Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Potlatch will reopen Prescott facility Sept. 5

The Prescott Potlatch facility has begun taking logs and there are plans to resume operation of the lumber mill on Sept. 5.

Thats the word from Lisa Stocker, public relations spokesperson for Potlatch Inc., said company officials continue to monitor the situation.

Potlatchs scale house opened for business Friday, Aug. 25. Logs have begun arriving in anticipation of the plants reopening.

Weve started buying logs again, Stocker said.

The Prescott plant closed on Aug. 7 and the companys official statement cited market conditions and cost of producing lumber for the shut down. The initial word from the company was that conditions would be monitored weekly to determine when the plant could reopen. Monday, Aug. 28, Stocker said market conditions have improved.

She said there seems to be an upward trend in both the prices buyers are willing to pay for lumber and in the market conditions overall.

Early in the day Monday, Aug. 28, Stocker said the mill would be closed until after Labor Day. Shortly before 5 p.m., she contacted the Nevada County Picayune with the information that the lumber mill would reopen. She said the plant will begin amassing product to prepare for the opening of the other mill departments over the next few weeks.

Potlatchs Warren facility has also been closed with similar information being released about that plant.