KINGFIELD – Sixteen workers at Kingfield Woodturning will begin returning to work next week after temporary layoffs earlier in the month. The company began calling them back this week.

It employs 47 workers. Ownership blamed competition from overseas for the layoffs.

Kingfield Woodturning produces finished wood products for sale on the wholesale market. Many of its products – like dowels, drumsticks and toys – are produced less expensively in foreign countries.

In order to compete, spokeswoman Amy Gabrielski said, the company had to lower its prices, which in turn reduced the profit margin.

“We are calling everyone we can to see if we can do the work that the Chinese are doing, and we’re trying to compete for the pricing,” Gabrielski said. “It’s not working. Our labor costs are going way up.” She also noted the high price of wood as a factor.

One result was the temporary layoffs.

It’s not the fault of the workers, Gabrielski said: Production has been up.

She said the layoffs were needed to cut inventory.

Closed wood products and shoe manufacturers in Franklin County since the mid-1990s include: Strong Wood Products, G.H. Bass & Co., Forster Inc., H.G. Winter and Franklin Shoe.