Sawmill Expansion and Upgrades to Create New Jobs

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Woodgrain Inc. announced its decision to invest in expansion of its operations.

The company will invest over $8 million towards purchase and expansion of the former Independence Lumber sawmill in Grayson County, Virginia. The purchase will result in creation of new jobs, in addition to retention of existing jobs at Independence Lumber’s sawmills in Independence, Virginia and Elkin, North Carolina. The Elkin location will be upgraded with new machinery and equipment in order to boost supply of lumber to its millwork location in nearby Lenoir, NC.

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Also, Woodgrain will invest around $9 million to expand its operations in Smyth County, Virginia. The existing manufacturing facility will be improved and expanded into another building, said the company press release.

Combined, the above two projects will create around 100 new jobs in the region, apart from saving nearly 80 jobs at Independence Lumber. The completion of upgrades at the Grayson County sawmill will make it the primary supplier for the company’s Smyth County operation. The projects will result in purchase of additional nine million board feet of locally-grown forest products over the next three years.