Inverness wood panel plant ‘Cloud Factory’ marks 40 years with celebration

An industrial landmark’s 40th anniversary has been marked with a special family celebration

West Fraser’s oriented strand board (OSB) plant - affectionately dubbed the ‘Cloud Factory’ - has been a prominent landmark west of Inverness since the site first opened its doors in 1985.

When it opened it was the very first facility in the whole of Europe to manufacture OSB boards, which are used in a wide range of applications - from construction to furniture, and from packaging to art installations.

And to mark that 40 years of operation as well as its recent award of a Safety Star for its commitment to employee safety, the factory - which employs 140 people - held a special family day celebration.

Steve McTaggart, HSEQ Manager from West Fraser at Inverness, said: “West Fraser Inverness is proud to have been part of the community for 40 years and we look forward to many more.”

“Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this milestone. Here’s to many more years of success together.”

The factory was established in 1985, following the closure of several paper mills and the near-collapse of the UK forest products industry during the 1970s and early 1980s.

In a move to support the struggling industry, and with support from the Highlands and Islands Development Agency (HIDA) and the Forestry Commission, a consortium of local and institutional investors launched a new company, Highland Forest Products in November 1983, with the Inverness site opening two years later.

Four decades of development later, the site has evolved into today’s West Fraser facility – which when combined with their Genk site in Belgium, forms the largest OSB production operation in Europe.

The Inverness plant is also the first OSB plant in Europe to receive the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, recognising its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The West Fraser facility has benefited from sustained investment over the past 40 years, including a £95m expansion back in 2018 to install a new manufacturing line and increase production capacity, which was officially opened by then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

For more information on West Fraser, visit https://uk.westfraser.com.