I am not sure where in WA state you are referring to. I am buying lumber from several mills in WA, ID, OR. MT.
The main thing in the lumber industry is consolidation. Especially in the last ten years.
Whether it is in Canada, US, Europe.
West Fraser, Canfor, Interfor, Mercer, Binder, Weyerheauser, Sierra Pacific, Stimson, Idaho Forest Group, Potlatch/Deltic, Resolute, Lebel, Schwaiger, GP, Western Forest Products, Teal Jones, Dunkley, etc.
All of these saw milling corporations have gotten larger. Either by building new sawmills in the southern USA or buying out the smaller mills.
I have been a lumber broker for 40 years. I can not even begin to name the mills that have gone out of business. Some because of restrictions/reductions in public timber. Many just because they did not reinvest to make their operations more efficient. Therefore, they were not making any money when bigger mills were. Enabling the larger mill to pay more for the timber than they could.
In MT there were 25 sawmills at one point. Now there are FOUR. FH Stoltz in Columbia Falls, Weyco in Kalispell, Sun Mtn in Deer Lodge and Livingston. All the others went out of business because the lack of public timber being sold by the government. Federal and state. The last three used to be owned by other companies when there were built.
In WA Western Forest products sawmill at Columbia Vista just burned two days ago. This was a Douglas Fir cutting mill that made a lot of export metric sized timbers. The Japanese export market is really depressed. So, it is questionable whether they will rebuild.
Woodgrain just announced the closure of their Pilot Rock, OR sawmill a few days ago. This was an old line mill that Woodgrain purchased from Boise Cascade seven years ago along with two a mill in La Grande, OR and Emmett, ID.
My understanding is they will increase their production at La Grande. Woodgrain is the largest producer of solid wood doors. They also make windows and other mill work. They also bought Huddig distribution a few years back.
So, Woodgrain is a vertically integrated privately held corp.
So, to sum up. The big mills keep getting bigger and buying up the smaller mills or forcing them to close. Just like the game of MONOPOLY.
These are the lumber mills in Chelan County that have closed.
Major Chelan County sawmill operations
1903-1926: Lamb Davis/Great Northern lumber mill, Leavenworth
1902-1990: Schmitten/WI Forest Products lumber mill, Cashmere
1928-1990: Sawyer/WI Forest Products lumber mill, Peshastin
1931-1979: Ardenvoir lumber mill, Ardenvoir
1950s: Sun Basin sawmill, Coles Corner
1991-2006: Longview Fibre sawmill, Winton