuck white Wrote: Maybe if they looked for logs on private land rather than Federal land.

Private landowners can not always be depended on for a reliable and steady influx of logs. R&R was going to invest a sizeable amount of money into their plant but because of no reliable source of logs, they are closing down instead.

Was the investment of something like 6 million dollars in a biomass boiler a sound business decision a few years back? Or, was that grant (tax payer) money that bought them that "we're green" publicity?
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#12
HHHmmmm.......??
Another view of the situation.

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...story.html
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#13
(04-19-2013, 09:47 PM)gapper Wrote: HHHmmmm.......??
Another view of the situation.

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...story.html


The link doesn't work but I certainly believe that there is more than meets the eye going on with the R&R story.
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#14
(04-20-2013, 06:18 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-19-2013, 09:47 PM)gapper Wrote: HHHmmmm.......??
Another view of the situation.

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...story.html


The link doesn't work but I certainly believe that there is more than meets the eye going on with the R&R story.

Link works for me. Google "Rough and Ready: The Other Story" if you wish.
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#15
(04-20-2013, 07:30 AM)Valuesize Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 06:18 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-19-2013, 09:47 PM)gapper Wrote: HHHmmmm.......??
Another view of the situation.

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...story.html


The link doesn't work but I certainly believe that there is more than meets the eye going on with the R&R story.

Link works for me. Google "Rough and Ready: The Other Story" if you wish.

Yeah... its working now. Thanks.

I don't know a lot about Rough and Ready but I do know a few things.

It is the only sizable mill around that is sawing pine logs. The nearest other pine mills, that are sawing rather than peeling, are in Klamath Falls and Gilchrist.

Most of the logging jobs in this area are focused on fir trees. The veneer mills, (Murphy, Boise Cascade and Timber Products), get the fir. Some fir also goes north to sawmills but that stuff is mostly small. Most of these jobs also have some, (not much), pine. The big pine goes to Rough and Ready and the small stuff gets peeled at a veneer mill. What I do see coming off of these jobs is not nearly enough to sustain R&R.

R&R also buys a lot of logs from other mills. Ive seen logs heading their way from as far away as Weed, Burney, Chester and Oroville. Often, they are buying the logs that are too big for those other mills to handle. In recent months the flow of those logs has decreased dramatically... I'm not sure why.
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#16
(04-20-2013, 07:53 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 07:30 AM)Valuesize Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 06:18 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-19-2013, 09:47 PM)gapper Wrote: HHHmmmm.......??
Another view of the situation.

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...story.html


The link doesn't work but I certainly believe that there is more than meets the eye going on with the R&R story.

Link works for me. Google "Rough and Ready: The Other Story" if you wish.

Yeah... its working now. Thanks.

I don't know a lot about Rough and Ready but I do know a few things.

It is the only sizable mill around that is sawing pine logs. The nearest other pine mills, that are sawing rather than peeling, are in Klamath Falls and Gilchrist.

Most of the logging jobs in this area are focused on fir trees. The veneer mills, (Murphy, Boise Cascade and Timber Products), get the fir. Some fir also goes north to sawmills but that stuff is mostly small. Most of these jobs also have some, (not much), pine. The big pine goes to Rough and Ready and the small stuff gets peeled at a veneer mill. What I do see coming off of these jobs is not nearly enough to sustain R&R.

R&R also buys a lot of logs from other mills. Ive seen logs heading their way from as far away as Weed, Burney, Chester and Oroville. Often, they are buying the logs that are too big for those other mills to handle. In recent months the flow of those logs has decreased dramatically... I'm not sure why.

GCG, thank you for sharing this information. It has always frustrated me that when we see or hear the Phillipi's whining about lack of raw materials, we never hear that they have a specialized, niche market product and do not use the same wood that all of the others mills use. Other mills retooled long ago to utilize the small diameter timber being harvested these days and for the most part are doing quite well. Pine is not nearly as abundant as fir in these parts, especially since much of what is being harvested is from single species monocultures that were planted after the area was harvested previously.
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#17
(04-18-2013, 10:35 PM)Snowlover Wrote:
(04-17-2013, 09:43 PM)chuck white Wrote: Maybe if they looked for logs on private land rather than Federal land.

Private landowners can not always be depended on for a reliable and steady influx of logs. R&R was going to invest a sizeable amount of money into their plant but because of no reliable source of logs, they are closing down instead.

They were in a tough spot. They utilize large diameter pine. The good news is that not very many other mills want it. The bad news is there isn't much, (that can be cut), around here. So they relied on other mills to sell them their oversize logs. But how can you base your future on that?

As to the biomass question; wasn't there some subsidy money in that for awhile? And didn't that come to a screeching halt a few years ago? It seems to me that there was other "green" technology vying for those $$$ and its tough to fight GE.

Someone correct me if I am wrong about that. My memory is fuzzy.
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#18
(04-20-2013, 08:48 AM)gapper Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 07:53 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 07:30 AM)Valuesize Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 06:18 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-19-2013, 09:47 PM)gapper Wrote: HHHmmmm.......??
Another view of the situation.

http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/ite...story.html


The link doesn't work but I certainly believe that there is more than meets the eye going on with the R&R story.

Link works for me. Google "Rough and Ready: The Other Story" if you wish.

Yeah... its working now. Thanks.

I don't know a lot about Rough and Ready but I do know a few things.

It is the only sizable mill around that is sawing pine logs. The nearest other pine mills, that are sawing rather than peeling, are in Klamath Falls and Gilchrist.

Most of the logging jobs in this area are focused on fir trees. The veneer mills, (Murphy, Boise Cascade and Timber Products), get the fir. Some fir also goes north to sawmills but that stuff is mostly small. Most of these jobs also have some, (not much), pine. The big pine goes to Rough and Ready and the small stuff gets peeled at a veneer mill. What I do see coming off of these jobs is not nearly enough to sustain R&R.

R&R also buys a lot of logs from other mills. Ive seen logs heading their way from as far away as Weed, Burney, Chester and Oroville. Often, they are buying the logs that are too big for those other mills to handle. In recent months the flow of those logs has decreased dramatically... I'm not sure why.

GCG, thank you for sharing this information. It has always frustrated me that when we see or hear the Phillipi's whining about lack of raw materials, we never hear that they have a specialized, niche market product and do not use the same wood that all of the others mills use. Other mills retooled long ago to utilize the small diameter timber being harvested these days and for the most part are doing quite well. Pine is not nearly as abundant as fir in these parts, especially since much of what is being harvested is from single species monocultures that were planted after the area was harvested previously.

I agree that the other mills retooled but I don't know if that would have been feasible for R&R. They are a small operation and trying to compete with the big boys for logs would have been very difficult. I would have probably tried to find a 'niche' if I were in their shoes but, hindsight being 20/20, I would not have chosen a niche based around pine... given their location.
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#19
(04-20-2013, 07:39 PM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 08:48 AM)gapper Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 07:53 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 07:30 AM)Valuesize Wrote:
(04-20-2013, 06:18 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote: The link doesn't work but I certainly believe that there is more than meets the eye going on with the R&R story.

Link works for me. Google "Rough and Ready: The Other Story" if you wish.

Yeah... its working now. Thanks.

I don't know a lot about Rough and Ready but I do know a few things.

It is the only sizable mill around that is sawing pine logs. The nearest other pine mills, that are sawing rather than peeling, are in Klamath Falls and Gilchrist.

Most of the logging jobs in this area are focused on fir trees. The veneer mills, (Murphy, Boise Cascade and Timber Products), get the fir. Some fir also goes north to sawmills but that stuff is mostly small. Most of these jobs also have some, (not much), pine. The big pine goes to Rough and Ready and the small stuff gets peeled at a veneer mill. What I do see coming off of these jobs is not nearly enough to sustain R&R.

R&R also buys a lot of logs from other mills. Ive seen logs heading their way from as far away as Weed, Burney, Chester and Oroville. Often, they are buying the logs that are too big for those other mills to handle. In recent months the flow of those logs has decreased dramatically... I'm not sure why.

GCG, thank you for sharing this information. It has always frustrated me that when we see or hear the Phillipi's whining about lack of raw materials, we never hear that they have a specialized, niche market product and do not use the same wood that all of the others mills use. Other mills retooled long ago to utilize the small diameter timber being harvested these days and for the most part are doing quite well. Pine is not nearly as abundant as fir in these parts, especially since much of what is being harvested is from single species monocultures that were planted after the area was harvested previously.

I agree that the other mills retooled but I don't know if that would have been feasible for R&R. They are a small operation and trying to compete with the big boys for logs would have been very difficult. I would have probably tried to find a 'niche' if I were in their shoes but, hindsight being 20/20, I would not have chosen a niche based around pine... given their location.
You may be right, although they have their own logging company, Perpetua Forest Company and they have quite a lot of timber holdings. That is their project, the clearcut off of I-5 on the left as you are headed towards Wolf Creek. And they have timber lands up Limpy Creek and in the Illinois Valley. Although that is owned by the Krauss family, I've heard there is some family feuding going, which may well play into all of this as well. It is interesting too that one of the Krauss's works for Swanson and one has his own business building playground equipment. I believe there are lots of angles beyond just the lack of large pine that is driving this whole ordeal.
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#20
(04-20-2013, 08:11 PM)gapper Wrote: I believe there are lots of angles beyond just the lack of large pine that is driving this whole ordeal.

I believe that, too.
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