[09/08/03] One of Vicksburg’s largest employers has cut four administrative positions, but will bring eight jobs here from its Memphis offices.

Anderson-Tully Co. officials announced the timber owner and sawmill owner will have a “small restructuring” that includes bringing eight accounting positions to offices in Vicksburg. Mike Myrick, human resources manager for ATCO, said the net effect of the plans will be an additional four to six positions in Vicksburg.

Myrick did not say which jobs were eliminated from the administrative ranks.

“Those were some clerical and administrative jobs with the mill,” he said.

The company, which has about 500 workers in all of its divisions, announced layoff plans in March and in May. The March layoff affected about 57 people at the plant that makes Capella, the company’s line of engineered wood flooring, and the May layoff affected 35 at the flooring mill.

Both times, company officials said the layoffs were due to a temporary reduction in force due to a soft market. Also, a major customer for the veneer made at the mill had delayed its orders.

Myrick said the latest announcement does not affect any employees in the veneer mill. About 195 employees are assigned to the veneer mill, and about 200 are employed in the company’s engineered wood flooring facility.

Anderson-Tully is a major owner of hardwood timberland in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. It has its headquarters in Memphis and its mills in Vicksburg.

In addition to its manufacturing operation, ATCO owns large tracts of timberland along the Mississippi River to produce much of the hardwood timber it uses to produce high quality lumber in addition to the engineered wood products.