2018 International Forest Industries IFI Feb March 2018 Digital | Page 22
LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS
Blue Ridge Lumber to invest $2.7 million to expand
manufacturing operation in Essex County
Blue Ridge Lumber will create
seventeen new jobs and invest
nearly $2.7 million at the
company’s lumber yard in Essex
County.
The company is adding new dry
kiln capacity to increase hardwood
exports and has committed to
purchase more than $5.2 million
of Virginia-grown logs and lumber
over the next three years. Blue
Ridge Lumber has been selling
Appalachian hardwoods since 1981,
operating six facilities throughout
Virginia and exporting products
around the world.
“Blue Ridge Lumber’s continued
growth and investment in Essex
County is great indicator of the
strength of Virginia’s forestry
industry,” said Governor McAuliffe.
“Investments like these create
jobs and open new markets for
Virginia’s forestland owners
and their success reflects the
strong relationship growers
and producers have with
manufacturers and businesses
across the Commonwealth. Today’s
announcement is a great win for
forestry in the Commonwealth
as we continue with our ongoing
efforts to build a new Virginia
economy.”
“Through its commitment to
sourcing logs and lumber from
Virginia, Blue Ridge Lumber is
further supporting Virginia’s
loggers and forestland owners,”
said Secretary of Agriculture and
Forestry Basil Gooden. “Virginia’s
forestry industry contributes
a $21 billion annual economic
impact, and I am pleased the
Commonwealth could partner
with Essex County through the
AFID Program to support this local
business in a flourishing industry.”
“The mission of Blue Ridge
Lumber is to manufacture and sell
quality hardwoods, offering honest
value to a global market,” said Blue
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20 International Forest Industries | FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018
Ridge Lumber President Thomas
Sheets. “This new expansion
enables us to expand upon this
mission.”
“On behalf of the Essex County
Board of Supervisors, we are all
excited to see this grant award
by the Commonwealth, coupled
with the investment of private
money by a local company,” said
Timothy Wilson, Essex County
Administrator. “This expansion
of Blue Ridge Lumber will help
maintain the viability and add
to the value of forestry as a
continuing and vibrant segment
of our local, regional, and state
economy.”
“Essex County has a long
tradition of supporting agriculture
and forestry, which are our
largest industries,” said Bill
Croxton, Chairman of the Essex
County Economic Development
Authority. “The expansion of Blue
Ridge Lumber into our area, the
Basil Gooden,
Former Secretary of
Agriculture & Forestry,
Commonwealth of Virginia
investment and the new jobs
it brings are very exciting and
welcome.”
The Virginia Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services
worked with Essex County and
Blue Ridge Lumber Co., LLC to
secure this project for Virginia.
Governor McAuliffe approved a
$50,000 grant from the Governor’s
Agriculture and Forestry Industries
Development (AFID) Fund, which
Essex County will match with local
funds.
Suzano to acquire wood & land
in São Paulo, from Duratex
Suzano Pulp and Paper announces
agreement to acquire wood and
land owned by Duratex in the state
of São Paulo, Brazil. The agreement
for the purchase and sale of
forestry assets, commitment to
purchase and sell rural properties
and purchase option involves,
initially, the acquisition of 9,500
hectares of rural land and 1.2
million m³ of forests in the central
region of São Paulo state. The
transaction value is estimated at
R$308.1 million ($103 million)
During the same negotiations,
a purchase option was formalized
involving another approximately
20,000 hectares of rural land and
5.6 million m³ of forest assets, in
an operation valued at R$749.4
million ($250 million). The
purchase option may be exercised
exclusively by July 2, 2018.
“The acquisition will enable
us to shorten the average supply
radius of our Limeira Unit in São
Paulo, while also potentially
enabling us to expand our pulp
Walter Schalka,
Suzano CEO
production in the state,” explained
our CEO Walter Schalka.
The transaction expands
Suzano’s solid forest base in the
central region of São Paulo state,
which includes 61,000 hectares of
surplus land already available for
use.
The consummation of the
transaction is subject to certain
conditions typical to transactions
of this kind, including approval by
Brazil’s antitrust agency CADE.