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LAKEPORT — Former employees of Piedmont Lumber & Mill Company gathered Monday outside the Lakeport store near the large American flag flying at half-staff and talked about what they would do next while thanking the owner for fighting for their jobs.

“Bill Myer was the best boss ever,” Jude Maldonado said, who worked for the company for about five years. “He was a fighter. He didn”t give up on us.”

Piedmont Lumber”s retail store and lumberyard closed Monday and will finish paying wages for dozens of workers today. Mendo Mill is in the process of buying the Piedmont Lumber Lakeport store and has told workers they plan to re-open under the new name in August.

Maldonado and his former co-workers thanked Myer for trying to keep their jobs as the company lost money.

“He”s still paying our health care all the way to August out of his own pocket,” Maldonado said. “Even though this place is out, he still cares about us.”

Former Piedmont Lumber employees met with management from both companies Monday and will have interviews this week to reapply for their jobs.

In a Piedmont Lumber press release, Myer said he lamented the losses suffered by the company during the severe downturn in the economy and the fire that destroyed Piedmont”s Walnut Creek location, but he was pleased that many of the jobs at his former store would be saved and that the Lakeport community would continue to be served by a good operator.

“Vicky and I are very thankful for the generous support expressed by our customers and the community we have served for over 75 years,” Myer said.

The Piedmont Rock Yard remains open and is not yet being sold. Tom Fay, the general manager of the Rock Yard, will continue to operate the business and will be one of its new owners, according to the press release.

The Calpella facility of Piedmont Lumber closed March 31 and the Walnut Creek store closed March 13 when a fire destroyed the building. Piedmont is working with its insurance carrier and the City of Walnut Creek to evaluate the potential to re-build its home center, but no decisions have been made.

Piedmont also recently completed the sale of its Pacheco Door division to Craftsman Collective, owned and operated by Rob Myer.

Rabin Worldwide will hold a public auction of Piedmont”s truss manufacturing equipment and fleet of trucks, trailers and forklifts scheduled for Aug. 12 at the Piedmont location in Calpella. Details can be found at Rabin”s Web site: http://rabin.com/AuctionsAndEvents/UpcomingNew.aspx.

Robert Tellez said he worked for the Piedmont Lumber for more than 10 years and that it was a great job.

As he walked up to the store with large signs posted on the windows that read “Closed: re-opening in early August,” Tellez said, “I used to work here. There”s the sign ? we”re closed.”

“We appreciate Bill giving us a job all these years and taking care of our families,” Tellez said.

R. Conrad Griffin said after working for the company for four years, he would sign up for unemployment as they suggested.

Griffin said he could tell it hurt Myer to close the store, but he was brave enough to stand up to it.

“It”s like hearing your dad say, ?Gosh, we”re going to have to sell the house and move into an apartment,”” Griffin said.

Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.

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