By Tanner Hood

Once dominated by fiery steel furnaces and miles of mines, the state’s construction products industry is finding renewed growth in the wood basket of south Alabama. 

Cross- and glue-laminated timber products (CLT and glulam, respectively) are behind the industry shift. These are produced in the heart of Alabama’s 23.1 million acres of forest land at SmartLam North America in Dothan. 

“CLT is a prefabricated, engineered solid wood panel made of layers of dimensional lumber,” said Adam Maggard, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System associate professor. “The lumber is stacked crosswise at right angles, glued and then pressed into place. The panels are then transported to the construction site where they are precisely connected using joints and structural adhesives.”

CLT originated in Europe but is now used in construction projects across the world. Mass timber products offer a move to more sustainably sourced building project materials compared to steel and iron, Maggard said. Although Alabama harvests 41 million tons of timber annually, 75 million tons are grown in its place, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission.  

SmartLam North America CEO Derek Ratchford spoke to attendees at Auburn University’s (AU) CLT-focused conference last fall. The Alabama Farmers Federation helped sponsor the event. 

“We’re basically Lincoln Logs and Legos for adults,” Ratchford said. “You’re buying a kit of parts. When it leaves our facility, you get it, swing it into place and attach it.”

CLT structures are gaining popularity on the AU campus. Those include the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, Hey Day Market, Advanced Structural Engineering Lab, and Kreher Preserve and Nature Center. With a natural wood-like look and feel, Maggard said CLT products provide flexibility and variability while being used in floors, roofs and walls. 

Ratchford said SmartLam is committed to Dothan. 

“This isn’t a two-year investment,” Ratchford said. “It’s a 10, 20, 30-year investment. This wood basket that sits in south Alabama is one of the best in the country. This plant will service at least two new CLT facilities. As we continue to grow, we hope the industry will take advantage of it.”

Promoting the timber industry and SmartLam products is priority No.1 for Ratchford.

“Trees and timber land are very near and dear to my heart,” Ratchford said. “If we don’t give the landowners the value, we won’t have the fiber we need to make our material. I tell everyone, ‘The only three words you need to know are ‘wood is good.’’ We have the largest mass timber company in North America sitting in Dothan, and it’s a secret we need help spreading.”

Federation Forestry Division Director William Green said mass timber products like CLT could open a new door for Alabama’s forest landowners. 

“The forestry industry has faced some tough markets over the last few years, but new avenues for lumber production like SmartLam should help landowners earn more for their products,” Green said.