Canfor Corporation announced on Thursday (4-21-22) that it will invest approximately $130 million to “significantly upgrade and expand” its sawmill and planer facility located in Urbana, Arkansas. The upgrades include major improvements to the planer, sawmill, and log yard. They are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2022.
News in mill capacity changes
Canfor Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Its New Sawmill Facility in Deridder, Louisiana
Canfor held its official groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for a new sawmill facility in DeRidder, Louisiana. The new facility will be Canfor’s first greenfield project, as well as the company’s first investment in the state. The site is projected to be $160 million state-of-the-art sawmill complex and will be Canfor’s 16th operation in the U.S.
Sinclar Group Announces Production Reductions at 3 Sawmills Due to Fiber Supply and Transportation Issues
Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. announced that it will temporarily reduce manufacturing output from 5-days down to 4-days per week at its BC sawmill operations. The production reductions will impact Sinclar’s sawmill operations at Lakeland Mills in Prince George, Nechako Lumber in Vanderhoof, and Apollo Forest Products in Fort St. James.
John A. Biewer Company Ships First Truckload From its New Sawmill in Winona, Mississippi
John A. Biewer Company announced that earlier this month it had shipped the first truckload from the company’s newest sawmill located in Winona, Mississippi. The facility is Biewer’s second facility in the South. When fully operational, it will have an annual production capacity of an estimated 250+ MMBF.
Plan to Restart a Northern Ontario OSB Mill Comes With $180 Million Investment
The Cossette family, a well-known Québec-based forestry family, which has operated Montreal-headquartered Forex since 1957, announced on Monday (4-11-22) that it was investing $180 million (CAD) to restart a shuttered OSB plant in Northern Ontario and hire approximately 140 people to staff it.
Group Lebel Announces Construction of $40 Million Wood Pellet Plant in Cacouna, Quebec
Groupe Lebel has announced that it is building a $40 million (CAD) wood pellet plant in Cacouna, Quebec. The new plant will be located nearby to the company’s headquarters in Rivière-du-Loup. The new pellet plant is set to begin operating in 2023, with a maximum capacity of 100,000 tons of pellets per year.
WestRock Company to Cease Operations at its Panama City, Florida Mill by June 6, 2022
WestRock Company announced on Thursday (4-7-22) that it intends to permanently cease operations at its Panama City, Florida mill by June 6, 2022. The mill produces containerboard, primarily heavyweight kraft and fluff pulp, and has a combined annual capacity of 645,000 tons.
West Fraser Announces Permanent Capacity Reduction at its Hilton, Alberta Pulp Mill
West Fraser announced on Wednesday (4-5-22) that it will permanently reduce capacity at its pulp mill in Hilton, Alberta (“Hilton Pulp”) by the end of this year. One of Hinton Pulp’s two production lines will shut, and the remaining line will produce Unbleached Kraft Pulp (“UKP”) rather than Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp (“NBSK”).
Enviva Inc. Announces Plan to Build a New Pellet Plant in Bond, Mississippi
Enviva Inc., the world’s leading producer of sustainable wood bioenergy, announced on Tuesday (4-5-22) that it will be investing approximately $250 million in Bond, Mississippi to build a new wood pellet production plant. The Bond plant is expected to have a production capacity of more than 1 million metric tons of wood pellets per year.
Drax Group Commissions New Pellet Production Facility in Demopolis, Alabama
Drax Group has opened a 360,000-ton pellet production facility in Demopolis, Marengo County, Alabama. The new facility is expected to help meet the growing demand for biomass in the UK, Europe, and Asia. Drax acquired the plant, which was already under construction, as part of its acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy.