Ashton Lewis Acquires W.T. Jones & Sons

Ashton Lewis Holding Co., an affiliate of major treater Great Southern Wood, has acquired the family-owned W.T. Jones & Sons, Inc. southern pine sawmill in Ruther Glen, Va., and is planning to invest $11 million in the facility to modernize it. The company has also committed to source 90% of all the mill’s pine timber purchases from Virginia forestland owners.

The Virginia Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) worked with Caroline County on incentives to secure the project A $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund to assist Caroline County with the project. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.