MOBILE, Ala. — Great Southern Wood plans to invest $13.7 million in an expansion project at its treatment facility in Mobile County, allowing the company to create 12 jobs and retain 78 current positions, according to the Mobile Chamber.

Upgrades to the Mobile County facility is intended to improve traffic flow, and storage, and expand the company’s ability to process imports and exports through the Port of Mobile, the company says.

Jimmy Rane, Great Southern Wood’s founder, president and CEO, said the project “is the next step in our long-term commitment to Mobile and the entire Gulf Coast region.”

Great Southern Wood produces and distributes appearance-grade, pressure-treated lumber marketed for decks, fences, and landscaping projects under YellaWood and other brands.

The expansion builds on the Mobile area’s growing logistics and distribution network.

“It’s all about being more efficient when getting products to suppliers,” said Mobile Chamber President and CEO Bradley Byrne. “This is not only an investment into the Great Southern Wood facility but an investment into the growth and expansion of the port.”

According to the chamber, the company plans to break ground on the expansion project in January 2023 and anticipates completing the project by the end of February 2024.