Weyerhaeuser Plans Upgrade To Planer Mill At Grande Prairie Operation

Grande Prairie, AB - Weyerhaeuser Company plans to begin construction in the spring of 2007 of an upgrade to the planer mill at its Grande Prairie, AB, softwood lumber sawmill.

The board of directors of Weyerhaeuser Company approved this significant capital investment in October. The project, expected to be completed by the end of 2007, is the first significant upgrade to the facility since the sawmill opened in 1980.

"We are all very aware of the challenges facing us in the marketplace today, however, the Grande Prairie mill has earned this investment," said Rob Taylor, Weyerhaeuser's vice president of Softwood Lumber Technology. "The performance of the team at Grande Prairie gives us the confidence to know this investment will safely deliver the results we anticipate."

Taylor noted that no production will be lost during the construction period.

"Meeting the needs of our customers is the key element of our iLevel™ initiative," said Taylor. "The upgrade of the planer mill at our Grande Prairie operation will enhance our ability to meet our customers' needs."

Weyerhaeuser's Grande Prairie sawmill has current annual production capacity of 320 million board feet of lumber and employs 225 people.

SOURCE: Weyerhaeuser Company