Weyerhaeuser Breaks Ground on New Facility in South Arkansas

Weyerhaeuser headquarters in Seattle (Shutterstock)

Weyerhaeuser Co. of Seattle, Washington, (NYSE: WY) has broken ground on its new facility near Monticello and Warren.

The company is investing an estimated $500 million in the facility, which is expected to create 200 jobs in the region once fully operational. The company hopes to begin operations in 2027.

Company executives joined state and local officials for a groundbreaking ceremony at the project site in south Arkansas on Wednesday. During the ceremony, officials highlighted the importance of the forest products industry to the state and the positive economic impact the facility aims to have on south Arkansas.

The facility will produce TimberStrand, a proprietary laminated strand lumber that is engineered for consistent strength and straightness. It’s used in a range of building applications for single- and multi-family wood frame construction.

The new facility, which will be Weyerhaeuser’s fourth manufacturing facility in Arkansas, is expected to add approximately 10 million cubic feet of annual production capacity and help Weyerhaeuser meet growing demand. Weyerhaeuser plans to source fiber logs from company-owned timberlands in south Arkansas and surrounding regions.

Weyerhaeuser currently operates a lumber mill in Dierks, a plywood and veneer plant in Emerson and a seedling nursery in Magnolia. In addition, the company maintains four Timberlands offices in Arkansas, including its main Southern Timberlands office in Hot Springs, and owns or manages 1.2 million acres of timberlands in the state.

“In south Arkansas, our timber industry is growing thanks to investments like Weyerhaeuser’s $500 million investment in Monticello and Warren,” Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said in a press release. “This groundbreaking is an important milestone for Weyerhaeuser and for the local communities, moving them closer to production and the creation of good-paying jobs for Arkansans.”