Martco, LLC, the parent company of timber sourcing and manufacturing company RoyOMartin, announced it will invest $9.5 million to install technologically advanced production equipment at its Natchitoches Parish lumber mill in Louisiana. The investment and expansion at the RoyOMartin plywood manufacturing facility will allow the company to retain approximately 684 existing jobs through 2035, according to a news release.
“RoyOMarttin has been driving economic activity and providing good jobs for Louisiana workers in north and central Louisiana for nearly 100 years, and I thank them for their continued commitment to our state,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a prepared statement. “The timber industry has long contributed mightily to Louisiana’s economic growth, with an average impact of $7 billion a year. Investments like this one help to sustain our rural communities and ensure that Louisiana lumber mills will remain an important part of global supply chains for years to come.”
RoyOMartin said the equipment upgrades at the plywood production facility will add cutting-edge vision and robotics to aid faster and more efficient production of plywood, timbers, and boards.
“RoyOMartin-Plywood manufacturing facility continues to modernize its operations to be competitive in the future,” RoyOMartin chairmand, CEO, and chief financial officer Roy O. Martin III said. “The plywood mill has been in continuous operation since 1996 and has survived the Great Recession, COVID pandemic, and other harsh obstacles without downtime. The team leaders and team members at this facility deserve the job sustainability and security that this project and previous modernization projects provide.”
