Great Southern Wood Preserving, the lumber processing company best known for its YellaWood® brand pressure-treated pine, announced a $5.9 million expansion of its Avoyelles Parish, La., facility’s remanufacturing division with the installation of four new production lines. The additional equipment will increase the facility’s production capacity and allow for the manufacturing of components used in the oil field and for storm relief and mitigation.
The company will create 25 new direct jobs and retain 79 existing jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 84 indirect new jobs, for a total of 109 new jobs in the Central Region.
“Great Southern Wood Preserving’s reinvestment in its Mansura facility is a testament to the talent of our workforce, and illustrates the strength of Louisiana’s timber and manufacturing industries,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “We are committed to growing our economy in every corner of our state and revitalizing our rural areas. Companies like Great Southern lift up our rural communities by investing in local economies and providing quality jobs for the men and women of Louisiana.”
With the facility enhancements, production of supplemental decking components, including rails and balusters, will shift from out-of-state facilities to the Mansura plant. These products will be used on-site as well as at Great Southern locations throughout the U.S., helping offset supply chain interruptions.
“Our expansion in Mansura is phase two of the long-range plan we had in mind when we began operations here in late 2011,” said Great Southern’s founder, President and CEO Jimmy Rane. “With the growth of various manufacturing segments in Louisiana, our goal is to be able to support these industries by providing both a greater volume of products as well as more variety in the products they need to continue their growth. We’re looking forward to getting underway in early 2023.”
The company projects construction to begin in January and be complete in October. This is Great Southern's second investment in its Louisiana location in 2022. In April, the company announced a $22.5 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion of the Mansura facility that included a new warehouse, office building and maintenance shop.
"Great Southern Wood has made a significant impact on Avoyelles Parish when it comes to economic growth,” Avoyelles Parish Police Jury President Kirby Roy III said. “I drive by the company every day and see modernization taking place such as an asphalt road to enter and exit. Avoyelles appreciates the state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, $5.9 million capital investment, quality job creation and many other incentives."
"The Town of Mansura, as well as Avoyelles Parish, welcome Great Southern Wood's expansion,” Mansura Mayor Kenneth Pickett. “The economic impact it will have is truly a blessing on the local community, as well as the parish, and even on the state level. We welcome it with open arms."
To secure the project in Mansura, the state of Louisiana offered Great Southern Wood a competitive incentives package including a performance-based retention and modernization tax credit of up to $200,000, and the services of LED FastStart, Louisiana’s nationally acclaimed recruitment, customized training and workforce development program. The company is a participant in the state’s Quality Jobs program and is expected to participate in the Industrial Tax Exemption program as well.
“Great Southern Wood continues to invest and expand in the Louisiana Central regional economy,” Louisiana Central President and CEO Jim Clinton said. “Its latest investment represents an expansion of the company’s workforce and physical plant in Mansura. We continue to be excited about Great Southern Wood’s future."