Dudley plant to lay off last 14
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on December 20, 2006 1:45 PM
Georgia-Pacific executives announced Tuesday afternoon that the company will suspend production at its Dudley Oriented Strand Board plant indefinitely because continuing operations is not economically viable.
The Atlanta-based company informed the Dudley plant on Oct. 3 that hourly employees would be laid off in stages due to "overall market conditions," Georgia-Pacific spokesman James Malone said last month.
When the announcement was made, the Georgia-Pacific OSB plant had 77 hourly employees. By Dec. 1, the plant only had 14 hourly employees. Georgia-Pacific spokesman Steve Church said suspending production indefinitely will affect a total of 90 employees.
The remaining 14 hourly employees in December were tasked with maintaining the plant's machinery, buildings and grounds and any other tasks necessary to maintain the facility. The plant will now begin final shipping and maintenance operations.
Georgia-Pacific executives hope that if market conditions improve over the next few months, the facility will be prepared to continue operations, Malone said.
The company began producing the boards in 1989. Oriented strand board is formed at the plant by laying strands of wood in a specific pattern. The strands are bonded together and pressed to create a product used for structural panels, roof sheathing and some residential construction.
Georgia-Pacific oriented strand board was used for flooring under carpet or tile to adjust a finished floor's height, as a weather-protecting element and for roof decks.
The other Georgia-Pacific facilities in Dudley -- the sawmill and plywood plant -- are not affected by the suspended production at the OSB plant and remain in operation, Church said.