Great Southern Wood is Expanding its Louisiana Factory by $5.9 Million

Great Southern Wood Preserving, best known for its YellaWood brand pressure-treated pine, announced a $5.9 million expansion of its remanufacturing business at its Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana site with the installation of four new production lines.

The new equipment will boost the facility’s production capacity and enable the fabrication of components needed in the oil sector as well as storm relief and mitigation.

The company plans to create 25 new direct jobs while keeping 79 existing jobs. According to Louisiana Economic Development, the project will create 84 indirect new jobs, for a total of 109 new jobs in the Central Region.

“Great Southern Wood Preserving’s reinvestment in its Mansura facility is a testament to our workforce’s talent and demonstrates the strength of Louisiana’s timber and manufacturing industries,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards.

“We are devoted to strengthening our economy in every corner of our state and regenerating our rural areas. Companies like Great Southern help to strengthen our rural areas by investing in local economies and providing quality jobs for Louisiana’s men and women.”

Production of auxiliary decking components, such as rails and balusters, will be moved from out-of-state facilities to the Mansura plant as a result of the facility improvements. These items will be used on-site as well as in Great Southern locations across the United States, helping to compensate for supply chain disruptions.

“Our expansion in Mansura is phase two of the long-term plan we had in mind when we started operations here in late 2011,” stated Jimmy Rane, founder, President, and CEO of Great Southern.

“With the rise of various manufacturing segments in Louisiana, our goal is to be able to serve these businesses by offering both a bigger volume of products as well as more diversity in the items they need to sustain their growth. We are excited to begin construction in early 2023.”

Construction is expected to begin in January and end in October, according to the business. In 2022, Great Southern will make its second investment in its Louisiana facility. The business announced a $22.5 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion of its Mansura site in April, which includes a new warehouse, office building, and maintenance shop.

“When it comes to economic growth, Great Southern Wood has had a significant impact on Avoyelles Parish,” stated Avoyelles Parish Police Jury President Kirby Roy III.

“Every day, I drive by the workplace and witness modernisation taking place, such as an asphalt road to approach and exit. Avoyelles values the state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, the $5.9 million capital investment, the creation of quality jobs, and numerous other benefits.”

“The Town of Mansura, as well as Avoyelles Parish, welcome the expansion of Great Southern Wood,” said Mansura Mayor Kenneth Pickett. “The economic impact it will have is definitely a blessing to the local community, as well as the parish, and even on the state level. We welcome it wholeheartedly.”

The state of Louisiana offered Great Southern Wood a competitive incentive package that included a performance-based retention and modernization tax credit of up to $200,000, as well as the services of LED FastStart, Louisiana’s nationally acclaimed recruitment, customized training, and workforce development program. The company is a participant in the state’s Quality Jobs program and will also be a participant in the Industrial Tax Exemption program.

“Great Southern Wood continues to invest and expand in the regional economy of Louisiana Central,” stated Louisiana Central President and CEO Jim Clinton. “Its most recent investment signifies an increase in the company’s employees and physical facility in Mansura. We remain optimistic about Great Southern Wood’s future.”