Northwest Hardwoods Halting Operations in Mount Vernon, WA & Maury River, VA

Northwest Hardwoods, the largest North American hardwood supplier, has announced that effective November 20, 2019 they are halting operations at two of their 28 locations. Approximately 100 employees will be indefinitely laid off at the Mount Vernon, Washington and Maury River, Virginia locations. The announcement is painful for many members of our extended community.

This difficult decision was made after exploring all other options and as prospects dimmed for a quick resolution to the U.S. and China trade dispute. As the industry leader, Northwest Hardwoods is better positioned than most to withstand an extended U.S.-China trade dispute. While today’s announcement is painful, it is a necessary step to maintain the long-term financial health of our company.

Across our industry, the trade dispute has drastically decreased demand for U.S. produced hardwood. As China looks to other countries with less regulated and sustainable hardwood supplies to meet market demand, supply chains may be permanently disrupted.

We’re hopeful that a fair and equitable resolution to the current dispute can be reached before further systemic issues arise.

Source: Northwest Hardwoods, Inc.