April 25, 2025 – (Ruston, LA) The building phase of Louisiana Tech University’s Forest Products Innovation Center (FPIC) has begun on its South Campus.
According to the university’s website, the FPIC will provide space for a transdisciplinary approach to solving the challenges associated with the timber industry, a sector that employs more than 37,000 Louisianans. The new building will provide space for research collaborations, not only within the forestry industry, but also with other state and national industry partners. Academic programs in forestry, agriculture, biology, engineering, science, and other disciplines will all contribute to the learning, research, and service created by the FPIC.
The creation of the FPIC is made possible with help from RoyOMartin, Hunt Forest Products, Bakelite Synthetics, Arclin, Weyerhaeuser, and the Pipes Foundation. Once it’s operational, its work will also be supported with help from grants via organizations like the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The center will play a key role in driving research and identifying sustainable solutions for wood products,” said Roy O. Martin III, chairman and CEO of RoyOMartin. “I look forward to collaborating and working together in the new state-of-the-art center, where transformational discoveries will become innovative solutions, successfully increasing forest productivity in the region.”
The project has an expected completion date of Fall 2026.
Photo courtesy of Louisiana Tech University
