March 5, 2026 3:50 a.m.
In the KQEN Business Spotlight:
On Wednesday, Roseburg Forest Products announced it is restarting construction activities at Dillard MDF.
An RFP release said it is a new medium density fiberboard plant at the heart of the company’s long-term growth strategy and its goal to become the leading producer of MDF products in the west.
As a cornerstone of Roseburg’s multi-year modernization and historic investment in southern Oregon, Dillard MDF will feature the latest generation Siempelkamp continuous press. This state-of-the-art-technology converts wood residuals into high-density fiberboard as well as traditional MDF panels and value-added products for construction, cabinetry and flooring markets. The new mill will be fully integrated into Roseburg’s Dillard complex to leverage its high-quality wood fiber and biomass energy production.
Roseburg Forest Productions President and CEO Stuart Gray said, “We are very pleased to announce the restart of our Dillard MDF project”. Gray said, “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”.
The release said Roseburg paused the project in early 2025 in response to uncertainty in the economy, volatile market conditions, and potential Oregon state policy shifts that would undermine the project’s viability.
Gray said, “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”.
Roseburg expects to employ more than 140 people at the new MDF plant when operations begin in 2028. In addition to its mill in Medford, the company currently produces MDF products in El Dorado, Arkansas and Pembroke, Ontario, Canada.
The release said the fiberboard press at Dillard MDF will be installed on the same footprint as the first press supplied by Siempelkamp to Roseburg more than 50 years ago. The new press is capable of producing MDF and HDF panels with thicknesses ranging from 2 mm to 28 mm.