Freedonia Analyst Weighs In On West Fraser's Acquisition of Norbord

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Nov 24, 2020, 19:16 ET

CLEVELAND, Nov. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- West Fraser Timber Company, a leading supplier of lumber and other wood products extensively used in the building and construction market, announced last week that it was acquiring Norbord, the leading global producer of oriented strand board (OSB) and a key supplier of engineered wood products, such as plywood. The transaction, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, will create an integrated global wood building products manufacturer with annual sales of about US$6 billion.

According to Freedonia Group industry analyst Matt Zielenski, "This transaction will create a leading supplier of a full range of wood-based building materials. West Fraser is already a key player in the industry due to its leading position in the wood lumber, wood panels, and engineered wood products markets. By acquiring Norbord, West Fraser adds to its extensive wood panel and engineered wood products manufacturing capacity, and, more importantly, expands its portfolio by adding Norbord's OSB product lines. Thus, West Fraser can position itself as the leader supplier of nearly all of the wood products used in construction applications."

West Fraser will also benefit by becoming a global player in the wood products market. While West Fraser exclusively operates in the US and Canada, Norbord boasts a number of manufacturing centers in Europe, as well as a distribution network in Japan that serves the growing Asian market. These international operations will boost sales as the world recovers from the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noted Zielenski: "The combined company will be well-positioned to succeed as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales of lumber and other building materials have remained strong during the recession due to a surge in DIY projects. Going forward, this activity will remain strong, while solid demand for housing will spur building activity and thus drive demand for the products West Fraser supplies – lumber, plywood, OSB used as sheathing, and roof and floor trusses."

For more information on the outlook for lumber and building materials, see the Construction & Building Products page on the Freedonia Group website. Check back in in a week for our new Wood Panels study.

About The Freedonia Group – The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com, is a leading international industrial research company publishing more than 100 studies annually. Since 1985 we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Each study includes product and market analyses and forecasts, in-depth discussions of important industry trends, and market share information. Studies can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

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SOURCE The Freedonia Group