Sand and gravel firm to close down

Goose Bay Equipment, also known as NUPAC in the Flathead Valley, said Monday it will close its facility on Stillwater Road near Kalispell by mid-February.

The temporary closure is expected to last at least two years and will put 58 employees out of work.

Goose Bay has provided sand, gravel, asphalt and paving services to the Montana construction market since the 1970s. The company is a subsidiary of Oldcastle Materials Inc.

General Manager John Shogren said the Kalispell company's business is down 45 percent from two years ago.

"We have weathered the downturn in residential construction, but it has spread to commercial construction and public road projects," Shogren said in a press release.

"We are hopeful that the closure is only temporary, but given the current economic conditions…we expect to be closed for at least 24 months."

Goose Bay notified the state Department of Labor and Industry and Flathead County commissioners as required by federal law.

Shogren said the company is contacting other area firms to ask them to consider hiring Goose Bay's skilled work force.

Goose Bay has facilities in 44 states, with 23,000 employees at 1,400 locations nationwide. Shogren said the downturn in business is pervasive, affecting facilities all across the country.

In October, Oldcastle Materials officials testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee about the importance of including road and highway construction funding in any potential economic stimulus package.