A $1.6 million federal investment will help three companies to build capacity for innovative forest product manufacturing.
The money comes from the Wood Innovations Grant Program and the Community Wood Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
Wood treatment
Treeline Inc. in the Penobscot County town of Chester will receive $999,998 from the Community Wood Grant Program to build a thermally modified wood treatment facility.
Treeline, in the Lincoln Lakes region, is active in forest ownership and management, sustainable harvesting, chipping, skidding, delimbing and trucking all kinds of wood. The company has a road construction team that builds forest roads and does site work; a parts and supply store for pickups, trucks and heavy equipment; a maintenance and repair department; is active in real estate development and sales; and has a retail business that includes firewood, buying and selling of equipment, parts, culverts, skidder bridges and crane mats,
Founded in 1981 by Brian Souers, formerly a forester for International Paper Co., Treeline has grown to 90 employees, over 200 trucks and pieces of heavy equipment, three large maintenance shops, a small sawmill, a concentration wood yard and a supply store.
Oriented strand board
Godfrey Forest Products LLC was awarded $300,000 from the Wood Innovations Grant Program to start an oriented strand board mill at the former Pixelle paper mill in the Franklin County town of Jay.
Godfrey Forest Products, formed in 1979 by John Godfrey, is a developer of engineered wood products, mainly for oriented strand board. Earlier this year, Godfrey said it would start a new oriented strand board mill in the former paper mill in Jay. The mill is projected to create roughly 125 new jobs, according to the company’s website, and slated for completion by early 2026.
Oriented strand board is a structural wood panel said to equal or improve upon the characteristics of exterior grade plywood, and is in growing demand by the construction and furniture industries, according to Godfrey.
Molded fiber packaging
Tanbark Molded Fiber Products in Saco will receive $300,000 from the Wood Innovations Grant Program to help expand capabilities to replace plastic packaging with Type 3 molded wood fiber.
Tanbark was founded by Melissa and Christopher LaCasse to design and make molded fiber packaging products using wood pulp sourced mainly from Maine woods.
“Federal grant programs that support innovative and sustainable uses for wood are instrumental in helping Maine loggers and forest product producers adapt to ever-changing industries, climate and markets,” said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District.
“From bringing production back to the Jay area to furthering sustainable innovations in packaging and wood products, these federal grants for Maine support rural economies while investing in forward-thinking, sustainable practices.”