Rayonier in Nassau County, Florida: 87 Years of Stewardship

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 5, 2024 / Rayonier

Originally published on Rayonier.com

Rayonier purchased its first forest property in Nassau County, Florida, in the late 1930s. Since then, it has had a strong presence in the county. Company leaders reflect on our past and future in Nassau County.

Ever since Rayonier bought its first forest property in Nassau County, Florida, in the 1930s, our stories have been intertwined. Together, we have strived to be the best stewards of our community and the land within it.

As Nassau County celebrates its bicentennial this year and Rayonier prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2026, Rayonier leaders reflect on the 87-year history of Rayonier in Nassau and our vision for the company's future here.

It's a topic that excites everyone on our team-our voices are warm with pride when we talk about how we helped the community recover from the Great Depression and how we've adapted and evolved over the decades.

In 2017, we built our company headquarters at Wildlight, even further solidifying our relationship with the community.

Over the years, a unifying ethic has emerged and only grown stronger: this company, through its leaders and team members, considers itself a corporate citizen of Nassau, with a responsibility and a commitment to contribute to the community's well-being.

Healthy Economic Growth Since 1937

Mike Bell, Rayonier's Vice President of Public Affairs, describes our company's relationship with Nassau County as one built around economic growth and constant reinvention. Mike looks to the past to illustrate how this legacy was built.

When Rayonier first came to Nassau in 1937, the local economy had been devastated by the Great Depression. At that time, the community relied on a small number of agricultural products to survive. When Rayonier built a manufacturing plant on Amelia Island, it diversified Nassau's economy and created high-paying jobs that strengthened the community.

At first, the War Production Board took over the manufacturing plant to help make nitrocellulose, which was used in explosives, bullets, and rocket propellants during World War II. And as in many communities, that assistance in wartime production helped to stabilize the County's economy.

Later, when Rayonier was able to use the facility as a pulp and paper mill as it had originally intended, the local economy began to flourish. For one thing, those manufacturing jobs were some of the highest-paying jobs in the County. But there was also an indirect economic impact throughout the supply chain.