The notification of receiving approvals by state and local agencies, as well as by the company's board of directors, follows the initial September 14, 2015, project announcement.
Once constructed the plant will feature North America's largest single continuous particleboard press and will be one of the most productive in the world. The 750,000ft2 facility will have an annual capacity of 452 million ft2 of particleboard, along with full lamination capabilities.
This US$400m investment will benefit the Crawford County Township, creating approximately 300 jobs during construction, along with 250 permanent jobs to run the plant.
When production begins in late 2018, Arauco's customers will benefit from improved service and access to the company's composite panel products in a largely under-served Midwest market area. Arauco previously stated that one of its main objectives of the Michigan plant is to improve the logistics of the entire chain of production, and support the growth of its customers in the region.
