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Canfor Southern Pine announced an approximately $96 million investment in its Iron Mountain facility in El Dorado, Arkansas, including mill upgrades and a truck-to-rail transload facility. The company says the work will more than double the mill’s annual net production to about 220 million board feet and create approximately 75 jobs; the final modernization phase is expected to finish in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Canfor Southern Pine announced an approximately $96 million investment in its Iron Mountain facility in El Dorado, Arkansas, combining mill modernization with expanded shipping capacity. The company says the projects will more than double the mill’s annual net production to about 220 million board feet and create approximately 75 jobs at the facility and in logistics.
The modernization is being completed in two phases. The first, an upgrade to the planer, was completed in the second quarter of 2025. The second phase will modernize and expand the sawmill and log yard operations; Canfor expects that work to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the report by Hardware Retailing.
A shipping transload facility was built at Iron Mountain earlier in 2026. It serves both the Iron Mountain facility and Canfor’s nearby Urbana Sawmill, allowing lumber to move between trucks and rail cars. Canfor says the facility will improve efficiency across its Arkansas operations and widen access to customers across North America.
The announced 75 additional jobs are expected at the mill and in logistics, but the source report does not provide a hiring schedule or breakdown by role. Canfor Southern Pine President Lee Goodloe said the company has invested more than $400 million in Union County since 2015. The $96 million figure covers the announced Iron Mountain projects, while the larger amount refers to the company’s investments in the county over a longer period.
More Capacity and Rail Access
The projects combine production upgrades with a change in how lumber can move out of the region. A facility that transfers shipments between trucks and rail cars can connect the two Arkansas mills to a broader distribution network, according to Canfor’s description. The company says the arrangement will improve efficiency and expand customer access across North America.
The expected increase to about 220 million board feet of annual net production would make Iron Mountain a substantially larger operation than before, although the report does not state the mill’s previous output figure. The projected job additions may also matter to workers and suppliers in the area. These outcomes are company projections; the report does not provide independent estimates of the projects’ local economic effects or confirm that all positions have been filled.
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A Phased Arkansas Investment
The investment is centered on Canfor Southern Pine’s Iron Mountain facility in El Dorado, with the transload site also serving the nearby Urbana Sawmill. The sequence began with the planer upgrade, completed in 2025, and continued with construction of the transload facility earlier in 2026. The remaining major mill work is the second phase, covering the sawmill and log yard.
Canfor describes the projects as part of strengthening its regional manufacturing hub. Goodloe cited more than $400 million invested in Union County since 2015 and thanked the Arkansas Department of Commerce for its support. The source report does not detail the department’s role, the terms of any public assistance, or how the countywide investment total was calculated.
“This investment marks an important step in strengthening our Iron Mountain operation and our broader regional hub in Arkansas.”
— Lee Goodloe, president of Canfor Southern Pine
Costs, Hiring and Output Details
The report gives an approximate project total and projected results, but does not provide a detailed cost breakdown among the planer upgrade, sawmill and log yard work, and transload facility. It also does not specify when hiring for the approximately 75 additional jobs will begin, how the positions will be distributed, or whether they are permanent roles.
Canfor’s production and efficiency figures are company expectations. The source does not state Iron Mountain’s prior annual net production, the timeline for reaching the projected 220 million board feet, or an independent assessment of the expected gains. The extent and terms of Arkansas Department of Commerce support are also not described.
Sawmill Work Due in 2026
The next stated milestone is completion of the second modernization phase, which Canfor expects in the fourth quarter of 2026. That work covers Iron Mountain’s sawmill and log yard. The transload facility was already constructed earlier in the year, and the planer upgrade was completed in 2025.
Further updates may clarify the project’s final cost, hiring schedule and production ramp-up. The announcement does not provide a date for when the mill is expected to reach its projected annual output or when all of the additional jobs will be in place.
Key Questions
How much is Canfor investing in its Arkansas operations?
Canfor Southern Pine announced an investment of approximately $96 million in projects at its Iron Mountain facility in El Dorado, Arkansas.
What work is included in the investment?
The projects include a completed planer upgrade, a second phase to modernize and expand the sawmill and log yard, and a truck-to-rail shipping transload facility built earlier in 2026.
How many jobs does Canfor expect to add?
The company says the projects will create approximately 75 additional jobs at the facility and in logistics. The announcement does not provide a hiring schedule or job breakdown.
How much production will Iron Mountain have after the work?
Canfor says the projects will more than double Iron Mountain’s annual net production to approximately 220 million board feet. The source report does not give the mill’s previous output or the date it expects to reach that level.
When is the remaining modernization work expected to finish?
Canfor expects the second phase, covering the sawmill and log yard, to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
