On Jan. 18, 1900, Frederick Weyerhaeuser and 15 associates purchased 900,000 acres of Washington state timberlands from the Northern Pacific Railway. In establishing their company, Frederick said: “This is not for us, nor for our children, but for our grandchildren.” Today, Weyerhaeuser is the largest private owner of timberlands in the U.S. and one of the largest wood products manufacturers in North America. But those words still guide the company’s long-term approach to business.
This year marks Weyerhaeuser’s 125th anniversary. The company is celebrating the milestone at events and gatherings in the rural communities where it operates, including at the 49th annual Zwolle Tamale Fiesta on Oct. 9-11.
“A large part of our history belongs to the people and communities where we operate,” says Deano Orr, public affairs manager for Weyerhaeuser in Louisiana. “These events are great opportunities for us to show our appreciation to our employees and operating communities, and also to celebrate our shared legacy and the broader importance of the forest products industry.”
Weyerhaeuser began operating in Louisiana in 1957 and today employs more than 1,000 people and owns or manages approximately 1.36 million acres of timberlands in the state. The company maintains five manufacturing facilities in Louisiana, including its plywood and veneer plant in Zwolle. In late 2023, Weyerhaeuser selected Zwolle and the northwest Louisiana region to receive a $1 million investment as the first member of the company’s THRIVE program. That investment is being made over the course of several years with input from elected officials, business leaders, nonprofits, employees and other community partners.
More than a century of impact
Weyerhaeuser’s impact on the forest products industry stretches back more than a century. The company’s early interest in forest fire protection and sustainable forestry laid a foundation for many modern forest management practices and proved that growing, harvesting and replanting trees on a continuous cycle could be done broadly and permanently with the right stewardship. Later investments in research and development, combined with the company’s growing focus on safety — especially over the past 50 years — improved operational efficiencies across the supply chain and made working in the forest products sector safer for generations of loggers, machine operators and mill workers. Today, the company manages 100 percent of its forests to internationally recognized sustainable forest management standards and produces wood products that support residential homes and other construction applications, as well as many other products that are essential to everyday life.
Forest Fire Protection
The Yacolt Burn in 1902 destroyed nearly 15,000 acres of Weyerhaeuser’s land in southwest Washington state and launched the company’s leadership in protecting forests from wildfire. Today, the company uses advanced technology, including satellite imaging, drones and airplanes to detect and monitor fires — and works with partners to support the mental health of wildland firefighters.
Embracing Innovation
Weyerhaeuser’s pursuit of innovation led the company to open one of the nation’s first all-electric sawmills (1915), introduce one of the first portable power saws and an early version of the forklift (1920s), use helicopters to reforest backcountry areas (late 1940s) and assemble one of the most advanced computer centers in the industry (1960s). Today, Weyerhaeuser continues to implement new technologies across its operations, including robotics and artificial intelligence, to improve efficiency and safety.
Making Quality Products
Weyerhaeuser’s launch of 4-Square brand lumber in 1928 set a standard for product quality that continues to this day. Playing off the company’s reputation for “square dealing”, the 4-Square brand featured select grades of product cut to exact dimensions, precisely squared and neatly wrapped.
Establishing Tree Farms
In 1941, Weyerhaeuser established the nation’s first certified tree farm. The Clemons Tree Farm in Washington state helped launch the American Tree Farm movement and served as a vast laboratory for the company’s foresters to test emerging regeneration theories. In 1986, Weyerhaeuser planted its two billionth seedling and continues to plant more than 100 million trees each year to ensure the long-term health and continuity of its forests.
High Yield Forestry
Weyerhaeuser’s introduction of High Yield Forestry in 1967 advocated the planting of seedlings within a year of harvest, soil fertilization, thinning, brushland rehabilitation and tree improvement through selective breeding. The practice doubled the annual growth per acre on Weyerhaeuser-managed forestlands in the West and quadrupled yields in the South, while supporting healthier ecosystems.
Weyerhaeuser still owns and manages more than 400,000 acres of the original timberlands it acquired in 1900. Some of those timberlands are now on their third rotation — proof that the sustainable forestry practices the company pioneered can continue supporting the many benefits these forests provide for generations to come.