Canadian Division of USG Invests in the West, Zero Waste Manufacturing

CGC Inc., the Canadian division of USG Corporation, recently announced that construction of its new manufacturing plant in Wheatland County, Alberta, is officially underway.

CGC’s $210 million investment to build this facility will deliver the company’s industry-leading Sheetrock® Brand wallboard to residential and commercial customers across Western Canada faster, more sustainably, and more reliably than ever.

The development of the new Wheatland County plant is central to CGC’s strategy to streamline its supply chain, reduce the embodied carbon of CGC products, and provide customers with a sustainable take-back program for clean wallboard jobsite waste. CGC Sheetrock® Brand Drywall is utilized by many Western Canadian home builders, construction companies, and retailers; roughly 1 out of 2 houses in Canada contain CGC products. Despite this, CGC product is shipped to Western Canada from eastern manufacturing facilities in Ontario and Quebec.

_{Rendering of the Wheatland Plant}

The 220,000-square-foot facility, situated on 214 acres of land northwest of Carseland, Alberta, will position CGC to better service Western Canada while creating more than 200 jobs during the construction phase and more than 100 permanent, full-time manufacturing jobs once plant construction is completed. CGC is targeting 2026 to conclude the construction phase of this project and is currently preparing for plant recruitment and hiring to start in mid-2025.

“[This] groundbreaking marks a significant win for CGC operations in Western Canada and for our ambitious growth plans in Canada more broadly,” said Chris Griffin, CEO of USG Corporation. “This project underscores our commitment to being the best wallboard manufacturer to do business with, particularly as builders, governments, and communities across Alberta and the West work to expand housing starts, accessibility, and affordability.”

Zero Waste

Designed to be the most sustainable plant that either USG or CGC has ever constructed, the Wheatland County plant will feature state-of-the-art innovations that enable efficient wallboard production with minimal water usage, on-site renewable energy, and zero waste to landfill, making it CGC’s first plant built on sustainable principles.

There is a particular focus on zero waste in the manufacturing industry, where manufacturers like USG and CGC must consider the entire lifecycle of a product before its raw materials are even sourced. The goal of zero waste is to develop and promote a more circular economy with increased responsibility on manufacturers to design waste out of the loop and work together with the customer to promote a more sustainable jobsite.

The Wheatland County plant represents a major advancement in the combined efforts of USG and CGC to achieve zero manufacturing waste to landfill and deliver a circular economy for the betterment of our planet and our customers. USG’s 2030 Sustainability Goals have been focused on key areas to measure growth and progress, including improving our recycling practices to become more the recognized leader in construction job site reclaim for gypsum board and ceiling tile recycling and achieving zero manufacturing waste to landfill.

Recycling products and materials ultimately reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and allows for reuse of processed materials to manufacture new products. Not only does this counteract the waste created through installation, but it more importantly reduces the strain on natural resources.

Learn more about zero waste manufacturing here.

Read the full press release on the Wheatland County plant groundbreaking here.