Roseburg officially opens new South Carolina plant
Roseburg Forest Products held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 28 to celebrate the grand opening of its newly constructed Chester, S.C., engineered wood plant.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster participated in the event, along with Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery and Roseburg owner and Chairman Allyn Ford.
The Chester Engineered Wood plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities of its kind and features the highest-capacity laminated veneer press (LVL) press in the world. The project was first announced in summer 2017 and the construction team broke ground later that year. When fully operational, the plant will employ at least 145 people from the area.
The Chester facility will produce LVL headers and beams used in residential and commercial construction. Roseburg first established its engineered wood business in 2001 and currently manufactures RFPI Joists, RigidLam LVL and RigidRim rimboard at its engineered wood plant in Riddle, Ore.
Roseburg’s said its LVL products support heavier loads and allow greater spans, because they are stronger, stiffer and more consistent than conventional lumber.
The forest products and building materials manufacturer conducted extensive research prior to choosing a location for the new plant, with the criteria including market demand, raw materials availability and cost, and business climate front and center. Roseburg clients in the eastern United States will now have access to a stable supply of high-quality LVL products.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tours Roseburg's new Chester, S.C. plant with Roseburg Senior Vice President of Operations Jake Elston.
“South Carolina is a great state to do business in,” Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery said. “Our research showed that this region was an ideal place to locate this facility, with its steady demand, healthy market and bountiful wood supply. Chester County and the state of South Carolina stood out, offering outstanding support and assistance as we navigated through the process.”
Attendees included state and local politicians, regional officials, and more than 100 recently hired plant employees. After the ribbon cutting, project leaders guided guests on a tour of the expansive manufacturing plant, which produced its first board on Sept. 19.
“What started out as an undeveloped plot of land is now home to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility thanks to the efforts of a team of people with the vision and knowledge to make it happen,” Ford said. “Because of those efforts, 145 people will have jobs that did not exist before, and 145 families will earn a stable income in a safe work environment that contributes to the overall health and prosperity of this community and this state.”
Based in Springfield, Ore., Roseburg Forest Products is a privately owned company and one of North America’s leading producers of particleboard, medium density fiberboard and thermally fused laminates. Roseburg also manufactures softwood and hardwood plywood, lumber, LVL and I-joists. The company owns and sustainably manages more than 600,000 acres of timberland in Oregon, North Carolina and Virginia, as well as an export wood chip terminal facility in Coos Bay, Ore.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster participated in the event, along with Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery and Roseburg owner and Chairman Allyn Ford.
The Chester Engineered Wood plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities of its kind and features the highest-capacity laminated veneer press (LVL) press in the world. The project was first announced in summer 2017 and the construction team broke ground later that year. When fully operational, the plant will employ at least 145 people from the area.The Chester facility will produce LVL headers and beams used in residential and commercial construction. Roseburg first established its engineered wood business in 2001 and currently manufactures RFPI Joists, RigidLam LVL and RigidRim rimboard at its engineered wood plant in Riddle, Ore.
Roseburg’s said its LVL products support heavier loads and allow greater spans, because they are stronger, stiffer and more consistent than conventional lumber.
The forest products and building materials manufacturer conducted extensive research prior to choosing a location for the new plant, with the criteria including market demand, raw materials availability and cost, and business climate front and center. Roseburg clients in the eastern United States will now have access to a stable supply of high-quality LVL products.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tours Roseburg's new Chester, S.C. plant with Roseburg Senior Vice President of Operations Jake Elston.“South Carolina is a great state to do business in,” Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery said. “Our research showed that this region was an ideal place to locate this facility, with its steady demand, healthy market and bountiful wood supply. Chester County and the state of South Carolina stood out, offering outstanding support and assistance as we navigated through the process.”
Attendees included state and local politicians, regional officials, and more than 100 recently hired plant employees. After the ribbon cutting, project leaders guided guests on a tour of the expansive manufacturing plant, which produced its first board on Sept. 19.
“What started out as an undeveloped plot of land is now home to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility thanks to the efforts of a team of people with the vision and knowledge to make it happen,” Ford said. “Because of those efforts, 145 people will have jobs that did not exist before, and 145 families will earn a stable income in a safe work environment that contributes to the overall health and prosperity of this community and this state.”
Based in Springfield, Ore., Roseburg Forest Products is a privately owned company and one of North America’s leading producers of particleboard, medium density fiberboard and thermally fused laminates. Roseburg also manufactures softwood and hardwood plywood, lumber, LVL and I-joists. The company owns and sustainably manages more than 600,000 acres of timberland in Oregon, North Carolina and Virginia, as well as an export wood chip terminal facility in Coos Bay, Ore.