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LOUISIANA PACIFIC, Nashville, Tn,, added additional shifts at several of its seven mills and produced 3.7 billion sq. ft. of OSB laslyear-22o/o of the North American market.

.Housing starts appearto have been conshained by weather, labor and financing issues in the second quarter," said c.e.o. Curt Stevens. "The consensus projection for housing starts for this year is a 250/o increase over 2012, with starts projected to increase at least another 25o/oin 2014. We will be ready to respond."

Late last year, the company began re-hiring at its mill in Thomasville, Al., which has been shuftered since late 2010. In May, LP completed the purchase of Canfo/s 50% share in the Peace Valley 0SB mill in Fort St. John, B.C., which has an annual production capacity of 820 million sq. ft.

NORBORD, Toronto, Ont., invested about $10 million this year to restart its mill in Jefferson, Tx., which was shut down indefinitely in early 2009. The mill should resume production in the fourth quarter, depending on market conditions. The company also operates 11 other OSB mills, .Although prices were expected to adjust after reaching record levels in the first quarter, I was surprised by the degree of the conection," said c.e.o Barrie Shineton. "0SB prices are now recovering, and I believe this trend will continue as the fundamentals supporting U.S. new home construction remain very strong."

WEYERHAEUSER, Federal Way, Wa., continues to operate six OSB mills in the U.S. and Canada.

.Our priority is to continue safely making money by pushing for continuous operational improvement, managing cost, and responding quickly to market opportunities,' said c.e.o. Dan Fulton. "While we certainly welcome a stronger housing market, we are not waiting for it or relying on it for our success."

AINSWORTH ENGINEERED, vancouver, 8.C., has been operating three OSB mills and is looking fonlrard to reopening its mill in High Level, Alb., later this year. The mill was indefinitely curtailed five years ago.

'We feel confident that the market will require additional supply in the months and years ahead," said c.e.o. Jim Lake. 'We are preparing to meet that demand with the restart of our High Level mill.' sheathing and flooring installs accurately, smoothly and beautifully.

He also noted that Japan continues to be a key export country for Ainsworth, as shipments there increased 2970 over last year.

GEORGIA-PACIFIC, Atlanta, Ga,, celebrated the startup of its mill in Clarendon, S.C., which it acquired from Grant Forest Products in 2010.

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'South Carolina is a major part of our focus on growing our building products business," said c.e.o. Jim Hannan. "The investment in our Clarendon County facility makes us wellpositioned to grow with our customers as the housing market continues its slow recovery.'

The mill was part of a $400-million acquisition that included Grant's plants in Allendale County, S.C., and Englehart, Ontario. GP then spent an additional $30 million to complete construction on the Clarendon facility in2011.

G-P operates three additional 0SB mills-two in Virginia and one in West Virginia.

HUBER ENGINEERED WOOD, Chartotte, N.C., recently introduced a new OSB product: ZIP System longlength panels.

The company claims that the new product combines the superior moisture protection of regular ZIP System sheathing with the easy installment of 10- to 12-ft. panels. Developed specifically to help builders meet evolving energy codes, the sheathing has built-in laminated exterior foam panel insulation, eliminating the need for additional housewrap.

Huber operates five OSB mills.

ROYOMARTIN, Alexandria, La., is celebrating its 90th year of business and its moving into its 6th year of operation at its flagship OSB facility in Oakdale, La.

"Our OSB business continues to make significant shides fonrard in safety, customer satisfaction, and productivity every year," said Terry Secrest, v.p. of OSB. "Our entire team is fully engaged and committed to being world class in allwe do."

From July 2012to June 2013, the mill produced 743 million sq. ft. of OSB. A new shift was also added, to keep up with demand for the company's Eclipse radiant barrier OSB panels and other value-added products.

In June, the company won the 2012 Innovation in Safety award from APA-The Engineered Wood Association. The award was given for the mill's "Safety Mentor Program," which introduces new hires to the company's rigorous safety culture.

TOLKO, Vernon, B.C., is proceeding with preparations to reopen its fifth 0SB mill, in Slave Lake, Ab., which was curtailed indefinitely in early 2009. The mill is expected to resume production by the first quarter ot2014.

'Before we could commit to the significant financial and human resource investment required to restart the mill, we had to determine that current improvements in market conditions are sustainable," said c.e.o. Brad Thorlakson. "We are confident about the future of the industry and look forward to positive years ahead."