West Fraser: 40 years of success at Inverness ‘Cloud Factory’

West Fraser is celebrating four decades of producing SterlingOSB board products – now the SterlingOSB Zero portfolio.

The Inverness plant employs 140 workers and was the first facility in Europe to manufacture OSB, a panel product used in a wide range of applications including construction materials, furniture, packaging and art installations.

To mark the site’s anniversary, the team recently hosted a family day event. Staff were also celebrating the recent Safety Star achievement, which recognises the company’s commitment to employee safety.

The factory was established in 1985, following the closure of several paper mills and the near collapse of the UK forest products industry during the 1970s and early 1980s.

In a move to support the struggling industry, and with backing from the Highlands and Islands Development Agency (HIDA) and the Forestry Commission, a consortium of local and institutional investors launched a new company – Highland Forest Products – in November 1983, with the Inverness site opening two years later.

Four decades of development later, the site has evolved into today’s West Fraser facility which, when combined with the Genk site in Belgium, forms the largest OSB production operation in Europe. The Inverness plant was also the first OSB facility in Europe to receive Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, recognising its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Steve McTaggart, HSEQ Manager at West Fraser Inverness, said: “West Fraser Inverness is proud to have been part of the community for 40 years, and we look forward to many more.”

The West Fraser facility has benefited from sustained investment over the past 40 years, including a £95m expansion in 2018 to install a new manufacturing line and increase production capacity. This was officially opened by then-First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

For more information on West Fraser, visit https://uk.westfraser.com.