Robinson Carbon Takes Biochar Production to Industrial Scale in Central Louisiana

• The project is expected to create 102 new job opportunities.

• The facility will create a new outlet for Louisiana mill residuals by producing biochar for agriculture, horticulture and environmental remediation.

• Production is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Robinson Carbon announced it will invest $16.3 million to establish a biochar manufacturing facility at England Airpark in Rapides Parish, extending its family-owned wood products business into a new market more than 130 years after its founding in Louisiana.

Robinson Carbon is expected to create 42 direct new jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 60 indirect new jobs, for a total of 102 potential new job opportunities in the Central Region. The project builds on Robinson Lumber Company’s longstanding Louisiana presence, with the fifth-generation family business expected to retain 22 existing positions.

“Louisiana has long been a leader in turning our natural resources into products used around the world,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “For more than 130 years, the Robinson family has been part of that history, and we are grateful for their continued commitment to Louisiana. Their latest investment reflects how innovation is creating new possibilities across the sectors that have powered our economy for generations, strengthening our competitiveness while extending Louisiana’s foundational industries into new products and markets.”

The facility will operate two rotary drum pyrolysis reactors, converting approximately 100,000 metric tons of Southern Yellow Pine residuals annually into 16,500 metric tons of biochar. Robinson Carbon plans to source the material from nearby mills and produce biochar to customer specifications for agricultural, horticultural and pollution remediation applications. The company has relocated a pilot reactor from its New Albany, Indiana, manufacturing site to Alexandria, where it will be used to train employees ahead of full-scale production. Once certified under the Puro Standard, the facility is also expected to generate approximately 40,000 CO2 Removal Certificates annually, each representing one metric ton of carbon dioxide removed.

“My great-great-grandfather founded our company in New Orleans in 1893 selling Louisiana longleaf pine,” Robinson Carbon CEO Garner Robinson said. “Since then, the products have changed many times over, but our passion for wood products hasn’t. Biochar is an exciting opportunity to make something truly new out of wood, and we look forward to planting new roots in Central Louisiana. We are grateful to Governor Landry, Secretary Bourgeois, the LED team, and to our partners, for helping us bring this project home to Louisiana.”

Robinson Carbon is the carbon products arm of Robinson Lumber Company, a fifth-generation family business founded in New Orleans in 1893. Over more than 130 years, the company has expanded from selling Louisiana longleaf pine into international wood products manufacturing and distribution, with Robinson Carbon representing its entry into biochar production.

“Robinson Carbon’s investment reinforces England Airpark’s position as a competitive location for advanced manufacturing and industrial development,” England Economic and Industrial Development District Executive Director Ralph Hennessy said. “Our infrastructure, strategic location, and capacity for growth make England Airpark an ideal home for innovative companies like Robinson Carbon. We look forward to supporting the company’s continued success and expansion.”

Construction is expected to begin in November 2026, with production anticipated in the second quarter of 2027. Robinson Carbon is currently hiring for its Alexandria operations. For more information about available positions, visit robinsoncarbon.com/#careers.

“Robinson Carbon’s $16.3 million investment is another example of how Central Louisiana is building on its traditional industry strengths to create new economic opportunities,” Louisiana Central President & CEO Chris Masingill said. “By connecting our region’s longstanding timber and wood products industry with innovative manufacturing technologies, this project strengthens our industrial base, creates high-quality jobs, and opens new markets for Louisiana’s natural resources. Investments like this demonstrate that Central Louisiana is well-positioned to compete for the next generation of industry while creating lasting economic opportunities for our people and communities.”

To secure the project in Alexandria, the state of Louisiana offered Robinson Carbon a competitive incentives package that includes a $550,000 performance-based grant for site and infrastructure improvements. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s High Impact Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

Louisiana companies, make sure your business is registered at SourceLouisiana.com to enter the pipeline for contract and vendor opportunities with development projects statewide.

About Robinson Carbon
Robinson Carbon is an industrial biochar manufacturer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The company permanently removes carbon by converting wood manufacturing residues that would otherwise combust or decompose into stable biochar for horticulture, agriculture, and pollution remediation. The company is the carbon products arm of Robinson Lumber Company, a sustainable wood products manufacturer founded in 1893 and led today by the fifth generation of the Robinson family. Robinson Lumber owns and operates manufacturing and concentration yards, buys directly from sawmills in rural communities across the United States and the global south, and serves customers in more than seventy countries. For more information, visit robinsoncarbon.com.

About LED
Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for driving capital investment, job creation and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana and employers of all sizes. Explore how LED is positioning Louisiana to win at OpportunityLouisiana.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Brooklyn Legg, Robinson Carbon Strategy Lead
brooklyn@robinsoncarbon.com
504.321.8788