Swinerton and its mass timber subsidiary Timberlab have reached a major milestone on their new manufacturing hub in Millersburg, Oregon, topping out the expansive 192,000-square-foot cross-laminated timber (CLT) facility. According to a Nov. 20 release, the project highlights the firms’ growing investment in mass timber innovation and their aim to scale U.S. production capacity for the rising building material.
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The facility — named Independence Hall — was designed and built in collaboration with Swinerton Builders, Lindgren Development, and Lever Architecture. Stretching the length of three football fields, the building is expected to become one of the country’s largest CLT manufacturing plants once operational. Swinerton anticipates producing between 7 million and 9 million square feet of CLT annually, with panel thicknesses ranging from 2 to 12 inches.
As construction advances, the project is also expected to deliver significant community benefits. When operating at full capacity, Independence Hall will support around 100 jobs with an average total compensation of $80,000, said Danielle Ridgeway, external communications manager for Swinerton. The city of Millersburg confirmed the project initially broke ground in February.
Built primarily from glue-laminated timber — widely known as “glulam” — the structure required a closely choreographed installation process. Over a five-month span, crews erected:
To streamline assembly, the Swinerton team developed a full digital twin of the facility. The 3D model helped confirm the layout of CLT manufacturing equipment, guided machining requirements for all GLT columns, and provided an Autodesk Construction Cloud VDC environment for trade coordination. This approach enabled precise delivery of oversize GLT beams and accelerated installation while minimizing rework.
Swinerton said the success of the process shows how modern fabrication technology — combined with renewable materials — can improve speed and efficiency on large, complex industrial projects. The plant remains on schedule for early 2027 completion.
In addition to its technical achievements, the project also showcases Oregon’s mass timber supply chain. Independence Hall incorporates Douglas Fir harvested in the state, GLT from Timberlab’s Swisshome and Drain facilities, and CLT panels fabricated at the company’s Portland location. This alignment with local manufacturing and forestry assets underscores the region’s growing leadership in sustainable construction materials.
Swinerton and Timberlab have long championed mass timber as a viable substitute for more carbon-intensive structural systems. Timberlab President Chris Evans has previously pointed to the material’s durability and versatility, especially amid tariff pressures, noting its “functional similarity to structural steel.”
Interest in mass timber continues to climb nationally as developers, contractors, and policymakers explore lower-carbon building pathways. As the material gains traction, trade organizations — including ironworkers’ unions — have expanded training programs to help crews work safely and efficiently with CLT and glulam systems.
With its scale, production capacity, and full mass timber construction, Independence Hall stands to become a major anchor of the U.S. timber construction market, supporting both regional jobs and nationwide demand for climate-friendly structural materials.
Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.
