Chipman, New Brunswick, Canada 05 December 2014 -- Since the ground breaking earlier this fall, 227 truckloads of concrete have been delivered to the Grand Lake Timber Expansion Project in Chipman, NB. So far, 1,645 cubic metres of concrete have been poured by Econocrete of Fredericton as the foundations for the new production line take shape. The $23 million project includes a new mill infeed, a new debarker, stud line, and trimmer, as well as new stackers for the lumber.

JDI Sawmills Operations manager Jerome Pelletier says the Chipman investment will create 16 new sawmill jobs at Grand Lake Timber as well as 39 new jobs at local JDI Woodlands operations when the project is complete in late spring of 2015. "In the meantime, the current project will involve about 150 direct and indirect construction jobs," Pelletier said. "That's good news for the local suppliers and contractors. We are also looking forward to finalizing the engineering for the new sawmill in Doaktown in 2015."

Thirty-eight (38) New Brunswick businesses, from communities across the province, have been awarded contracts to date.

In their November 27, 2014 forecast, the Conference Board of Canada reported JDI's $513 million investment in its forest project operations as a major factor in New Brunswick's projected economic growth for 2015.