Kronospan Expanding NS-Served Alabama Site

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Kronospan later this year will begin construction of a new Oriented Strand Board (OSB) manufacturing plant on its 460-acre site in Oxford, Ala., which is served by Norfolk Southern. (Kronospan Photograph)

Kronospan later this year will begin construction of a new Oriented Strand Board (OSB) manufacturing plant on its 460-acre site in Oxford, Ala., which is served by Norfolk Southern. (Kronospan Photograph)

Wood-panel product producer Kronospan will break ground later this year on a $350 million project to expand its operations in Oxford, Ala. The company, with headquarters in Austria, is served by Norfolk Southern (NS).

Kronospan will construct a new Oriented Strand Board (OSB) manufacturing plant on its 460-acre site in Oxford. The plant will comprise 44 acres of new development, including product storage, a rail spur and loading docks, according to the company. It is slated to employ 125 people. OSB is an engineered wood panel made using heat-cured adhesives and rectangularly shaped wood strands arranged in cross-oriented layers, Kronospan said.

Kronospan’s Oxford site opened in 2008 and produces laminate flooring, medium-density fiberboard, thermally fused laminate, particle board and other products. According to the company, this latest expansion is one of several new investments it has made recently, including the extension of an existing Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) press, a new water treatment plant, the expansion of manufacturing capacities at its existing Particle Board plant, and the ongoing construction of a new wood yard.

“This is not only an opportunity to further expand our portfolio of wood panel products in the United States but also meet our customers’ growing need for high-quality construction materials,” said Hans Obermaier, CEO of Kronospan’s North American companies. “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.”

NS, Kronospan’s long-standing rail provider, reported on June 8 that it “teamed up with partners at the Alabama Department of Commerce, Calhoun County Economic Development Council and city of Oxford to help support this project.”

“NS extends our congratulations to both the company and our economic development allies on this new venture,” the Class I said.

“Alabama has developed a close working relationship with Kronospan over the past 15 years, and it’s rewarding to see the company invest in new growth plans for the Oxford production center,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “This not only creates good jobs for citizens in the region but also solidifies the future of an important employer in Calhoun County.”

In a related development, NS customers invested $3.2 billion in industrial development projects along its network in 2022.

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