The Largest CLT Factory in North America: How Katerra Is Reshaping Mass Timber Construction

The mass timber movement has accelerated rapidly across North America, and at the heart of this transformation stands a facility that redefines what is possible with engineered wood. When Katerra opened its 270,000-square-foot cross-laminated timber (CLT) factory in Washington state, it became the largest facility of its kind on the continent and signaled a new chapter for sustainable building construction. For professionals tracking Washington’s pioneering mass timber building codes, this factory represents the production capacity needed to make tall wood buildings commercially viable at scale.

Understanding Cross-Laminated Timber and Its Manufacturing Process

Cross-laminated timber is an engineered wood product made by stacking layers of solid lumber at right angles and bonding them together with structural adhesives. This cross-lamination technique gives CLT exceptional dimensional stability and load-bearing capacity, allowing it to compete with steel and concrete in many structural applications.

How CLT Is Manufactured

The manufacturing process involves several precise stages that distinguish CLT from other wood products:

• Lamstock selection and grading: Individual lumber boards, typically dimension lumber such as 2x4s or 2x6s, are visually and mechanically graded to ensure structural consistency.
• Klin drying and moisture control: The lumber must be dried to a specific moisture content, typically around 12 percent, to prevent warping and shrinkage after installation. Katerra’s facility includes an on-site kiln for precise moisture management.
• Finger jointing and face lamination: Individual boards are end-joined to create continuous lengths, then layers are arranged with alternating grain orientations and bonded under high pressure using polyurethane or melamine adhesives.
• CNC machining and finishing: Finished panels are routed using computer-controlled cutting equipment to create precise openings for doors, windows, and mechanical penetrations before being shipped to job sites.

Key Performance Characteristics

These properties make CLT particularly attractive for mid-rise and even high-rise buildings, with the International Code Council now permitting mass timber structures up to 18 stories under the 2021 International Building Code. The NFPA’s adoption of tall mass timber provisions further reinforced the regulatory pathway for these structures.

Inside Katerra’s Record-Setting CLT Factory

Katerra’s CLT facility, located in Spokane Valley, Washington, occupies 270,000 square feet on a 29-acre site strategically positioned near rail lines and major highways for efficient distribution. The factory is designed to produce CLT panels for large-scale commercial, institutional, and residential projects across the western United States and Canada.

Advanced Technology Integration

What sets this facility apart from earlier CLT manufacturing plants is its integration of advanced scanning and quality control technologies. Katerra employs geometric and biometric scanning of every piece of lamstock entering the production line, allowing the factory to detect defects, measure moisture content, and optimize material usage in real time. Artificial intelligence algorithms help sort and grade lumber, reducing waste and improving the consistency of the finished product.

Employment and Economic Impact

While automation handles many of the heavy lifting and precision tasks, the factory still requires a skilled workforce of approximately 105 employees to operate. These positions include machine operators, quality control technicians, logistics coordinators, and maintenance engineers. The facility has created significant economic activity in the Spokane region, supporting local timber suppliers and transportation companies.

Strategic Location Advantages

The 29-acre site was chosen specifically for its logistical advantages:

• Rail access: Direct rail connections allow bulk delivery of raw lumber and efficient shipment of finished panels to distant markets.
• Highway proximity: Major interstate corridors provide truck access to job sites throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
• Regional timber supply: Washington state’s robust forestry industry ensures a steady supply of sustainably harvested lumber.
• Workforce availability: The Spokane area offers a skilled manufacturing workforce with existing timber industry experience.

The Catalyst Building: A Flagship Project for CLT Construction

The first project to receive CLT panels from Katerra’s new factory was the Catalyst Building, a 159,000-square-foot office building in Spokane’s Innovation District. When completed in fall 2020, it became the first CLT commercial building in Washington state and a showcase for what mass timber construction can achieve.

Design and Structural Approach

The Catalyst Building was designed as a zero-carbon facility, using CLT panels not only for the floor and roof decks but also for the walls and shear panels. Exposed mass timber throughout the interior creates a warm, biophilic environment while eliminating the need for additional finishes. The building’s structural system combines CLT panels with glulam beams and columns, creating a fully timber structural solution that meets all seismic and fire safety requirements.

For a deeper look at the technical specifications that made this project possible, the mass timber material specifications for the Catalyst Building detail the CLT and glulam performance criteria required for zero-carbon commercial structures.

Zero-Carbon Performance Goals

The Catalyst Building was designed to achieve zero-carbon certification through a combination of strategies:

• Carbon sequestration: The mass timber structure stores approximately 2,000 metric tons of CO2, keeping it out of the atmosphere for the building’s lifetime.
• Energy efficiency: Highly efficient mechanical systems, LED lighting, and a high-performance envelope minimize operational energy use.
• Renewable energy: On-site solar panels offset a portion of the building’s remaining energy demand.
• Material transparency: All materials were selected using health product declarations to minimize toxic chemicals and embodied carbon.

The project demonstrates that zero-carbon mass timber construction can serve as a model for sustainable development across the commercial building sector. It challenges the assumption that low-carbon buildings must sacrifice design quality or budget feasibility.

The Future of Mass Timber Manufacturing and Construction

Katerra’s CLT factory represents more than just a single manufacturing facility. It signals a structural shift in how the construction industry approaches material selection, sustainability, and building methodology. As more factories of this scale come online, the economics of mass timber construction will continue to improve.

Market Growth and Capacity Expansion

The North American CLT market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of over 14 percent through the end of this decade. Several factors are driving this expansion:

• Code acceptance: The 2021 IBC provisions for tall mass timber buildings opened the door for CLT use in structures up to 18 stories, dramatically expanding the addressable market.
• Environmental regulations: Increasingly strict embodied carbon requirements, particularly in states like California, Oregon, and Washington, are pushing developers toward low-carbon structural materials.
• Cost competitiveness: As CLT manufacturing capacity grows and production processes mature, the cost gap between mass timber and conventional structural systems continues to narrow.
• Prefabrication benefits: The panelized nature of CLT construction aligns with the broader trend toward off-site fabrication, reducing on-site labor requirements and construction schedules.

Technological Innovations on the Horizon

Several emerging technologies promise to further enhance CLT manufacturing and adoption:

• AI-driven quality control: Machine learning algorithms that detect grain defects and moisture variations in real time, improving panel consistency and reducing waste.
• Robotic panel assembly: Automated layup and pressing systems that increase production speed and reduce labor costs for repetitive tasks.
• Advanced adhesives: New bio-based and formaldehyde-free adhesives that improve the environmental profile of CLT while maintaining structural performance.
• Digital twins: Full BIM integration that allows CLT panels to be designed, fabricated, and tracked through the supply chain, reducing errors and installation conflicts.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its promise, the mass timber industry faces several challenges that must be addressed for continued growth:

1. Supply chain maturity: The North American CLT supply chain is still in its infancy compared to Europe, where mass timber construction has been common for decades. Investment in additional manufacturing capacity is needed to meet projected demand.
2. Skilled labor shortage: While CLT installation requires fewer workers than conventional construction, those workers need specialized training in mass timber erection, connection detailing, and weather protection.
3. Insurance and financing: Some lenders and insurers still view mass timber as an emerging technology, requiring education and demonstrated track records to secure favorable terms.
4. Acoustic and vibration performance: Longer-span CLT floor systems must be carefully designed to meet acoustic separation requirements and vibration serviceability criteria, particularly in residential and mixed-use applications.

Each of these challenges is being actively addressed through industry collaboration, research initiatives, and the growing body of completed projects that demonstrate mass timber’s reliability and performance. As more buildings rise using CLT panels from factories like Katerra’s Spokane facility, the data supporting these solutions will continue to accumulate.

The Bottom Line for Construction Professionals

For architects, engineers, and contractors evaluating CLT for their next project, the convergence of manufacturing capacity, code acceptance, and sustainability requirements makes mass timber an increasingly compelling choice. The Katerra facility demonstrated that large-scale CLT production is viable in North America, and subsequent investments by other manufacturers have continued to expand the supply base.

Construction professionals should take three key actions to prepare for the growing role of mass timber:

1. Familiarize themselves with the 2021 IBC tall mass timber provisions and the fire protection requirements for Type IV-A, IV-B, and IV-C construction.
2. Develop relationships with CLT suppliers and early-stage design partners to understand lead times, panel size limitations, and connection detailing requirements.
3. Invest in BIM capabilities that support panelized design and fabrication, enabling seamless coordination between the design team and the CLT manufacturer.

The mass timber revolution is no longer a future possibility. It is happening now, panel by panel, building by building. Katerra’s CLT factory was a major milestone on that journey, and the projects it enabled are proving that sustainable, cost-competitive, and beautiful tall wood buildings are achievable at scale across North America.