By JAMES RONALD SKAINS

Employment at Willamette Industries' Dodson Sawmill and Plywood complex, under the direction of General Manager Bill King, should reach well over 400 persons in the second quarter of 2001.

Ground breaking for the new expansion project that will include a $1.5 million building is set for April of this year. The project is now in the engineering and equipment design phase.

``Our goal employment-wise is to create 60 new permanent jobs by adding a new shift,'' Jeff Guin communications director at the Ruston Southern region office told the Piney Woods Journal. ``On the other hand, we feel like the company needs this project to stay competitive in the growing small log market.''

``A lot will be determined by what happens in the market for our products,'' Guin said concerning the future of the modernized plant. ``A key part of our plan is the establishment of an enterprise zone for the plant.''

Willamette recently received an endorsement by the Winn Parish Police Jury for the enterprise zone. The zone proposal will now go to the Louisiana Office of Commerce and Industry for approval and formal establishment of the zone for the Dodson complex.

Equipment slated for the plant expansion is being designed to make Southern yellow pine lumber out of tree length logs. To reach this goal, an optimizing gang saw is needed along with twin bandsaw, a double length infeed sharp chain and a radial crane.

The value of the equipment to be installed is estimated at about $21 million. The enterprise zone will give Willamette a tax exemption on the sales tax normally paid on the purchase of machinery and equipment. On purchases of $21 in equipment and machinery, the sales tax would involve considerable money that Willamette can better use in creating jobs for the local economy.

The annual payroll at the Dodson manufacturing complex with slightly less than 400 employees now tops $4 million annually. This does not include foresters or logging contractors that haul logs to the Dodson mills.

The new Willamette sawmill expansion omes on top of continuous growth which in the past three years has included addition of new warehousing, doubling the size of water storage for sawlogs, addition of a new modern forestry office across from the mill site, and expansion of the planer mill operation.