Teal Jones Group, an international forestry products company based in Canada, started construction on a southern yellow pine lumber production facility in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. The $110 million project is expected to create 500 jobs.

Site preparation of the 235-acre Plain Dealing greenfield facility, which includes creating access to nearby railway infrastructure and timberlands, is underway and expected to be complete by Q3 2023. The company also has U.S. operations in Virginia and Mississippi.

“We are excited to invest in this project, one that will bring long-term prosperity, jobs and other development opportunities in rail and infrastructure to Plain Dealing, Louisiana,” said Tom Jones, CEO of the Teal Jones Group of Companies. “Teal Jones is a family owned and operated forestry company with operations spreading throughout Canada and the United States. The Plain Dealing mill is an exciting and important step in our continued expansion.”

Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package that includes the services of the LED FastStart workforce development program, which will support recruitment and training. The company is also expected to complete the application and approval process for the state’s Quality Jobs program and to pursue a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement with local taxing entities.

“Louisiana’s wealth of timber resources has made it a prime destination for lumber and sawmill business operations for many years,” Governor John Bel Edwards said. “We’re gratified that Teal Jones has chosen to become a part of that long tradition. This project will stimulate economic activity, create good jobs in Louisiana’s Northwest Region and contribute to the revitalization of our state’s rural communities. It is a powerful reaffirmation of the important role our state’s agribusiness sector plays in the growth and diversification of Louisiana’s economy.”

When complete, the new facility will produce a wide range of dimensional and specialty lumber products with a production capacity of 300 million board feet per year. In addition to lumber, the company plans to sell residual fiber products, including chips and sawdust, to local pulp and pellet plants.

“Having these critical strategic incentives and the active participation of our local and state partners enabled GBEDF to help get the project approved and funded expeditiously for Teal Jones Group. It’s exciting to see our collaborative process working for the good of the region and bringing new economic prosperity to this community,” added Rocky Rockett, executive director and president of the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation.

The Teal-Jones Group is the largest privately owned timber harvesting and primary lumber product manufacturing company in British Columbia.