For Bright Wood People

News

Thank You for Representing Bright Wood at the Jefferson County Fair

[July 29, 2026] A big thank-you to everyone who represented Bright Wood at the Jefferson County Fair. By helping with our booth, games, and giveaways, you gave fairgoers a welcoming way to connect with Bright Wood.

“Youth of all ages had an absolute blast playing games and learning about Bright Wood,” said organizer Mary Rueter. “You truly showed up for our community!”

Why Bright Wood Takes Part in Community Events
Bright Wood has been part of Central Oregon for more than 66 years. Local events help us engage with our neighbors, introduce them to our employees, and share information about careers at Bright Wood.

Employees who volunteer can help by welcoming visitors, answering questions when they can, and sharing what they enjoy about working at Bright Wood.

Join Us at an Upcoming Event
Interested in helping at an upcoming event? Contact Mary Rueter at Recruiter@BrightWood.com or 541-475-7799 to sign up. Even a short shift helps us connect with the communities where we live and work.

Deschutes County Fair: July 29–August 2
Crook County Fair: August 5–8
Culver Crawdad Festival: August 15; parade at 10 a.m. and festival from 11 a.m. –5 p.m. (festival time to be confirmed)
Airshow of the Cascades: August 28–29

Thanks to all the people who visited Bright Wood's booth at the Jefferson County Fair.

Events like the Jefferson County Fair give us a meaningful way to strengthen relationships with our neighbors and introduce more people to career opportunities in the communities where we live and work.

Brandon Holicky of Madras Plant 7 won first place in the salsa contest at the Bright Wood picnic.

Brandon Holicky Turns Up the Heat in the Bright Wood Salsa Contest

[July 22, 2026] The Bright Wood salsa contest never disappoints. Some competitors spend weeks perfecting their recipes, aiming for just the right balance of acidity, salt, freshness, and heat.

Congratulations to Brandon Holicky of Madras Plant 7, who earned first place in one of Bright Wood’s oldest—and most competitive—picnic contests.

Robert Madrigal of Madras Plant 3 took second place, and Eduardo Lopez of Madras Plant 8 rounded out the top three.

Thank you to everyone who entered, tasted, voted, and helped bring the flavor and fun to this year’s picnic.

Redmond Team Wins Picnic Cornhole Tournament

[July 16, 2026] The cornhole tournament has become a favorite part of the company picnic, bringing teams from across Bright Wood together for friendly competition and giving employees and their families plenty to cheer about.

When the final bags were tossed, Matthew Bigness and Jeff Penter, both from Redmond’s Saw-Sand Plant, came out on top. Each received a custom-made cornhole set, complete with boards, corn bags, and a score tower.

Jeremiah Sprague of Madras Plant 7 and his partner, David Hect, earned second place, matching their 2024 finish. The team took home Bose and Beats headphones as prizes.

Rounding out the top three, Ervey Dominguez from Human Resources teamed up with his son, Grayson Dominguez, to place third and win a set of cornhole boards.

The banter for next year has already begun, and we look forward to seeing the 2027 board design. With unique designs that get better every year, the cornhole boards are keepsakes worth winning and enjoying for years to come.

Redmond team wins Bright Wood cornhole tournament at the company picnic

Bright Wood employees can earn a $600 by referring friends and family to work at Bright Wood

Earn $600 by Recruiting the People You Want on Your Team

[April 8, 2026] Bright Wood is busy and growing. We need more people in Madras, Redmond, Prineville, and Culver to share the load and help us pursue new opportunities.

For a limited time, we are offering a cash incentive to current employees for referring people you believe would be a good fit for Bright Wood. Consider who you’d like to work with from your circle of friends, neighbors, relatives, and former coworkers.

Your Name Needs to be on Your Referral’s Job Application

To qualify for the bonus, your referral(s) will need to write your full name in the “Other references/relatives that work at Bright Wood Company LLC” section on their employment application. If the applicant lists more than one current employee on their application, only the first will receive the bonus.

Two Bonuses Paid for Key Employment Milestones

If your referral is one of the first 100 hired into regular full-time employment, you will receive the following bonuses:

$100 after the new hire completes 30 days of regular full time employment .
$500 after the new hire completes 90 days of regular full time employment.

Your referral bonus payments will be added to your regular paycheck (with applicable taxes and withholdings applied).

Visit your site’s Human Resources or call 541-475-7799 to learn more about the referral bonus policy.

Get the Medications, Equipment, and Care You Need After a Disaster Declaration

[July 21, 2025] With the nearby Cram Fire and all the floods and storms on the evening news, take comfort in knowing that Bright Wood Health & Wellness Plan’s providers have your back in emergencies. Whenever a disaster is declared, special protocols kick in to deliver faster assistance with less cost and hassle.

Medical Care:

Call Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon at (866) 240-9580 if you need:

Emergency medical care from an out-of-network facility. You may qualify for in-network rates under Regence’s emergency protocols if you call.
To replace lost or broken medical equipment.

If you are enrolled in one of Regence’s care or disease management programs and need to evacuate, please call your case manager (or the main line at 866-240-9580) so that Regence can coordinate your care to continue uninterrupted.

Medications:

Call CVS Caremark at (833) 842-9273 if you forget your prescription at home or don’t pack enough in the scramble to evacuate. CVS Caremark can override limits during a declared disaster to refill or replace lost medications, so you don’t have to go without.

*Your Regence and CVS Caremark membership cards are always accessible via their apps and websites.

Virtual Care Is Always Available

[July 21, 2025] Bright Wood Health and Wellness Plan members always have access to remote care for nonemergency health concerns:

MDLive | (888) 725-3097
Consult with a licensed doctor or therapist 24/7, 365 days a year from wherever you happen to be. Both medical and therapy appointments are free of charge. Log on to MDLive’s website, call their telephone number, or use their app to connect.

Regence Advice24 | (800) 267-6729
Call Advice24 to speak with a registered nurse about nonemergency health concerns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Advice24 nurses can help you determine the best course of action when you or a family member is sick or injured, treat minor medical conditions at home, and answer questions about medical tests and medications.

Regence Adds Three Free Virtual Programs

[May 2, 2025] Regence is adding three free services to their lineup for Bright Wood Health & Wellness Plan members on June 1:

Virtual Physical Therapy
Virtual physical therapy is especially useful for people with back, knee, and pelvic pain.

Diabetes and Hypertension
The new Omada Health and Omada Prevention are for people with, or at risk of developing, diabetes or hypertension. Both free programs include:

A professional health coach for ongoing one-on-one guidance.
Smart devices (such as scales, blood pressure monitors, and/or glucose meters, depending on your program) for monitoring your health.
Weekly interactive lessons for self-managing diabetes and hypertension.
Access to an online community with similar health conditions and challenges for real-time encouragement, sharing, and support.

Happy Feet, Happy Wallet: Bright Wood Offering a $50 Subsidy for Better Footwear

[April 3, 2024] Bright Wood partnered with the feet experts at Lehigh CustomFit to help people find the footwear they need to feel better at the end of the day and avoid injuries.

Lehigh starts by scanning your feet in 3D. In just a few seconds, you will know your exact size and if you have any issues that can cause pain and fatigue. The tech will give you a card with your customized foot care recommendations. Lehigh may recommend:

Customized Aetrex orthotics to correct alignment problems causing foot, knee, and back pain.
OS1st compression socks to relieve foot and leg swelling.
The best-fitting shoe styles for your feet.

Bright Wood associates who purchase shoes, orthotics, or compression socks on the Brightwood.LehighSafetyShoes.com website are eligible for a $50 one-time subsidy. You can pay with a credit card or deduct the cost of your new footwear from your next paycheck (or split the cost between up to four pay periods).

Your friends and family can also purchase shoes, orthotics, and compression socks at the Bright Wood rate on the website. The True Fit app can help them find better-fitting shoes even without a foot scan.

Need an Alternative Work Schedule?
Consider the Weekend Shift

[March 23, 2023] Several Madras plants have added --or soon will – weekend shifts that start on Friday and end on Sunday. These are 12-hour shifts, so you work 36 hours in three days and then have four days off. Weekenders qualify for full-time Bright Wood benefits.

Bearded man in hoodie with clear protective glasses

Making Prescription Safety Glasses Affordable

[August 22, 2022] Oregon Bright Wood associates are now eligible to purchase prescription safety glasses from Walmart’s Vision Centers in Redmond and Bend at a substantial discount.

Bright Wood will pay for the prescription lenses for your new safety glasses while you are only responsible for purchasing the frames, which run from $9 up to $29.

To participate, you need to present the Walmart Vision Center with:

A voucher that is only available from Bright Wood's Human Resources
A valid vision prescription

Call Bright Wood’s Personnel Department at 541-475-7799 with questions.