TITLE:
Forest History Snapshot: Forest Industry Woodlands Operations Locations Prior to Mergers and Acquistions
AUTHORS:
Thomas J. Straka
KEYWORDS:
Forest Industry; Woodlands Operations; Woodlands Departments; Locations
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Historical Studies,
Vol.2 No.4,
December
30,
2013
ABSTRACT: Forestry industry was a major owner of timberland in the United States over most of the twentieth century. This timberland was seen as a cost-effective means to supply their lumber and pulp mills. They were an important owner, with some of the most productive and intensively-managed timberlands in the country. Beginning in the 1980s, other investors realized the value of timberland assets and actively pursued acquisition of the forest products companies and their timberland assets. Mergers and acquisitions were common within the industry as a means to discourage takeovers. These timberlands were traditionally managed by woodlands operations located near the mills. These operations defined classic timber towns, with names like Crossett, Georgetown, Bogalusa, and Millinocket becoming synonymous with the mill and the woodlands. Woodlands operations are nearly extinct as few mills still own timberlands; what might remain is a small wood procurement organization at the same location. These woodlands operations were an important part of forest history and their locations provide much insight into the historical patterns of industrial forest management. Major forest industry woodlands operations are identified by geography and size as a means to record a fading historical artifact of forest history.