Page 12 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2022

IFCO SEEDLINGS:
Supplying the Southeast Wood Basket
Kristen Fontana, Amy Juliana, Abigail Ridge, and I drove down to Washington, NC in October to interview the International Forest Company (IFCO Seedlings) crew, including:
• Andrew Stewart, Genetic Investment Advisor • Harris Kelly, Nursery Manager
• Rhodes Kelly, On-Site Container Manager
• James West, Nursery Supervisor
Each time we have an opportunity to visit our people, I am overwhelmed by the generosity and welcome we receive. There was a threat of rain on our interview date, so Andrew Stewart and Harris Kelly had prepared a presentation in case we didn’t get a chance to tour the company’s operations. Fortunately, the rain held off for us and we got a full tour of the bareroot and container operations onsite.
IFCO Seedlings provides high-quality seedlings for a range of clients, including private landowners as well as timber investment management organizations (TIMOs). It produces more than 300 million seedlings annually and around 30% of the regeneration stock for the Southeast wood basket.
The company is a full member of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Tree Improvement Cooperative and has a robust internal tree improvement program.
Let’s dive into the interview with Andrew Stewart.
“Relationships are what drive business at IFCO Seedlings. From the private landowner with a couple acres to national accounts, we are able to serve all our clients with the
same enthusiasm.” — Andrew Stewart
10 ncforestry.org / FIRST QUARTER 2022