LP(R) to Convert Houlton, Maine Oriented Strand Board Mill to Oriented Strand Lumber Production; Enhances LP's Engineered Wood Products Line.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP) today announced plans to convert its current manufacturing facility at Houlton, Maine from oriented strand board (OSB) production to oriented strand lumber (OSL) production by late 2007.

To meet demands for alternative engineered products in lumber applications of home construction, LP identified the opportunity to diversify its product line with OSL manufactured from the Houlton facility. The OSB conversion to OSL will take place over several years, and once in operation, Houlton will not only serve as the exclusive manufacturer of LP OSL, but also one of the few producers of OSL in North America.

"Once we determined there was a need to provide our customers and builders with OSL, it just made sense to do so from a facility with established capabilities and excellent work force," said Patch Bonkemeyer, general manager of engineered wood products at LP. "The facility in Houlton currently employs 116 and we are excited about continuing this mutually beneficial relationship with the Houlton community through this conversion."

A strand-based product, OSL provides a number of application advantages to competing products including better predictability, increased design flexibility and lower labor cost. The addition of OSL allows LP to expand its engineered wood product line.

LP is a premier supplier of building products, delivering innovative, high-quality commodity and specialty products to its retail, wholesale, homebuilding and industrial customers. Visit LP's Web site at www.lpcorp.com for additional information on the company.