Well that is great news! Who is CONFX? I googled it with no results.

Conifex. They are a new company formed out of Quebec, but sounds like they have money. They tried to buy 10 mills off of Domtar in Ontario and Quebec last June for $250+ million.

Ultimately, that deal fell through in January as there was some timber license issues with the Quebec gov't.

Hopefully, this deal goes through smoothly. I also read that PT Deli Lindo threw in a bid.

[/url]http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080707.wpope0707/BNStory/Business/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080707.wpope0707[/url]

It is CONIFEX.

They are the guys that tried to buy Domtar last year but failed.
Conifex is a company formed by Ken Shields, a former director at Raymond James Financial Inc., and other investors. It is based in Montreal.
Conifex's other directors include George Malpass, former CEO of Primex Forest Products Ltd., a Canadian lumber products company, and David Roberts, a retired investment-industry executive.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008 03:59 AM


Prince George, B.C. – There is still a possibility the Pope and Talbot pulp mill and the Abitibi-Bowater mill in Mackenzie could be revived.

Minister of Forests and Range, Pat Bell, says there have been some encouraging efforts over the past week “I’m pretty optimistic” says Bell.

“We’ve got some very real interest on the part of the existing mill owners, and also in terms of new potential owners.”
He says market prices seem to be picking up a little so that seems to be increasing interest in the mills. “If we can get Pope and Talbot reopened, that gives us a leg up as that then brings into question whether Canfor should be operating because of chip supply so it triggers a whole series of events.”

Bell says over the past week there have been some positive signs, “I am more optimistic now than I was heading into the past week, I think there are good solutions out there.”

He says there are several possible buyers at the table negotiating for Pope and Talbot’s Mackenzie pulp mill and the Fort St. James sawmill.

BOY WAS OUR NEW MINISTER WRONG WAS'NT HE

[/url]http://www.pwc.com/ca/eng/about/svcs/brs/poptal-163_070708.pdf[/url]

In summary it looks like they are recommending -

- closure of Mackenzie pulp mill
- closure of Harmac
- approval of sale of FT ST James sawmill to Conifex for $12 million +

Ok the mill has been purchased.Great news.Next where are there markets and how will the influx of 6 million Board feet of lumber going to effect there market.Now do I get seperation pay since all 320 worker here termanted on May10. I know the answer Talk to the union.It seems that I have to contact them iwa Steelworker.This is the pro-active way the union.I found out I was termanated on June 23 when I called the mill to find out about a taking a early pension.Call the union office and leave message.No messages returned 6 times now.I hope some one possably opinion 250 could get a answer.I am not the only one who has had this problem.I would to also want to know why that the pension buyout is only avaliable to workers who turn 55 by August 15 2008.Why not Jan 1/08 or Dec 31/08.Why is the cut off in the middle of the year.When I started in the work force after high school all my school mates where born in 1953.Some in January some in December yet when we have a chance to retire we are not viewed as equals.I need some one to explain this.

Leo wrote,

In summary it looks like they are recommending -

- closure of Mackenzie pulp mill
- closure of Harmac
- approval of sale of FT ST James sawmill to Conifex for $12 million +

I think they are recommending closure of Mackenzie if they can't get the chip agreement straightened out with Canfor.

And the way I read it, PWC has no interest in squaring up with Canfor regarding the money that is owed.

PWC is also trying to extend the stay on the chip agreement until the 21st.

All valid questions invisableman,and also questions that have gone unanswered for far too long.
If in fact the mill has been sold,and I guess it has,someone needs to get off their ass and start talking to people while they are still here!
There are a number of families in the process of pulling stakes or considering it very soon.
Some tentative timelines are needed so workers and their families know what they are dealing with in terms of when they can expect to go back to work.
Communication is everything in keeping people feeling positive about the future.

http://www.pwc.com/ca/eng/about/svcs/brs/poptal-163_070708.pdf

Follow this link and you can read the court papper and a Letter from the recever to Canfor

Mackenzie Pulp is going down to 2 man crews in the steam plant. not sure how many staff will stay..... next court day is 17 July or thereabouts....

where' the best place to apply for work.... time to get out of the forest industry!

I don't see anywhere where it says the mill has been purchased??

Not quite as cut and dry as it may seem at first glace!
Go to Google News©2008 Google - Map data ©2008 NAVTEQ™ - Terms of UseBidding heats up for Pope & Talbot's Fort St. James mill
4 hours ago

VANCOUVER — A bidding war seems to be shaping up for the Fort St. James sawmill in British Columbia formerly run by bankrupt forestry firm Pope & Talbot.

John Grieve, a lawyer representing receiver Pricewaterhouse Coopers Inc., which is in charge of selling Pope & Talbot's three remaining mills in B.C., said a $12.8-million offer is on the table for the mill from Conifex Inc., but that other parties have come forward, including former bidder PT Pindo Deli, an Indonesian company.

The bid from Conifex is nearly double the $6.9 million PT Pindo Deli offered earlier this year.

But a lawyer for PT Pindo Deli said in court Monday that the Indonesian company is willing to offer $16.1 million for the mill and will keep it operating.

PT Pindo Deli made two separate deals with Pope & Talbot earlier this year: one for the Fort St. James sawmill and another worth $105.3 million for mills in Nanaimo and Mackenzie in B.C. as well as the Halsey mill in Oregon.

It cancelled the deal for the Nanaimo, Mackenzie and Halsey mills, but wanted to keep its deal for Fort St. James.

PT Pindo Deli is a subsidiary of Asia Pulp and Paper, which is owned by Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group, Asia's largest paper producer.

The other mills receiving bids are Pope & Talbot's pulp mill in Mackenzie, B.C., and the Harmac mill in Nanaimo, B.C.

Grieve said the receiver was prepared to tell the court Monday that the Harmac mill would have to be shut down, but an improved offer from the mill's employees surfaced over the weekend and will be considered.

The Mackenzie mill also has interest, but depends on a chip supply agreement with Canfor Corp. (TSX:CFP) which is also before the court. Canfor is going to court to try and cancel the agreement.

The Pope & Talbot pulp mill in Halsey, Ore. was bought by Ableco Finance LLC of New York, one of its big creditors, for US$24 million.

Pope & Talbot, a 160-year-old Portland-based wood products company, filed for bankruptcy in November after fighting a losing battle with the slumping U.S. housing market, a strengthening Canadian dollar which hurt its exports from B.C. into the United States, and high debt.

At the time of its bankruptcy, Pope & Talbot had eight mills, including several sawmills and the three pulp mills.
Hosted by Copyright © 2008 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

I posted the entire news release in hopes it will stop some of the speculation out there.
This is far from a done deal.
I am putting my money on Conifex.
Anything relating to Asia Pacific scares the hell out of me!

Apparently,since the previous news release by the Canadain Press,the Conifex bid has now been accepted by the courts.
If Asia Pacific will get it's face out the deal it might just get done!
Better news should be coming!

Apparently,since the previous news release by the Canadain Press,the Conifex bid has now been accepted by the courts.
If Asia Pacific will get it's face out the deal it might just get done!
Better news should be coming!