About Us

OUR STORY - BUILDING SOMETHING BETTER, TOGETHER

Columbia Forest Products began in 1957 with a simple but powerful idea: build a company where people share the success and make products the right way.

Our founder, A. J. “Andy” Honzel, Sr., along with a small group of investors and a dedicated crew, reopened a closed plywood mill in Klamath Falls, Oregon. What they created wasn’t just a manufacturing operation—it was the foundation for a different kind of company.

From the beginning, Columbia was shaped by a belief that still defines us today: when people have a stake in what they build, they build it better.

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

BUILT ON OWNERSHIP

Long before employee ownership was a business model, it was a mindset at Columbia.

Honzel believed the people closest to the work should have a hand in shaping the company’s future. Early employees were given opportunities to participate in the company’s success—financially and culturally—creating a sense of shared responsibility that set Columbia apart from the start.

That philosophy evolved into one of the longest-running employee ownership structures in America. Today, as a 100% employee-owned company, every decision we make reflects a long-standing commitment to:

Shared success

Accountability at every level

Long-term thinking over short-term gain

Significant service to our customers, employee owners and their families, our communities, and natural resources.

Ownership at Columbia isn’t a perk; it makes up the fabric of how our organization operates.

A Smarter Approach to Hardwood Plywood

In the early days, hardwood plywood was limited in both application and accessibility. Columbia helped change that.

By rethinking how veneer could be used and developing new panel grades that made better use of available materials, we expanded the possibilities for hardwood plywood. This practical approach to innovation helped open new markets and made decorative hardwood panels more widely adopted across industries.

That same mindset continues to guide our product development today: leverage more of our natural resource, waste less of it, and deliver more value to customers.

Leading with Responsible Sourcing

Working with wood means working with a renewable resource—and doing it responsibly has always mattered.

Columbia has long prioritized:

Sustainable forestry practices

Efficient use of every log

Thoughtful material sourcing

Rather than relying on ownership of large timberlands, we’ve built strong partnerships with suppliers and landowners who share our commitment to responsible forest management. This approach allows us to remain flexible, efficient, and proactively aligned with responsible environmental practices.

PureBond®: A Defining Innovation

In 2005, Columbia introduced PureBond® hardwood plywood, a groundbreaking innovation that replaced traditional formaldehyde-based adhesives with a soy-based, no-added formaldehyde (NAF) system.

At the time, it represented a major shift in the industry:

Improving indoor air quality by eliminating added urea formaldehyde emissions

Delivering a safer, more sustainable panel solution without compromising performance or cost

Columbia went “all in,” converting its entire hardwood plywood platform to PureBond® without raising the price of our panels...leading the industry towards a new standard in responsible building materials.

Today, PureBond® remains a cornerstone of our commitment to:

Improved indoor air quality

Responsible manufacturing

Continuous innovation in wood products

Growing with Purpose

From a single plant in Oregon, Columbia Forest Products has grown into North America’s leading manufacturer of hardwood plywood and veneer.

That growth has been intentional, expanding not just our footprint, but strengthening:

Our manufacturing capabilities

Our product innovation

Our partnerships with customers and communities

And through it all, we’ve stayed grounded in the same principles that started everything:

Take care of people

Use resources responsibly

Keep improving what’s possible

Where We Are Today

Today, Columbia Forest Products is still guided by the same idea that sparked our beginning:

When we significantly serve our employees, they in turn elevate how we serve our customers, communities, and natural resources. When people have a stake in the outcome, they build something better.

We're developing a pipeline of innovative new products, digital tools, and educational offerings that will help our customers be more successful in the products they make and the markets they serve.

Columbia Forest Products: History

1957-1963

Klamath Hardwoods starts with 43 employees in 1957 and is purchased by Columbia Plywood Corporation in 1963.

1976

After purchasing Indian Head hardwood veneer operations in Presque Isle, Maine and Newport, Vermont. Columbia Corporation sold the company to its current owners (ESOP), who changed the name to Columbia Forest Products, Inc.

1982-1990

Over several years, Columbia Forest Products expanded by acquiring or building several hardwood plywood and veneer plants. Including: Old Fort, NC, Chatham, VA, and Craigsville, WV.

1996-2000

Further expansion into Canada with the development of Hearst and St. Casimir mills. Acquired hardwood veneer mill in Mellen, WI in 2000.

Image of two trees with light shining through

2007

PureBond soy conversion project completed across all operations. Offering a brand new, no-added formaldehyde option to the market. Columbia receives United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.