Wyoming company to buy, restart Interfor’s Gilchrist sawmill

GILCHRIST, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Neiman Enterprises, Inc. of Hulett, Wyoming announced this week it has entered into an agreement to purchase and reopen Interfor Corporation’s specialty sawmill in the Klamath County town of Gilchrist.

Completion of the transaction is expected to be completed early in the fourth quarter of 2020, the company said. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

“This transaction represents a significant step for the Neiman group of companies,” said Jim Neiman, president and CEO of Neiman Enterprises, Inc. “We anticipate restarting the mill in short order."

"Interfor’s continued support of their employees throughout this transition should be commended, and we look forward to partnering with the employees and community to ensure the long-term success of this historic operation.”

Neiman Enterprises, Inc. is a leading producer of Ponderosa pine boards, pattern and industrial (shop) lumber at facilities in the Black Hills; Devil’s Tower Forest Products in Hulett, Wyoming, Rushmore Forest Products in Hill City, South Dakota and Spearfish Forest Products in Spearfish, South Dakota. Neiman Enterprises, Inc. also operates a premium stud sawmill in Montrose, CO.

Neiman said the Gilchrist location will complement his existing sawmills and allow them to further expand their customer base for high-quality Ponderosa pine lumber products.

Vancouver, B.C.-based Interfor, one of the world's largest lumber products, announced 130 layoffs and closed the mill last spring, with a company official citing "a challenging economic situation, coupled with the difficulties of COVID-19."

Lumber prices have skyrocketed in recent months due to high demand and tight supplies caused by the closure of mills around the country earlier this year. The price has more than doubled since May.