Rambler Wood Products will establish a new wood products manufacturing facility in the former Bush Furniture Industries building in St. Paul, Va., creating 73 new jobs in the process.
Rambler plans on making an initial private investment of $7.6 million. Within 12 months, Rambler plans to make a total private investment in the project of $21.8 million. In addition, a $2.5 million loan from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) was closed recently with the Russell County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) which was used to acquire the facility for the project.
Rambler plans to manufacture white oak barrel staves for the West Virginia Great Barrel Company at the St. Paul facility. The plant will also use Red Oak and lower value hardwoods to produce dimensional lumber for sale to flooring manufacturers, pallet production and for use in the mining industry. The remaining wood chips and saw dust will be sold to paper manufacturers or made into wood pellets. Through this project, the company is committing to source at least 55 percent of its timber from Virginia, supporting regional loggers and forestland owners through the purchase of $22.3 million in Commonwealth-grown hardwoods in the next three years.
As planned, the nearly 300,000-square-foot facility will enable Rambler to become the first business of its kind to operate entirely indoors, allowing for full capacity production year-round. According to IDA documents, the company has also committed to creating a research and development center to engage in further study on renewable energy and coal/timber energy development.
