Ground was broken Wednesday just west of Monticello for Weyerhaeuser’s state-of-the-art facility that will produce TimberStrand-engineered wood products.
The plant, expected to begin operations in 2027, will be located at Lipton Industrial Park, south of U.S. 278 across from the Monticello Sports Complex, located about 4 miles west of the Drew County seat. It was announced last November Weyerhaeuser would invest about $500 million to expand its engineered wood products capacity.
The facility will have an annual production capacity of 10 million cubic feet, comparable to an existing TimberStrand facility in the Canadian province of Ontario.
“We’ve had tremendous support, not only from local leaders and businesspeople, but also from regional and state-elected officials and members of the community,” said Brian Chaney, senior vice president of wood products at Weyerhaeuser. “This is the first new facility Weyerhaeuser has built in many years, and the fact that we’re doing it here in southeast Arkansas is a testament to the support this region has shown for the project, the leadership of the people involved and the optimism we have in the forest products industry in this state.”
TimberStrand is a wood product that will mostly be made from the Southern yellow pine grown on Weyerhaeuser’s regional timberlands. It is described as being engineered for straightness and strength, not twisting or flexing like dimensional lumber.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R), who represents Arkansas’ Fourth District, was among those who attended the ceremony.
“Mills and processing facilities across Arkansas play a vital role in sustainable forest management practices for our state and provide increasing opportunity for economic growth,” Westerman said. “… This TimberStrand project will undoubtedly provide numerous job opportunities for Arkansans and continue the important role of stewarding our state’s natural resources. I’m thrilled to see more growth and opportunity make its way to Arkansas through the forest products industry and to see Weyerhaeuser, a company long established in Arkansas, continue to make such a substantial investment in the Natural State.”
Weyerhaeuser expects to generate more than $100 million of annual adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, at full operating capacity and add nearly 200 jobs in the area, once the facility is fully operational. Weyerhaeuser currently employs 719 in Arkansas.
“One of the great things about building this type of facility in south Arkansas is that the people here have a long history of supporting the forest products industry,” Chaney said. “While we’re still a ways off from hiring most jobs, we’re confident the local workforce has the right mix of skills and experience to build a strong team. That’s one of the big reasons we chose this site, and of course we will also provide comprehensive training to make sure everyone is prepared to run our operations safely and effectively, regardless of previous experience.”
Chaney said about 20 potential sites for the new facility were studied, but Weyerhaeuser leaders kept coming back to the Monticello area. He added the company valued proximity to the University of Arkansas at Monticello, which is home to the state’s only school of forestry.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said major companies are paying attention to the investment the state has made in skills-based education.
“Arkansas is competing where we know we can win, like in the timber industry, which is why we’ve made big investments in skills-based education, including at the new Forest Research Center at the University of Arkansas (at) Monticello,” Sanders said, adding she was grateful for Weyerhaeuser’s investment in the state.
Chaney said the new mill is located near the company’s Southern timberlands, which include 1.2 million acres it owns or manages in Arkansas and plenty of wood fiber.
“The site itself was attractive because it’s relatively flat for construction and has readily available freight and rail transportation,” Chaney said.
Weyerhaeuser also expects additional upside from portfolio integration benefits, or as Chaney described, the benefits expected to derive from the facility’s location and market impact. The company gains “all sorts of efficiencies,” Chaney added, when manufacturing and timberlands operations are in the same place and working closely with each other.
“The facility will also establish a strong, steady demand for our pulp logs in the region, which should improve the area’s broader pulp log market,” he said, explaining about 80% of the wood fiber processed in the new facility will come from Weyerhaeuser-owned timberlands.
Weyerhaeuser has offices in Sheridan, Crossett, Hot Springs and De Queen and also manages a plywood and veneer facility in Emerson, softwood lumber mill in Dierks and nursery in Magnolia. Soon, a Monticello mill will be added to the portfolio as the mass timber market is said to be growing and maturing.
One reason for that is TimberStrand, usually made from hardwood species, can be made out of softwood. Chaney considers it a significant technical breakthrough that potentially further expands the market for the product in the years ahead.
“TimberStrand is one of the most innovative and versatile engineered wood products in the world,” Chaney said. “And while mass timber applications are certainly important, they’re only a small part of the overall product story.”
