Jeld-Wen will be closing its Chiloquin door-making factory and laying off all 128 people who work there by the end of the year, according to a notice filed with Oregon officials earlier this week.

The closure will mark the continued retreat from Southern Oregon of a door-and-window-making business that once had a major presence in the region.

Jeld-Wen was founded in Klamath Falls in 1960, and by the late ‘80s it was one of Oregon’s largest private companies.

But after the housing market crashed in the late 2000s, Jeld-Wen changed ownership. It later became publicly traded and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017. It’s now headquartered in North Carolina, with manufacturing sites in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Last year, Jeld-Wen sold off some properties in Klamath Falls, according to its annual report to shareholders. But it continues to have operations in the town where it was founded, including a lab where doors and windows are tested for durability, the company’s website says.

The Herald and News reports that layoffs will start on June 30 and will be complete by December.

The job cuts could have a significant impact on the local economy. Chiloquin, which is about 30 miles north of Klamath Falls, had a population of 767 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of Klamath County, where both Chiloquin and Klamath Falls are located, was the second-highest in Oregon in March, at 6.3% Only Grant County had a higher jobless rate, at 6.5%.

Jeld-Wen is scheduled to release its first-quarter 2025 financial report to investors on Monday. The company reported a net loss of $189 million last year, which its leaders attributed to challenging market conditions.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/03/jeld-wen-close-chiloquin-factory/