By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation,
Jeld-Wen, a maker of windows and doors, will close its factory in Southern Oregon and lay off 128 people by the end of the year. Layoffs are expected to begin June 30 and conclude by late December, when the plant in Chiloquin 30 miles north of Klamath Falls will shut down.
Jeld-Wen was hailed as an Oregon success story as the company operated throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company had a big charity presence in the State. Now the charity, local jobs and success story are but a memory of days in Oregon when the State was more business friendly.
The company will shift the manufacture of interior, steel, fiberglass and custom doors to other factories. Employees will receive severance packages and assistance in finding new jobs. After its sale to a Canadian private equity firm, Jeld-Wen shifted its headquarters from Oregon to North Carolina in 2015. Last year, the company, now publicly traded, reported a $189 million loss and a 12 percent drop in sales. At the end of 2024, it employed 16,000 people, with 10,000 of those in North America.
