Page 12 - Georgia Forestry - Fall 2018

Kathleen Garcia
Squeezing Value out of Every Part of the Tree
Kathleen Garcia graduated in 2016 with a master’s degree in forest business from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. After gaining some experience in the field as a forester in Florida, she joined Interfor, a North American forest product company with seven sawmills scattered across the state.
The modern sawmill is a prime example of efficiency — using every part of the tree including products that would otherwise be considered waste. Today, as a sawmill residuals coordinator, Kathleen is responsible for ensuring that residual products (i.e., bark, shavings and wood chips) are sold and shipped to the company’s partners in the Southeast. Kathleen plays a key role in ensuring the quality and product specifications are met for each client and that logistic support is available to ship the product from the mill to the secondary wood-using facility that purchases the product.
“I love being on the manufacturing side of the industry,” Kathleen said. “The residuals side of the business is a lot of fun because you get to see how every part of the tree is used and the downstream products and value they provide to our clients. You get to connect a lot of dots.”
Interfor is continuing to invest in its sawmills across the Southeast, including expanding capacity at its mills in Thomaston, Eatonton, GA, and Georgetown, SC. Total investment in the three projects will be approximately
$240 million.
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