Building on a Foundation of Quality

In the last edition of the Hardwood Herald, long-time Chatham plant manager Charlie Vaden’s story of steady leadership was featured. This quarter, it’s Columbia Forest Products’ pleasure to announce his promotion to Director of Quality. 

A Legacy of Quality 

Columbia Forest Products has long been synonymous with excellence in hardwood plywood and veneer panels. At Columbia, quality isn’t just about regulatory compliance — it’s key to using materials efficiently, reducing waste and caring for renewable resources responsibly. 

Charlie's promotion reinforces the company’s unwavering commitment to quality and continuous improvement. 

Key Quality Initiatives Under Charlie’s Leadership 

• TSSC Methods and Problem Solving
  Charlie will be utilizing his extensive knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and root-cause problem-solving to reduce variability and boost consistency. 

• Empowering the Workforce
  Charlie is passionate about quality culture and plans to champion enhanced staff training, encouraging employees to take ownership of quality outcomes at every stage of production.

• Sustainability and Certification Stewardship
  Maintaining LEED® compliance, FSC® certification and CARB compliance remains a priority. As does ensuring Columbia remains a responsible steward for our natural resources. Charlie will work closely with Columbia's compliance and risk manager as well as relevant agencies to ensure continued success in these areas. 

About Charlie Vaden 

Charlie joined Columbia Forest Products over three decades ago, most recently working as Plant Manager at the Chatham, VA location. As Plant Manager, he led a team of nearly 200, managed a highly varied product mix (from 6 ft to 10 ft panels and 5/32″ to 1¼″ thickness) and forged a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement.  

“I can’t say enough about how great a team I’ve had at Chatham,” Charlie said. “They truly mean the world to me.” 

Under his guidance, the Chatham mill strengthened its operational processes and product quality, while becoming a model for employee safety and respect.

Charlie’s emphasis on education, automation and safety led to tangible improvements in efficiency and defect reduction. His strong leadership of one of Columbia’s most critical mills paved the way for his promotion to Director of Quality. 

A Quality-First Vision 

“Charlie’s promotion is a great step forward for us,” said Greg Pray, President & CEO of Columbia Forest Products. “He knows our operations inside and out and he’s the kind of leader people enjoy working with. I’m confident he’ll help take our quality efforts to the next level.” 

“Taking on the Director of Quality role is about keeping our standards high and finding ways to make them even better,” Charlie said. “I’m looking forward to working with folks across the company to improve how we do things and make sure our products keep living up to what people expect from us — and then some.” 

About Columbia Forest Products 

Columbia Forest Products is North America’s premier manufacturer of hardwood plywood and veneer. Since its founding in 1957, the company has continued to innovate with products like PureBond® and DesignEdge®, while staying true to its founding promise to put customers, employees and natural resources first.