Page 8 - Georgia Forestry - Summer 2019

ECONOMY
Q&A:
It Takes More Than Money and Trees
Interfor’s CEO on the future of forestry in the Southeast
By Brady Hummel
Ahead of his keynote address at the 2019 Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) Annual Conference, we spoke
with Duncan Davies, CEO of Interfor, about the strengths, challenges and future opportu- nities ahead for the forest products industry in our region.
GEORGIA FORESTRY MAGAZINE:
In your opinion, what does the future of forestry look like in the southeastern United States?
DAVIES: The Southeast quadrant of the U.S. is the largest lumber market in North America. There’s a significant timber resource in the region, and it’s a very friendly business environment relative to other regions in North America. And, I think to the extent that it’s within North America, it’s an awful lot easier than looking at some opportunities that would exist in other parts of the world.
We’ve announced something like $300 million of investment capital flowing into our operations in the Southeast over the course of the next three or four years. And I think that’s a reflection of how attractive the business environment is in the area. We’re really excited about what we see in the region, and we’re putting up the money to invest in technology. I think all of those things are positive — not just for us, but really positive for the region and its communities. We’re pretty excited about it.
6 | GEORGIA FORESTRY
DAVE ROELS