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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Weyerhaeuser Upgrades Winn Parish, Louisiana, Lumber Mill

12/05/2023
Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest private owners of timberland, plans to modernize and decarbonize its lumber mill in Winn Parish, Louisiana. The more than $96.2 million project is expected to retain 157 jobs.

The investment includes the installation of three Continuous Dry Kilns, a new, low-carbon process drying system, and a new trimmer, sorter and stacker to improve mill efficiencies and help reach production targets.

“This investment is a testament to each employee here at Dodson,” said Anthony Bivings, Dodson mill manager. “It reflects their personal commitment to the highest level of performance, both operational and safety. We’ve been working very hard on this project, and we’re excited for the sustained benefits it will bring to our people, our operations, and the Dodson and Winn Parish communities.”

The state of Louisiana offered Weyerhaeuser an incentives package that includes a $500,000 performance-based forgivable loan from the Economic Development Award Program for infrastructure improvements and equipment. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

“We are proud to announce another multimillion-dollar investment in our state’s booming timber industry, demonstrating yet again how our state’s groundbreaking Climate Action Plan is driving economic growth across a wide range of industries,” Governor John Bel Edwards noted. “Weyerhaeuser’s reinvestment in its Dodson facility is a win not only for Winn Parish and Louisiana’s vibrant agribusiness sector, but also the rural communities whose workers rely on the hundreds of existing jobs this modernization will preserve."

Weyerhaeuser has eight locations in Louisiana, including timberland operational bases in Hammond, Ruston and Winnfield; lumber mills in Dodson and Holden; and a plywood and veneer mill in Zwolle that, along with its oriented strand board mill in Arcadia, supplies its Natchitoches Microllam manufacturing facility.

"Weyerhaeuser is and has been a major contributor to the economies of Dodson, Winn Parish, and the greater Central Louisiana region,” Louisiana Central President and CEO Jim Clinton added. “The announcement of a $96.2 million new investment for facility and equipment upgrades means that Weyerhaeuser will retain 157 good-paying jobs, continuing the company's role as a leader in regional economic impact."

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