Mercer International Inc. and its subsidiary Mercer Mass Timber, a manufacturer of timber building materials, completed the acquisition of Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. and its subsidiaries in mid-June. Mercer Mass Timber immediately takes possession and continues the operation of Structurlam’s manufacturing facilities, which will now operate under the Mercer Mass Timber brand, including a new production facility in Conway, Ark. and in Penticton, British Columbia, Can.

At the end of May, Mercer International received Bankruptcy Court approval of the acquisition for $81.1 million. Structurlam had filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

The Conway facility is a modern, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that was built in 2021 and has an annual capacity of approximately 75,000 m3; can produce both glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT); includes more than 280,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space; and is strategically located in the Southern U.S. in proximity to growing construction markets and with access to a large and high-quality regional wood basket.

The purchase also include three facilities located in British Columbia with a combined annual capacity of 40,000 m3 of glulam and CLT.

These assets complement Mercer’s existing Mercer Mass Timber facility in Spokane Valley, Wash.

“We are thrilled to welcome Structurlam into the Mercer Mass Timber fold,” says Brian Merwin, Senior Vice President of Mercer Mass Timber. “This acquisition will allow us to offer our customers a wider range of mass timber products, and to better support their projects with the addition of more cross laminated timber (CLT) capacity and glulam production capabilities. Our goal is to become a one-stop shop for all mass timber needs. The additional manufacturing facilities that the Structurlam acquisition brings will enable us to create greater efficiencies.”

A local paper in mid-June reported that the Conway facility had resumed production and will increase its pace as the order file heats up.

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Timberlab, a nationwide provider of mass timber systems, is opening its second glued laminated timber fabrication facility in Greenville, SC. Timberlab’s goal is to provide the Eastern U.S. with a more regional platform for a sustainable, low-carbon building material and accelerate the mainstream adoption of mass timber construction to benefit the planet and its people.

The newly renovated 75,000 sq. ft. East Coast facility began operations in April and expects to be at full capacity by the second quarter of 2024. Staffed by 30 manufacturing and timber professionals, the Timberlab facility is the largest of its kind planned in the region, according to the company. The facility is equipped to produce an estimated 1MMSF annually once at full capacity.

“Greenville was selected due to its close proximity to an abundance of southern yellow pine that is durable, renewable, and fast-growing and—mainly because of that—has emerged as the species of choice for producers east of the Mississippi River,” says Manufacturing Director Jared Revay. “There are a significant number of glulam producers throughout the Southeast who need a value-add partner, like Timberlab, in order to fully participate in the commercial, prefabricated mass timber industry. As we saw in the Pacific Northwest, our Eastern U.S. manufacturing center is expected to positively impact the Southeast with an expanded supply chain.”

The company notes that in the past five years, the number of projects incorporating mass timber has doubled every two years, and this trend is expected to continue for the next 15 years. Timberlab expects the adoption rate in key areas along the Eastern seaboard to outpace this projection. Glulam columns and beams for the University of Arkansas’ Institute for Integrative and Innovative building in Fayetteville, Ark. will be the first components fabricated in the East Coast facility.

“There is an existing network of timber suppliers and glulam manufacturers in the Southeast that have been operating for decades with limited opportunities to deploy their product,” says Timberlab President Chris Evans. “The CNC fabrication is currently the significant pinch point in the mass timber supply chain and where Timberlab will make a tremendous impact not only for suppliers but also in the adoption of this sustainable building system.”

Timberlab opened its first location in Portland, Ore. in 2020 where it annually produces 800,000 sq. ft. of fabricated glulam components. By replicating its successful West Coast business model, the East Coast facility will support the Southeast’s trajectory as a new regional powerhouse for mass timber construction.

“Our intention is to expand the supply chain and, thereby, reduce the cost of mass timber structures, ultimately promoting the deployment of timber for commercial buildings along the Eastern seaboard, particularly in the office, multifamily, civic, and higher education sectors,” Evans says.

In addition to its custom fabrication services, Timberlab also dedicates a team to pursue mass timber innovation and research. The firm partners with Clemson University and other universities as well as the U.S. Forest Service to advance the adoption of mass timber construction. Areas of focus have included fire testing, vibration testing, and seismic load testing for tall timber buildings.

Timberlab expects to tap local trade schools, community colleges, and universities to fulfill job opportunities, offering new career paths in engineering and fabrication. The company will employ up to 30 prefabrication and shop technicians, CNC machinists and programmers, and operations positions. In addition to engineers and fabricators, Timberlab’s robust construction crews travel nationally to install the firm’s mass timber structures. “A key to our success in this industry is that our team is vertically integrated,” Revay adds.

Timberlab evolved from Swinerton, a leading general contractor with offices across the country and early adopters and innovators of mass timber construction.