Two Canadian Lumber Producers Buy U.S. Sawmills In Georgia And Arkansas

Two Vancouver-based Canadian lumber giants have announced the purchase of large sawmill operations in the U.S.: two in Georgia and one in Arkansas in the southern pine region.

International Forest Products Limited—which operates under the name Interfor—announced it had purchased two large sawmills at Perry and Lumpkin, Ga., from the Russian forest products company, Ilim Timber.  Before their purchase by Ilim a few years ago, the mills had been established and operated for years by the Tolleson family of Perry.

Interfor entered the lumber production business in 2013 with the purchase of three sawmills in Georgia formerly operated by Rayonier as an adjunct to the pulp and specialty fiber operations.  It added a fourth lumber mill in Georgia last year.

In a separate announcement, West Fraser Timber Co., also a Canadian-based lumber manufacturer with U.S. operations in Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana, said it has purchased Travis Lumber Company’s sawmill in Mansfield, Ark., and plans to increase production by 50 percent.

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