Employees say severance packages at risk for hundreds laid off from Klamath County Jeld-Wen facility
Harley Coldiron
(Update: Adding video)
CHILOQUIN, Ore. (KTVZ) — Jeld-Wen has announced that its Chiloquin Doors plant is closing permanently and the 128 people who work there are losing their jobs.
“On May 1, 2025, JELD-WEN announced it will stop operations at its Chiloquin Doors plant and move production to other existing JELD-WEN facilities. The transition will begin immediately,” Manager of External Communications Katie Lykins told KTVZ News on Friday.
Multiple employees who wished to remain anonymous shared with KTVZ News that the company had informed workers they would be fired and lose their severance if media interviews were conducted.
KTVZ News learned more than a hundred employees will be impacted, and several have told us they don’t know why they are losing their jobs.
The Chiloquin factory, located two hours south of Bend, makes custom doors and frames. It’s been one of the few sources of good-paying jobs in Klamath County.
When KTVZ news arrived at the facility Tuesday morning to get answers on why the plant was shutting down, we were immediately told to leave and were kicked off the property.
According to multiple employees who wished to remain anonymous, the company warned employees they would lose their severance package if they spoke to the media.
KTVZ News could not confirm this information.
Oregon is an at-will state, meaning employers can terminate employees at any time unless the decision is based on discrimination or illegal reasons.
“We value the contributions of our employees and have provided those affected with a competitive separation package and outplacement services to help provide a smooth transition,” the company said.
“While decisions that impact people are never easy, we make them only after careful consideration and with the understanding that our actions today are necessary to position JELD-WEN for long-term success,” the statement from Lykins concluded.
Lykins would also not comment on how well the facility was doing financially. The company released its 20-25 first-quarter results, showing major losses in revenue.
The required closure notice sent to Chiloquin Mayor Julie Bettles and a state workforce official indicated over 100 production workers are expected to have their last day of work on June 30, with 14 production and management staying on until Dec. 1.
Jeld-Wen started in Klamath Falls over 60 years ago, but moved its headquarters to North Carolina a decade ago. Jeld-Wen operates facilities in 14 countries in North America and Europe and employs approximately 16,000 people.
In the meantime, employment organizations are working to find jobs for the people who will be impacted by the closure.
Here’s the plant closure notice: