Oregon and Southwest Washington are well-positioned to become a manufacturing hub for cross-laminated timber — an innovative building product sometimes called “plywood on steroids” — according to a new study prepared by Oregon BEST. The 110-page analysis found Oregon has the potential to create 2,000 to 6,100 direct jobs making cross-laminated timber and related mass timber products. Mid-rise office and residential buildings are now being made with CLT, providing a dramatically lower carbon footprint than buildings using concrete and steel. Some high-rise projects using CLT are in the works. …The report suggests several ways to boost the industry here, including grants or subsidies for equipment, financing for new plants, modernizing building codes so it’s easier to build taller buildings with CLT, and streamlining permitting. The full study is available at bit.ly/2fhpFTd.