Boise outage means business, By TOM LAVENTURE, Staff Writer

Many restaurants, hotels and laundromats are posting welcome signs to the boilermakers and contractors involved in a Boise Inc. temporary shutdown that started Sunday and runs through May 22.
Many businesses are posting signs to let workers know about special and extended hours to accommodate their stay.
The annual shutdown is the only time the company temporarily suspends operations to refit boilers and repair other equipment essential to operations. The 17-day shutdown affects the integrated paper mills on both sides of the border.
The average time of the annual shutdown period is for seven days and this one is “an intense outage” with 18 capitol projects that require a system shutdown, according to Bob Anderson, public affairs manager for Boise.
“We have schedules laid out for every project, in every department, and are meeting every day,” he said. “We are checking to see if there are any issues that need to be addressed and it takes a huge amount of coordination.”
Equipment shutdowns come at various times throughout the year, but the paper machines are still operational.
This outage allows for extensive maintenance projects.
“This is a different outage because of the duration and we will operate some of the paper manufacturing equipment when we have the power availability, water and steam,” he added. “Then we will be able to make some paper to take care of customer needs.”
Peter Schultz, director of the area’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the mill usually schedules the outage to occur at slower times when the hotels are less busy than just before the opening of the Minnesota walleye season. The extended outage this year has an overlap with the opener, but Schultz has not heard of any hotels turning away potential business.
“People are worried about the ice on the lake and we are pretty far north,” he added, to note the area picks up more anglers in the summer.
Schultz said contractors in town means business for everyone. From lodging to food and drink, to the movie theaters, clothing stores and drug stores.
Shawn Gilbert, manager of Barney’s Family Restaurant, said the shutdown helps in a slower spring period and comes just before the boost from the American fishing opener, Mother’s Day and then the Canadian opener.
“The shutdown helps,” said Gilbert. “It has positive impact and they are here for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all three.”
Bill Renn, owner of Border Bar Pizza Parlor, said they tend to see more people stopping in for food and refreshments since they are in close proximity to the plant and area lodging.
“This definitely helps and is a boost for us and everyone in town,” said Renn.
Gerald Netland took ownership of the Voyageurs Motel last July with his wife Sandy. He is very familiar with the shutdown having worked nine years at the mill before going into the freight business.
Netland is very pleased that his rooms are filling up with contractors in town for the outage. They often stop in the lobby to have a cup of coffee and talk for a while on their way to work.
“There are quite a few here,” said Netland of the contractors. “It has been pretty decent since the first of May.
“Most of them are boilermakers and some labor guys doing different jobs,” he added.
When the outage concludes, Netland looks forward to more anglers, tourists and relatives coming into town for June weddings and graduation parties.
“These contractors are helping a lot, otherwise we would be idle and waiting for the ice to melt and the grass to turn green.”
Contractors will replace equipment that is vital to operation, such as programmable logic board controllers, tubes and recovery boilers that operate in high heat to produce steam and burn off chemicals.
Anderson said that about 50 different contractors are scheduled to work on various projects. Some will require as little time as one day. Others needed to come weeks ago to begin staging their project and will work past the duration of the shutdown.
The shutdown will not result in layoffs of Boise employees, and Anderson said the planning allows for time off for some departments. The chip manufacturing site on the east side of the plant is still running to generate a large stockpile. Some of those employees are also involved in plant maintenance.
“There is a lot of work to be done and even when operations are not running,” he added. “This is one that’s planned for many months.”
The goal of the outage is to get refit and back in operation in short order. Anderson said the two primary concerns of an outage is first for the safety of the contractors and employees.
“They will be doing different jobs than they normally would and we want to focus on safety,” he added.
The other concern is time. The sooner the mill is up and running the sooner it is manufacturing paper for customers.
Boise announces the shutdown periods to the local chambers of commerce and hotels, and Anderson noted that it does have a social and economic impact on the community.
“Some of them have their own campers and other are hosted in the hotels and they are eating in the restaurants — that kind of impact,” he added.
The outage reflects the changes in technology over the years in the papermaking process, he said. Much of the process is essentially the same, but the technology allows them to make much better quality paper today than ever before. It is also made more safely, cleaner and efficiently.