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Rural Economic Development through Integrated Smallwood Forest Products Centers

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  025006,  2002 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.9221) @2002
Authors:   James H. Dooley
Keywords:   Forest products, rural development, forestry

Forest Concepts led the development of a conceptual plan for a smallwood manufacturing center. The Cascade Forest Resources Center (CFRC) is envisioned to be a forest products business park housing 7-10 businesses on a common site. Businesses would include both natural resource service providers and manufacturers. Manufacturers would link to a common woodyard and merchandiser. Gross revenues for participant companies may be in the range of $10 30 million per year. Forest Concepts conducted over 50 interviews and drew on its past experience to identify business opportunities that have a strong fit with the smallwood enclave concept. The business opportunities can leverage timber resources, access to markets, shared infrastructure and/or services of co-located businesses. This paper uses the Cascade experience as a case study for development of a new smallwood industry to capitalize on the shift to partial cuts, thinning and small diameter timber.

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