Monday, December 4, 2023
Weyerhaeuser is planning to invest $96.2 million to modernize, upgrade and decarbonize its Winn Parish lumber mill. Weyerhaeuser has decided the plan to utilize the upgraded technology. This improved technology is designed to increase overall safety, productivity and product reliability at the Winnfield, Louisiana, facility.
According to Governor John Bel Edwards, “We are proud to announce another multimillion-dollar investment in our state’s booming timber industry, demonstrating yet again how our state’s groundbreaking Climate Action Plan is driving economic growth across a wide range of industries,”
“Weyerhaeuser’s reinvestment in its Dodson facility is a win not only for Winn Parish and Louisiana’s vibrant agribusiness sector, but also the rural communities whose workers rely on the hundreds of existing jobs this modernization will preserve.” Mr. Edwards added further.
The project includes the installation of three Continuous Dry Kilns (CDK), a new, low-carbon process drying system. The company plans to install the first two CDKs by the end of 2024. The additional new equipment is expected to be installed by the end of the second quarter in 2025. This modernized technology will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste and maintenance costs while increasing drying capacity. The facility will also add a new trimmer, sorter and stacker to improve mill efficiencies and help reach production targets, the company said.
“This investment is a testament to each employee here at Dodson,” said Anthony Bivings, Dodson mill manager. “It reflects their personal commitment to the highest level of performance, both operational and safety. We’ve been working very hard on this project, and we’re excited for the sustained benefits it will bring to our people, our operations, and the Dodson and Winn Parish communities.”
Weyerhaeuser has eight locations in Louisiana, including timberland operational bases in Hammond, Ruston and Winnfield; lumber mills in Dodson and Holden; and a plywood and veneer mill in Zwolle that, along with its oriented strand board mill in Arcadia, supplies its Natchitoches Microllam manufacturing facility.
To secure the project in Dodson, the state of Louisiana offered Weyerhaeuser a competitive incentives package that includes a $500,000 performance-based forgivable loan from the Economic Development Award Program for infrastructure improvements and equipment. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.
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Source: Weyerhaeuser
Tags: lumber mills, modernised mill, productivity, weyerhaeuser, woodworking USA
