Murphy Building LVL Plant, Taking Over Veneer Facility

Two years ago, a fire destroyed Murphy Plywood's mill in Sutherlin, Or. Today, the Eugune, Or.-based company is completing a new LVL facility on the same site and has purchased a veneer plant in Elma, Wa., from Weyerhaeuser.

Scheduled to open this fall, the new LVL plant measures 215,000 sq. ft. and will cost an estimated $6 I million. "It's been a long time since a new wood products plant has been built anywhere in the Northwest," said president John Murphy. "It was a big decision."

He added, "I couldn't have even considered rebuilding without the support and encouragement that came from local and state economic development officials. There were simply no hurdles that these folks would not help us tackle."

Various tax credits and state grants-including a $100,000 grant from the Governor's Strategic Reserve Fund-helped the company rebuild after the fire. Training for the new plant's 80 workers-who will operate the latest computerized equipment-will be partially funded by local and state monies. The company will also receive a tax exemption because wages paid will be ),50Vo of the county's average.

Purchase of Weyerhaeuser's veneer plant in Elma was scheduled to be complete by the end of July. The facility can produce up to 165 million sq. ft. of green and dry veneer annually, which Weyerhaeuser used to make engineered support beams for homes. The company has more than a dozen other veneer plants across the United States.

Officials from both companies assured the plant's 60 workers that no layoffs were planned. "We recognize the good job the employees are doing at Elma, and we're going to make every attempt to bring all of them back and maybe add to the work force," said Murphy.

Earlier this year, the nearly 100-year-old company launched a website to provide current and potential customers with timely information on company product lines. "With the exception of email, we have not focused on using the Intemet to our advantage for marketing or customer service," said Murphy. "This marketing initiative is critical to achieve our long-term goals of increasing our brand awareness and customer base while keeping costs as low as possible."

BUILD-IT, a cross-country tour sponsored by CertainTeed, will offer installation training for distributors, dealers, contractors, and homeowners. "lt's an eye-catching tour with plenty of colorful displays to attract cuslomers," said Pat Sadler, manager ol fencing, railing and decking.

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