Lyons, Ore.-based Freres Lumber Co., now doing business as Freres Engineered Wood, is celebrating its centennial year, marking a century of transformative growth and positive impact on the wood products industry, clients, employees, and its surrounding communities. Freres celebrates this monumental milestone by unveiling its new brand and logo which commemorate Freres’ longstanding history while reflecting its commitment to innovation and advancements as it looks forward to the next 100 years.

“The humble beginnings of one man’s dream to start a small sawmill has evolved over the past 100 years into a booming, modern business,” says Rob Freres, President of Freres. “Today, Freres is an innovative leader in the mass timber industry, committed to leading sustainability practices and supporting our community. We have developed a new brand and logo intended to reflect our roots in tradition while capturing our vision for the future.”

Throughout 2022, Freres will celebrate its centennial across the communities it serves through its philanthropic and community efforts, employee celebrations and industry events. Having achieved tremendous growth and impact over the past century, Freres remains dedicated to its core values of continued innovation, protecting and supporting healthy forests, giving back to, and supporting, local Santiam Canyon communities, and hard work and resiliency.

“It is hard to articulate the impact Freres has had on the Santiam Canyon and surrounding communities,” comments Fred Girod, Oregon State Senator. “They have provided multi-generational family wage jobs, served as community partners in efforts to improve our way of life and have always stepped up when help was needed. Freres’ long history serves as a shining example of what a family run business should be.”

Freres is one of the oldest family-owned and operated businesses in Oregon, specializing in bringing high-quality wood products to market, manufacturing veneer, lumber, and plywood and structural composite lumber.

“The Freres family business is a bright light in the North Santiam Canyon,” adds Kevin Cameron, Marion County Commissioner, a Detroit resident and wildfire survivor. “Supporting the efforts to build the Detroit Community Center and City Hall after the wildfires tore through the canyon is just one example of many in which Freres continues to give back and make a difference in the rural communities of Marion County.”

While steeped in tradition, Freres has a history of incorporating cutting-edge technologies to transform and modernize construction practices. In 2017, Freres engineered a monumental new finished wood product: Mass Ply Panels (MPP). The MPP line now includes panels for floors, walls and ceilings, beams and columns, and industrial mats. Like other industry paradigm shifts, MPP is changing building practices.

The company, formerly Freres Lumber Co., Inc., began in 1922 when T.G. Freres started a sawmill in Oregon’s Santiam Canyon. Now, across six wood products facilities, and three operations, Freres Engineered Wood Products, Freres Timber and Evergreen BioPower LCC, the company employs 500 people and produces finished plywood, lumber, veneer and structural composite lumber, MPP, biochar, and operates a cogeneration facility that supplies renewable power for the local area.

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Georgia-Pacific recently announced a $20 million addition to its oriented strandboard (OSB) facility in Alcolu, South Carolina. The major scope of the project will be to add a third strander to the behemoth facility, which will increase the annual output of OSB products by approximately 150MMSF. Construction on the project is slated to begin in April, and the new addition is scheduled to come on-line in the first quarter of 2023.

“The addition of a third strander has always been in the plans for Clarendon,” says Tobey Elgin, Director of Operations for OSB, Georgia-Pacific. “The site was originally designed for additional capacity, so adding this third strander will maximize the efficiency and output for the operation.”

Purchased from Grant Forest Products in 2010, Georgia-Pacific completed the construction, and the site began operations in 2013.

“The multi-million-dollar improvement project will be a plus for the local economy,” adds Andy Konieczka, President, Georgia-Pacific Structural Panels. “Approximately 100 contractors are expected during the construction phase. Once the new strander is on-line there will be an increase in log trucks arriving and trucks departing with finished goods.”

Peak Renewables Ltd., an emerging, innovative, opportunity-driven company focused on growing the forest economy with sustainably sourced and renewable energy products, is pleased to announce that Scott Bax has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective December 20, 2021.‬

‪As CEO, Bax is responsible for the people, culture and operations of Peak Renewable’s hydrogen and OSB activities throughout North America, including the recently announced One Sky Forest Products OSB plant in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, a partnership between Peak Renewables and 12 Indigenous Nations.

Prior to joining Peak, Scott spent eight years with Pinnacle Renewable Energy, most recently as COO, where he grew the business three-fold to over 2.5 million MT of annualized wood pellet production and revenue in excess of $400M. A leader who prioritizes people, relationships, accountability and results, Bax brings over 25 years of experience of forestry and wood manufacturing operations throughout Canada and the U.S.‬

‪“I am excited to be joining a talented and committed team, engaged in the vital economic growth and renewables space,” says Scott Bax. “Under Brian Fehr’s visionary leadership, I am focused on safely and sustainably growing a business that yields benefits to workers, communities, indigenous peoples, the environment, and investors.”‬

‪Brian Fehr adds, “Scott brings experience, passion, and leadership to help elevate Peak Renewables as a difference maker and major player in the renewable forest economy. A relationship-oriented leader with proven results, his approach and experience will accelerate Peak’s projects and optimize operations.”‬

Oregon Mass Timber Coalition was named by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a finalist in the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

The coalition was awarded $500,000 to create a strategy for a Mass Timber Modular Manufacturing Facility at Marine Terminal 2 in Portland. The Oregon Mass Timber coalition is a partnership among the Port of Portland, Business Oregon, Oregon Dept. of Forestry, DLCD and the Tallwood Design Institute (a partnership between U of O and OSU). The vision is to support Oregon’s emerging mass timber industry, grow regional economic development opportunities, create career pathways and business opportunities for struggling communities, and accelerate housing production.

The coalition will advance to Phase 2 and compete for up to $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding to develop and scale mass timber manufacturing in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

The Oregon Mass Timber application was supported in a letter from the entire Oregon Congressional delegation, including Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, Congressman Peter DeFazio, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Congressman Kurt Schrader and Congressman Cliff Bentz. The letter highlights that the delegation “has worked collaboratively for many years to establish our state as a hub for mass timber products. This proposal to grow a regional cluster builds on past efforts to scale this industry and has the potential to revolutionize how America builds affordable homes.”

The EDA challenge is assisting communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge is the largest economic development initiative from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce in decades.

Phase 1 of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge invited coalitions to apply for funding to implement a collection of three to eight distinct but related projects in their region. Projects need to be in coordination with industry and community partners, and aligned around a holistic vision to build and scale a strategic industry sector.

EDA received 529 applications from regions in all 50 states and five territories, and the 60 finalists represent regions that formed extraordinary coalitions, demonstrated regional needs, and presented bold proposals to grow their target industry clusters.

In Phase 2, finalists will compete for significant implementation assistance. EDA will award 20-30 coalitions each up to $100 million. These awards will assist communities in executing ambitious plans to supercharge their regional economies across a variety of strategic growth sectors.