Roseburg Forest Products
A privately held American manufacturer of lumber, plywood, engineered wood, and other forest products.
Last updated October 22, 2026
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Overview
Roseburg Forest Products is a privately owned American forest-products company whose roots date to 1936, when Kenneth W. Ford established Roseburg Lumber in Roseburg, Oregon. The business developed from a regional lumber operation into a diversified manufacturer and timberland owner serving construction, building-materials, industrial, and related markets. In the early 1980s, the company adopted the Roseburg Forest Products name as its activities expanded beyond conventional lumber. The company’s product portfolio includes lumber, plywood, medium-density fiberboard, engineered wood products, and other wood-based materials. Its manufacturing footprint has historically included mills across western Oregon, while its ownership has remained associated with the founding Ford family. This private ownership structure distinguishes Roseburg from publicly traded forest-products companies and allows the business to pursue long-term timberland, manufacturing, and capacity decisions without public-market reporting requirements. Roseburg expanded its resource base through significant timberland transactions. In 1979, it acquired approximately 323,000 acres of California forest land from Kimberly-Clark. It later acquired additional California timberland from Diamond International in 1987. The company subsequently reduced its California landholdings, selling approximately 45,000 acres to Sierra Pacific Industries in 2004 and selling its remaining California forests to New Forests in 2017. These transactions illustrate a shift from broad timberland ownership toward a more focused forest-products and manufacturing portfolio. By 2010, Roseburg was reported to have approximately 3,000 employees and annual revenue of about US$840 million. In 2012, reported revenue approached US$1 billion, at approximately US$991 million, with employment still around 3,000 people. Those figures placed it among Oregon’s largest private companies at the time. In 2014, United Fund Advisors provided the company with a reported US$10 million investment. Roseburg’s market position is that of a vertically oriented, privately held wood-products supplier with capabilities spanning forest resources, primary wood processing, panels, and engineered materials. Its principal geographic base is the Pacific Northwest, particularly western Oregon, although its products can serve customers more broadly within the United States. The available reference material does not establish a current revenue figure, employee count, complete plant list, or official corporate website, so those details are not stated as current facts here.
History
Roseburg Forest Products began in 1936 when Kenneth W. Ford founded Roseburg Lumber in Roseburg, Oregon. The original business was centered on lumber and developed within the Pacific Northwest’s large timber and wood-manufacturing economy. Over time, the company broadened its operations from traditional lumber production into a wider range of forest products, including plywood, medium-density fiberboard, and engineered wood materials. A major stage in the company’s resource expansion came in 1979, when Roseburg acquired approximately 323,000 acres of California forest land from Kimberly-Clark. The acquisition substantially increased the company’s timberland base beyond Oregon. In the early 1980s, the business changed its name from Roseburg Lumber to Roseburg Forest Products, reflecting its broader manufacturing and forestry activities. In 1987, Roseburg further expanded its California timberland position by acquiring forest land from Diamond International. The company later began to rationalize its California timberland holdings. In 2004, it sold approximately 45,000 acres in Northern California to Sierra Pacific Industries. In 2017, Roseburg sold its California forests to New Forests. These transactions reduced the company’s direct ownership of California forest resources while leaving its identity centered on manufacturing and forest-products operations, particularly in western Oregon. Roseburg’s manufacturing activities have included mills throughout western Oregon and production of lumber, plywood, medium-density fiberboard, and other wood-based products. The company’s products have served construction and related industrial markets. Its private ownership and continued association with the Ford family have remained defining characteristics of the business. The company was reported to have approximately 3,000 employees in 2010, when annual revenue was approximately US$840 million. In 2012, reported revenue rose to approximately US$991 million, again with about 3,000 employees. At that point Roseburg was described as the fifth-largest private company in Oregon by the cited ranking. In August 2014, United Fund Advisors made a reported US$10 million investment in the company. The supplied reference material does not provide a complete account of later acquisitions, plant expansions, product-brand architecture, current leadership, current employment, or current financial performance. Accordingly, the company’s present-day profile is best described conservatively: Roseburg remains a privately held American forest-products manufacturer with historical operations concentrated in the Western United States and ownership linked to the Ford family.
- 2017
California forests sold to New Forests
[1]Roseburg sold its California forests to New Forests.
- 2014
United Fund Advisors investment
[1]United Fund Advisors invested US$10 million in Roseburg Forest Products.
- 2012
Revenue approaches one billion dollars
[1]Reported revenue reached approximately US$991 million, with roughly 3,000 employees.
- 2010
Reported workforce and revenue scale
[1]Roseburg was reported to have approximately 3,000 employees and annual revenue of about US$840 million.
- 2004
Sale of Northern California timberland
[1]The company sold approximately 45,000 acres of timberland in Northern California to Sierra Pacific Industries.
- 1987
Additional California timberland acquisition
[1]Roseburg acquired California timberland from Diamond International.
- 1980
Business renamed Roseburg Forest Products
[1]In the early 1980s, Roseburg Lumber adopted the Roseburg Forest Products name as the business expanded beyond its original lumber identity.
- 1979
California timberland acquisition from Kimberly-Clark
[1]Roseburg acquired approximately 323,000 acres of California forest land from Kimberly-Clark.
- 1936
Roseburg Lumber is founded
[1]Kenneth W. Ford founded Roseburg Lumber in Roseburg, Oregon, establishing the business that later became Roseburg Forest Products.
Products and positioning
Privately held, vertically oriented forest-products manufacturer serving construction, building-materials, and industrial markets.
Solid wood products · 1936
Lumber
Lumber is one of Roseburg’s foundational product categories, inherited from the company’s origins as Roseburg Lumber. The company’s lumber operations have been associated with mills in western Oregon and with supplying wood materials for construction and related uses. The available reference does not identify specific current species, grades, dimensions, or branded product programs.
Wood panels
Plywood
Roseburg manufactures plywood as part of its diversified wood-products portfolio. Plywood is a layered wood panel used in structural, construction, and industrial applications. The supplied material identifies plywood as a major Roseburg product but does not provide a current catalog of grades, overlays, certifications, or end-use-specific product names.
Engineered wood panels
Medium-density fiberboard
Medium-density fiberboard is an engineered panel made from refined wood fiber and is part of Roseburg’s move beyond conventional solid lumber. It can serve building, interior, furniture, and industrial applications. No specific Roseburg MDF brand, plant, specification, or launch date is established by the supplied reference.
Engineered wood
Engineered wood products
Roseburg’s engineered wood activities represent the company’s broader forest-products manufacturing scope. These materials are designed to provide consistent performance for construction and other applications compared with some conventional wood formats. The reference material confirms the category but does not enumerate the full current product range.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2017
Sale of California forests to New ForestsStrategyBackground
Roseburg continued to adjust its ownership of forest resources after earlier California acquisitions and partial divestment.
Action taken
The company sold its California forests to New Forests.
Aftermath
Roseburg’s publicly described resource portfolio became more focused on its wood-products manufacturing base and remaining operations.
2004
Sale of Northern California timberland to Sierra Pacific IndustriesStrategyBackground
Roseburg had accumulated substantial California timberland through earlier acquisitions from Kimberly-Clark and Diamond International.
Action taken
The company sold approximately 45,000 acres of Northern California timberland to Sierra Pacific Industries.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced Roseburg’s California landholdings and was part of the company’s changing timberland portfolio.
1980
Adoption of the Roseburg Forest Products nameStrategyBackground
The business had expanded beyond its original identity as Roseburg Lumber and had developed broader forestry and wood-products activities.
Action taken
The company adopted the Roseburg Forest Products name in the early 1980s.
Aftermath
The new name positioned the company as a diversified forest-products enterprise rather than solely as a lumber producer.
Recent events
- 2017
Roseburg sells California forests to New Forests[1]
M&A
Roseburg Forest Products sold its California forest holdings to New Forests as part of the company’s continuing adjustment of its timberland portfolio.
- 2014
Roseburg receives investment from United Fund Advisors[1]
M&A · Other
United Fund Advisors invested US$10 million in Roseburg Forest Products. The available reference does not specify the investment structure or its precise use.
Sources4 sources
- 1Roseburg Forest Productsen.wikipedia.org
- 2Oregon DEQ fines Roseburg Forest Productscapitalpress.com
- 3Roseburg Forest opens $200 million high-tech engineered wood plant in SC | Woodworking Networkwoodworkingnetwork.com
- 4Roseburg opens new plant with highest-capacity continuous LVL press | Woodworking Networkwoodworkingnetwork.com
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