“Closure of the International Paper plant in Campti is nothing but bad news for the timber industry in Winn Parish,” according to Toni McAllister, executive director of the Louisiana Loggers Association, and Tony McManus, owner of McManus Timber Co. who spoke to Winnfield’s Rotarians on March 26, 2025 at the invitation of Rotarian of the Day, Bob Holeman. Closure of the containerboard mill in Natchitoches Parish was announced by IP on February 13 and will take effect by the end of March.

Of the approximately 600 direct jobs, around 150 of those employees were from Winn Parish.  McAllister has heard that most of these jobs were absorbed by the surrounding mills but it is the indirect jobs affected by the shutdown that we have yet to feel the impact of. The Campti mill used around 800,000 tons of pulpwood a year for making containerboard. “When the mill goes down, the pulpwood demand will plummet.” Supply and demand are what keeps our industry rolling, and without the demand of pulpwood, suppliers (loggers) are not needed.

McAllister estimates that at least 20 – 25% of the logging businesses in central Louisiana will not be able to remain in operation due to the decrease in demand for pulpwood close to home. Demand for pulpwood to further destinations increases the cost of transportation and increases unloading times, lowering the profit for contractors such that continuing in business will be difficult.

A few alternative markets exist for pulpwood chips, such as energy or paper production, that may absorb some of the pulpwood harvested in Winn Parish, but, again, those markets are farther away from Winn Parish than the Campti facility but the cheaper, sawmill residual production of chips and bark will be used first before logged round wood.  

Mrs. McAllister has met with the Governor, Louisiana Workforce Development office, Roy O. Martin, CLECO and other business interests in central Louisiana to consider ways to minimize the economic impact on central Louisiana, but any new developments or projects to replace the demand for pulpwood will not be in operation for three to four years.

McManus says pulpwood currently sells for around $5 a ton, but once the Campti mill shuts down and the demand for pulpwood decreases the price will drop dramatically, maybe even as low as $2 a ton.

McAllister says Winn Parish must prepare for a recession (she hopes she is wrong), and logging businesses must reduce expenses as low as possible, prepare to haul less pulpwood beginning now, and take very good care of trucks and logging equipment, if they are to stay in business through the recession. This is a monumental readjustment in the timber and logging industry.  By the time new markets come into play, the industry would already be adjusted to the lesser demand of round wood.  Mrs. McAllister believes that more markets will be available, but not soon enough to stop the down turn on the industry.