As president of Huber Engineered Woods, I have read with interest the public discussion regarding our proposed oriented strand board (OSB) manufacturing facility in Cohasset. I’d like to provide a little information about Huber, the distinctive care we take in our work, and specifics on this project.
The road to bringing a Huber plant to Cohasset resulted from thoughtful regard for Minnesota’s rich history with the OSB industry and how sustainably the state’s forests are managed. Our project, located on land that was part of Minnesota Power’s Boswell site, is to produce state-of-the-art specialty wood flooring and sheathing for the construction industry. The facility would create 150 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs in areas such as trucking and logging. It also would help offset the economic impact of the planned Boswell coal plant decommissioning.
This is not our first OSB project. We built our first OSB mill in 1983 in Maine. We’ve since added plants in Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. We pride ourselves in being a valuable asset to the communities where we operate while also bringing innovation to America’s construction industry.
The Cohasset facility would implement advanced controls and strategies for minimizing energy, waste, emissions, and carbon footprint. It would be one of the most efficient and sustainable facilities of its kind. We are also discussing the potential for developing a solar farm at the facility.
From the start, this project has been guided by Huber’s principles of respect for people, ethical behavior, excellence, and environmental health and safety sustainability. Huber is committed to respectfully managing and protecting renewable forest resources. Huber has been in the forestry industry since 1941, and our sister company manages more than 800,000 acres of timberlands for landowners. We are proud of our record for safe and responsible operations and stewardship.
Huber is proud to have strong community involvement everywhere we operate. In the Cohasset area, we have met extensively with local and state officials; representatives of tribal governments, including the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; neighbors; and other stakeholders. Currently, the project is in the environmental-review process, and we have provided detailed environmental information to local and state officials and the public regarding how our plant would operate.
The following facts are key:
Huber has put much thought into this project and plans to continue being a strong community partner. We are excited to operate in Minnesota and look forward to being a responsible and engaged corporate citizen for years to come. Brian Carlson is president of Huber Engineered Woods, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. To learn more about Huber, he suggests visiting huberwood.com and huber.com .