(Nov. 3) Weyerhaeuser has announced plans to build a new 183,000-sq.-ft. cellulose fibers processing plant in Gdansk, Poland. The company expects the land-sale agreement to be completed by year's end and plans to break ground in the spring of 2010.

The plan will be Weyerhaeuser’s first cellulose fibers manufacturing plant outside of North America and will process cellulose fibers for hygiene products. It will hire at least 45 people upon its expected completion in 2012.

“Weyerhaeuser is committed to investing in and carefully growing business segments that add value to its timberlands portfolio and that have demonstrated top-quartile performance in their competitive categories,” said Dan Fulton, Weyerhaeuser president and CEO. “We expect worldwide demand for cellulose-based products to increase over the long term. This new plant will enable our cellulose fibers business to grow with a key customer.”

The plant will primarily supply Procter & Gamble -- which will be the facility’s primary customer -- in Poland and Western and Eastern Europe.

“The plant Weyerhaeuser is building in Gdansk supports a variety of P&G strategies,” said Stassi Anastassov, VP Baby Care Central Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa for Procter & Gamble. “These include encouraging local sourcing of raw materials, fostering local employment, reducing overall costs and minimizing the company’s environmental footprint by reducing logistics requirements.”