Canfor restructuring B.C. operations to create a sustainable footprint

VANCOUVER — Canfor Corporation is restructuring its B.C. operations by permanently closing its Chetwynd sawmill and pellet plant and temporarily closing its Houston sawmill for an extended period to facilitate a redevelopment on the site. The company intends to build a new, modern, globally competitive manufacturing facility that employs technology to produce high value products from the sustainable timber supply in the region.

Project planning, scoping, preliminary engineering and budgeting are underway. The company will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the availability of economic fibre and a thorough project financial analysis, supporting a final investment decision by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Both facilities will be closed following an orderly wind down of operations that is expected to conclude early in the second quarter of 2023 and will remove approximately 750 million board feet of annual production capacity.

“We are making these difficult but necessary decisions to create a more sustainable operating footprint in B.C. Our goal is to match our mill capacity with the economically available fibre for harvest to enhance our ability to compete and to operate throughout the market cycles,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. “This is what will ultimately create greater stability for our employees and communities, while ensuring we can continue to provide the high quality, low carbon products that are in demand by our customers around the world.