65 Years of Experience & Recognition
Founded in 1957, Columbia Forest Products is North America’s leading manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer products, which are used to create high-quality cabinetry, fine furniture, architectural millwork and commercial fixtures. Columbia’s products are sold through a network of wholesale distributors, mass merchandisers and original equipment manufacturers.
Columbia’s Mission
“To significantly serve our customers, employee owners and their families, our communities and natural resources.”
Columbia Values: S.A.W.S.
- Customer Service
- Absolute Integrity
- We are Family
- Share the Success
Hardwood Plywood
Columbia maintains a strong market presence in every plywood species, core and size category, including veneer core, medium density fiberboard (MDF), combination core and particleboard core. Wood species include alder, ash, birch, cherry, hickory, maple, red oak, walnut and many others.
In 1999, Columbia’s Klamath Falls, Oregon, plant began producing its plywood using logs harvested from Forest Stewardship Council® [FSC®-C017500] certified forestland. Today all of Columbia’s plywood and veneer mills hold FSC chain of custody certified by Scientific Certification Systems, a global leader in 3rd party certification, validation, and verification. By buying products with an FSC label consumers are supporting the growth of responsible forest management worldwide.
Read MoreHardwood Veneer
Columbia veneer is created using Northern Appalachian hardwoods such as birch, red oak, maple, ash, poplar, cherry, hickory, pine, walnut and others. Columbia’s rotary cut veneer ranges in thickness from 1/30 to 1/42 inches and is supplied throughout the decorative plywood, furniture, cabinetry, door and profile-wrap industries.
Columbia Forest Products Timeline
1957
- Klamath Hardwoods starts with 43 employees.
1963
- Klamath Hardwoods sold to Columbia Plywood Corporation.
1966
- Columbia Plywood Corporation purchased Indian Head hardwood veneer operations in Presque Isle, Maine and Newport, Vermont.
1976
- Columbia Corporation sold to the current owners (ESOP), who changed the name to Columbia Forest Products, Inc.
1982
- Built the hardwood plywood manufacturing plant in Old Fort, North Carolina.
1986
- Acquired two hardwood plywood plants in Chatham, Virginia and Trumann, Arkansas.
1989
- Acquired Laminated Products Division in Thomasville, North Carolina.
- Acquired hardwood veneer manufacturing mill, Rutherglen, Ontario, Canada.
- Acquired half-round slicing operation in New Freedom, Pennsylvania.
1990
- Built Craigsville, West Virginia poplar core veneer plant.
1996
- Acquired two hardwood plywood plants in Danville, Virginia and DeQueen, Arkansas.
- Acquired two hardwood plywood plants in Canada – Hearst, Ontario and St. Casimir, Quebec.
- Converted Laminated Product Division to Columbia Flooring.
1997
- Acquired hardwood plant in Cuthbert, Georgia.
- Purchased the veneer raised panel and door insert plant, Columbia Wood Components, Corpus Christi, Texas.
- Launched corporate website.
1998
- Closed DeQueen, AR, hardwood plywood plant.
1999
- Columbia Flooring subsidiary converted Danville plywood plant to produce engineered hardwood flooring; acquired equity position in Arkansas-based Century Flooring.
- Closed New Freedom, PA, slicing plant.
2000
- Expansions underway at Trumann, Arkansas; Craigsville, West Virginia; Klamath Falls, Oregon; and Hearst, Ontario, Canada hardwood plywood plants.
- Acquired hardwood veneer manufacturing mill, Mellen, Wisconsin.
2001
- Sold Thomasville, NC, laminate flooring plant to Belgium-based Unilin.
- Sold Corpus Christi, TX, veneer raised panel and door insert plant.
- Partnered with West Virginia-based International Industries in constructing Holden, WV, solid-strip hardwood flooring plant.
2002
- Closed Manchester, KY, plywood plant.
- Acquired Nipigon, Ontario, Canada, hardwood plywood underlayment plant.
2003
- Acquired Millwood Specialty Flooring (solid strip hardwood flooring), Ellijay, Georgia; completed equity buyout of Century Flooring, Melbourne, Arkansas.
2004
2007
- Sold Columbia Flooring division to Mohawk Industries.
- PureBond soy conversion project completed across all operations.
- Columbia receives United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for commercialization of PureBond as a less-toxic alternative to existing formaldehyde–based technologies as decided by an independent panel of technical experts empaneled by the American Chemical Society.
2008
- Corporate office relocated to Greensboro, NC; Brad Thompson named CEO.
- Columbia supports, advocates in favor of a strengthened Lacey Act to include wood to usher in concept of “Due Care” for legal timber procurement.
- 2008 Pacific Power Blue Sky Award for use of renewable energy, support of local clean energy facilities and jobs, restoration of native fish habitat and development of wind and solar renewable energy projects in Oregon.
2009
- 35 million panels made with PureBond technology milestone met.
- PureBond® 2009 People’s Choice Top-10 GreenSpec Products of 2009 (buildinggreen.com)
- PureBond® 2009’s Best Green Products – Green Building Product Dealer Magazine
- Finalist Home Depot Innovator of the Year Award for PureBond® assembly technology
- Finalist Sustainable North Carolina Business – Innovation Category
2010
- Inhabitat.com’s choice for best USGBC Greenbuild booth chosen for clever use of PureBond® formaldehyde free veneer core plywood in an exhibit booth.
- Hardwood Forestry Fund Gifford Pinchot Award (Columbia’s outstanding efforts to support sustainable forestry and to conduct its business in the best interests of the environment.)
- City of Greensboro’s Housing Summit 2010 Building Healthy Homes Award “Housing Matters for a Sustainable Greensboro”
- Green Parents’ List gives PureBond its Check Mark for Healthy Home. The first ever in the plywood, cabinets and furniture categories. Verified products made with PureBond met third part testing for VOCs and were identified as safe for contact with young children.
2011
- 50 million panels made with PureBond technology milestone met.
2012
- Joins GreenWood Resources and The Collins Companies to use specially planted FSC®-certified Pacific Albus from a tree farm in Boardman, OR.
- Columbia Radius® Bending Plywood named Architectural Products’ Top 50 Readers’ Choice award.
- International Wood Products Association (IWPA) IWPA Innovative Excellence Award names Columbia Forest Products its Innovative Design winner for PureBond formaldehyde-free assembly technology.
2013
- Columbia re-brands with new logo, mission statement and tagline.
- Startup of Boardman, Oregon core veneer plant.
- 2013 Innovation in Technology – Large Business Award awarded to Columbia by Southern Piedmont Technology Council (SPTC) proved excellence in technological innovation for the investment in, and use of, high-tech equipment.
2014
- Columbia Forest Products named a winner of the FSC® Leadership Award in the Forest Stewardship Council US (United States) Conservation Champions for 2014.
- Columbia’s MPX® panels used in GreenWood Resources (GWR), office expansion, which resulted in the seventh U.S.-based Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Project Certification.
- FSC Leadership Award based on Columbia’s dedication to producing FSC-certified wood products and educating consumers about FSC practices.
2015
- DesignEdge™ Columbia’s new, light weight, multi-ply panel launched.
- Columbia Forest Products recognized as a 20-year supplier member by the North American Building Material Distribution Association.
2016
- Columbia acquires Nova Wood in Kitchener, Ontario.
- Columbia Foundation is launched.
- Boardman, Oregon veneer plant is closed.
- Appalachian Woodlands Alliance (AWA) a three-year partnership between Columbia, Avery Dennison, Domtar, Evergreen Packaging, Kimberly-Clark, Staples and the US Forest Service. Working with private landowners, this multi-year project aimed to improve the productivity and health of forests in the southeastern US by fostering sustainable practices.
2017
- International Living Futures Institute Declare® transparency label launched for domestic MPX ® plywood which is determined to be Red List free.
2018
- Columbia recognized by FSC for 20 years of chain–of–custody and forest management program success.
2019
- 100 million panels assembled with PureBond technology milestone met.
- Greg Pray succeeds Brad Thompson as President, CEO of Columbia Forest Products.
- Trumann, Arkansas hardwood plywood plant closed.
- Appalachian Woodland Alliance launches Smallholder Access Program (SAP) which officially launched in 2019 for a two-year pilot with the Forest Stewardship Council International.
2020
- Milestone: 100% of Columbia locations take part in FSC chain-of-custody certification program.
2022
- Milestone: 150 million PureBond panels assembled without added formaldehyde.
- Aquisition of J.C. Pallet Company
