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On September 7, 1998, Boise Cascade's plywood mill in Medford, Oregon suffered a devastating fire that put 450 employees out of work and left them uncertain as to what their futures would be
When news came some months later that the owners would rebuild after the fire damage, the response was amazing. While the decision was taken not to reinstall the peeling lines, the owners instead opting to source green veneer from nearby mills, a plan was implemented to salvage as much of the drying and lay-up as possible to make reopening the mill financially viable.
Needless to say, the news that Boise Cascade would reopen the mill was met with enthusiasm, particularly after it was announced that workers idled by the fire would participate in the equipment salvaging efforts - a key component in getting the mill back up and running. To the mill owners it made good sense to employ their own people in the rebuilding efforts, since they knew best what could be done with what remained of the mill's salvageable machinery and equipment.
Boise Cascade's involving its employees in the rebuilding effort was laudable, but what was truly amazing was the speed with which the mill was back online. Barely a year after the fire, plywood was again being produced at the Medford mill and close to half the mill's employees were back working. Today, staffing stands at 350.
Perhaps that's why the Medford mill is considered a model of what can be achieved when the corporate world and the community in which it operates unite to achieve common ends, and why Boise Cascade and then area manager, Dick Rudisile, now five years retired, received Community Spirit Awards from the Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Oh, and it should be mentioned that the salvage efforts halved the cost of rebuilding!
Drying - A critical component
David Elliott, region engineer at the Medford mill, had taken up his new position shortly before...