Carter Holt Harvey (CCH) has announced the closure of its Tokoroa sawmill with the loss of more than 100 jobs.

CHH chief executive Peter Springford said the mill, which produces decking and framing timber, had lost NZ$16m during the past five years, including NZ$7m in 2003.

He said several attempts to reverse the situation had failed, including introducing shift changes, altering production and log grade mix, plus upgrading equipment. But the age of machinery and the nature of the mill’s markets meant it continued to lose money.