OXFORD, Ala. — Kronospan will begin construction of a new, state-of-the-art, Oriented Strand Board (OSB) manufacturing plant on its 460-acre site in Oxford, Alabama.

The new facility, employing 125, will have a footprint comprised of 44 acres of new development, including substantial areas designated for product, rail spur, and loading docks. Groundbreaking for the new, $350 million, facility is slated for later this year.

"We’re very pleased to announce the next project at our Oxford site,” said Hans Obermaier, CEO of Kronospan’s North American companies. “This is not only an opportunity to further expand our portfolio of wood panel products in the United States but also meets our customers growing need for high-quality construction materials. Just like the other plants on our site, the OSB plant will be constructed with our sustainability principles in mind and will further enhance our negative carbon footprint status."

This latest expansion is one of several new investments Kronospan has made in recent months. New equipment for the site includes an extension of its existing Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) press, a new water treatment plant, an expansion of manufacturing capacities of its existing Particle Board plant, and the ongoing construction of a new wood yard. Capital projects of over $89 million have occurred in the last 6 months or are currently in progress at the Oxford site and signal a strong commitment to Calhoun County and the surrounding area by the wood panel manufacturer.

"Kronospan is very proud of our commitment to job creation in Calhoun County and East Alabama,” said John Connell, Director of Human Resources at Kronospan. “As we continue to grow our operations in the U.S., we are very conscious of the impact on our local communities and are consistent in our philosophy of creating a sustainable future for generations to come."

About Kronospan: Kronospan is one of the world’s leading producers of wood panel products. Kronospan’s Oxford, Alabama facility is the largest and most vertically integrated wood products site in North America. Oxford is a multi-product site with MDF, Particleboard, Laminate Flooring, TFL, Paper Impregnation, Resin, Formalin & Electrical power generation capabilities. Kronospan’s Clarion, Pennsylvania site is a vertically integrated MDF/ HDF and Laminate flooring facility.