RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Musser Lumber Sales, Inc. will expand its existing operations in Wythe County. Through a $3 million investment, the company will create approximately 45 new jobs over three years. The expansion will allow Musser Lumber Sales to construct a gas-fired wood kiln, additional storage and production facilities, and a retail outlet. The company will also expand its production line to include value-added mouldings and flooring.
“I am pleased that Musser Lumber Sales’ positive experience in Virginia has led to this significant reinvestment in Wythe County,” said Governor Warner. “The Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to assisting Virginia companies meet their expansion needs.”
Musser Lumber Sales is headquartered in Rural Retreat, Virginia, with a kiln drying facility in Chilhowie, Virginia; a concentration and log yard in Kane, Pennsylvania; a manufacturing facility in Memphis, Tennessee; and a manufacturing facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The company purchases green and kiln dried lumber and manufactures the lumber to meet the specific needs of its customers. Lumber is graded, planed, and custom sorted to grade, length, width and color. The current Rural Retreat facility can inventory approximately 2,500,000 board feet and process over 50,000,000 board feet of lumber annually. The new expansion will allow the company to process a greater percentage of green lumber and will also provide greater versatility and control over inventory.
“It’s good to be able to expand operations in our home community,” said Michael Musser, Vice President of Musser Lumber Sales, Inc. “It has always been our goal to consolidate as many of our operations as possible here at our main facility in Rural Retreat. We could have invested in our other locations, but the positive business climate in Wythe County and Virginia helped confirm the decision to expand here. We see this as a win-win situation for both us and the community.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia’s @ Corridor, and the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County, Wytheville and Rural Retreat, assisted with the company’s expansion decision. The Town of Rural Retreat and Wythe County are working together to extend water and sewer infrastructure to serve the site with the aid of a Community Development Block Grant, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services.