TAYLOR, Louisiana – Hunt Forest Products, Tolko Industries and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois dedicated what’s being called Louisiana’s newest and most technologically advanced sawmill in Bienville Parish. The $280 million, state-of-the-art project began construction in 2022 and initial operations in 2023. Today, the facility operates at full capacity and employs approximately 190 people. “We are very excited about the performance of this mill,” said James Hunt, Hunt Forest Products co-owner and board vice chairman. Hunt noted that the facility recently set two new lumber production records, is managing almost 1,000 truckloads of timber a week, and that its decision to prioritize buying timber locally is generating approximately $50 million annually in purchases from local foresters. …The mill requires approximately 1.3 million tons of wood annually to produce approximately 320 million board feet of lumber annually, Hunt added.