Wood Product Manufacturing

The Lake Martin Area currently has a concentrated and growing workforce in the wood products industry. In addition, wood products companies currently located in Lake Martin have seen momentum in recent years.

Based on Next Move Group’s research into the region’s industry supply chain, workforce, location advantages, and workforce training options, companies in this sector could have opportunities in the Lake Martin Region.

Opportunity – Wood Products Manufacturing

We have identified the following sampling of sub-industries as having opportunities in the Lake Martin Area:

• Upholstered Household Furniture Manufacturing:
  148% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
• Softwood Veneer and Plywood Manufacturing:
  58% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 year
• Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing:
  35% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
• Non-upholstered Wood Household Furniture Manufacturing:
  33% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
• Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing:
  30% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
• Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing:
  16% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years

Based on both a supply chain analysis conducted by Next Move Group, the Lake Martin area has considerable advantages in the following wood manufacturing-related industries:

•  Upholstered Household Furniture Manufacturing:  
  148% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Softwood Veneer and Plywood Manufacturing:   
  58% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing:  
  35% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Non-upholstered Wood Household Furniture Manufacturing:  
  33% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing:  
  30% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing:  
  16% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing:  
  14% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Engineered Wood Member (except Truss) Manufacturing:  
  13% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Wood Window and Door Manufacturing:  
  13% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
  
  
•  Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing:  
  7% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years
•  Sawmill, Woodworking, and Paper Machinery Manufacturing:  
  Average salary of $75,504 in the Lake Martin area
  
  
•  Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing:  
  5% growth in employment in the Lake Martin area over the last 5 years

In our research of the surrounding region’s supply chain, the Lake Martin area benefits significantly from Wood manufacturing industries, showing that the region had advantages to target this industry.

•   Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing:  
  58 suppliers within the Lake Martin region
  
  
•   Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturing:  
  2,984 suppliers within the region

Recent $18 Million Sawmill Expansion

Coosa County, Al (WSFA) - Deep in the woods of Coosa County, lots of wood is being carved up, picked up and splintered. You think it's busy now? Wait until this time next year; a high tech sawmill will be added thanks to an $18 million expansion by Central Alabama Wood Products.

"I think this is fantastic," said Larry Jones, one of the co-owners of the company. Jones says the railroad industry was one of the driving forces behind their decision to expand.

"Average age of a cross tie lasts about 30 years, so it's the replacement cycle is what goes on," said Jones. "There are 20 million cross ties replaced every year."

There is an odd part to this expansion. There won't be any new direct jobs created. However economic leaders say an arrangement like this is not unusual.

"We'll stay pretty much stagnant," Jones said. But that's not the same as saying there won't be an impact. In fact, Jones estimates 40 new "indirect" positions will be added to the mix.

"Indirectly, we'll be adding truckers, more logging companies," Jones stated.

Once the new sawmill is built, the plant will double its capacity.

"We'll do it on a lot bigger scale," Jones said.

"It's not replacing jobs. It's refining the positions those people have, it's a lot of technology coming in." said Don McClellan, Executive Director of the Lake Martin Area Economic alliance. "A sawmill is not a sawmill anymore. It's a high tech industry."

High tech or not, it's still a heavy lift. A behemouth of a machine, for example, picked up 30,000 pounds of logs, worth its weight in gold when you factor in the comnpany's long term committment to Coosa County.

Copyright 2018 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.

Dadeville Pole Company plans to construct a new facility

Wood Manufacturing and Support Companies in the Lake Martin Area