COOK — While hopes for reviving the long-shuttered LP Building Solutions plant near Cook have dimmed over the years, the site remains on the company’s short list of potential locations for future expansion.
During the company’s third-quarter earnings call last week, incoming CEO Jason Ringblom again cited the Cook property as one of two “greenfield” options that could eventually be developed for siding production. LP also owns a similar site in Wawa, Ontario.
“The decision on the next mill will really come down to timing and capital efficiency,” Ringblom told investors. “We also have the potential for a greenfield that would leverage sites that we own today in Wawa, Ontario, or Cook, Minnesota.”
The leadership transition comes as longtime CEO Brad Southern prepares to retire in February after more than 25 years with the company. Ringblum, who currently serves as LP’s president, has been named to succeed him. Southern, who led the company through a major transformation toward higher-value siding products, told investors he was confident the company’s future remains strong under Ringblum’s direction.
That confirmation keeps the local facility, originally built by Ainsworth and closed in 2008, technically in play, even as the company leans toward converting existing OSB mills instead of starting new ones from scratch.
LP’s leadership said a conversion of its Maniwaki, Quebec mill has moved to the top of the candidate list, largely for reasons of timing and cost. The facility’s size and location make it a more efficient choice for adding siding capacity in the near term.
Company officials said that with housing starts forecast to remain flat into 2026, they no longer feel pressured to rush an expansion project. That pause, they said, allows them to pursue the most capital-efficient option rather than the fastest.
Even with that slower timeline, LP expects continued growth in its siding business. The company has announced a 3 to 4 percent price increase for 2026 and plans to bring additional capacity online next spring through upgrades at existing facilities.
The Cook site remains a reminder of the region’s once-robust engineered-wood industry, and LP’s periodic mention of it keeps the possibility of future redevelopment alive. For now, the plant sits quiet, but still on the company’s radar.
State and local incentives could ultimately determine whether Cook ever becomes more than a name on LP’s site list.
Minnesota has a track record of offering substantial financial packages to lure major wood-products investments. A few years ago, for example, Huber Engineered Woods was offered roughly $35 million in combined state funding for a proposed OSB plant in Cohasset, including $15.6 million from the IRRRB and about $20 million from DEED’s 21st Century Fund, along with local utility, tax-abatement, and infrastructure support. Huber ultimately withdrew after a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling required a full Environmental Impact Statement, delaying the project beyond its production schedule.