Besse Forest Products Group closed three facilities last week, resulting in nearly 150 layoffs. The closures affected workers in Goodman, Mattoon, and Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
The Hoffman Family of Companies, which acquired Besse in March, announced the closures in letters dated August 1st to the Department of Workforce Development, WXPR reported. Each facility employed between 40 and 50 people and ceased operations the next day.
The company cited an unprecedented industry downturn, stating that revenues could no longer support operations. After exploring restructuring alternatives, they decided to cease operations at Goodman Veneer and Lumber, providing as much notice as practicable under federal and state WARN laws.
Goodman Town Chairman Bill Stankevich noted the mill's local workforce had significantly declined, and he hopes the facility will be sold to a company interested in reopening it. Besse Forest Products Group purchased the old Goodman Veneer & Lumber operation in 2000. The company upgraded its kilns to better dry the hardwoods common to the region and added a lumber handling system. The mill's estimated annual drying capacity is 15 million board feet.
