Alabama’s Westervelt Co. Announces New SYP Sawmill
The Westervelt Co. announced the construction of a new lumber mill in Thomasville that will create 125 jobs. The Tuscaloosa-based company said in a news release that the Thomasville facility will produce around 250 million board feet of Southern yellow pine lumber annually when operations begin in 2020. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2019.
This will be the 134-year-old company’s second lumber mill in the state; the Westervelt Co. has operated a lumber mill in Moundville since 1997. “The Westervelt Co.’s deep roots in Alabama date back for generations, and I’m pleased to see this family business continue to invest and grow in the state,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “The company’s new lumber production facility in Clarke County represents an important job-creating project for a rural area, and it will provide a boost for the forest products industry throughout the region.”
The proximity of the Westervelt Co.’s timberland, the available workforce and the existing base of customers were cited as factors in deciding to build the facility in Thomasville. “This new mill represents our commitment to the state of Alabama and the region,” said Brian Luoma, president and CEO of the Westervelt Co.
Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day said the city had worked “shoulder to shoulder” with the Clarke County Commission, the state of Alabama and many others to bring the lumber mill to rural southwest Alabama. “This project will have a tremendous impact on our community and rural region,” Day said.
Gov. Kay Ivey said the Westervelt Co. has played a prominent role in the state’s lumber industry for a long time while promoting good environmental stewardship.
From TuscaloosaNews.com: tuscaloosanews.com.
RELATED ARTICLES
Latest News
Lumber Quality Workshops Announced
Terry Brown and the Lumber Quality Institute will again offer two lumber quality-related workshops in Salem, Ore. for the sawmill industry in November 2023. The Lumber Quality and Process Control Workshop will be held November 6-7, and the Lumber Quality Leadership Workshop will be held November 8-9…
BID Group Starts Apprenticeship Program
In a significant development for the local community, BID Group has collaborated with the Dept. of Labor and Apprenticeship Carolina to launch a groundbreaking apprenticeship program in its Fabrication Shop. The program provides valuable opportunities for aspiring professionals in the manufacturing sector…
U.S. Housing Starts Fall While Building Permits Rise
U.S. housing starts fell in August from July, at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.283 million, down 11.3%. Single-family starts were at a rate of 941,000, 4.3% below July, while multi-family starts were the primary culprit at 334,000, down 26.3%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development monthly new residential construction report…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.