A Resolute Forest Products woodyard update will take place
on about three acres of the property. The upgrades will make the mill more
economical and competitive. In June, the Canada-based company began building a
replacement woodyard at the Augusta facility on Doug Barnard Parkway. The
woodyard will likely be operational by September 2014, said Jay Backus, general
manager of the Augusta mill. “It just
makes us a much more economical, viable mill,” Backus said. “It improves our
competitiveness in the newsprint market. Newsprint is a difficult market right
now. We have to keep our costs down to survive.” The new facility will span
about 3 acres of the mill’s property and was precipitated by an outdated
pulping process. The Augusta mill produces about 400,000 tons of newsprint
annually. The company's biggest customers are The Washington Post,
Quad/Graphics and other Southeastern newspapers, including The Augusta
Chronicle.
