In a week to 10 days, KCS Lumber will close temporarily due to a shortage of raw materials, and 10 to 15 of the mill’s 60 employees will be laid off.

But Manager William Dickey does not know how long the closure could last.

And whether those employees will be called back to work depends on whether a potential buyer actually decides to purchase the mill, Dickey said.

&uot;If the mill doesn’t sell, we’ll continue working part-time for another six to eight months,&uot;&160;Dickey said.

&uot;We don’t know when the sale could be finalized, since it will be at least the end of the month before (the potential buyer)&160;can take an inventory&uot; of the mill, he said.

Dickey said the buyer, which he would not name, has been considering the purchase &uot;for a while.&uot;

Higher prices for logs and more expensive regulations have made the cost business prohibitive, he said.

For example, the mill used to be able to spread ashes from its logs on the mill’s grounds, but Dickey said environmental regulations restrict disposal of such by-products now.