Roanoke Valley’s largest private timberland owner and forest products manufacturer, Roseburg forests plans on investing $200 million for the construction of a high-tech sawmill operation in Halifax, and according to the company this development will create 137 new jobs in Halifax County. This project will also be partly financed by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) that was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee on the 1st of July. The terms for the grant’s 12-year term show that the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $511 million, the Department of Commerce
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Roseburg also has signed up BID Group for the design, building and equipping of the sawmill to be built in Halifax. The new 375,000-sq.-ft. facility is to be called Roanoke Valley Lumber which is named after its location, and will be built on their 200 acre site. The construction has been scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2022. Roanoke Valley Lumber is capable of becoming one of the highest-capacity sawmills on the East Coast, with a production rate of up to 400 million board feet of dimensional lumber per year. The company already has 14 manufacturing plants across North America.
The Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery said in statement, “Low interest rates, a surge in home remodeling, and growing demand for single-family housing are pushing the industry to increase domestic lumber production capacity as quickly as possible,” He also added, “This new sawmill to be built in Halifax is an exciting strategic growth opportunity that integrates well with our other North American operations and client base.”
Mayor of Weldon, Julia Meacham said, “The Town of Weldon is thrilled to welcome Roseburg Forest Products to our community,” She stated, “This project will be transformational for the town. We look forward to working with the company and our local partners in supporting Roseburg’s long-term growth and success here.”
