MISSOULA — The Missoula Economic Partnership held a meeting to discuss on the closures of the Pyramid Mountain Lumber and Roseburg Forest Products and what can be done to support them.
The meeting took place at Missoula College where the media was not allowed in during the duration of the discussions.
Federal, state and local government agencies — as well as community organizations — attended the meeting to lay out the information about the upcoming closures and what resources would be available.
While we don’t know what was discussed during the meeting, officials did say afterward that support for the two mills is strong.
Officials did not provide details on any specific solutions but did emphasize that unemployment assistance to the workers is available and low interest government loans were available to the mills.
One topic that came up when talking to Democratic Montana State Representative Tom France was the possibility of finding a buyer for Pyramid Mountain Lumber and what it may take.
“Whoever steps to make an offer on the mill is going to have to have a lot of capital. We’re talking 60 to $100 million, I think, for both purchasing and renovating the mill.”
Whether a buyer can be found by the deadline set by Pyramid Mountain Lumber on May 15, 2024, remains unknown.
But those who attended the meeting are said to have the intent of trying to make the mill look as attractive as possible for a buyer.
