Canfor Southern Pine Expands El Dorado Arkansas, Operations

Area Development News Desk

10/30/2026

Lumber manufacturer Canfor Southern Pine plans to expand its operations in El Dorado, Arkansas. The approximately $96 million project is expected to create 75 jobs in Union County.

The investment will include modernization of the company's existing Iron Mountain sawmill and log yard operations, along with a new shipping transload facility, more than doubling annual lumber production capacity to approximately 220 million board feet.

“This investment marks an important step in strengthening our Iron Mountain operation and our broader regional hub in Arkansas,” said Canfor Southern Pine President Lee Goodloe. “By modernizing the facility and expanding its capacity, we’re building a more integrated manufacturing network that allows us to operate more efficiently and deliver greater value to our customers. With more than $400 million invested in Union County since 2015, we remain deeply committed to Arkansas and to the people and communities who make our success possible. We are grateful to the Arkansas Department of Commerce for its continued support.”

Canfor Southern Pine is part of Canfor Corporation, a Canadian-based forest products manufacturer specializing in lumber, engineered wood products, pulp and paper, and renewable energy products.

“Canfor Southern Pine has been a valued part of our state’s timber industry, and we are proud that the company is growing in Union County,” noted Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Clint O’Neal. “This expansion would not have been possible without a great business environment and the local leadership in El Dorado and Union County. In the years to come, Canfor’s expansion will deliver new opportunities that will help the company, El Dorado, Union County, and the State of Arkansas thrive.”

“Canfor's announcement of a $96 million investment at the Iron Mountain facility and the creation of 75 jobs shows a high level of commitment and confidence in our community,” added El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Steven Jones. “At a recent business retention and expansion visit at the facility, Kaitlyn Rigdon and I were blown away by what Tripp Evans and team are doing at the plant. Their culture, their morale, and their love for South Arkansas is evident in the phenomenal work they are doing.”

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