The Murphy Company's plywood plant at Sutherlin was destroyed in a July 5, 2005, fire. Within a few days, the state's multi-agency Economic Revitalization Team had reached out to the company to offer aid in rebuilding. Company owner John Murphy said the team's assistance along with support from the Governor's office were key factors in his decision to build a $52 million plant on the same site to produce laminated veneer. The engineered veneer product is used for framing and beams. The 200,000-square-foot plant restarted production in January 2008 and put on a second shift the next month creating additional jobs.

A $100,000 grant obtained from the Governor's Strategic Reserve Fund (SRF) by Business Oregon helped with development costs of the new plant, including wetlands mitigation and relocation of a rail spur. The revitalization team also helped speed up required permits for wetlands and air emissions. Another rebuilding incentive was an agreement by local governments to give Murphy a 15-year property tax exemption, in exchange for the company making $150,000 annual payments for 10 years to the city of Sutherlin for city projects.

In 2010, Murphy purchased a Rogue River softwood panel mill, which was closed by its owner in January 2009. Murphy plans to reopen the mill and create 150 jobs within three years. The state has approved a $100,000 SRF forgivable loan to assist Murphy with this multi-million dollar investment in new equipment at the refurbished plant. The new operation is a perfect fit for the company as it will allow it to revive its softwood plywood product line lost in the 2005 fire.

Business Oregon finance officers are working to help the company secure additional financing for its equipment purchases and upgrades at the Rogue River facility. Murphy also is working with local economic development partners to receive property tax abatements through the Enterprise Zone program and worker training assistance from the Employer Workforce Training Program.