CLT Producer Ready to Expand

After two years of producing cross-laminated timber, Smartlam is outgrowing its 40,000-sq. ft. plant in Columbia Falls, Mt., and is looking to build a significantly larger facility.

General manager Casey Malmquist said the plant is at full production, with no room for expansion. At the same time, neighboring Western Building Center would also like to expand-ideally on to Smartlam's current site.

Smartlam's plan is to build a new, rail-served facility ranging from

120,000 to 160,000 sq. ft., where it would set up a new, larger CLT manufacturing line. Once that's operational. the current line would also be moved to the new location.

The new facility would also feature an architectural center, allowing it to begin production of custom-cut panels for commercial applications.

Malmquist estimated the larger operation would allow the company to double its current 35-person workforce.

With any move expected to take up to a year-and-a-half, Smartlam in the meantime will construct a 400-sq. ft. addition at its current facilitly using its cross-laminated panels, "to showcase what we can do."

Smartlam said it is the only CLT manufacturer in the U.S.

D.R. Johnson Gets Grant to Develop CLT Plant

D.R. Johnson Lumber Co.. Riddle. Or., was awarded a $150,000 grant from Oregon BEST to construct a pilot manufacturing line for crosslaminated timbers at its Riddle Laminators plant in Riddle.

The company is collaborating with an Oregon State University research team in Corvallis, Or., to test the products, which are used extensively in Europe for buildings up to 40 stories high.