SmartLam Announces Alabama Glulam Facility

SmartLam North America announced several major projects that will have a significant impact to the mass timber industry. SmartLam North America, which is the first U.S. manufacturer and is reportedly the largest manufacturer in North America of cross laminated timber (CLT), announced it will build a $50 million glulam manufacturing facility in Dothan, Ala.

The new SmartLam facility, to be built adjacent SmartLam’s existing CLT facility in a 144,000 sq. ft. structure, will manufacture annually 84MMBF of large glulam beams and columns that are required to properly serve the mass timber market. SmartLam has chosen to partner with Ledinek to build a turnkey, state-of-the-art glulam facility. The new glulam facility is expected to be 100% operational in October of 2024.

SmartLam North America CEO Derek Ratchford states, “We are pleased to announce the new state-of-the-art custom glulam manufacturing plant which will be the largest custom glulam plant in North America,” adding that Dothan is strategically located in Alabama to serve the Southeast, the fastest growing mass timber market in the United States, and that SmartLam North America has 1.5 billion BF of available southern pine lumber annually between its four Southern sawmill shareholders.

SmartLam North America will also spend an additional $24 million to fully automate the existing Dothan and Columbia Falls, Mont. CLT facilities. This additional investment will allow each facility to produce 2 million cubic feet annually.

Ratchford adds, “Most mass timber glulam beams and columns are manually produced. The new glulam plant will be automated allowing SmartLam to significantly increase production and simultaneously deliver multiple mass timber projects. With the CLT automation upgrades and the new glulam addition, SmartLam will become the largest mass timber (CLT/glulam) producer in North America.”

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