Great Southern Wood Preserving is building a lumber treatment manufacturing facility at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport in North Carolina. Great Southern Wood-NC Inc. is investing $40 million and is expected to employ approximately 43 people at the facility.
Great Southern Wood, which produces pressure-treated pine lumber, was founded in Alabama in 1970. The Laurinburg facility will be its 17th plant, with other facilities located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia, according to its website.
“We are excited that Great Southern Wood has decided to plant roots in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. “This new facility will strengthen our $41 billion forestry industry and offer more opportunities in Scotland County and beyond.”
While wages vary by position, the average annual salary for the new positions at the plant will be $60,827, which exceeds Scotland County’s average of $49,091, according to a statement from North Carolina’s governor’s office.
The company has received a performance-based grant of $200,000 from the One North Carolina Fund to help establish the operations. All OneNC grants require matching participation from local governments, and any award is contingent upon the condition being met.
One of the key partners in the project is the North Carolina Railroad Co., which is investing up to $600,000 in critical rail infrastructure for Great Southern Wood-NC Inc. The railroad’s investment will help fund the design and construction of on-site rail infrastructure for the new lumber treatment facility at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport. Once operational, Great Southern Wood-NC will use the rail project to receive and distribute a minimum of 421 railcar shipments annually by 2030, according to the railroad.
“Rail-served businesses like Great Southern Wood-NC understand the benefits of lower transportation costs, greater supply chain efficiency and expanded market access,” said Carl Warren, president and CEO of the North Carolina Railroad Co.
Other parters in bringing the plant to North Carolina include North Carolina Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina Community College System, Richmond Community College, the Golden LEAF Foundation, CSX Rail, North Carolina’s Southeast, Duke Energy, the Southeast Regional Airport Authority, Scotland County, the Scotland County Economic Development Corp., the town of Maxton and the city of Laurinburg.
