On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey joined The Westervelt Company and other leaders in announcing a major expansion of the company’s operations in rural Clarke County.
A new lumber mill will be constructed in Thomasville, the second sawmill for the storied 134-year old company based in Tuscaloosa.
The Westervelt Company is expanding its wood products manufacturing business through the planned new facility, which will produce Southern yellow pine lumber. Their existing facility in Moundville has been operating since 1997.
“The Westervelt Company has long played a prominent role in Alabama’s booming lumber industry and has done so while promoting good environmental stewardship,” Ivey said in a press release.
She continued, “I’m very excited to see that Westervelt is thriving and that they are building their second mill in rural Clarke County. This manufacturing facility is going to have a major impact on this area and give dozens of people a chance to earn a living from a trusted company.”
The company expressed its enthusiasm and reaffirmed its deep commitment to the Yellowhammer State.
“This new mill represents our commitment to the State of Alabama and to the region,” Westervelt President and CEO Brian Luoma remarked. “South Alabama was always our preferred location, and the local community offers the workforce and resources that will support our long-term strategy for this facility. We are grateful for the support of Governor Ivey, Chairman Rush and Mayor Day, and we look forward to being a part of this community.”
This commitment to the state does not go unnoticed by state leaders and local elected officials.
“The Westervelt Co.’s deep roots in Alabama date back for generations, and I’m pleased to see this family business continue to invest and grow in the state,” Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, added. “The company’s new lumber production facility in Clarke County represents an important job-creating project for a rural area, and it will provide a boost for the forest products industry throughout the region.”
“We are extremely happy that The Westervelt Company has elected to make a large capital investment in Clarke County and the Alabama-Tombigbee Region,” Frank Dobson, director of development for the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission, outlined. “The company has a strong history with the State of Alabama and will provide good jobs to our area while continuing their legacy of stewardship.”
“We are very proud to welcome The Westervelt Company to the region,” Clarke County Commission Chairman Jackie Rush said. “I’ve been involved in these discussions from the beginning, and throughout the process, The Westervelt Company’s team has been a pleasure. We’re all looking forward to helping them succeed in our community.”
“The City of Thomasville has been honored to be a partner with the Clarke County Commission, the State of Alabama and many others as we worked shoulder to shoulder to attract The Westervelt Company to rural southwest Alabama,” Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day emphasized. “This project will have a tremendous impact on our community and our rural region.”
Their enthusiasm is shared by the company’s leaders, too.
“We’re excited to be a part of this community,” Joe Patton, Westervelt vice president and general manager of wood products, commented. “It’s not only a great fit for us because of the location and proximity to our resources and facility, but because this region and our new neighbors have so much more to offer.”
The facility will produce approximately 250 million board feet of lumber annually and create 125 new jobs. The expansion will take advantage of the proximity of the company’s timberland and other facilities, as well as workforce and existing customer bases.
Construction is expected to begin mid-2019, with operations scheduled to begin in late 2020.
“The BID Group is extremely proud to be chosen as the turnkey supplier for The Westervelt Company’s new sawmill facility,” Travis McDonald, Turnkey Solutions senior vice president, commented. “We have a longstanding relationship with their team, and they are widely recognized throughout the industry as innovative and successful operators. Along with Westervelt’s engineering group, we will construct a facility with a no-compromise approach to safety, efficiency, logistics and productivity.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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