By Shereen Siewert
Sierra Pacific Windows has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of Semling-Menke Co., also known as Semco, according to a news release issued Tuesday.
Semco in Merrill abruptly closed its doors in December, leaving 141 people without jobs.
Sierra will purchase all production equipment and Semco’s 275,000-square-foot facility on North Ohio Street, with plans to expand production capacity at its Merrill operation.
“The purchase of these assets will pave the way for some much-needed additional production capacity in both our wood and vinyl product lines,” said President Tom Takach. “The newly acquired manufacturing space represents an additional 25 percent square footage, beyond our existing 1.1 million square feet. While the closure of Semco is very unfortunate, we are grateful for the opportunity to expand and stay ahead of the incredible growth of the Sierra Pacific Windows brand and all our product lines.”
For nearly 80 years, Semco manufactured wood and wood clad windows, primarily used in log homes, modular/manufactured homes, and custom-built structures. The company was owned by three generations of the Semling family.
The company employed more than 300 people in Merrill at one point.
Sierra Pacific Industries owns and manages more than 2 million acres of timberland in California and Washington, and is one of the largest lumber companies and largest manufacturer of millwork in the United States.
