VANCOUVER, B.C. — Canfor Corporation decided to permanently close its Estill and Darlington sawmills in South Carolina, effective August 2025. The closures will reduce Canfor’s U.S. lumber production capacity by 350 million board feet annually.

These closures follow an extended period of persistently weak market conditions and sustained financial losses, which have made
continued operations at these facilities no longer viable, the company said in a statement..

“We understand the significant impact this difficult decision will have on our employees,” said Lee Goodloe, president, Canfor Southern Pine. “This outcome is in no way a reflection of the dedication and hard work of our teams. We are committed to supporting our employees through this transition, including providing severance payments and exploring opportunities for redeployment within our other operations where possible.”

Approximately 290 employees will be affected by the closures.

In 2022, the company announced it was investing $25 million to help modernize the Estill mill.