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The CalPlant rice straw-based MDF plant in Willows, Ca., is once again being put up for bidding—in a timed online auction from May 6-7.
On the block are all assets, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including 276 acres of land, state-of-the-art production facility, and an army of equipment. The full MDF line was installed by Siempelkamp, supported by a panel production technology that utilizes Buttner natural gas-fired heaters and a ContiRoll Generation 9 press installation. Finishing of panels is performed by Steinemann board sanding and cut-to-sheet systems with automatic strapping systems.
The facility had produced Eureka MDF, the world’s first no-added-formaldehyde, rice straw-based medium density fiberboard. It rolled off its first board in 2020—just as the pandemic hit. Official production was postponed, and then spotty until the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2021. As part of the deal, it searched for a buyer with an infusion of cash.
When that didn't happen, the decision was made in 2023 to liquidate all assets, and auction companies Rabin Worldwide and Onyx Asset Advisors were enlisted to handle the sale. Assets were sold at auction to a single buyer in October 2024, yet production reportedly never restarted.
Rabin and Onyx have now been rehired to liquidate everything. For details, see rabin.com/overview/auction/complete-mdf-production-facility-2.
