Business News

WEYERHAEUSER ANNOUNCES CLOSURES OF TWO WASHINGTON MILLS

Tuesday 27. January 2009 - Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) today announced the immediate closure of two mills in Washington state due to weak market conditions.

The closures include:

The permanent shutdown of the Aberdeen sawmill with a capacity to produce 200 million board feet of lumber.
The permanent shutdown of the Pacific Veneer mill in Aberdeen. The mill has the capacity to produce 210 million square feet of veneer.
“We fully understand the major effect of these changes for our employees, contractors and the community, and we will work constructively in the weeks and months ahead to prepare for the transition,” said Tom Gideon, executive vice president, Forest Products. “Unfortunately, the current extraordinarily weak market conditions require that we take decisive action.”

The closures will affect approximately 196 hourly and 25 salaried positions. Weyerhaeuser will support affected employees with transition benefits, severance, employment counseling and potential job opportunities at other Weyerhaeuser mills.