The merger of Norbord Inc. and Ainsworth Lumber Co. completed locally on April 1 saw changes at the OSB plant in 100 Mile House.
Ainsworth is now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norbord.
This week, Simon Craig, Norbord operations superintendent in British Columbia, said Norbord officially acquired all the Ainsworth operations in B.C., Alberta and Ontario on July 15.
“With this acquisition, Norbord becomes the largest global producer of OSB, with an installed OSB capacity of 7.9 billion square feet annually.”
He noted Norbord employs 155 workers in 100 Mile House, where it consumes 650,000 cubic metres of fibre per year, and globally, employs more than 2,600 employees at 17 plants across the United States, Canada and Europe.
“The Norbord acquisition has provided longer term security to the 100 Mile House operation and as such will continue to have a positive influence on 100 Mile House and the local economy.
“Norbord is committed to ensure the safety of all its employees and is fully committed to sustainable forestry practices.”
With the longtime local OSB plant now operating under the Norbord name, 100 Mile House general manager Rick Takagi also spoke enthusiastically about the merger at a celebration held on April 2, noting Norbord is a strong and stable company and a global leader.
“It will mean good things for our team here in 100 Mile House,” he said.
Norbord president and CEO Peter Wijnbergen also appeared at that celebration, and talked with local employees about the vision behind the merger.
Wijnbergen said he was excited to welcome the 100 Mile House employees and to become part of the community.
Wijnbergen explained the merger is about sharing best practices on everything from products to safety to create new opportunities for everyone.
Further information is on the website at www.norbord.com.
