MONTICELLO, Ark. – Weyerhaeuser held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday morning for its new TimberStrand® manufacturing plant, which will be built west of Monticello in Drew County at the Southeast Arkansas Intermodal Facility. The $500 million investment is expected to bring 200 jobs to Southeast Arkansas and further strengthen the region’s forestry and manufacturing sectors.
The event drew a large crowd of business leaders, public officials, and community members from across Drew and Bradley Counties. Construction equipment including excavators and bulldozers was already staged at the site as work is set to begin immediately. The facility is projected to be completed in approximately 16 months.
The plant will produce TimberStrand® Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL), an engineered wood product designed for consistent strength and straightness. TimberStrand® is used in a variety of structural applications including tall walls, rim boards, beams, and sill plates. The plant will utilize southern yellow pine and incorporate a biomass-fueled cogeneration system that will use manufacturing residuals to supply a portion of the facility’s energy needs.
Speakers at the event included:
- Devon Stockfish, President and CEO of Weyerhaeuser
- Brian Chaney, Senior Vice President of Wood Products at Weyerhaeuser
- Jackson Braswell, Public Affairs Manager for Weyerhaeuser in Arkansas
- Sean Cheeseman, representing Weyerhaeuser
- Congressman Bruce Westerman
- Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge
- State Senator Ben Gilmore
- State Representative Jeff Wardlaw
The project represents Weyerhaeuser’s third major manufacturing facility in Arkansas, adding to its operations in Dierks and Emerson. The company also owns approximately 1.2 million acres of timberland in the state and operates a seedling nursery and multiple offices.
The groundbreaking marks a significant milestone in a collaborative regional effort between the cities of Monticello and Warren and the counties of Drew and Bradley through the Southeast Arkansas Intermodal Authority. Once completed, the new plant is expected to serve as a long-term economic driver for the area.
