Siskiyou Rail Fan Wrote:
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> From: KQEN Radio, Roseburg, Oregon
>
>
> The depressed national economy and the
> poor housing market are continuing to send ripples
> that are being felt by local lumber companies in
> Oregon & Northern California.
> Bob Ragan, Executive Director of the
> Douglas Timber Operators in Roseburg, Oregon says
> that all of their members are being hard hit by
> what’s going on.
> Douglas Counties second largest rail
> shipper gave out some bad news for some of their
> employees.
> On December 15th the Swanson Group will
> start layoffs that could last indefinitely.
> Steve Swanson, The President & CEO of
> the Swanson Group said these are the toughest
> economic times their company has ever faced.
> Swanson says the layoffs in Oregon
> affect employees at sawmills in Glendale, Roseburg
> and in Lane County at Noti. Additional layoffs
> will also affect the plywood plant in Glendale and
> the nearby Swanson Group Trucking Company in
> Grants Pass.
> Swanson added that all of their
> facilities will continue to operate, but at a very
> reduced level until the market conditions can
> improve.
> The curtailments will remove more than
> 100 million board feet of lumber and more than 18
> million board feet of plywood off the market.
> The Swanson Group will still employ
> about 700 workers as the layoffs will affect 200
> employees at all company locations.

Other timber giants like Timber Products, D.R. Johnson Lumber Company,
Roseburg Forest Produts, Georgia Pacific, Bosie and others are indicating that more layoffs are coming. Rail loads over the Siskiyou line has fallen off dramatically over the past few months as rumors of layoffs increase.