A sawmill processes logs in a machine.

A sawmill processes logs in a machine.

(The Center Square) – A new $210 million investment near Mobile will retain more than 100 jobs, state officials said.

Canfor Southern Pine Inc. has announced it will create a new state-of-the-art sawmill facility that will support producing and process wood products in Axis.

“We are excited to be making this investment in a new state-of-the-art sawmill complex that will be built with next-generation, innovative technology and transform our workplace to offer employees a modern facility that will operate for generations to come,” Tony Sheffield, president of Canfor Southern Pine, said in a release.

The investment, Sheffield said, gives the company the ability to deliver on its “long-term commitment” to the region, in addition to enhancing the company’s capacity “to better align with the high-quality products” that the market calls for while investing in its workers.

The company, according to the release, will retain roughly 130 jobs while replacing its current facility.

The sawmill produces 250 million board feet of lumber each year, while using cutting-edge technology, according to the release.

The project will allow Canfor to make investments in a lumber drying mechanism that will use biomass fuels in an effort to reach climate change goals for decarbonization.

“The expansion of Canfor is a strategic investment in the community, sawmill industry and economy of South Alabama,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in the release. “As one of the most heavily forested states in the nation, Alabama has ample opportunity to attract significant new capital investment in the forest industry, and it’s apparent we’re doing just that.”

Canfor said it anticipates the facility, according to the release, to be operational by the third quarter of 2024.

Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.

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