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Roseburg Forest Products has restarted construction on Dillard MDF, a new medium density fiberboard plant in southern Oregon that the company says is central to its long-term growth strategy and goal of becoming a leading MDF producer in the western U.S.
Announced March 4, 2026, the project marks a renewed investment in Roseburg’s composite panel business after the company paused work in early 2025 amid economic uncertainty, market volatility, and concerns over Oregon policy conditions.
Located within Roseburg’s Dillard complex, the new MDF plant is designed to be fully integrated with the company’s existing wood fiber and biomass energy resources. Roseburg said the facility will feature a next-generation Siempelkamp continuous press capable of producing both traditional MDF panels and high-density fiberboard (HDF), along with value-added products for construction, cabinetry, and flooring applications.
“We are very pleased to announce the restart of our Dillard MDF project,” said Stuart Gray, president and CEO of Roseburg Forest Products. “Dillard MDF plays a key role in our future. The plant will be one of the lowest cost producers in the world, which significantly enhances Roseburg’s long-term competitive position in composite panels in the West specifically and North America in general.”
According to the company, the project is a cornerstone of its broader modernization efforts and historic capital investment in southern Oregon. Roseburg said strategic steps taken during 2025 to strengthen overall business performance, along with improving stability in state policy, helped reaffirm the long-term value of the project.
“During 2025, we took a number of strategic steps to strengthen our overall business performance in uncertain times and downcycle market conditions,” Gray said. “These moves coupled with improving stability in state policy confirmed our long-term outlook for this project. We are confident in Dillard MDF as a strategic investment and look forward to continued state and local support to ensure the viability of this level of investment in Oregon.”
When operations begin, Roseburg expects the new facility to employ more than 140 people. Startup is currently projected for late 2028.
The new fiberboard press will be installed on the same footprint as the first press Siempelkamp supplied to Roseburg more than 50 years ago. The new system will be capable of producing MDF and HDF panels in thicknesses ranging from 2 mm to 28 mm, giving the company added flexibility across a range of end-use markets.
Roseburg currently manufactures MDF products at facilities in Medford, Oregon; El Dorado, Arkansas; and Pembroke, Ontario. The Dillard MDF project is expected to further strengthen the company’s position in the North American composite panels market, particularly in the West.
