Economic development projects approved in Clarion County

It is not the end of the growing season in Clarion County. Three projects designed to benefit the local economy have been recently approved.

Kronospan, formerly Clarion Boards, is planning two projects at the Paint Township facility. The first project is for a 3,800-square-foot, bi-clone drying system structure, which will stand 200 feet above ground level.

Due to the proximity of the tower to Clarion County Airport, approval was needed from the airport’s zoning board, which recently signed off on the project. The structure will be placed at the south end of existing structures.

A second project is the construction of a new RTO replacement and wood storage upgrade. Included will be the construction of a stack and reclaimer unit that will be 166,190 square feet with a total height of 160 feet above ground. There will also be a regenerative thermal oxidizer structure that will be 16,171 square feet and 82 feet high.

An RTO dryer and MCC structure will encompass 1,600 square feet with a height of 15 feet. There will be two stacks and reclaim MCC structures, 800 square feet in each with a total height of 15 feet.

A stack and reclaim chip tower is proposed at 1,344 square feet and will be 60 feet tall. The final part of the project is a stack and reclaim sort transfer tower that will cover 1,344 square feet and be 80 feet tall.

The total value of the combined projects is expected to be more than $1.1 million.

Austria-based Kronospan acquired Clarion Boards Inc. and Clarion Laminates LLC. The corporate offices are in Shippenville.

There will be a new development in Clarion Township as well. Northland Forest Products (NFP) of Kingston, New Hampshire, is planning to build a lumber kiln drying facility at the Strattanville exit of Interstate 80.

In the application to the Clarion County Planning Commission, Northland said the facility would have nine structures on a 20-acre site. A new 30-foot-wide access entrance would be built to serve the site from Township Route T-556.

The typical operations at the site will include receiving rough cut lumber, sorting lumber, drying lumber in the kiln and air-drying in the storage yard, sorting of finished materials and shipping of finished materials.

Northland estimates about 35 tractor-trailers will access the site each week. The hours of operation will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Northland anticipates hiring 25 employees.

Northland Forest Products (NFP) is a hardwood lumber processor and distributor producing their exclusive brand of lumber for markets in the U.S. and 26 other nations.

Construction will begin as weather permits

Earlier this week, the Clarion County Planning Commission approved an expansion for Charles Machine Inc. in Limestone Township. The 23,400-square-foot addition was initially approved in 2014, but the company decided not to build at that time.

No timeline for construction was available.