Roseburg Forest Products Reboots Dillard MDF Project, Plans 140+ Jobs When Plant Opens

Roseburg Forest Products is restarting construction on its long-planned Dillard MDF project, a move the company says is central to a long-term growth strategy and an effort to become the leading producer of medium density fiberboard products in the West.

The company said construction activity resumed March 4, 2026, on the modern MDF plant planned at its Dillard complex in Southern Oregon. The project is part of a multi-year modernization effort and what Roseburg describes as a historic investment in the region.

When completed, Dillard MDF is expected to feature a latest-generation Siempelkamp continuous press. Roseburg said the technology will convert wood residuals into both high-density fiberboard (HDF) and traditional MDF panels, along with value-added products aimed at construction, cabinetry and flooring markets.

Roseburg said the new mill will be fully integrated into its existing Dillard complex to tap into the site’s high-quality wood fiber supply and biomass energy production.

“We are very pleased to announce the restart of our Dillard MDF project,” said Stuart Gray, president and CEO, in a statement.

Gray said the project “plays a key role” in Roseburg’s future and described the plant as being positioned to be one of the lowest-cost producers in the world, which he said would strengthen the company’s competitive position in composite panels in the West and across North America.

The company had paused the project in early 2025, citing economic uncertainty, volatile market conditions, and the possibility of Oregon state policy changes that Roseburg said could have undermined the project’s viability.

Gray said Roseburg made strategic moves during 2025 to improve overall business performance during uncertain times and downcycle market conditions. He said those steps, combined with what the company described as improving stability in state policy, reinforced its long-term outlook for Dillard MDF. Roseburg said it is confident in the project as a strategic investment and is looking for continued state and local support to maintain the viability of major investments in Oregon.

Roseburg expects the new MDF plant to employ more than 140 people when operations begin in late 2028.

The company already produces MDF at its mill in Medford, Oregon, and also operates MDF production in El Dorado, Arkansas, and Pembroke, Ontario, Canada.

Roseburg also said the fiberboard press at Dillard MDF will be installed on the same footprint as the first press Siempelkamp supplied to Roseburg more than 50 years ago. The new press is designed to produce MDF and HDF panels in thicknesses ranging from 2 millimeters to 28 millimeters.