Sen. Jon Tester announced April 13 that a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture had been secured for SmartLam, a cross-laminated timber manufacturer and distributor in Columbia Falls.

Tester wrote a letter of support for SmartLam’s Wood Innovations Planning Grant application in January. The grant was announced by the Department of Agriculture last week.

“The folks at SmartLam are producing a unique product, and these additional resources will help them continue to grow and hire folks in the Flathead Valley,” Tester said. “Successful operations like SmartLam continue to show the country the high quality businesses here in Montana.”

SmartLam is the first manufacturer and distributor of cross-laminated timber products in the U.S. When its expansion project at the Columbia Falls Industrial Park north of the railroad viaduct is completed, SmartLam will be the largest cross-laminated timber manufacturer in the world.

The Department of Agriculture awards Wood Innovations Grants to companies who use wood products as a renewable energy source and as a building material. The funds are intended to increase the use of wildfire fuel from public lands to promote forest health and create jobs.

Since its startup in 2012, SmartLam has hired 30 people and plans to hire additional employees when its planned expansion is completed.