TEXAS (News release) -- Georgia-Pacific recently invested $120 million into Pineland Lumber in Pineland, Texas, making it the largest sawmill in the South. As a result of the improvements and new technology, Pineland Lumber is now positioned as a major competitor in the forest products industry.

The capital improvement project at Pineland Lumber began last April, and includes a modified log yard, a fully modernized sawmill, a continuous dry kiln, and a high-speed planer.

Pineland Lumber can now accept more log trucks per day - in less time. The modified log yard and the use of wheel loaders, which can unload a truck in one "bite" as opposed to two, will increase the mill's truck traffic from approximately 250 to 300 per day. Pineland Lumber will produce 450 million board feet of lumber annually, the same amount of lumber needed to build 30,000 houses.

In addition to increased capacity, Pineland Lumber now has the ability to produce new products. Unique to the facility is the application of cross laminated timbers (CLT), which are used to construct electrical control rooms and specialty equipment enclosures. "We chose to install the CLT for a variety of reasons," said Comeaux. "It is an environmentally friendly option to many traditional building materials, as CLT is a completely sustainable resource. CLT construction is strong, tough, and lightweight due to the arrangement of the individual boards in a panel. The CLT panels also offer inherent properties for fire resistance, noise reduction and thermal performance. Finally, CLT buildings are a great way to support our lumber industry and showcase the natural beauty of wood construction."

Pineland Lumber is one of 12 sawmills Georgia-Pacific operates in the U.S. For more than a century, this facility in east Texas has produced numerous wood products, as well as contributed to the local economy through jobs and community support as the area's largest employer with close to 300 employees.