FEDERAL WAY, Wash.--May 8, 2002--Weyerhaeuser Company today announced that it is permanently closing its medium containerboard machine at Plymouth, North Carolina effective immediately. The machine, idle since June due to market conditions, has the capacity to produce 215,000 tons per year. The closure affects 146 positions, 109 of which have already been eliminated through attrition. The company plans to reassign most, if not all of the remaining 37 impacted employees to other positions at the mill. The decision to close the machine is part of a larger company effort to continually increase productivity and profitability in its containerboard and packaging operations. Last year, Weyerhaeuser announced the permanent closure of a linerboard machine in Springfield, Ore., with a capacity of 240,000 tons. At a meeting today with investors, Weyerhaeuser said that it anticipates additional closures affecting approximately 300,000 tons of capacity as the company continues its integration of Willamette Industries and the evaluation of business efficiencies.