Roseburg Forest Products is cutting roughly 146 jobs at its Riddle plywood plant this week, a major hit for the mill as the company shifts specialty plywood production to its Coquille facility and narrows Riddle’s focus to sheathing and underlayment. The reductions take effect Wednesday and will affect a sizable share of the plant’s workforce. The company says impacted employees will receive 60 days of pay and continued healthcare coverage during the transition.
What Roseburg says
In a press release from Roseburg Forest Products, the company described the move as a “strategic realignment of production” and confirmed that the Riddle facility will reduce staffing by approximately 146 positions, effective Wednesday.
“We recognize that decisions like this are difficult for our team members and their families and are not made lightly,” said Stuart Gray, Roseburg’s president and CEO. The company framed the move as the latest step following multi-year investments to modernize its Oregon mills and said affected employees are being encouraged to apply for open roles at other Roseburg locations.
Reporting so far
The staffing reduction and production shift were also detailed by the Portland Business Journal, which reported that Roseburg plans to consolidate specialty plywood work at Coquille while Riddle focuses on underlayment and sheathing. The outlet noted that the change follows recent network adjustments across Roseburg’s West Coast operations.
Industry response
Trade publications have cast the announcement as part of a broader consolidation trend in North American plywood and veneer production, with manufacturers moving specialty product lines into fewer, larger or more modernized plants. Industry outlets repeated Roseburg’s job-cut figure and quoted from the company’s statement in their coverage. Global Wood Markets Info highlighted the Riddle move as one more example of that pattern.
Recent local closures
The Riddle cuts follow a series of recent changes in Roseburg’s footprint. The company closed its Dillard hardwood plywood plant in September 2025, laying off more than 100 workers. That shutdown was reported by KLCC.
In December, Roseburg also ceased veneer operations at its Weed, California facility, cutting roughly 140 jobs, according to the Rogue Valley Times.
What this means for workers
Roseburg says impacted team members at Riddle will receive 60 days of compensation and continued healthcare coverage, along with dedicated transition support and resources. The company is encouraging those employees to apply for openings at other mills within its network.
In its statement, Roseburg Forest Products described the realignment as a way to better manage how veneer and fiber move into its core product lines, which include engineered wood, specialty plywood, MDF and lumber.
Why it matters
Company executives have pointed to large investments in modern equipment and shifting market dynamics, including sustained pressure from lower-cost imports, as key drivers of consolidation across the plywood sector. Coverage of Roseburg’s earlier closures and company comments ties this latest move at Riddle to those same market forces. Industry reporting has previously noted how import competition has reshaped plywood markets and contributed to production realignments like this one.
