LP breaks ground on new FlameBlock line

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation has broken ground on a new building that will bring its FlameBlock Fire-Rated OSB Sheathing line to its Clarke County, Alabama, OSB mill.

LP officials were joined by local dignitaries to celebrate the groundbreaking in Clarke County, which was selected specifically for its strong workforce and proven performance in manufacturing commodity OSB. In addition, the Clarke County mill produces 9-foot and 10-foot LP LongLength Sheathing, often preferred for FlameBlock fire-rated wall applications.

“This is an important moment for our OSB business and for LP,” CEO Curt Stevens said. “The production line in Clarke County will meet the growing demand in the single-family, multi-family and light commercial construction markets for our FlameBlock Fire-Rated OSB Sheathing. Geographically, manufacturing in Clarke County brings production closer to strong building markets including the Southwest, Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic.”

LP currently expects the multi-million dollar project to be completed in the third quarter of 2016, with production scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016.

“This is an exciting time for our Clarke County mill as it expands its important role in our innovative OSB business,” Stevens continued. “We appreciate the ongoing strong support from the community and government entities for the mill, and in helping to make this new project a reality.”

LP currently maintains 10 OSB manufacturing facilities in North America.