With the possible deal on the Midway Mill close to conclusion and details of the deal being released, Interfor expressed concerns with comments Vaagen Brothers Lumber has made regarding the mill in the last few weeks.
“That (Russ Vaagen’s) idea wouldn’t be to go in and compete with other companies in the business, I kind of think that’s misleading,” said Andrew Horahan, Interfor’s regional manager for the Kootenays.
“It would be extremely competitive with our company here in Grand Forks.”
Horahan added that both mills would compete for the same woodbasket in the same area.
“Vaagens would be coming up and bidding on that timber and be a direct competitor with our mill,” he said.
“We search out and source the exact same fibre and the exact same small log preferences, and I think he’s being a bit misleading by saying that we wouldn’t be in competition with each other.”
Horahan said Interfor’s concern is that historically, Pope & Talbot had two mills in this area and not enough fibre for both.
He added that Vaagen Brothers would not be a complement to the logs of the area, as Russ Vaagen had said.
“They are another business and they would be a direct competitor, competing with Interfor in Grand Forks,” he said.
Russ Vaagen was not available for comment.