A mass timber production facility will be built in Redding, California, sandwiched between three national forests.

The proliferation of mass timber construction is hampered by tariffs that jam supply chains builders rely upon to import materials from north of the border. In 2024, the U.S. imported 24 percent of its forest and soft wood products from Canada, accounting for $11.6 billion in trade. Now, softwood lumber products face 10 percent tariffs, and 50 percent tariffs for kitchen cabinets.

To bolster domestic production, FABRIC, a northern California advanced mass timber company, is partnering with WRNS Studio to launch California’s first large-scale mass timber production facility. The announcement comes after an executive order, issued last April by the Trump administration to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, mandating the expansion of American timber production by 25 percent.

The forthcoming 200,000-square-foot facility will be built in Redding, California, sandwiched between the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Lassen National Forest. A nearby regional airport will facilitate domestic and international connections.

“We have a full ecosystem ready to change the way we build. An experienced team. Design and engineering support from inspiration to installation. Advanced manufacturing and fabrication facilities that produce CLT and GLT to exacting specifications,” FABRIC founder and CEO Scott Ehlert shared in a statement.

“Supply chain tracing to document sustainability and wildfire reduction efforts,” Ehlert added. “Partnerships to train and develop a workforce that will frame new opportunities for our state.”
 
Source: archpaper.com