International Forest Products Limited (Interfor) has announced that less than six months after acquiring the Swainsboro, GA, sawmill, it has completed a new $2.8-million state-of-the-art Dual Path Kiln.
“When Interfor acquired the Swainsboro mill, we said we would rebuild the kiln as quickly as possible so we could get back to full production and meet the market demand for our quality southern yellow pine lumber,” Joe Rodgers, Vice President, U.S. Operations, said today. “The new kiln is part of our commitment to build value for our customers, shareholders and the community of Swainsboro, and it means our employees can get back to work full-time.”
The previous kiln at the mill was destroyed by fire last Labor Day weekend. The new kiln is more efficient than its predecessor, with additional enhancements to prevent future fires. Interfor is also building a new kiln at its Baxley, GA, mill, and expects it will be in operation by late 2013. Interfor acquired the Baxley, Swainsboro and Eatonton mills on March 1, 2013.
Larry Dasher, General Manager, U.S. Southeast Operations, thanked Swainsboro employees who agreed to alternate shifts to avoid layoffs while the new kiln was being built.
“We are pleased to be back at full capacity – and with the new kiln’s increased efficiency, we may be able to increase production even further,” he said.
From The Forest-Blade: https://www.forest-blade.com/news/business/article_fb8e0c5c-08cf-11e3-8ccb-0019bb2963f4.html