Todd Johnson

GAYLORD — Fifteen years have elapsed since Georgia-Pacific closed its former particleboard plant near Dickerson and Milbocker roads in Bagley Township in 2006, and the site remained largely devoid of activity for much of that time. There is activity at the site now, and more is scheduled for the future courtesy of Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber Inc. of Comins, which bought the 850-acre parcel in January of 2020. “We are logging and chipping on that site right now,” said Todd Johnson, president of Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber. “The next step is construction of a building to house a state-of-the-art sawmill over the next year or two.” Johnson said the building construction will probably start in May. Currently six workers are employed at the facility and “by the end of 2022 we should have about 50,” Johnson said.