SmartLam Eyes $22 Million Maine Expansion For CLT Production
The nation’s first manufacturer of cross-laminated timber plans to set up shop in Maine, with a goal of creating 100 jobs at a $22 million mill, officials said Friday.
SmartLam, LLC of Montana still seeks a mill site, but has committed to building a factory in Maine within 18 months. Founded in 2012, the company produces more than 1 million board feet of the engineered wood product per month and employs 40 people in Montana’s Flathead Valley, SmartLam President Casey Malmquist said. “It is down to two sites right now,” Malmquist said in a telephone interview on Friday. “I’m just waiting to get further feedback on both of those sites and then we will be making our decision.”
“I don’t want to disclose them because I don’t want to influence the deal,” he added. “I think if they can kind of come up organically on their own rather than be influenced by one another it would be a more straightforward deal.”
SmartLam is the second maker of cross-laminated timber, a composite wood strong enough to replace steel and concrete in some types of high-rise buildings, to announce Maine expansion plans this week.
LignaTerra Global LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina announced plans at Husson University on Tuesday to build a $30 million, 300,000-square-foot factory to produce CLT in Millinocket. The company hopes to break ground in July and start production in 12 months with more than 100 workers.
From Bangor Daily News: bangordailynews.com.
RELATED ARTICLES
Latest News
CalPlant I Regroups, Sale Is Possible
CalPlant I, LLC, which took 25 years to develop and build a rice straw-based medium density fiberboard plant and produce its first board late last year in Willows, Calif., has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and intends to conduct a court-supervised sale process…
NewLife Gains Full Production
NewLife Forest Restoration has ramped up production at its new engineered wood products plant in Bellemont, Ariz., while also increasing forest restoration work in service of its 4 Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Phase 1 Forest Service stewardship contract that seeks to thin and treat more than 300,000 acres at risk of…
Labor, Materials Issues Cause Project Delays
The same labor availability issues that have plagued forest products manufacturers since the COVID pandemic began are also plaguing builders as the economy seeks to rebound. According to a survey of more than 2,000 construction companies, both hourly and salaried employees are…
Roseburg To Shut Down Dillard P’board
Roseburg Forest Products (RFP) announced on August 25 that it will shut down its particleboard plant in Dillard, Ore. The plant has been in operation since 1965, and will continue running as the plant prepares for shut down in the next 60 days…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.
Subscribe/Renew
Panel World is delivered six times per year to North American and international professionals, who represent primary panel production operations. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!