BARTOW, FL (October 22, 2020) – Sunbelt Forest Products, a leading manufacturer of pressure treated lumber in the Southeastern U.S., recently expanded its operations with the purchase of Babb Lumber in Ringgold, Georgia.
The acquisition adds a fifth wood treating plant to the Bartow, Florida-based operation with other holdings in Rockledge, Fla., Athens, Ala., and Louisville, Ala. At peak production, Sunbelt Forest products can now treat in excess of 635 million board feet annually.
“Because of the increased demand for treated lumber during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sunbelt Forest Products contracted with Babb Lumber to supplement its supplies,” said Ken DelleDonne, president of Sunbelt Forest Products. “That venture was so successful we made arrangements to purchase the plant from the Babb family.”
The Ringgold location will add 10 additional team members and 35 million feet of treating capacity for the manufacturer, allowing Sunbelt Forest Products to better serve north Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. David Babb will continue to serve as plant manager.
Babb Lumber was established in Ringgold in 1953 as Babb & Sons Lumber Company by Walter W. Babb and his sons, Herchel and Jack Babb. Their family expanded the original business, adding machinery, dry kilns and pressure treating plants.
“This growth is exciting and will allow us to better serve our customers at Sunbelt Forest Products,” said Howe Q. Wallace Jr., President and CEO of PalletOne, Inc. “We look forward to the successful integration of the Ringgold operation into Sunbelt.”
Sunbelt Forest Products is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PalletOne, Inc. In addition to Sunbelt facilities, PalletOne owns and operates 18 other plants involved in the manufacture, recycling and distribution of wood pallets and Industrial Recycling Services, Inc., involved in the purchase, sale, and resale of post-industrial waste.
ABOUT SUNBELT FOREST PRODUCTS
Founded in 1982 by an insightful team who saw the need for a high-production pressure treating facility in central Florida, Sunbelt Forest Products (SFP) has grown to become one of the largest and most diverse wood preserving operations in the Southeast. In 2012, 2015 and 2020, operations were expanded with the acquisition of four treating facilities in northern and central Alabama, north Florida and north Georgia. At peak production, SFP possesses the capability of treating in excess of 600 million board feet annually. Sunbelt Forest Products is a major importer of pine fencing from South America, which is used to provide pressure-treated fencing to customers across the southeastern United States and beyond. Sunbelt Forest Products is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PalletOne, Inc., the nation’s largest manufacturer of new wood pallets.
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