OMAK, Wash. - For the second time in two years, employees of a Washington lumber mill are bracing themselves to lose their jobs soon after the new year.

 

On December 1, Omak Forest Products received a notice from the Colville Tribal Federation Corp. (CTFC) that its contract and log supply agreement with the company would end on January 29, Omak's general manager David Niessner told local news sources. Niessner attributes the decision to a revenue loss of $1 million over the past year stemming from a bad market, which only recently has shown optimism.

 

Niessner expressed regret with the decision and, thanks to an increased optimism with building and construction, he thinks the company would have done well in 2017.

 

Last December, the company's employees expected to lose their jobs if another investor hadn't been found by January. To save the company, former president of Omak Wood Products Richard Yarbough formed Omak Forest Products to continue operation.