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V O L . X X X I I N O. X V I J U LY 2 7 , 2 0 2 6 20 R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / E N G I N E E R I N G F O C U S e Oxford expansion will increase capacity and allow for manufacture of additional components, including wall panels, up to 20 feet long, equipped with Zip System weatherproof sheath- ing, pre-cut and labeled framing pack- ages and stair systems. End-to-end execution across com- ponents is expected to speed construc- tion timelines, offering builders design packages that synchronize trusses, panels and loose materials needed to frame buildings. e project team includes Falmouth-based Penobscot General Contractors and KW Architects in Wells. e goal is to be operational by Q1 2027. Hires are expected in production, design and sales. e investment is about expand- ing capacity and capability, allowing Hancock Lumber to increase wall panel production tenfold, produce new framing solutions such as pre- cut and labeled framing packages, introduce advanced manufacturing technology and provide builders with more integrated solutions that help projects move faster, safer and more efficiently. Doubling production Irving Forest Products Inc., a subsid- iary of Canadian conglomerate J.D. Irving Ltd., is planning a multimil- lion-dollar project to expand and modernize its sawmill in Nashville Plantation, a remote, heavily wooded area neighboring the town of Ashland in Aroostook County. Although called the Ashland saw- mill, the facility is across the town line at 1218 Portage Road in Nashville Plantation. Finance Authority of Maine recently approved tax credit financ- ing related to investments totaling approximately $42 million by five community development entities through the Maine New Markets Capital Investment Program. e project will double the facil- ity's annual lumber production capacity from 130 million to 250 million board feet. e sawmill cur- rently supports the equivalent of 140 full-time positions and will grow to the equivalent of approximately 220 full-time jobs upon completion of the project. e Ashland mill is a top employer and economic engine in Aroostook County. In 2014, Irving opened the saw- mill after it invested $30 million into the facility's rebuild, including the installation of biomass boilers, dry kilns and a planer mill to pro- duce softwood lumber, producing over 100 million board feet per year at that time. e round wood log supply for the new sawmill is procured from the company's Maine freehold woodlands as well as other woodlot and timber- land owners in the state. By 2024, the mill had pro- duced over one billion board feet, equivalent of providing material for approximately 80,000 homes. As a supplier to Irving Pulp & Paper, the mill also plays a role in supplying woodchips for pulp for the compa- ny's tissue business. J.D. Irving Ltd. is headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick; its Maine district headquarters in Fort Kent. Irving has sawmill and wood- land operations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and in Maine. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E paulwhitecompany.com 50 Allen Ave Portland, ME 207-797-4657 View Our Projects Maine's Trusted Source for Flooring & Countertops invested in BUILDING A BETTER MAINE SINCE 1952 O U R S E R V I C E S : CM@RISK DESIGN-BID-BUILD VALUE ENGINEERING RENOVATIONS P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y I R V I N G F O R E S T P RO D U C T S Irving Forest Products Inc. is planning a multimillion-dollar project to expand and modernize its sawmill in Aroostook County.

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