Cooper Lumber Acquires Thomasville Lumber Company, Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COOPER LUMBER ACQUIRES THOMASVILLE LUMBER COMPANY, INC.

THOMASVILLE, AL– Cooper Lumber is excited to announce the acquisition of Thomasville Lumber Company, Inc. Thomasville Lumber Company, owned and operated by James Dixon since 2001, produces 4/4 and 8/4 rough and dressed pine lumber for sale in both domestic and export markets, and is known in the industry for its superior lumber quality and customer satisfaction.

Aerial Photo of Thomasville Sawmill

“We are excited to welcome the Thomasville Lumber team into the Cooper family,” said Angus R. Cooper III, President of The Cooper Group, Inc. “The addition of Thomasville Lumber greatly enhances Cooper Lumber’s ability to meet growing customer demand and provide the industry’s highest standard of lumber products and customer service.”

The sawmill facility that became Thomasville Lumber in 2001 was developed in 1966 as a small lumber mill under R.R. Bedwell. The facility continued to expand operations until 1975 when Bankhead Hardwoods, Inc. acquired the facility. In 1979, Coastal Lumber Company acquired the location and converted it to a pine mill in 1988.

The Cooper Group’s start in the lumber industry started with the acquisition of the Cooper Lumber-Carrollton Sawmill facility in 2018, McComb Sawmill in 2022, and now the Cooper Lumber-Thomasville Sawmill, increasing annual pine lumber production to over 57 million board feet annually.

“Cooper Lumber welcomes the Thomasville Lumber team to The Cooper Group,” said Jason W. Anderson, Managing Director of Cooper Timberlands Corp. “The added quality lumber production and close proximity of the Cooper Lumber-Thomasville facility to our other sawmill locations will play a vital role as we continue to diversify the Cooper Lumber brand to meet the demands that our growing customer base has come to expect.”

Cooper Lumber’s pine sawmill in Carrollton, AL specializes in producing 1” rough-cut lumber, and their pine sawmill in McComb, MS produces 1” S4S boards, both for sale in domestic and export markets. Cooper Timberlands forestry footprint expands across the southeastern United States and consists of sawmills, a chip mill, woodyard operations, and land management.

The acquisition was finalized in February 2024.


For business inquiries, please contact: 

Tim Thornburgh, Group Operations Manager, at 334-590-2450 or tim.thornburgh@cooperlumber.com 

Bucky Adams, Senior Sales Executive, at 251-689-4013 or bucky.adams@cooperlumber.com.


About The Cooper Group:

The Cooper Group is anchored by one of America’s oldest and largest stevedoring and maritime firms. Established in 1905, The Cooper Group has operations on all three U.S. coasts and international operations in Mexico. The company maintains ownership in numerous satellite companies, including warehousing, terminal operations, tugboats, push boats, barging, barge fleeting, floating terminals, logistics, forestry operations, vessel repair, and restaurants. The company’s experienced, action-oriented people, state-of-the-art equipment and automated facilities provide customers with safe, efficient and cost-effective movement of cargo anywhere.

For more information, visit: www.thecoopergroup.com.

About Cooper Timberlands:

Cooper Timberlands consists of an experienced timber procurement staff with locations in Aliceville, Creola, and Grove Hill, Alabama, and Dennis, Mississippi (Bay Springs facility).  Cooper Timberlands acquires standing timber from landowners, manages timber harvesting with contract logging crews, sells these products to paper mills and sawmills, and provides land management services to landowners. Operating a chip mill in northeast Mississippi, Cooper Timberlands produces hardwood chips for sale to paper manufacturing companies. Cooper Timberlands also employs experienced operators and reliable equipment that manages wood yard operations for several pulp and paper companies in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Cooper Lumber, a division of Cooper Timberlands Corp., produces various pine lumber products for sale in domestic and export markets.

For more information, visit www.coopertimberlands.com 


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MEDIA CONTACT:

Mallory J. Smith 

Marketing Content Manager 

The Cooper Group, Inc.

media@thecoopergroup.com

Crescent Towing Adds New Tier 4 6,000 HP Z-Drive Tugboat to Port of Savannah Operations

Crescent Towing recently took delivery of the M/V Angus R. Cooper II, a new 6,000 HP tier 4 z-drive tugboat constructed at Blakeley BoatWorks in Mobile, Alabama, to be added to their ship assist operations in the Port of Savannah, Georgia.

This new escort towing vessel is named in recognition of The Cooper Group’s longtime Chairman and CEO, and is powered by twin Caterpillar 3516E tier 4 engines, each producing 3,004HP to power Kongsberg 255 fixed pitch azimuthing drives (z-drives). 

“Surprising my father by naming our newest and most technologically advanced tugboat after him was a high privilege for a proud son and memory that I will forever cherish,” said Scott H. Cooper, President of Crescent Towing. “My father’s impact on our industry and The Cooper Group will be realized for generations and with the naming of this special vessel, I’m honored to recognize the wonderful legacy that he continues to build every day.”

“The Port of Savannah continues to experience transformative growth and our deployment of the M/V Angus R. Cooper II, our newest and most technologically advanced tugboat, marks another important step in our continued commitment to best foster the port’s growth and ensure the safest and most efficient ship assist operations,” said Keith Kettenring, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Crescent Towing.

“Constructing the M/V Angus R. Cooper II, the first of a series of world-class ship assist towing vessels that Blakeley BoatWorks is building for Crescent Towing, is a new high-water mark for our company,” said Swathin Kannalath, Managing Director of Blakeley BoatWorks. “Building Crescent Towing’s first 6,000HP tier 4 z-drive was an exciting challenge for our team and we’re eager to continue our work in building these incredible vessels that will best facilitate U.S. import and export activity for decades to come.”

The M/V Angus R. Cooper II achieves ABS FFV1 class notation with firefighting systems (FFS-), main engine driven fire pump and twin remotely operated fire monitors, each capable of 5,230 GPM output at 145 PSI. The vessel is 92’ long, 38’ wide, and drafts 19’.

The vessel is built to ABS classification Maltese cross, A-1 towing, AMS, full ocean service, FFV1, international load line, UWILD and escort class towing. The tug, designed by Crowley Engineering Services, has a fuel capacity of 44,193 gallons and a portable water capacity of 16,862 gallons.

Click here to watch a tour of the Angus R. Cooper II

About Crescent Towing:

Since 1942, Crescent Towing has operated as one of the premier ship assist towing providers in the United States and today, operates on the Mississippi River and in the ports of Mobile, Alabama and Savannah, Georgia. Powered by 24 tugboats with up to 6,700 HP, Crescent Towing operates one of the largest and most technologically advanced ship assist fleets in the world. Crescent Towing is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cooper Group. To learn more, visit: www.crescenttowing.com

About Blakeley BoatWorks

Situated on 26 acres in heart of the port of Mobile and with capacity to simultaneously service up to 15 towing vessels and barges, Blakeley BoatWorks (BBW) is a full-service shipyard specializing in small vessel repair, barge repair, and new vessel construction. Equipped with a 1,900-ton floating dry dock, 660-ton travel lift, and four covered fabrication shops, BBW is the Gulf Coast's premier towing vessel shipyard. BBW is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cooper Group. To learn more, visit: www.blakeleyboatworks.com

About The Cooper Group

The Cooper Group is anchored by one of America’s oldest and largest stevedoring and maritime firms. Established in 1905, The Cooper Group has operations on all three U.S. coasts and international operations in Mexico. The company maintains ownership in numerous satellite companies, including warehousing, terminal operations, tugboats, push boats, barging, barge fleeting, floating terminals, logistics, forestry operations, vessel repair, and restaurants. The company’s experienced, action-oriented people, state-of-the-art equipment and automated facilities provide customers with safe, efficient and cost-effective movement of cargo anywhere. For more information, visit: www.thecoopergroup.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Mallory J. Smith

Marketing Content Manager

The Cooper Group, Inc.

media@thecoopergroup.com

2023 Q4 Coop Scoop Now Available!

4th Quarter Coop Scoop Now Available!

The Q4 Coop Scoop company newsletter is now available! Among the stories featured in this issue are Blakeley BoatWorks Achieves One Year with No Lost Time, Cooper Consolidated Participates in SCI Mountain Challenge, Cooper Group Companies Participate in Riverworks Discovery and much more! 

Click HERE to download your copy!

2023 Q2 + Q3 Coop Scoop Now Available!

2nd and 3rd Quarter Coop Scoop Now Available!

The Q2 and Q3 Coop Scoop company newsletter is now available! Among the stories featured in this issue are Blakeley BoatWorks Launches M/V Angus R. Cooper II, The Cooper Group Partners with AWF and Vulcan Materials in Oyster Reef Restoration Efforts, Tim Dale Receives First Annual Maryann McMillion Award, and much more! 

Click HERE to download your copy!

Chris Blanchard Testifies to Senate Committee

Last week, Cooper Consolidated Executive Director Chris Blanchard testified to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works regarding the new WRDA bills for 2024.

Chris did a great job of representing Cooper Consolidated and The Waterways Council, and he continually makes us proud!

To watch his full testimony, visit https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/7/the-water-resources-development-act-of-2024-non-federal-stakeholder-views.

Cooper Consolidated Names New Executive Director

Chris Blanchard, Executive Director of Cooper Consolidated, LLC.

On July 1, 2023, Cooper Consolidated named Chris Blanchard as the 4th Executive Director in their 20-year history.

As part of this transition, Billy Fitzpatrick will continue to be the Managing Director for Cooper Consolidated Stevedoring and Sales groups.

To learn more about Chris, Billy, and this transition, read the letter below.

Quarter 1 Coop Scoop Now Available!

1st Quarters “COOP SCOOP” NOW AVAILABLE!

The Q1  Coop Scoop company newsletter is now available! Among the stories featured in this issue are Cooper Marine and Blakeley BoatWorks Partners with the Alabama Career Center, Cooper/T. Smith de Mexico celebrates Dia de Los Muertos, Crescent Towing’s Newest Tug is Named M/V Angus R. Cooper II, and much more! 

Click HERE download your copy!