Louisiana sawmill begins commercial lumber shipments

Louisiana sawmill begins commercial lumber shipments July 10, 2026 | 9:36 am CDT

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Woodworking Industry News

Louisiana sawmill begins commercial lumber shipments

By

Dakota Smith

July 10, 2026 | 9:36 am CDT

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The milestone was marked during a ceremony attended by executives from CPKC, Tolko Industries and Hunt Forest Products, the joint venture partners behind the Bienville Lumber mill. Photos by Tolko and CPCK. 

TAYLOR, La., Bienville Lumber Company, a partnership between Tolko Industries and Hunt Forest Products, has begun shipping lumber by rail following the opening of a new Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail connection, expanding the Louisiana sawmill's distribution network to customers across North America.

CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel joined Hunt Forest Products Chairman Trott Hunt, Tolko President and CEO Pino Pucci and other company leaders for the event at the Bienville Parish facility.

The $240 million mill will prioritize local Southern Yellow Pine, and it is estimated that the mill will require approximately 1.3 million tons of wood annually to produce approximately 320 million board feet of lumber annually, Hunt said in 2021. The mill produced over 160 million board feet of southern yellow pine lumber in 2024 and is looking to more than double that annual output in the next several years.

The sawmill produces multiple grades of lumber, ranging from No. 2 Prime to No. 4 grades and MSR down to No. 4 grade

The addition of rail service provides the operation with another transportation option for moving finished lumber, offering greater access to regional and long-distance markets while improving supply chain flexibility. According to Tolko, the new rail line represents a significant logistics enhancement that strengthens the mill's supply chain and broadens its ability to serve customers across North America.

Company officials said the first rail shipments mark the beginning of a strategic customer relationship with CPKC as the mill continues to ramp up commercial operations.

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About the author

Dakota Smith

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Dakota is an assistant editor at Woodworking Network, avidly exploring the woodworking industry.

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