Video: Timber Mills Getting Financial Boost
Video Embed Code:
 
click for story Palisade, Central, Grand Junction Football Preview
September 01, 2010/8:06 PM
By: Jason Snavely
We head to Palisade where they are known for their sweet and succulent peaches and also the bitter bite of their Bulldogs.  » read more
click for story Lincecum finally wins again for Giants
September 01, 2010/10:06 PM
By JANIE McCAULEY - AP Sports Writer
Pinch-runner Darren Ford scored the go-ahead run from second base on a wild pitch and throwing error in the eighth inning, helpi  » read more
click for story Rockies reliever Corpas to have elbow surgery
September 01, 2010/8:03 PM
Associated Press
Colorado Rockies right-handed reliever Manuel Corpas needs reconstructive Tommy John elbow surgery.  » read more
click for story Clifton Teen Dead in Shooting
September 01, 2010/7:06 PM
By: Matt Kroschel
A normally quiet neighborhood in Clifton is in shock after a teen is shot and killed.  » read more
click for story Medical Marijuana Ban Looming
September 01, 2010/7:00 PM
By: Hilary Martin
The Grand Junction City Council moves to draft an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.  » 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 466 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