Colville plywood mill to reopen after 4 years

Published 4:20 pm Sunday, March 31, 2013

OMAK — A plywood mill in Omak is restarting operations this summer after closing down in 2009 when the recession hit the construction industry.

The Wenatchee World reported that the Colville Indian Plywood and Veneer plant plans to hire 100 mill workers when it restarts. Eventually about 200 workers will operate the mill, located in the north-central Washington county of Okanogan. The company laid about 230 workers in 2009.

Wood Resources, a subsidiary of the Greenwich, Conn.-based Atlas Holdings, has signed a 25-year lease with the Colville Tribe. The company has owned and operated Olympic Panel, a plywood mill in Shelton for 10 years.

Colville Tribal Chairman John Sirois said the partnership with a private plywood manufacturer will enable the Colville Tribes to restart timber operations on tribally-owned forestland.