Video: Timber Mills Getting Financial Boost
Video Embed Code:
 
click for story Mavericks Win 5th Straight Game, 7-6
March 19, 2010/10:13 PM
Mesa State's baseball team won it's fifth straight game on Friday night at Sam Suplizio Field, 7-6.  » read more
click for story Durango Beats Central, 1-0
March 19, 2010/9:52 PM
By: Matt Bill
The Central Warriors lost to the Durango Demons on Friday night at Walker Field, 1-0.  » read more
click for story Grand Junction Rally Against Health Care Bill and Salazar
March 19, 2010/7:54 PM
By: Maura Kennedy
It's just two days from a crucial health care vote. The debate over reform continues to play out in the Grand Valley.  » read more
click for story Walnut Ave. Stabbing Victim’s Family Speaks Out
March 19, 2010/6:30 PM
By: John Dzenitis
Parents of Jeana Vargas remember a young, caring mother who was stabbed to death in front of her 2-year-old daughter.  » read more
click for story Insurance Agent Scammed Customers: Police
March 19, 2010/6:20 PM
By: Hilary Martin
A Grand Junction man is accused of scamming customers out of $25,000.  » read more
CBS Video - Watch program episodes from Primetime, Latenight, New, Sports and CBS classic shows.
Timber Mills Getting Financial Boost
11/06/09 - 04:30 PM
KREX News Department
 RSS Feed
Delta County, Colo.

A pair of Western Colorado timber mills are getting some much needed financial help after being granted a half a million dollars in federal stimulus funds.

The timber mill industry is a dirty job. But it isn’t the sawdust that irritates workers, it’s the crash of the housing market that left their industry in shambles.

“We think we’ve hit the bottom. We’re seeing opportunities for improvement,” Eric Sorenson said. He is the CEO of the Delta Timber Company in Delta county.

“In 2005 there were two million houses [built]. Last year it was under 400,000. So, that’s the scope of the decrease,” Sorenson said.

Because of the crash of the housing market, he had to face the reality he might have to shut down his timber milling business for good.

“I’ve been in the industry for about 33 to 35 years now and this is the toughest I’ve seen it. So whether we could have even survived was questionable.”

Last week, his business, along with Intermountain Resources in Montrose got some good news. $500,000 of federal stimulus money will be granted to both businesses in the near future.

Sorenson says he has the community to thank.

“[We received] support letters from local economic development, we received it from local commissioners, state and federal representatives and senators, and we had absolutely wonderful support and this community is awesome,” Sorenson said.

His current employees as well as the 20 he was forced to lay off now have something to look forward to.

“I know they’re happy. We had, of the people we had laid off during that period, everyone of them was available to come back so that was very nice… We look forward to steadier employment, increased employment.”

Sorenson also says the “Forest Industry Retention Grant” will also help trickle funds all the way to forest operations.

This entry has been viewed 276 times.

 
 
KREXTV.com requires that you be a registered site member to post comments and content.
Why Register?
First, we are not being sneaky and gathering your email or other information to sell to telemarketers or e-mail spam companies.

Registration on this site is required simply to allow us to keep people who would post discriminatory, threatening and harassing messages and comments from doing it again.

By having user registration, we hope to provide you with a better user experience. Please view KREXTV.com's full Terms & Conditions