05 Oct Gloster Forest Products Breaks Ground on New Sawmill in Southwest Mississippi

Southwest Electric welcomed an economic development project in its service area. CLAW Forestry held a groundbreaking ceremony on September 27, 2022, at the site of its new Amite County sawmill, which will be named Gloster Forest Products. The mill represents a corporate investment of nearly $200 million. When operating at full capacity, the sawmill will create 131 jobs and support an additional 200 indirect jobs. CLAW Forestry announced the Gloster Forest Products project in April.

“The decision to locate CLAW Forestry’s latest capital investment project, Gloster Forest Products, in Gloster and Amite County was important to our Mississippi-based company,” said Billy VanDevender, CEO of CLAW Forestry Services, LLC and Gloster Forest Products. Between the timber natural resources and the support of the town, county, state, and congressional leadership, we know we made the right decision. Gloster Forest Products will be a state-of-the-art sawmill in Southwest Mississippi. We look forward to being a strong partner in the local community.”

The new sawmill will require more than one million tons of timber annually to produce approximately 250 million board feet of lumber. The facility will be located on 65 acres of land, which includes the former Georgia Pacific site. In connection with the new sawmill facility, efforts are underway to resume operation of the Gloster Southern Railroad to further revitalize industry and jobs in the underserved community.

“Southwest Electric is thrilled to welcome a new member to our region,” said Kevin Bonds, CEO of Southwest Electric. “Gloster Forest Products will be an industry vital to our community and membership, and we were pleased to play a small part in supporting this investment through Cooperative Energy’s Cooperative Competes grant program. The real work begins today, and our Cooperative stands ready to meet the new sawmill’s needs for generations to come.”

Southwest Electric’s Engineering Department has anticipated the 5 MW load and is working with Gloster Forest Products to provide the electricity they need to operate.

Gloster Forest Products is slated to begin manufacturing lumber in early 2024.

Read the full press release on Cooperative Energy’s website.