December 2022 Message from our CEO

Holiday Thoughts About Columbia: The Many Meanings of Significance 

Nobody has had it easy the past couple of years. I think we’re all still straining from the many things we haven’t been able to control that came our way when we least expected them.

Of course, we have no choice but to move forward and carry each other as we proceed.

One of the most refreshing things about serving at Columbia Forest Products is the way we’ve embraced our “Significant Service” purpose. I really think we’ve found a way to make the daily work of producing hardwood plywood and veneer translate into more than just that.

We do carry each other here. When we learn about an employee or a family member facing a personal, financial or health challenge, we’ve got our Caring Committee structure to step in and offer assistance then and there.

We get involved in all sorts of community support efforts, too. From funding local initiatives to giving our employee-owners a paid day off to participate in work projects, everyone at Columbia has the opportunity to get involved.  

This fall in the Greensboro area, we encouraged our folks to bring their families along for a pair of Saturday projects — one group worked in a community garden and the other in a food pantry. It’s a great sight to see kids and their parents working together like this!

But serving our customers is what makes all things possible at Columbia. I was excited to attend the NBMDA (National Building Material Distributors Association) conference this year — the first time since Covid — and was able to spend a lot of time with many of our distributors’ teams.

We had the chance to catch up, compare notes and work on next year’s goals. I left NBMDA feeling terrific about what our team has delivered for our customers and the things we’re doing to become an even better supplier — like the capacity expansion at our Hearst facility, with the new dryer we’re installing (see the story in this issue here).

I thank you, our customers, employee-owners, suppliers and all the others in our sphere who support Columbia Forest Products. We can’t be of service (much less significant) without you.

The Columbia Family and I wish you and your families and teams a great holiday season.

Greg Pray

President and CEO

Columbia Forest Products

Our Core Values

Customer Service

Absolute Integrity

We are Family

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