Hood Industries To Modernize Waynesboro Operation
Hood Industries, Inc. is pleased to announce a major brownfield expansion to the existing facility in Waynesboro, Miss. This strategic $245 million upgrade will enhance the facility’s capabilities and was made possible through strong support from the state of Mississippi. The first day of operation is scheduled for early October 2026, after which demolition of the existing facility will commence.
Built in multiple phases on the existing site, the project will be executed in close collaboration between the Hood team, Comact and Piche to ensure the existing facility remains operational throughout the construction process.
“We have partnered with both Comact and Piche on a successful modernization project at our facility in Bogalusa, Louisiana,” says Jay Galloway, President of Hood Industries. “As we began to explore our options for upgrading the Waynesboro facility it became obvious to continue the partnership with these two companies. Their technical expertise, collaborative approach, and proven ability to deliver cutting-edge and reliable solutions made them a natural fit as we continue to invest in the future of our operations.”
The Waynesboro facility will feature a fully integrated sawmill provided by Comact along with two new continuous dual path kilns. On the existing continuous dry kiln a new gas burner will be installed to increase drying capacity and energy efficiency. The planer mill will be upgraded with lumber handling equipment from Piche to include a planer infeed system, trimmer and sorter line with a lumber stacker. Comact will provide a Miller planer and GradExpert system in the planer mill. AI-powered Smart Vision from Comact will be integrated throughout the process to continuously monitor operations and optimize throughput.
“This investment is about more than a new mill—it’s about building a sustainable future for our company, our employees, and the Waynesboro community,” Galloway adds.
Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive (MFLEX) program. MDA also is providing assistance for road and infrastructure improvements. Wayne County and AccelerateMS are also assisting with the expansion. The project is powered by Dixie Electric and Cooperative Energy.
Latest News
Beck Group, Forest2Market Announce Sawmill TQ Service For Southern Sawmills
The Beck Group (Beck) and Forest2Market, Inc. recently announced a partnership to launch Sawmill TQ (Top Quartile), a new service for gathering and delivering Southern Yellow Pine sawmill benchmark data to industry members. The partnership…
Maine’s Pleasant River Lumber Awarded Grant; Will Expand Two Sawmills
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1548381510056-0’); }); The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) recently awarded a $4,226,000 challenge grant from the Maine Technology Asset Fund 2.0 program to the Pleasant River Lumber Company. The $4.2 million will be used…
British Columbia Softwood Lumber Exports To U.S. Plunge 20 Percent
Softwood lumber exports from British Columbia to the U.S. have fallen 20 percent from last March, according to the Canadian federal government. British Columbia – Canada’s largest lumber-producing province – exported just over 514 million…
Alabama’s Westervelt Company Plans New Sawmill
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1548381510056-0’); }); A 130-year-old Tuscaloosa company is preparing to build a new lumber mill in south Alabama, which is expected to create more than 100 jobs and produce 250 million board feet of…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.