Teal Jones Group Proposes $110.5 Million Sawmill In Louisiana
Teal Jones Group owners Tom and Dick Jones announced that the company is evaluating Bossier Parish, La., for a planned $110.5 million southern yellow pine lumber plant to produce a range of dimensional and specialty lumber products with an annual capacity of 300MMBF. Machinery for the mill has been secured.
The company plans to locate the greenfield facility on 235 acres in Plain Dealing in Bossier Parish, which features easy access to rail and the region’s rich timber basket. Teal Jones is a 70-year-old, family-owned company based in British Columbia, Canada—and the largest privately held forest products company operating on the western coast of Canada. Along with its B.C. operations, Teal Jones operates SYP mills in Antlers, Okla.; Martinsville and Kinsale, Va.; and Liberty, Miss. The Plain Dealing project would represent the company’s first investment in Louisiana.
“The level of support and engagement we’ve received from the folks at the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation, North Louisiana Economic Partnership, the local community and officials, and the state has been incredible,” says Tom Jones, CEO of Teal Jones. “At full capacity, this mill will have a production capacity of 300 million board feet, with world-class productivity and lumber recovery, and a competitive product mix. This will give Teal Jones and its partners a competitive advantage in the region for years to come.”
To secure the project in Bossier Parish, the State of Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart—the number one ranked workforce development program in the nation for the past 12 years. Additionally, the company is expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs program. The company is also pursuing a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement with local taxing entities.
“Louisiana’s wealth of timber resources has made it a prime destination for lumber and sawmill investment over the past several years,” says Gov. John Bel Edwards. “The proposed plans by Teal Jones and partner investors would bring tremendous economic activity and good jobs to Louisiana’s Northwest region. On behalf of the State of Louisiana, I welcome this proposed new project and all of the economic benefits that would follow.”
The new sawmill would support 125 new direct jobs, with average annual salaries of $47,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would also support at least 369 indirect jobs, for a total of 494 prospective new jobs in Louisiana’s Northwest region. The production facility would generate up to 120 construction jobs at peak construction.
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