Ainsworth to close Minnesota OSB plant

Lumber producer Ainsworth will temporarily shut down an OSB mill located in Bemidji, Minn., according to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

The company said a drop in housing starts has dramatically reduced the need for OSB products in the United States.

Ainsworth idled a nearby plant in Cook, Minn., in January, which is expected to remain closed through 2009, the newspaper noted. A further plant in nearby Grand Rapids, Minn., was also idled over the summer.

The Vancouver, B.C.-based lumber producer said it will revisit plans in October for the Bemidji facility, which employs around 140 people.