Riley Creek announces temporary layoffs

MOYIE SPRINGS — Riley Creek in Moyie Springs will lay off its 70 hourly workers for two weeks this month and one week in December, said company owner Marc Brinkmeyer.

Employees not working from Nov. 19 to Dec. 1 and Christmas week will be eligible for unemployment, Brinkmeyer said.

The log yard will remain open during the layoff, and a skeleton crew, including management, will remain on the job, Brinkmeyer said.

A struggling timber market created the need to lay off workers, he said.

High fuel prices, the costs of logs and the slump in the housing market is attributing to problems in the market.

Riley Creek has an 11 month's supply for homes.

Normally, it has a five- to six-month's supply, Brinkmeyer said.

"These are very unusual times," he added.

Riley Creek's plants in Laclede and Chilco will not be affected, Brinkmeyer said.

Riley Creek was founded by Brinkmeyer in 1981, when he purchased the Laclede facility, which became Riley Creek's flagship mill producing 40 million board feet annually, according to a company Web site.

Brinkmeyer had an integral history with the plant since he was involved in building the Laclede facility during his tenure with Brand-S Corp., the former owners.

Riley Creek is now the largest lumber producer in Idaho, with more than 600 million board feet of kiln dried lumber produced annually from its three mills.