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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Boise Cascade Wood Products Expands Oakdale, Louisiana, Operations

01/25/2024
Boise Cascade Wood Products plans to expand and modernize operations in Allen Parish, Louisiana. The $75 million project is expected to create 30 jobs.

The investment includes an upgrade and redesign of the company’s log utilization center, installation of a new six-deck veneer dryer and press and modification of an existing veneer dryer. The new technology is designed to increase productivity and will allow the Oakdale facility to supply additional veneer to Boise Cascade’s engineered wood products (EWP) facility in central Louisiana. Completion of the expansion is scheduled for mid-2025.

“Boise Cascade has a long history of doing business in Louisiana, and in fact, mill capacity at our EWP mill near Alexandria is the largest in North America,” Boise Cascade Wood Products Executive Vice President Mike Brown said. “This major investment in Oakdale reflects our ongoing commitment to invest in job sustainability and the state’s economy.”

To secure the project the state of Louisiana offered Boise Cascade an incentives package that includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart. It also includes a $750,000 performance-based forgivable loan from the Economic Development Award Program for infrastructure and equipment repairs, contingent upon board approval and meeting investment and payroll targets. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

“Louisiana’s thriving agribusiness industry has been a stronghold in the economy throughout our state’s storied history, creating jobs and opportunities in every region,” Governor Jeff Landry added. “I applaud Boise Cascade for reinvesting in Louisiana and our skilled manufacturing workforce.”

Boise Cascade Company is one of the largest producers of engineered wood products and plywood in North America and a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products.

“We want to congratulate and thank Boise Cascade for its commitment to Allen Parish,” Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance Vice President of Economic Development Jonathan Dean noted. “This $75 million investment in the Oakdale facility is a testament to the quality workforce we have in our communities.”

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