NASHVILLE, Tenn. (News release) -- LP Building Solutions (LP), a leading manufacturer of high-performance building products, announced the first production of LP^® SmartSide^® products at its Sagola, Michigan facility on March 15, 2023, followed by the production of the first APA-approved SmartSide board on April 7, 2023.

For over 20 years, LP SmartSide Trim and Siding has provided customers with innovative home siding products that combine the beauty of traditional wood and the durability of carbon-negative engineered wood. In that time, SmartSide has seen tremendous success and has become one of the fastest-growing siding brands in the United States.

LP's Sagola facility opened as an oriented strand board (OSB) mill in 1988. In 2021, the company announced a phased, multi-year plan to expand its siding production capacity to meet the increased demand for SmartSide products. At that time, LP Sagola was among the two facilities, including LP's Houlton, Maine mill, announced for conversion from the manufacturing of OSB to SmartSide siding.

LP safely and successfully completed the initial phase of Sagola's conversion to a siding mill, which culminated in the pressing of the mill's first siding board on March 15, exactly one year after breaking ground on the project. Following confirmation testing by APA - The Engineered Wood Association (an organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute for developing national consensus standards for engineered wood products), LP Sagola is now producing APA-certified and trademarked siding.

"Expansion projects like this one in Sagola enable LP to meet increased demand for SmartSide siding across North America while positioning us for long-term growth," said Executive Vice President, General Manager of Siding Jason Ringblom. "This outstanding accomplishment is a result of the talent and determination of LP's Sagola team, with Engineering, Capital Procurement and other LP departments providing invaluable support."

At full capacity, LP Sagola will be able to produce approximately 330 million square feet of SmartSide siding annually, bringing the company's total siding production capacity to approximately 2.3 billion square feet.