PERRY, Ga. (AP) - A Canadian company will invest $30 million to increase production at a middle Georgia sawmill, part of a series of overhauls of its Georgia sawmills.
Interfor announced the overhaul Tuesday of its 140-employee Perry sawmill with completion scheduled sometime in the second half of 2022.
The company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, told investors May 7 that it has spent $108 million so far on an overhaul of its Eatonton mill that's supposed to be complete later this year that will increase lumber production by 110 million board-feet. CEO Ian Fillinger told investors that the company is also improving its mill in Baxley and making plans to improve its Thomaston mill. Interfor has seven sawmills overall in Georgia employing a total of 1,200 people.
Perry mill manager Shield Bozeman told WMAZ-TV that the work at the mill isn't projected to add any new jobs.
Interfor is advertising to hire employees at several Georgia mills starting at $16 an hour.
The company could qualify for some tax credits based on investment and if it creates any jobs,
Bozeman said the expansion could help meet increasing lumber needs.
"A lot of the producers are really struggling to keep up with the increased sales since the pandemic started," he said. "An expansion like this, of course, increases capacity which helps us try to fill that gap."