Besse Forest Products Group closed three facilities with little notice late last week putting nearly 150 people out of work.
Besse has locations across the U.P. and Wisconsin.
The Hoffman Family of Companies bought Besse in March of this year.
In letters to the Department of Workforce Development dated August 1st, Besse announced it would be closing facilities in Goodman, Mattoon, and Rice Lake. The facilities closed the next day.
Each facility employed between 40 and 50 people.
The letter stated, in part, “We are sorry we were not able to give you more notice. However, due to an unprecedented industry downturn, it has recently become clear to the company that the revenues of the company will no longer support its operations. After exploring restructuring alternatives, we have determined that Goodman Veneer and Lumber will
cease operations. Therefore, we are providing as much notice of the closing as is practicable in the circumstances, pursuant to federal and state WARN laws.”
The Goodman Town Chairman Bill Stankevich told WXPR he has mixed feelings about it.
Goodman started as a lumber town, but the number of local people employed at the mill has declined significantly in recent years.
Stankevich said he could count on two hands the number of people in town that still worked for the mill. He doesn’t believe the closure will have a big impact like it would have had decades ago.
He does hope it will be sold to a company that wants to reopen it.
