Governor Ivey Announces $115 Million Two Rivers Lumber Sawmill Project, Creating 130 Jobs in Coosa County

MONTGOMERY Governor Kay Ivey today announced that Two Rivers Lumber Co. LLC plans to invest $115 million to build a state-of-the-art sawmill in Coosa County, which would be the company's second operation in Alabama.

Demopolis-based Two Rivers Lumber has committed to creating 130 jobs at the new Alabama sawmill, which will specialize in the production of dimensional southern yellow pine lumber.

This growth project will have a significant impact on Coosa County and will have many economic implications throughout the region, » said Governor Ivey. Alabama’s forest products industry is a national powerhouse, and it’s great to see Two Rivers Lumber continue to grow in its home state.

Two Rivers was started by the McElroy family, owners of McElroy Truck Lines in Cuba, Alabama, and Roy Geiger, owner of Sumter Timber in Jefferson, Alabama. The company opened its first sawmill in Marengo County in 2017. Today, the facility near Demopolis has an annual capacity of 200 million board feet and employs 145 full-time employees.

We are excited to expand Two Rivers into the state of Alabama and Coosa County, » said Jay McElroy. We spent over a year searching for a site and planning the project. We look forward to starting the new operation in August 2025. Local and national support has been tremendous throughout this process.

Peak North America is leading construction of the Kellyton facility, scheduled to begin in June.

Our team has a long-standing relationship with the Two Rivers team, based on trust, integrity and a shared commitment to a thriving forestry industry. said Leif Norrgard, CEO of Peak North America. We look forward to working together on this innovative project.

As part of the project, Two Rivers will create 130 jobs over a one-year period, with the positions paying an average annual salary of just over $51,000, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce.

The company also considered Mississippi as a potential location for the sawmill.

This investment by Two Rivers Lumber will generate a significant number of good-paying jobs while driving economic growth in the Coosa County region, said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. For local residents, this means new opportunities and a brighter future for their communities.

To support the project, the Lake Martin Area Industrial Development Authority is donating 110 acres of land, valued at $2.2 million. Additionally, AIDT, the state's primary workforce development agency, provides services to the company.

Denise Walls, executive director of the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, said Two Rivers is a great fit for the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park, which is a partnership between Alexander City and Coosa County.

I appreciate the support the Coosa County Commission and Alexander City Mayor Woody Baird and his team have given me throughout this nearly 10-month recruiting process. Walls said. We all thought this was a project worth fighting for, and we are thrilled that Two Rivers is making Coosa County their new home. The local impact of this project will be deep and far-reaching.

Brenda Tuck, rural development manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the high level of support from the state and its partners demonstrates the Ivey administration's commitment to facilitating job growth in rural areas of Alabama.

Together with our allies across the state, we are working hard to achieve our goal of fully unlocking rural Alabama's growth potential, Tuck said. It is clear to me that opportunities are flourishing in rural communities across the state and the business community is beginning to take full advantage of these opportunities.

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