Swanson Group rebuilding plywood and veneer mill at site of 2014 Oregon fire
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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - A 200-employee plywood and veneer panel mill begins production in April 2016 as the Swanson Group invests $55 million in a Springfield, Oregon plant. A former plywood mill plant located there was nearly destroyed by fire in 2014. 

In March 2015, Swanson Group purchased the assets of Olympic Panel Products, and in 2016 it will move production of Olympic-branded products to this new facility in Springfield.

The new state-of-the-art mill will be the largest, most advanced manufacturer of specialty overlay plywood in North America, the company says.

"We like the existing site because of its proximity to ready labor, to the type and quality of logs we need, and a pulp mill to take wood waste," says Chuck Wert, COO of the Swanson Group. "Also, several major pieces of equipment survived the fire and would be expensive to duplicate elsewhere.” 

The plant is expected to reach full capacity by August 2016. The mill will measure 345,000 square feet, and will produce 20 million square feet of veneer when it is at full capacity. This will yield 10 to 12 million square feet of veneered plywood products monthly; about 120 million square feet of finished plywood products each year.

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