GLENWOOD, Ark. (June 22, 2016) – Caddo River Forest Products today announced they are planning to reopen the Glenwood, Arkansas sawmill.
The company will invest up to $50 million in the facility, creating 136 new jobs with 200 to 300 new indirect jobs also expected in the area as a result of this project.
“Caddo River Forest Products is thankful for all of the support received from CAT Financial, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Glenwood, Pike County, the State of Arkansas and the U.S. Economic Development Administration program,” said David Henderson, a member of the Caddo River partnership. “We are pleased to bring back important jobs to the area.”
Caddo River Forest Products plans on manufacturing dimensional and specialty lumber. The re-start of the mill will also provide indirect employment opportunities for loggers, landowners and transportation specialists.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) will provide a grant of $817,726 to the city of Glenwood to make water and roadway infrastructure improvements needed to serve the Caddo River Forest Products facility.
“EDA is pleased to partner with Glenwood in providing much needed infrastructure improvements to bring this sawmill facility back online,” said Jorge D. Ayala, EDA’s regional director. “This investment will drastically improve and expand the economic opportunity of Glenwood and will strengthen a community that has suffered disproportionate economic distress and job losses.”
“For 50 years, EDA has understood the strong relationship between infrastructure and economic growth, and has supported infrastructure creation and upgrades across the country,” said Jay Williams, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This EDA investment will make the critical improvements needed to serve a local sawmill site that is critical to job growth in the region.”
The mill was originally built by Georgia Pacific in the early-1970s and it was significantly upgraded to become one of the most technologically advanced mills in North America. At its peak, it employed approximately 200 workers, making it one of the largest independent southern pine manufacturers in the United States.
“The timber industry is vital to Arkansas’ economic well-being,” said Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “The jobs created by Caddo River Forest Products will have a lasting impact on many families in Glenwood and the surrounding area.”
“This Federal and State Assistance will bring at least 136 new jobs to the City of Glenwood and likely spur more activity in the surrounding areas,” said Glenwood Mayor Ron Martin. “This will bring more money to the city, county, and state. The best thing for the citizens of Glenwood and surrounding area is the opportunities for jobs, the dignity and joy of working to support their families.”
