By Canadian Press

Tolko Industries curtails all B.C. operations during two-week holiday break

Nov 15, 2019 | 7:28 AM

VERNON, B.C. — British Columbia wood products company Tolko Industries says continuing low lumber prices and high log costs have forced it to schedule a two-week shutdown affecting all its B.C. operations.

The privately owned, Vernon-based company says the curtailment will run from Dec. 21 to Jan. 6, while the head office will be closed from Dec. 23 to 27.

A statement on the company website says only essential services will be maintained during the downtime.

Tolko has operations in the Okanagan, near Kamloops and Williams Lake and a terminal in Richmond.

The curtailment comes just a week after the company announced the permanent closure of its Kelowna mill, effective in January.

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Troy Connolly, Tolko’s vice-president of solid wood, says the B.C.-wide downtime will reduce output by 21 million board feet at its lumber operations and cut 10 million square feet of panel production at its plywood and veneer plants.

Pino Pucci, vice-president of marketing and sales, said Tolko will do its best to minimize the impact of the shutdown on customers.

“Our customers are understanding of current market conditions and aware of our ongoing commitment to serve them,” he says in the statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2019

The Canadian Press