Canfor Permanently Closing Its Jackson, AL, Sawmill; Expanding Production in Fulton

On Wednesday, Canfor Corporation announced that it is in the process of optimizing its footprint in southern Alabama by permanently closing its Jackson, Alabama, sawmill in June, while expanding production at its Fulton facility with a second shift.

Canfor says these steps, together with the previously announced construction of a new, state-of-the-art greenfield sawmill in Axis, Alabama, will grow the company’s regional manufacturing platform by 100 million board feet of production capacity and consolidate operations at modern facilities that are well positioned to be competitive for the long term.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Lee Goodloe, President of Canfor Southern Pine, said:

“Canfor is working to optimize our operational footprint in southern Alabama to ensure we have well capitalized and highly efficient manufacturing facilities. To this end, we are making the difficult decision to close the aging Jackson mill at the end of June, while expanding production at our nearby Fulton facility. We recognize this decision impacts our Jackson employees and community. However, we expect the majority of our employees will have an opportunity at either our expanded operation in Fulton, which will add a second shift, or in Axis once the new facility opens later this year.

Canfor’s recent investments in southern Alabama demonstrate our commitment to Clark County and build upon a proud history of operations in the region. We appreciate our employees, and our strong relationships with suppliers, contractors, partners, and customers. Consolidating our operations in southern Alabama in modernized facilities—with leading technologies and innovation—will enable Canfor to better serve our local and global customers while providing more sustainable jobs and improved working conditions for our employees.”