Gov. Ivey, LMAEDA announce new business coming to Coosa County industrial park
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Two Rivers Lumber plans $115 million sawmill project, creating 130 jobs in Coosa County
Two Rivers Lumber Company currently operates a sawmill in Demopolis near where the Rombigbee and Black Warrior rivers meet. The company has committed to opening a second sawmill in Coosa County, with a projected production start date of August 2025. Photos courtesy of Two Rivers Lumber
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
Yesterday Gov. Kay Ivey; along with the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance (LMAEDA), Coosa County and the City of Alexander City; was proud to announce that Two Rivers Lumber Company, LLC. Plans to invest $115 million to build a state-of-the-art sawmill in Coosa County as the company’s second operation in Alabama.
The company will be opening its second location in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park in the county, near the Town of Kellyton.
Two Rivers’ owners Roy Geiger, Jay McElroy and Sean McElroy opened the first facility in Demopolis in Marengo County in 2017. The Demopolis-based company has committed to creating 130 jobs at the new Coosa County sawmill, with a capital investment of $115 million.
Like the Demopolis location, the Coosa County facility will specialize in the production of southern yellow pine dimensional lumber.
“This growth project will have a significant impact on Coosa County and cast many economic ripples throughout the region,” said Gov. 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.”
The McElroy family also owns McElroy Truck Lines in Cuba, Ala., and Greiger is the owner of Sumter Timber in Jefferson. Currently the facility in Marengo County has an annual capacity of 200 million board feet and 145 full-time employees.
“We are happy to be expanding Two Rivers in the state of Alabama and in Coosa County,” said Jay McElroy. “We spent over a year searching for a site and planning the project – we look forward to starting up the new operation in August 2025. The local and state support has been great throughout this process.”
Peak North America will be leading construction of the mill, with a start set for June, infusing additional revenue into the local economy over the anticipated 14-month construction phase. Two Rivers hopes to be in operation in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park by August 2025.
“Our team has a longstanding relationship with the team at Two Rivers, based on trust, integrity and a shared commitment to a thriving forest industry,” said Peak North America CEO Leif Norrgard. “We look forward to working together on this innovative project.”
As part of the new project, Two Rivers is expected to create 130 jobs over a one-year period, with the positions paying an average annual salary of just more than $51,000, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce.
Positions at the Coosa County sawmill will include operators for the sawmill and planer mill sections of the facility, shipping and receiving, maintenance technicians, and heavy equipment operators, as well as others.
LMAEDA reported that there will be additional high-skill management positions such as electrical and mechanical supervisors, safety managers, human resources, and accounting that will have annual salaries ranging from $65,000 to $110,000.
“The impact this project will have on the Lake Martin area is enormous and far reaching. The average projected wage is outstanding for our area, and the number of skilled workers needed will hopefully mean that some of our residents with those skills that are currently driving out of town to work will be able to go to work closer to home,” said Denise Walls, executive director for the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance. “That includes truck drivers and logging operators in the area who are currently driving out of their way to other mills to offload local timber.”
The company also considered Mississippi as a potential location for the sawmill before deciding on Coosa County as a second Alabama-based location.
“This investment from Two Rivers Lumber will generate a significant number of well-paying jobs while also driving economic growth in the Coosa County area,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “For local residents, this means new opportunities and a brighter future for their communities.”
“We are excited about our decision to locate the new sawmill in Coosa County,” said Jay McElroy. “Denise and her local team have been extremely helpful throughout the process of finding the right site for us. No question has been too big or too small, and she has gone out of her way to make sure that we were confident in our decision to locate here. We have felt welcome every step of the way.”
To support the project the LMAEDA is donating 110 acres of land, valued at $2.2 million. Additionally, AIDT, the state’s primary workforce development agency, is providing services to the company.
Walls said that Two Rivers is a perfect fit for the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park, which is a partnership between Coosa County and Alexander City.
Brenda Tuck, rural development manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce, said that the high level of support from the state and its partners demonstrates the Ivey administration’s commitment to “facilitating job growth in rural Alabama.”
“In collaboration with our allies across the state, we’re working hard to realize our goal of fully unlocking the growth potential of rural Alabama,” said Tuck. “It’s clear to me that opportunities are flourishing in the state’s rural communities, and the business world is beginning to take full advantage of the possibilities.”
Walls expressed her appreciation for the elected officials who helped play a part in Two Rivers’ decision to locate in the industrial park, mentioning that it has been a long time coming.
“I appreciate the support that the Coosa County Commission and Alexander City Mayor Woody Baird and his team have shown me throughout this almost 10-month recruiting process,” said Walls. “We all felt like this was a project worth fighting for, and we are excited that Two Rivers will make Coosa County their new home. The local impact of this project will be profound and far-reaching.”
Those elected officials also expressed their excitement over the project and the company’s decision to open its new facility locally.
“I would like to welcome Two Rivers Lumber to Alexander City as a community partner that I feel will have a great impact on the economy of our area,” said Alexander City Mayor Woody Baird. “The cooperation [among] Lake Martin Area Economic Development, Alexander City and Coosa County brought us to this point. I think Two Rivers recognized that cooperation and the partnership we share was a deciding factor to them locating in our area.”
With the industrial park being located just off U.S. Highway 280 near Kellyton, it falls within District 1 County Commissioner John Forbus’ district.
“It is an honor and great privilege to welcome Two Rivers Lumber to Kellyton,” Forbus said. “The Commission knows how hard everyone worked on this project and all the places that were considered as the new site for Two Rivers Lumber. We are very proud that the new Two Rivers Lumber sawmill will call Kellyton their home. The Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park has seen a lot of activity in the past year, and we are eager to have Two Rivers Lumber join in the excitement. Not only will they bring revenue to our county, but they will also employ 130 people when production starts in August 2025. That is promising news for our community and county citizens who travel great lengths out of their towns for work and for those who are currently in local high schools and community colleges earning a trade degree. I look forward to meeting Jay and Roy and working alongside them for many years to come.”
