By Moira Blazi
As the twisted remains of the once thriving SK Fingerjoint plant lies snow-covered and still after last November’s tragic fire, questions remain about the future of the site and the company.
The Lincoln County Port Authority acts as manager of the old Simpson Mill site where the plant was located, and they remain patient and hopeful.
Manager Tina Oliphant was reassuring as she explained, “The Port Authority is simply waiting for owner Dan Kneller to put together a proposal for the rebuilding process.” She told the Montanian that business interests in Bonners Ferry have “sought out” Mr. Kneller and may be looking to “poach” the specialized and lucrative business.
Although the plant has been destroyed, the smaller office and administrative building was spared, and Dan Kneller still comes to work there every day.
A soft-spoken and practical businessman, Kneller told the Montanian that there are still so many things up in the air making it impossible to take definitive action now. He added, that to keep his market share in this very specialized industry, the hard decisions will be made in the next two to three months.
“We are still looking at whether or not it is even financially feasible,” he said. Insurance payments have not been finalized and finding the equipment to reopen is a daunting task. There is another player in Oregon to consider, and the machines needed are very specialized. He is literally looking all over the world for them.
When asked about the rumor of moving to Bonners Ferry, Mr. Kneller simply stated that he had received a “vague offer” which, along with all the other possibilities, he is giving thought to.
Reopening a business like this is a huge undertaking, “It’s a whole pile of money,” said Kneller. “Since there is no partway or gradual way to do it. It’s not possible to start out small.” He added that he would need almost a full crew of at least 15 workers right from the start.
Oliphant put it this way, “Dan doesn’t have a partial option, he can’t ratchet it up, he has to go full out from the very beginning.”
As he weighs his options this winter, Kneller can gaze out his office window at the ruins of his once busy plant and know that the citizens of Libby are wishing him future success.