Georgia-Pacific Announces $191 Million CAD Capital Investment in Englehart OSB Mill
ENGLEHART, ON, July 15, 2025 /CNW/ — Georgia-Pacific today announces a new capital project for the company's Englehart OSB (Oriented Strand Board) mill in Ontario. The approximately $191 million CAD investment will fund a new log processing system and include the expansion and construction of a new finished goods warehouse.
This investment comes as Englehart OSB celebrates its fifteenth anniversary as a Georgia-Pacific facility. The first board was produced at the mill in 1983.
'Georgia-Pacific is focused on the future and committed to exceeding the needs of our customers,' said David Neal, executive vice president, building products. 'This investment strengthens our operational capabilities and positions the Englehart mill for greater productivity in the years ahead. While we implement these improvements, the dedicated local team will continue operating the facility, ensuring we are able to meet current market demand.'
'By enhancing the log processing system and warehouse at the mill, we show our commitment to continuous improvement and our dedication to reinvesting in the mill, the town of Englehart, the surrounding communities, and our preferred partners,' said John Beers, president –structural panels. 'These improvements will continue our focus on staying competitive and ensures Englehart is an environmentally conscious, 21st century mill.'
The processing system in an OSB mill takes raw wood materials and prepares them for producing OSB. This includes sorting logs, debarking, and cutting them into strands to prepare them for drying.
Design and engineering work has started, and the project is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2027.
About Georgia-Pacific Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose and building products. Our familiar consumer brands include Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Quilted Northern®, Sparkle® and Vanity Fair®. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers.
Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world's largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates more than 80,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com/about-us. For news, visit: news.gp.com. Follow Georgia-Pacific on LinkedIn, Meta, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Apec ministers adopt joint statement calling for efforts to enhance global food security
SEOUL: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) member economies on Sunday endorsed a joint statement urging efforts to bolster food security in the region for shared prosperity, the South Korean Agriculture Ministry said. According to Yonhap News Agency, the move came as the global community faces various challenges to food security, such as climate change, an ageing population, supply chain disruptions and poverty in some regions — issues that can exacerbate surging food prices and heighten risks of food insecurity and malnutrition. "We remain committed to promoting cooperation among Apec member economies and fostering solidarity to strengthen food security through productive, sustainable, resilient and innovative agri-food systems for the prosperity of all our people and future generations," according to a statement issued at the 2025 Apec Food Security Ministerial Meeting, which wrapped up its two-day run in Incheon, about 40 kilometres west of Seoul. The 2025 meeting brought together all 21 food security-related ministers of Apec member economies, including the United States, China, Japan and Thailand, to discuss the theme of "Driving Innovation in Agri-food Systems for Shared Prosperity." Under the joint statement, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to Apec's roadmap for strengthening regional food security by 2030 and creating a resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, according to the ministry. "In response to these concerns, Apec economies recognise the importance of promoting more sustainable and resilient food systems through the efficient use of agricultural resources, and implementing policies and approaches that support sustainable agricultural productivity growth," it added. The ministers also called for the application of advanced digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), in the food and agricultural sectors to boost supply chain sustainability, while recognising the "critical" role that trade can play in achieving food security. "We already possess various technologies, such as smart farming and data-driven policies, (to enhance food security), and the key question now is, 'With whom and how will we connect these elements to create real change?'" South Korean Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said. Song also said South Korea will work to share its experiences in smart farming and in developing AI-powered agricultural business models with global partners to promote food security in the region. Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Song held bilateral talks with her counterparts from China, Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia to discuss ways to expand South Korea's exports of food products to those countries, according to her office. — BERNAMA
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
'Smarter, faster and safer.' Why many workplaces are embracing virtual reality
Picture this: you work in a warehouse and need to bring a part to the other side of the building. The floor of the warehouse is marked with pedestrian pathways for safety, but you see a shortcut and decide to take it – without looking both ways. Suddenly, the perspective flips and through a headset you see the image of your virtual avatar struck by a passing forklift. Thankfully, nobody is actually hurt. This was all a virtual reality simulation for workplace pedestrian safety training. 'Having that immediate visual representation of what negative can happen if you don't follow these rules … is definitely making an impact when it comes to people reducing injuries on the job,' said Annie Eaton, CEO of Futurus, the VR production company that made this simulation. Workplaces across many industries are using virtual reality in a variety of ways to improve training, enhance safety and reduce costs. 'Immersive tech is helping companies work smarter, faster and safer,' said Adam Kornuth, Atlanta chapter president and global generative artificial intelligence co-chair for the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association. Practical applications Researchers at the University of Georgia created VR Co-Lab to train recycling employees to work with robots to disassemble electronics without damaging materials or getting injured. 'Humans can't get hurt in a virtual environment,' said Beiwen Li, study author and associate professor in UGA's College of Engineering. While working with robots can ease complex tasks, training employees to become comfortable with the machines can be time consuming and difficult, according to Li. VR Co-Lab tracks how long the task takes and how many mistakes are made, providing feedback to help workers adjust to the movements of the robot arm. 'The VR environment is providing a more immersive experience,' Li said. 'It is typically much better than just having the workers just read the manuals.' Li knows there is vast potential for VR-based training, something companies like Futurus are already embracing. Futurus is an Atlanta-based VR production company that specializes in creating simulated training content for experiences that are costly, unsafe or hard to teach without hands-on experience. According to Eaton, common benefits include increased retention of the material, increased efficiency and decreased training time. Futurus has worked with multiple companies, including designing 3D models for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's latest hospital campus, simulating deicing training for Delta Air Lines employees to allow year-round practice and creating a multiplayer classroom for employees of candy maker Mars Wrigley to become familiar with machinery. Georgia-Pacific also uses VR designed by Futurus to train employees on safety protocols, such as what to do near forklifts in a warehouse. 'Within that space, the experience is designed to provide the employee with a sense of unease when necessary,' a news release from Georgia-Pacific said. 'It allows the person to experience a 'bad day' in a safe environment and develop muscle memory on important safety steps they might otherwise have to read about or wait to do once they're on the job.' Other common benefits of VR include decreased costs and better, data-informed decision making, Kornuth said. 'There is so much opportunity for all kinds of training to happen in virtual environments,' said Maribeth Gandy Coleman, research director of the Georgia Institute of Technology's Institute for People and Technology. Georgia Tech, which recently joined the ranks of the virtual reality association's 60,000 members across 50 chapters, has a long history of VR research. Manufacturers were among the first to embrace this technology and are still among the most frequent users, according to Coleman. Eaton said sectors with clear and high returns on investment, such as manufacturing, seem to be leading the charge. 'There's just a lot of opportunity, whether it is machine operator training, maintenance and troubleshooting training or just general safety,' Eaton said. Both Eaton and Coleman emphasised that good VR design is more than just looks. Talking to subject matter experts to ensure everything is accurate to real-life functionality is paramount, especially for training to be effective. 'You don't just build a cool-looking virtual environment,' Coleman said. 'What does the person need to learn, what are the key skills? Just floating around a virtual environment, you're not going to learn anything.' – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Tribune News Service
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
US-India tensions cast doubt on future of Quad, as well as possible Trump visit
As trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi escalate, an anticipated high-profile visit of US President Donald Trump to India this fall is now clouded by uncertainty. The rift that is testing a relationship between what their diplomats sometimes tout as the world's oldest and largest democracies is not only weakening bilateral ties, but also casting doubt on the future of a critical Indo-Pacific bloc aimed at countering China's growing influence in the region. The White House has been pressing India for substantive 'deliverables' the 'America first' president could announce during the trip, planned for the Quad leaders' summit in September or October, according to a person familiar with preparations for a summit. Initially, both sides had aimed to finalise a comprehensive trade agreement to coincide with the visit to give the occasion strategic and political momentum. However, the source said that without a trade breakthrough, it is increasingly unlikely that Trump will make the trip. The Quad, which also includes Japan and Australia, was formed in 2004 but remained dormant until 2017. Resurrected by Trump in his first term, the alliance was enthusiastically embraced by former US president Joe Biden as part of his Indo-Pacific strategy. Under Biden, the bloc was elevated to leaders' level in 2021. Trump threatened to 'substantially' increase tariffs for India in the 'next 24 hours' on Tuesday, after having berated India in recent days for making 'massive' oil purchases from Russia. According to another person familiar with Indian thinking, Trump's attacks have left New Delhi 'bitter'. During the five rounds of talks between April 2 and July, New Delhi had sought 'preferential' trade treatment because of its status as a reliable partner to the US in the Indo-Pacific as the Biden administration portrayed India as a democratic regional counterweight to China. However, Trump has remained firm in his demand for full market access, showing little willingness to acknowledge New Delhi's strategic role in countering Beijing's influence, slapping Indian imports with 25 per cent tariffs. Experts say a breakdown in US-India trade negotiations, coupled with potential cancellation of Trump's New Delhi visit, could hand Beijing a strategic Indo-Pacific win. Lisa Curtis, who served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for South and Central Asia during Trump's first term from 2017 to 2021, said that Trump was 'ignoring the bigger geopolitical picture and the larger challenges to US national security' because of his 'narrow' focus on tariffs and trade balance. Curtis, now director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for New American Security in Washington, said 'the security imperative to counter growing Chinese military power and influence requires the United States to draw countries like India into a closer embrace with the United States, not pick fights to try to gain better market access.' She described the Quad as an effective mechanism to promote activities and policies in the Indo-Pacific that support US interests, such as countering Chinese economic and military coercion, adding that 'if US-India trade talks break down and Trump cancels his visit to India, this would be a clear win for China.' 'The first Trump administration successfully elevated the US-India relationship and built strategic trust and confidence in the relationship. The second Trump administration's lack of strategic perspective on US-India ties threatens to undermine that progress,' Curtis said. According to Wendy Cutler, a former American diplomat and trade negotiator, the growing trade friction between Washington and New Delhi 'calls into question the timing of a Quad Leaders' meeting' and is 'not helpful as preparations are being discussed'. 'The prospect of announcing the successful conclusion of a bilateral trade agreement undoubtedly made a visit to India by the President more compelling than just a Quad Leaders' meeting,' said Cutler, now vice-president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, a Washington think tank. She added that India and other US trading partners were aware of Trump's fixation with trade and tariffs and there was hope that 'over time issues on strategic cooperation will move to the forefront'. Christopher Clary, a political science professor at the State University of New York's University at Albany, said the Quad is 'less important now for Washington than it was in the Biden administration or the first Trump term'. He said the bloc remains useful to have a 'frequent gathering of the most economically and militarily capable democracies in Asia,' and that if Quad members do not align their strategies 'China will have greater room to enhance its global and regional influence'. Curtis said it is possible the US and India could still conclude a trade deal by September to pave the way for a Trump visit to India in the autumn. 'The prospects for a deal at the moment, however, look somewhat bleak,' she said, adding that Trump's repeated criticisms of India are 'backing Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi into a corner, making it increasingly difficult for him to be seen as making concessions.' According to Manjari Chatterjee Miller, a senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in New York, 'unless Modi and Trump can reach an agreement, this is an incredibly destabilising moment for the US-India relationship, and recovery will be difficult'. She said 'the last thing India wants is for a strong Russia-China relationship to develop at India's expense', adding that the US administrations over the past decade typically overlooked the Russia factor to build a strong relationship with India. 'China indeed could benefit from a tense US-India relationship,' Miller added. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
