Hill Biomass Inc. of Cook announced Friday afternoon it has purchased the Ainsworth oriented-strand board plant south of Cook. The company plans to use the idled plant to produce biomass fuel products for a variety of markets, according to a statement it issued.
No startup date for the new facility has been announced, and Penny Glissman, Hill Biomass' controller and spokeswoman could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. The company has not yet indicated how many people it expects to employ at the former OSB plant, which has been closed since January 2008. Ainsworth once employed 150 people there.
Ainsworth also closed another OSB plant in Grand Rapids in 2006, putting 190 people out of work.
Bruce Gibson, an Ainsworth spokesman working at the company's Vancouver headquarters, did not return calls Friday afternoon.
Hill Biomass is a division of Hill Wood Products Inc., which is more than 60 years old. In addition to handling biofuels, the company produces thin-sawn veneers, flooring products and wood-joining biscuits.
