Lumber company announces expansion into Lamar County
Lumber producer Idaho Forest Group announced on Monday it is locating sawmill operations in Lumberton at the South Lamar Industrial Park. The $120 million investment will create up to 135 jobs.
“This project came to us over the summer through our partnership with Mississippi Development Authority,” Economic Development Representative Adam Schraeder said. “IFG has been in South Mississippi five times since the summer. They were evaluating sites in several states and ultimately decided to go with the South Lamar Industrial Park.”
“This is a prime example of the synergy between our economic development team, the Area Development Partnership and MDA,” Economic Development Manager Steven Dick said. “MDA Project Manager Thomas McElroy drove the project to our area. The team at the ADP led the local efforts, while the leadership in Lamar County and Lumberton were fully on board.”
Idaho Forest Group manufactures, markets and distributes a variety of lumber products to consumers predominantly across North America. IFG has the capacity to produce more than one billion board feet per year, making it one of the country’s largest lumber producers.
“The southern yellow pine that grows and is produced in Mississippi also helped drive IFG to build their first Southern sawmill in Lumberton,” Schraeder said.
This facility will be the first new sawmill built in Lumberton since the 1920s. IFG also plans to work closely with Pearl River Community College on several workforce training initiatives.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2021 with operations starting in June 2022.
Now in its 95th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 188,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power recently was a recipient of the Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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