BEAUREGARD PARISH, La. - Canadian lumber giant Interfor will invest $8 million to restart the former Georgia Pacific sawmill near DeQuincy, Louisiana. Georgia Pacific shuttered the mill in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The project will create 170 direct new jobs, with average wages of $62,000, plus benefits. The Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 505 indirect jobs, for a total of 675 new jobs in Louisiana’s Southwest region.

“On behalf of the State of Louisiana, I encourage and welcome Interfor’s investment near DeQuincy,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “Louisiana’s lumber industry is one of our most profitable agricultural exports, and the market for lumber is red hot right now. Interfor brings industry leadership and know-how to this project, and I am excited to say this new investment will create hundreds of new direct and indirect jobs to Louisiana.”

Interfor is one of North America’s largest lumber producers. The company recently acquired the Georgia Pacific facility, which has an annual lumber production capacity of 200 million board feet. Interfor plans to restart operations in the first half of 2022. The revived plant will also support significant logging and logistics activity in the region. 

Many of the employees that worked at the facility will work at the reopened plant. GP will also assist Interfor in getting the plant back online.

To secure Interfor’s project in DeQuincy, the State of Louisiana is providing a competitive incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart. Additionally, the company is expected to use the state’s Quality Jobs program and Industrial Tax Exemption Program for the new jobs created.

“Beauregard Parish and southwest Louisiana have always welcomed economic development projects big and small,” said Mike Harper, Beauregard Parish Police Jury President. “This is a big one, and is very exciting for an area that can benefit from a project of this scale once again.” 

“The restart of the lumber mill at DeQuincy by Interfor is a huge economic win for southwest Louisiana,” said George Swift, President and CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. “Interfor purchased the shuttered lumber mill from Georgia Pacific, and is investing millions of dollars in preparation of restarting the mill. This investment would create an estimated 45 construction jobs. When the mill is fully operational, Interfor plans to employ 170 permanent workers in quality jobs. We welcome Interfor to southwest Louisiana and thank them for reopening the lumber mill in DeQuincy.”