Two Idaho forest-products companies are merging to strengthen ties to large customers including Home Depot and Lowe’s as the market for lumber slumps. Bennett Forest Industries, which produces about 185 million board feet annually, and Riley Creek Lumber, which is more than three times larger, say large home-improvement retailers demand suppliers be big enough to guarantee delivery of lumber products. Bennett and Riley Creek believe their merger could eventually lead to expanding the combined 550-person workforce - even as a swooning building market causes rivals including Portland, Oregon-based Stimson Lumber to close mills in traditional timber towns such as Coeur d’Alene and Bonner, Montana. Together, the new company will operate four mills located in northcentral and northern Idaho. (AP)