Columbia Falls Aluminum Company to shut down (Bozeman, Whitefish: high school, contractor)

[bigtrees]

Saw the news article in the Bozeman Chronicle. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman Montana

Sad to see that. They for years were one of the companies that provided solid jobs at high wages. The 200 people there left will be hard pressed to find another job in that pays well without leaving the area.

[jimj]

It is sad but expected. That plant lately has been shut more than it's been open unfortunately. Those people are going to have a real tough time of it, my wife and I were just discussing the lack of jobs in the paper recently. Normally there's at least 1 1/2 full pages of new ads but this has dropped to 4-5 jobs. There are a couple of new stores set to open in a few months, Safeway (expansion) and Walgreens (new) and while niether pay really great I guess something is better than nothing.

[bigtrees]

Years ago I took a tour of the aluminum plant in high school. I brought my leatherman tool with me for some reason that day. They use tons of electricity to convert aluminum bauxite into aluminum. My leatherman tool is now magnetic and I can pick up paperclips with it! Even today, over ten years later, it's still magnetic, all from a 4 hour tour of the plant.

[rickers]

I don't think I would want to go on that tour if I had a pacemaker.

[jimj]

Not only is it CFAC but Stoltze is down to 2 days a week, plum creek is all but shut down, everyone's stopped taking timber from private land and one of our friends who is a logger working for the primary contractor to plum creek was just informed they'll be out of work until about June. Not good, not good at all!
On the upside, Army/Navy just built and opened a new store in Whitefish!