Hampton Lumber announced the indefinite closure of its sawmill in Banks, Oregon, where operations have been curtailed since October.
There has been a lumber mill in Banks since 1961, a town of fewer than 2,000 people in rural Washington County. The Banks mill employed 58 people.
“No one wants to see a mill close,” said said Hampton CEO, Randy Schillinger. “However, with the current log supply restrictions in Oregon and the likelihood of additional restrictions on State Forests in the coming years, we just can’t see a viable future for the Banks facility.”
Hampton will maintain operations at its three remaining sawmills in Northwest Oregon in the communities of Willamina, Tillamook, and Warrenton, which collectively employ more than 600 people.
With over 80 years in the sawmill business, Hampton operates sawmills in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia and markets wood products all over the world. Hampton also manages a wholesale and lumber export division and numerous reload and remanufacturing facilities throughout the U.S.
