Rayonier in Nassau County, Florida: 87 Years of Stewardship - Seite 2

"Rayonier helped sustain the region because we drew timber supply from a large radius," says Mike. "That supported a lot of folks-tree growers, loggers, trucking companies-even if they weren't working at the plant."

In the 1930s, Rayonier also entered the timber business in the region when we began to buy land throughout Northeast Florida to ensure a steady supply of wood for our mills. We started a cycle that continues today: planting, harvesting and replanting our pine forests to provide a sustainable resource.

"Through our dedicated reforestation efforts, we are now growing our fourth generation of trees on much of our property in Nassau County," Mike says.

Together, the mills and the well-managed forests helped Nassau County increase its tax base and create a foundation for healthy economic growth.

Rayonier has changed over time and now we no longer own manufacturing plants. We spun the pulp mills out into a separate public company now known as RYAM, but those mills are still operating and sustaining the County through taxes and high-paying jobs. They also support the timber industry in the region.

Now, we continue to grow timber, own and operate a real estate subsidiary and are involved in a number of non-timber related businesses on our land base.

"Rayonier is still here because we keep reinventing ourselves," says Mike.

Reinvention may be in our nature at Rayonier, but certain principles have remained consistent throughout our history. One of these, Mike says, is Rayonier's legacy of promoting sustainable economic growth in the communities where it operates-and that's especially true in Nassau County.

Sustainable Forests Support Nassau

Director of Operations Jeremy Flood leads our Coastal Resource Unit, which manages timberland in and around Nassau County. He says it can be difficult for people to realize the economic impact forestry continues to have in the region.

"You might not see it when you drive around on the paved roads," Jeremy says. "But if you take a bird's eye view of the County, you see mostly forests and Rayonier owns a significant portion of those undeveloped areas."

Today, we own 121,000 acres in Nassau County, which has roughly 415,000 acres of land altogether. Much of our land is timberland that we manage for a sustainable supply of wood over the long term.

"We're just now cutting the trees we planted when I started my career," Jeremy says. "Forestry is unique because it takes that kind of forward thinking to provide for the future."

Jeremy credits Rayonier with giving him early insight into the industry. His family moved to Nassau County when he was young, and he got to know several Rayonier employees as he joined the community.