Rachelle Ewart takes an opportunity for a group photo at the Tyler EDC Annual Meeting at W.T. Brookshire Conference Center Thursday morning.

The Tyler Economic Development Council (EDC) said a new a project will develop at least 100 jobs — to start — for the Smith County region. Great Southern Wood Tyler, Inc. has chosen the new Tyler Interstate Commerce Park for its newest facility, the EDC announced at its annual meeting Thursday morning.

The announcement is the “result of over a year of work of leaders in the public and private sector,” said Scott Martinez, president and CEO of the Tyler EDC. “Not only is Great Southern Wood the first and anchor tenant for the new Tyler Interstate Commerce Park, but it is the catalyst for development of the Tyler Interstate Commerce Park.”

The park is a 412-acre development with over a mile and a half of Interstate 20 frontage.

“This is exciting, not just for a group of business people but for everybody because it has such an impact on the whole community,” said Ray McKinney, President and CEO of Genecov Group and Tyler EDC Board Chairman. “I mean, we’re talking about jobs and economic growth… this is creating an amazing opportunity.”

With nearly 500 people in attendance at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center, it was revealed that Alabama-based lumber treatment plant known as YellaWood, a brand of Great Southern, will be the first and anchor tenant of the new industrial park.

“This plant will be a state-of-the-art, world-class lumber treatment facility along with building products and distribution warehouse,” said Justin Wright, Executive Vice President of Great Southern Wood Preserving. “We’re developing about 50 acres of a 150-acre site coming out of the gate. So we’re excited about the opportunities of the future.”

Identifiable by a distinctive yellow tag, YellaWood is known for its pressure treated pine and has long been recognized by consumers, professional builders, architects and specifiers for quality and dependability.

Great Southern Wood Preserving takes untreated lumber from sawmills, treats the wood and then sends it off to stores, such as McCoy’s and other small lumber shops. The other 100 acres will be used for future development, Wright told the crowd.

The first phase is expected to bring a capital investment of over $40 million, which due to inflation could expand to $50 million.

“We’re already up here in the east market, servicing building material dealers around the area with treated lumber and other building materials,” Wright said. “This just gives us more capacity in the region.”

Wright also stated this new venture frees up space in the plant in Columbus, which already ships to the area.

“By building this plant, we are, in essence, building capacity in three or four different markets,” he said.

According to the EDC, YellaWood is a known leader in its market and will be an important part of creating jobs in both Smith County and Tyler’s business communities.

Earlier this year, Tyler EDC announced its purchase of 412 acres in the northern part of Smith County to be used as an industrial park. It has over a mile and a half of Interstate 20 frontage.

“This (upcoming project) validates it because until you have a company actually locate and start building on a development like this, it’s just an idea,” Martinez said. “And having someone actually invest in a facility and hire people that validates it as an employment center.”

The Smith County Commissioners Court approved $4.5 million to construct a new road inside the industrial park. The new road will be called County Road 3344, and is expected to be completed in late 2024.

“It’s a public road, which will connect State Highway 155 to County Road 336, so anyone can drive on it but it really opens up this property for job creators,” Martinez said. “What’s interesting is this is the first new county road in Smith County since the 1950s.”

Since its inception in 1989, Tyler EDC has been a nonprofit organization that works on promoting economic growth through retention and expansion of existing businesses, new/small business development and business attraction.

“Tyler EDC recruits a business to come to Tyler, Texas and when that business comes, they create jobs and then we have capital investment,” McKinney said.

“Our mission is to work with companies to create employment opportunities here in Tyler Smith County,” Martinez said. “And this, from my perspective, is really a catalyst to get this industrial park to be driven by access to Interstate 20.”

When it came to searching for the right place to call home for the project, Wright said it was a no-brainer after researching and meeting with the community leaders.

“We spent a lot of time doing our homework, running the analytics of where our products come from and where they’re ultimately going to end up,” he said. “We had a small radius of area of where we thought it was an opportunity for us. Then we started the process of finding a suitable site and, even better, a suitable community somewhere.”

Great Southern Wood Preserving first began operating in 2000 with its first facility in Columbus.

“It didn’t take us long to see that we’d one day need to add to our presence in Texas,” said Great Southern’s founder, president and CEO Jimmy Rane. “This expansion in Smith County is the culmination of many years of planning. Texas has been, and continues to be, a key growth area for us. We couldn’t be more excited to be joining Smith County and Tyler communities, and we’re looking forward to getting underway.”

Wright credited Martinez and the Tyler EDC for helping him and his team understand the benefits of the area and what it offers.

“It’s a big investment for us in Texas,” Wright said, “but we believe that the future looks very good.”