DOTHAN, Alabama — International Beams, a producer of engineered wood products, announced today that it will invest nearly $20 million to open a manufacturing facility near Dothan to produce innovative timber panels and beams using Southern Pine lumber.
IB said its project will create 60 full-time jobs on a two-shift operation, with the possibility that figure could rise by 25 positions over a five-year period. Anticipated capital investment in the new facility is $19.6 million.
“Dothan, a city known for its manufacturing and agribusiness industries, is the perfect place to build the expert staff that will grow the engineered wood products market,” IB Chief Executive Bruno Lebel said. “We’re excited about this new venture and look forward to being a driving force for Dothan’s economy.”
IB officials joined Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, and local officials for an official announcement about the project this morning in Dothan.
“IB’s decision to locate this innovative, technologically advanced manufacturing facility in Dothan sends a clear message to the world that Alabama is an ideal destination for investment and job creation,” Governor Kay Ivey said.
“This project will create good jobs and new opportunities for area residents, and we look forward to helping IB find a sweet home in Alabama,” she added.
GROWING INDUSTRY
“The new International Beams facility in Dothan will be a great addition to the state’s thriving forest products sector.”
IB’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will be located in a 227,000-square-foot existing building south of Dothan in Henry County. It will serve as the production site for two new IB products – cross-laminated timber panels, called CLT, and glue laminated beams, or GLU-LAM.
The company said its Alabama facility will be the first of its kind in the Eastern U.S. and the only one to use Southern Pine as its primary raw material.
Sarasota, Florida-based IB joins an expanding forest products industry in Alabama, which is home to the nation’s second largest timberland base and an estimated 650 companies employing 25,000 people. Exports of Alabama forest products reached $1.3 billion in 2015.
New investment has been coming into Alabama as well. In 2015, new capital investment by forest-product companies in the state topped $400 million, creating 275 jobs, according to figures by the Alabama Department of Commerce.
That accelerated in 2016, with new capital investment in the sector approaching $1.2 billion and over 1,000 anticipated jobs, according to a Commerce estimate.
“The forest products industry has long been a critical component of Alabama’s economy, and its vitality is attracting significant levels of new investment and driving job growth across the state,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“Thanks to the high-quality products it will be turning out, the new International Beams facility in Dothan will be a great addition to the state’s thriving forest products sector,” he added.
ADDED STRENGTH
While cross-laminated lumber (CLT) is typically used in commercial construction, the product gaining popularity among residential builders, IB says. The company says CLT is widely used in multi-level structures across Europe because it outperforms conventional materials.
CLT’s unique layered engineering gives it steel-like strength, and it’s light, easy to assemble, sustainable, fire resistant and cost effective.
The only CLT manufacturers in the U.S. today are in Montana and Oregon, IB says.
The company’s new product will be branded IB X-LAM and is expected to be available next year. The laminated beams, or GLU-LAM, will provide a complementary product line at the new Alabama manufacturing facility.
“This project adds strength and diversity to a strong existing manufacturing base, promotes regional growth and opportunity, and allows individuals to secure good-paying and stable jobs,” Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz said. “Our city, and the entire Wiregrass region, is made economically stronger with the addition of International Beams.”
Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver added that the IB project represents “an important and positive economic step forward’’ for the area.
“A strong company with a new technology, combined with the strategic partnership of Auburn University, is a win-win for our region and citizens,” he added. “We look forward to helping IB grow and prosper, and we stand ready to be partners with them every day.”
