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MT file photo A welder works during the rebuilding of Boise Cascade's plywood mill in Medford. Company officials say the project was worth at least $23 million to the local economy. Boise job a local blessing Rogue Valley contractors shared work By DAVID PRESZLER Even before it began recalling workers and churning out plywood a month and a half ago, the rebuilt Boise Cascade mill in Medford was contributing to the Rogue Valley's economy. Since it began this spring, the massive construction project brought more than $23 million to local contractors and suppliers, company officials say. "I don't think the valley has seen a single project that size in quite some time," says Gary Welburn of Welburn Electric, which did the bulk of the electrical work at the plant. Boise officials say that so far, they've used 15 different local contracting firms and 18 local suppliers during the rebuild. Welburn says his company alone had 20 to 35 workers devoted to the project, depending on which stage the construction was in. And there was plenty to keep those workers busy. "We've been averaging 58-hour weeks," he says. "I think everybody needs to take their hats off to Boise Cascade for their commitment to this community and local contractors." S&B James, another major contractor on the project, estimates it had about 30 employees working to rebuild the plant. "We worked a lot of 60-hour weeks for probably the first four months," says co-owner Rob Hernandez. Boise officials oversaw the project, acting as their own general contractor, according to Boise regional manager Dick Rudisile. The company had 100 to 130 of its own employees on the project, as well as up to 100 workers from outside contractors. Some contractors from outside the valley were used and some out-of-the-area suppliers oversaw installation of their products themselves, but the company says it tried to keep as much of the business local as it could. "We've always tried to hire locally when we can," Rudisile says. Hernandez says the project benefitted all kinds of local companies that provided both labor and materials ranging from thousands of yards of concrete to tools, electrical fittings and other building materials. "It all adds up," he says. "It's been good for everyone. It was a tragedy that it burnt down, but we're sure glad we were picked up and the other local contractors." Rudisile says a key component of the speedy rebuild was the dedication and cooperation of the local contractors, who helped each other out along the way. "If they weren't that kind of folks, you couldn't get a project like this done," he says. Hernandez says the fact that the contractors were local played a role in that cooperation. "The local contractors bring that sense of community," he says, noting that contractors were more flexible and willing to pitch in than they might have been on a typical job. The $23 million invested locally so far is only a portion of the total rebuild cost, which the company has declined to reveal for competitive reasons. Estimating that cost from the outside is difficult because Boise was able to salvage and recondition some equipment. Rudisile did say that to build a similar plant from scratch would cost $50 to $70 million. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA