Pacific Coast \{holesale Hardwood Distributors Association

Harbert Buys 3 BMC Yards

BMC West, Boise, Id., has sold three of its Colorado stores-Aspen, Glenwood Springs, and Steamboat Springs-to Harbert Lumber Co., Grand Junction. Co.

The deal did not include purchase of the building and 4.8-acre site in Aspen. Harbert will lease them from BMC West. "It's a good business, and we have a lease where we can operate it," said senior v.p. Richard Goodman. "However, we'll be looking for a new location right off the bat."

Goodman-who once worked for BMC West-said that parent company Building Materials Holding Corp. sold the yards because it is "shifting its business plan" and "wants to be in large metropolitan markets" working with developers of tract homes.

The Aspen location has had a good year and has been unaffected by a nationwide downturn in the housing market, said manager Levi Borst. "It seems like absolutely nothing changes, except the name over the door and the name on our paychecks."

Pope & Talbot Gets Reprieve

Pope & Talbot, Portland, Or., has received an extension of the forbearance agreement it negotiated with creditors in August, which will allow the company to access its line of credit for another month while it seeks a buyer for all or part of its assets.

"The company will use this additional time to continue to exPlore options for improving its balance sheet, including but not limited to the sale of certain or all of the company's assets," according to a news release.

Founded in 1849, Pope & Talbot has recently been plagued with cashflow problems, debt, and a soft market for wood products. It reported a second-quarter net loss of $42.9 million-up from $21.8 million in losses during the same quarter last year.

Last month, the New York Stock Exchange delisted Pope & Talbot shares because its market capitalization fell below NYSE requirements.

Redwood Producer Renamed

Simpson Timber's operations in Northern California- which were purchased earlier this year by Green Diamond Resource Co., Seattle, Wa.-will now operate as California Redwood Co.

"We wanted to adopt a new name and logo with which to go forward in this rewarding and challenging business of redwood lumber production,"

reported Carl Schoenhofer, v.p. and general manager of the new company. California Redwood and Green Diamond

California Redwood Company

will operate as two separate companies, he said, to "enable each of us to keep our focus on the strategies and operational actions required for each to be successful."

Welco Closes Marysville Mill

Welco Lumber closed its mill in Marysville, Wa., in late August, blaming market conditions and "other strategic considerations." Mills in Shelton, Wa., and Naples, Id., will continue making cedar fence products.

"We're not calling it a permanent closure at this stage," said spokesperson Peter Stroble. "We're calling it indefinite." However, he didn't seem optimistic rhat the city's last mill will open again. At this point, Welco has no plans to dismantle or sell the mill.

Welco's mill is the second to close in Marysville in less than two years. Interfor shut down its mill in December 2005. The city has since bought that site and torn down the closed mill.