Forest products company to invest $7.5M in expansion in Wythe County

Musser Biomass and Wood Products will invest $7.5 million to expand its operation in Wythe County.

A division of the family-owned and operated Musser Lumber Co., the expansion will more than double production of dried hardwood chips and sawdust the company supplies to composite decking manufacturers, plastic extrusion companies and BBQ and heating wood pellet companies.

Musser will significantly increase is purchase volumes of hardwood residuals from regional sawmills, which will create a new market for the operational byproduct.

“We continue to execute our long-term plans to make Musser Biomass and Wood Products the top source for hardwood fiber solutions in the biomass industry. From heating and BBQ pellets, composite decking and other biomass markets, we are truly redefining the dry wood fiber market,” Musser Biomass and Wood Products President Ed Musser said. “We are very appreciative of the support we have received from both our local administrators and the Governor.”

Established by Mike Musser and his sons, Ed and Mick, in 1968, the company specializes in drying, surfacing, and planing of hardwood lumber for flooring and paneling. Lumber is sourced from dozens of sawmills and plays an important role in the supply chain for Virginia forest products by packing and shipping Virginia hardwood lumber to customers across the country and around the world. The Wythe County division was established in 2020, and has enabled the company to purchase sawdust and wood chips from their mill supply base and grow its sales of these materials. The company plans to bring on a second dryer this year and then open a pulpwood and log yard to supply its dryer operations.

“Virginia’s forestry industry adds more than $23 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy and employs over 108,000 Virginians, making it our third largest private sector industry,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said. “Supporting companies like Musser Biomass and Wood Products helps to keep this industry strong and also spurs economic development in our rural communities.”

The expansion builds on the company’s 2020 AFID award, which funded the purchase of a state-of-the-art, high-efficiency wood residual drying system, by adding a second such system. Manufactured by Belgium-based DRYER ONE, these units use lower temperatures and higher airflow to process more than 80,000 tons of wood fiber annually while using 30 percent less energy and producing less dust and volatile organic compound pollution.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Wythe County and the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County worked together to secure the project for the Commonwealth. Youngkin approved a $75,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund, which will be matched with local funds from Wythe County.