In their second quarter earnings report, Norbord announced that due to accelerating demand for OSB in North America, that they will be resuming a limited operating schedule, starting sometime in August, on Line 1 of its two-line Cordele, Georgia OSB mill.
Line 1 was indefinitely curtailed in November 2019 due to poor market conditions and lower than anticipated OSB demand. Previous to that the line had been running on a reduced operating schedule from September to November 2019.
Norbord went onto say that given the uncertainty around the depth and duration of the economic impact of COVID-19 combined with the inherent seasonality of OSB demand, going forward the Company will incorporate Cordele Line 1 into the flexible operating strategy employed since the early stages of the pandemic.
The objective of this new operating strategy is to create the flexibility to adjust production up and down to better align with demand. The Cordele, Georgia mill has two production lines and a total stated annual production capacity of 1,040 million square feet (MMsf) (3/8-inch basis), of which 440 MMsf (3/8-inch basis) is attributed to Line 1.
Cordele Line 2 has continued to operate during the indefinite curtailment of Line 1. Norbord is hiring approximately 25 employees at the mill in connection with the limited restart of Line 1.
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