RoseBurg Forest Products Selects Halifax County for New Manufacturing Facility

Weldon, NC – At a ceremony in Weldon on July 1, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Roseburg Forest Products, an innovative U.S. forest products manufacturer, will create 137 new jobs and invest $200 million in Halifax County. The company will develop a sustainable high-tech sawmill operation in the Town of Weldon. 

“We are continuing our efforts to bring good paying jobs to rural North Carolina and it will be great to have Roseburg Forest Products in Halifax County,” said NC Governor Roy Cooper. “This decision underscores the confidence companies have in our state, our location, our workforce and our quality of life.”

“This is an exciting investment by a company that represents significant growth opportunities for Weldon and Halifax County,” commented Vernon J. Bryant, Chairman of the Halifax County Board of Commissioners.  “Roseburg is a first-class manufacturer, and we celebrate the partnerships that have been created to support the company’s decision to locate in Halifax County. This is an incredible accomplishment,” Bryant added. 

“The Town of Weldon is thrilled to welcome Roseburg Forest Products to our community,”  said Julia Meacham, Mayor of Weldon.  “This project will be transformational for the Town. We look forward to working with the company and our local partners in supporting Roseburg’s long-term growth and success here,” Meacham added.

Based in Oregon, Roseburg Forest Products has manufactured high-quality wood products since 1936. The family-owned and operated company owns and sustainably manages 600,000 acres of timberland in Oregon and the southeastern United States, including North Carolina. With forest-to-finish vertical integration and high-tech manufacturing, the sawmill will harvest trees from the company’s timberland in Halifax County.

“Low interest rates, a surge in home remodeling, and growing demand for single-family housing are pushing the industry to increase domestic lumber production capacity as quickly as possible,” Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery said. “This new mill is an exciting strategic growth opportunity that integrates well with our other North American operations and client base. We are deeply grateful to the state of North Carolina, Halifax County and the Town of Weldon, who together helped make this project possible. We look forward to a long and productive future in the Roanoke Valley.”

“With its timberland, Roseburg has been long rooted in North Carolina, but today’s announcement is a celebration of the strong foundation that our economy and workforce can provide growing companies,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “The company’s decision to add a second U.S. sawmill operation in Halifax County proves that with the right partnerships, business climate and a diverse, talent pipeline, North Carolina will continue to attract innovative manufacturers to all corners of our state.”

The state Economic Investment Committee voted earlier today to award a Job Development Investment Grant to Roseburg Forest Products. JDIGs are awarded only to new and expanding businesses and industrial projects whose benefits exceed the costs to the state and which would not be undertaken in North Carolina without the Grant.

Roseburg’s expansion will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of the grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $511 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 137 new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,088,000 spread over 12 years. Payments for all JDIGs only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

Because Roseburg is locating to Halifax County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 1, the company’s JDIG agreement does not require a contribution into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account.

“Roseburg’s investment in Halifax County is a testament to our community’s collaborative efforts to support job creation and investment,” said Dan Brown, President of Halifax County Business Horizons. “The work of our partners, along with the abundance of timber resources in our area, was instrumental in the company’s selection of Halifax County, Brown added.

“Our strong forest  products supply chain, skilled workforce, and strategic location on Interstate 95 contributed to making Weldon a perfect match for Roseburg Forest Products,” commented Ronnie Locke, Chairman of the Halifax County Economic Development Commission. “This project represents a true partnership of many individuals and organizations working together to support Halifax County’s recruitment of Roseburg.”

“We appreciate the company for choosing to invest in our community,” said N.C. Representative Michael H. Wray. “This outstanding economic development win is the result of the collaboration of our local, regional and state leadership.”

“Roseburg Forest Products arrival will spark manufacturing in Halifax County when it redevelops the Weldon site into a sawmill,” said N.C. Senator Milton “Toby” Fitch, Jr. “We are excited to have the company grow their presence in our community and we’re eager to support their success.”

Salaries for the new positions will vary. Once all the positions are filled, the average annual salary for all new positions is $50,796, above the Halifax County average salary of $34,225. The project could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $6.9 million per year.

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Railroad Company, Halifax County, the Halifax County Economic Development Commission, Halifax County Business Horizons, Inc., the Town of Weldon, Golden LEAF Foundation, CSX Transportation, Dominion Energy, and Piedmont Natural Gas.

For more information about Roseburg Forest Products a visit www.roseburg.com and www.roanokevalleylumber.com

Pictured Above: Front Row from Left to Right: Dr. Michael Elam, Halifax Community College; Weldon Mayor Julia Meacham; NC Representative Michael Wray; Scott Hamilton, President, Golden LEAF Foundation; Dan Brown, President of Halifax County Business Horizons, Inc; Back Row: Jake Elston, Senior Vice President of Operations, Roseburg Forest Products; Governor Roy Cooper; Jim Salchenberg, Director of Engineering, Roseburg Forest Products; NC Commerce Secretary Machelle Sanders; and Vernon J. Bryant, Chairman of the Halifax County Board of Commissoners