Tolko prepares to restart lumber mill in Slave Lake

EDMONTON — Growing demand from the U.S. housing markets has convinced Tolko Industries it’s to reopen its Athabasca mill in Slave Lake.

The company is proceeding with preparations to reopen its oriented strand board (OSB) and engineered wood products mill early in 2014, president and CEO Brad Thorlakson announced Tuesday.

Tolko, a private Canadianowned forest products company based in Vernon, B.C., closed the plant in 2009.

“Before we could commit to the significant financial and human resource investment required to restart the mill, we had to determine, to the greatest degree possible, that current improvements in market conditions are sustainable,” Thorlakson said in a release. “We are confident about the future of the industry and look forward to positive years ahead. Reopening Athabasca confirms our commitment to meeting the needs of our customers through innovation and product development.”

Jim Baskerville, Tolko’s vice-president OSB and Kraft Paper said “Athabasca is a state-of-the-art facility with the longest continuous press in North America capable of producing high-performance OSB and laminated strand lumber. We have carefully maintained the facility during the curtailment, and will be executing additional capital projects to ensure a successful restart.”

He said it could take up to a year before the plant is read- ied for operation and all of the employees are hired and trained.

Once up and running, the mill will employ about 150 people directly, in addition to a contractor logging workforce, and it will generate a large number of indirect jobs in the community.

Baskerville said Tolko hopes to entice previous mill employees to return, but also plans to bring new skilled workers to the plant.

“This is a good sign that our strategy of economic diversification is working, and that the forestry industry in Alberta is on the road to recovery,” said Diana McQueen, Alberta’s minister of environment and sustainable resource development.