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URBANA FACILITY MODERNIZATION
BID Group announced May 2nd the continued partnership with Canfor to deliver a sawmill modernization project for its Urbana, Arkansas operation. Through its industry-leading wood processing technologies and integrated solutions offering, BID will manage, design, build, equip, install, and provide start-up services for the project.
BID to Partner with Canfor for its Urbana Facility Modernization
“We are excited to partner with the BID team again to apply their industry-leading turnkey solutions to the Urbana modernization project,” said Stephen Mackie, Executive Vice President, North American Operations at Canfor. “This project will deploy the best complement of BID’s state-of-theart technologies to modernize the work environment for our valued employees and significantly increase our ability to produce sustainable wood products that will meet the growing needs of our customers.”
The scope for the sawmill will incorporate the full spectrum of BID’s best-in-class wood processing technologies including, a 31’’ VTO Debarker with flare reducer, a high-speed canter line that will allow for increased efficiency processing a broad log profile, software, automation systems, and Artificial Intelligence enabled optimization. BID’s Integrated Solutions Team will provide the design, engineering, planning, fabrication, and installation services for this Turnkey project. The sustainment of the plant’s operational life cycle excellence will be supported by BID’s Reliability Solutions which will provide comprehensive service, parts, consumables, and upgrades.
“We would like to thank Canfor for their continued trust in BID. This is the second large turnkey project announced with Canfor within the past year and we are humbled and honored that they have chosen to partner with us again for their next major growth investment and ongoing operational excellence,” said Alistair Cook, President and CEO of BID Group.
Work on site will begin in the third quarter of 2022. Alistair Cook, President & CEO of BID Group
Stephen Mackie, Executive Vice President, North American Operations at Canfor
Astara Capital Partners expands sawmill platform with new investment in Arkansas
Astara Capital Partners, LLC (“Astara”) announced May 24, 2022 that it has formed Camden Timbers, LLC (“Camden Timbers” or the “Company”) to acquire and restart the assets of Victory Lumber, LLC (“Victory”), a Southern Yellow Pine sawmill located in Camden, AR. Camden Timbers is Astara’s second sawmill investment in the ACP Lumber Holdings, LLC (“ACP Lumber”) platform following its acquisition of Cross City Lumber, LLC (“CCL”) in April 2021.
Astara began working on the opportunity in 2020 after it was contacted about the mill by a group of sawmill executives with whom Michael Ranson, Astara’s Managing Partner, had worked in the past. This team of executives, led by Brett Bray, was responsible for restarting Caddo River Forest Products (“Caddo River”), another mill in Arkansas where Mr. Ranson and Bob McKagen, CEO of ACP Lumber, served as board members.
Mr. Bray, who has decades of experience in the sawmill industry, commented, “I am excited to once again partner with Michael as well as the teams at Astara and ACP Lumber. We have a terrific opportunity to greatly improve the mill’s infrastructure and bring jobs back to Ouachita County and the surrounding area. Our team learned a lot from the Caddo River restart and is proud of the economic contribution that restarting Caddo has made to its local community. We are eager to get to work and make Camden Timbers a success.”
“The Camden Timbers team has developed a comprehensive plan to invest significant capital in the mill,” said Mr. McKagen, “and ACP Lumber is excited to support the project. Brett and his team’s plan will create a preeminent small-log timbers mill that is highly synergistic to CCL and complements our focus on specialty and dimensional lumber.”
Mr. Ranson added, “I’m thrilled to be working again with the same talented executives that made Caddo River a success. Astara is fortunate that both of our sawmill investments are led by teams with whom we have worked in the past. In addition, we remain committed to investing in an industry that fosters sustainability. The pine forests in the southern U.S. are a Michael Ranson, Astara’s Managing Partner
massive, renewable resource. The carbon-capture benefits of building with lumber are underappreciated and stand in contrast to the carbon emissions generated by alternative construction materials.”
Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, PA and IceMiller LLP served as legal advisors to ACP Lumber.
