Welcome to the latest edition of Forest Business News.

Our longtime friends at Freres Engineered Wood—a Premier Sponsor of the International Mass Timber Conference & Expo (IMTC)—have just released a fantastic new feature video highlighting the creation of the National Conservation Legacy Center at the National Museum of Forest Service History, a beautiful new mass timber building located here in my hometown of Missoula, Montana.

The video features Hunter Hessian, Field Manager at Dick Anderson Construction, Lisa Tate, Executive Director at National Museum of Forest Service History / National Conservation Legacy Center, Rob Freres, President of Freres Engineered Wood, and Tom Chung, Principal at Leers Weinzapfel Associates.

This project is a masterclass in what happens when visionary design meets the ultimate renewable resource. Rather than relying on standard concrete and drywall, the build team set out to make the structure an exhibit in its own right.

Multiple mass timber products are showcased within the facility—from glulam beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall panels, to laminated veneer lumber (LVL), to hybrid systems and custom Freres Engineered Wood Mass Ply Panels capable of multi-directional spanning. In addition are 13 breathtaking tree-like columns, each crafted from a different species of wood, that support the folded roof canopy without traditional beams getting in the way.

Accessibility & Economic Impact

Open year-round, the National Museum of Forest Service History is a major asset for regional economic development in Missoula. Whether you’re flying into MSO for personal or business reasons—or specifically to tour this magnificent example of forestry, history, and cutting-edge design for your next project—you can easily step off the plane and actually walk right to the museum if you don’t want to deal with a car or rideshare.

Beyond the remarkable engineering and architecture, what makes this story powerful is the human element: the non-profit vision, the donor and labor efforts, the budgeting hurdles, and the sheer dedication of everyone who refused to compromise on making a mass timber landmark a reality.

It’s an important reminder of how bringing economic value to our forests through smart utilization helps incentivize conservation.

Take a few minutes to watch the feature above, or click the link below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

🔗 Building the National Conservation Legacy Center with Mass Timber

Best,

C. Craig Rawlings

President & CEO, Forest Business Network
Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference & Expo

P.S. Join us in Portland at IMTC 2027, March 16-19, and be sure to stop by Freres’ massive lounge and display in space #334.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Forest Business News.

Back in July, we reached out to you regarding the 2027 International Mass Timber Conference & Expo and the Call for Proposals for our Mass Timber Building Tours. The response was phenomenal and we are now turning our attention to the educational heart of the conference.

The Call for Speakers for the 11th annual conference is also now officially open. The deadline to submit your proposals is coming up fast on October 2.

Every year, people ask how we put together such an impactful agenda. The truth is, we don’t do it alone. It starts with an incredible amount of dedication from our steering committee, who volunteer endless hours reviewing submissions to meticulously shape both the conference and the direction of our industry. But beyond the committee, we rely entirely on you. The IMTC isn’t built in a vacuum; it is shaped directly by the professionals, pioneers, and boots-on-the-ground experts in this community. You are the ones advancing mass timber and sustainable forestry. Your insights, your case studies, and your hard-fought breakthroughs are what drive this industry forward.

When you step onto the IMTC stage, you aren’t just giving a presentation. You are actively shaping the future of global construction and forest health. The collective knowledge of this network is our greatest asset, and we want your voice front and center in Portland next spring.

We are looking for fresh perspectives on:

• Groundbreaking mass timber projects and architecture

• Advances in manufacturing, machinery, and technology

• Sustainable forestry

• Market development and business strategies

Don’t miss your chance to share your expertise with thousands of your global peers. Submit your speaker proposal through October 2.

Thank you for continuing to be the driving force behind this industry. As always, reach out if you have any questions, and we look forward to reading your proposals!

Best,

C. Craig Rawlings

Pres & CEO, Forest Business Network - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

Welcome to this week’s Forest Business Network (FBN) newsletter. This time around, I’m excited to share a milestone that is incredibly close to my heart: my family’s business is officially celebrating 50 years in the forest products industry!

Looking back to January 1976, I had the privilege of co-founding Rawlings Construction Co. alongside my parents, Cliff and Pat, and my brother Mike. Those early days were full of hard work and big ambitions. When my father passed away in 1984, I took over as General Manager. During my 14 years with the company, I had the honor of helping consolidate our operations here in Missoula, Montana, and spearheading the commercialization of the patented rotary crusher—a design born out of my dad’s frustration with hammer mills plugging on cedar bark, log ends, and hardwood railroad ties, and which incredibly still remains the industry standard today.

I moved on to other ventures in 1989, and when my brother John Rawlings took over the company, it officially changed its name to Rawlings Manufacturing Inc (RMI).

While I haven’t been directly involved in the RMI business for a long time, I have always been one of their biggest cheerleaders. It has been a joy to continually support and promote them from the sidelines. Seeing John—who many of you know as the “Hog Doctor”—alongside his wife Judi Tyacke-Rawlings, who plays such an integral role in the company’s operations and leadership, and John’s son Cliff drive that forward-thinking legacy into the future makes this golden anniversary incredibly special.

To continue marking 50 years of manufacturing excellence, the Rawlings team is heading to Oregon this month.

From September 23–25, the entire RMI team will be at the Timber Processing & Energy Expo in Portland. Rawlings Manufacturing will be set up at Booth #327 at the Portland Expo Center, showcasing their latest engineering updates, including the new Vertical Rear Maintenance Wood Grinder. I highly encourage you to stop by the booth to catch up with the team, see their new equipment, and help them celebrate their big milestone!

I also have to give a quick shout-out to the International Mass Timber Conference & Expo (IMTC). Rawlings Manufacturing has been a fantastic exhibitor at IMTC in past years, and I’m really hoping they bring their team back for our 2027 event. They have recently run some incredibly successful tests on grinding large Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) off-cuts, reducing them to a 2-inch particle size in just seconds. It’s exactly the kind of innovation the mass timber sector needs as we scale up production and look for efficient ways to handle waste.

It’s been quite a ride over the last five decades. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey with our family.

Enjoy this week’s newsletter! ~ CCR

C. Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, FBN - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

Welcome to the latest edition of the Forest Business Network (FBN) Newsletter.

It is my absolute favorite time of the year, and it is my honor to make this announcement on behalf of the entire IMTC team: Registration is officially open for the 11th Annual 2027 International Mass Timber Conference & Expo!

Mass timber is no longer just a niche experiment—it is executing at scale. To meet the demands of our rapidly growing industry and help you capitalize on this momentum, we’ve completely upgraded the 2027 IMTC experience to deliver more value, education, and connection than ever before.

We have listened to the community, and here is how we are maximizing your time and ROI at this year’s event:

• A Dedicated Tour Day (IMTC is Now a 4-Day Event): We’ve expanded the conference to four days so mass timber building tours have their own exclusive schedule.

• Zero-Compromise Scheduling: We’ve significantly reduced the overlap between conference sessions and the expo hall. You no longer have to choose between attending essential technical workshops and meeting with top suppliers of CLT, glulam, and next-generation engineered products.

• The Return of “The Boardroom”: Watch the industry move from vision to reality. Back for its highly anticipated 2nd edition, developers and investors will meet live on stage to discuss real funding for real mass timber projects.

• Start Networking Next Month: Networking has always been the cornerstone of IMTC. In September, we are launching an exclusive mobile app for registered participants. Your ability to connect, collaborate, and book meetings starts the moment you register—months before you even arrive at the venue.

Essential Content Across the Value Chain

Whether you are a forest manager, an engineered wood manufacturer, or part of the architectural design community, this year’s programming is built for you.

Upcoming educational sessions will dive deep into critical topics like fire engineering, acoustics, and hybrid structural systems. Meanwhile, our soon-to-be-announced keynotes will feature the industry leaders currently advancing policy, financing, and design innovation.

Secure Your Spot

The buildings of tomorrow are being designed today. Early-bird registration is open now through November 13th.

Secure your place today, get immediate access to the IMTC community next month, and let’s continue building the future of our industry together.

Best ~ CCR

C. Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, FBN - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

TAGS: Oregon Convention Center McKenzie Masten, MBA

I recently had the privilege of attending the National Museum of Forest Service History grand opening ceremony right here in Missoula. It was a fantastic event celebrating our industry’s heritage, and one of the personal highlights for me was running into Duane Vaagen.

My connection with the Vaagen family dates back to 2001, and witnessing their continuous evolution over the past two decades has been nothing short of remarkable. It is incredibly inspiring to see how Vaagen Brothers Lumber successfully transitioned to utilizing small-diameter trees to produce advanced, sustainable lumber and the essential feedstock for mass timber products like CLT and glulam. In fact, it is safe to say that the North American mass timber industry—and the growth of the International Mass Timber Conference & Expo into the largest event of its kind globally—would not be where it is today without the Vaagen family’s pioneering leadership in small-log utilization, manufacturing innovation, and technology.

That spirit of innovation is perfectly captured in a powerful documentary we are featuring this week: The Small Log Revolution | Vaagen Bros. Lumber.

The film tells the compelling story of how Duane and his team at Vaagen Brothers Lumber navigated the near-collapse of the traditional timber industry in the 1990s. When most mills in the West were shutting down due to the “timber wars” and restricted access to large, old-growth logs, Duane took a massive risk. He traveled to Finland and brought the first HewSaw back to the United States. This allowed Vaagen Brothers to pivot entirely, efficiently processing the small, densely packed trees that were crowding our forests and fueling catastrophic wildfires.

But the Vaagen story is about much more than just sawmill technology—it is about pioneering new ways to collaborate. The documentary highlights their groundbreaking “A to Z Project,” a public-private partnership where the company stepped up to front the costs for the environmental review (NEPA) process on federal lands. It was an unprecedented move that brought former adversaries—environmental advocates and timber industry leaders—to the same table. The result? Tens of thousands of acres treated to reduce wildfire risk, healthier ecosystems, and a steady supply of small logs for the mill.

Today, Vaagen Brothers is proving that forest restoration and an active, successful forest products industry are not mutually exclusive—they rely on one another. By treating forest health as the primary goal and innovative wood products as the byproduct, they have created a model that protects our rural communities while building the future.

If you want a masterclass in adaptation, resilience, and collaborative forestry, I highly recommend setting aside 20 minutes to watch this film.

Best ~ CCR

C. Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, FBN - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

TAGS: HewSaw Machines Inc. Ed Mayer Bill Tice Susan LeVan

Welcome to the latest edition of the Forest Business Network (FBN) Newsletter.

A massive shout-out to my friends and colleagues — Naresh Khanal, Woodam Chung, John Hogland, Yong Chen, and Andres Susaeta — for their phenomenal new study published in Trees, Forests and People.

If you are in the US mass timber sector, this is required reading. The research highlights a game-changing feedstock alternative: utilizing small-diameter Ponderosa and Lodgepole pine harvested directly from wildfire fuel reduction treatments.

By converting traditionally unmerchantable 4-to-9-inch logs into structural mass timber, we can offset the heavy costs of forest restoration, reduce wildfire hazards, and revitalize rural mill economies. This is exactly the kind of supply-chain innovation our industry needs to scale sustainably!

Speaking of scaling up: Registration for the 2027 International Mass Timber Conference & Expo officially opens on August 25.

Read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719326002700?via%3Dihub

Best ~ CCR

C. Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, FBN - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

The USDA Forest Service just announced its 2026 Wood Innovations Grants—an incredible $105.5 million investment to support the wood industry, rural economies, and jobs!

It is fantastic to see so much continued momentum for sustainable forestry and a truly circular wood economy. Looking through the awardees, the geographic diversity and scale of these projects are exactly the kind of boost our industry needs to keep changing the way the world builds.

Just a few of the mass timber and manufacturing highlights that caught my eye: 🌲 Auburn University (AL) – Accelerating mass timber adoption across the state ($247,860) 🌲 SHG, LLC (CO) – Designing and engineering a mass timber hotel in Silverton ($300,000) 🌲 Tarifa Apartments, LLC (IA) – Demonstrating a mass timber affordable housing project ($300,000) 🌲 Harrison Township (MI) – Designing and engineering a mass timber library ($299,307) 🌲 Forest Workforce Training Institute (AL) – Designing a mass timber workforce training center ($300,000) 🌲 Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines (CO) – Developing evaluation tools to increase mass timber adoption in high-seismic regions ($300,000)

Because the full list of awardees across the country is massive, I’ve linked the complete USDA breakdown below so you can see the funding amounts and projects in your neck of the woods.

Which of these 2026 projects are you most excited to see get off the ground? Let me know below! 👇

🔗 Full List of 2026 Awardees & Amounts: https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/energy-forest-products/wood-innovation/grants

Best ~ CCR

C. Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, Forest Business Network - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

TAGS: Brian Brashaw Tom Schultz

Dear Reader:

What an incredible few days we shared in Portland, Oregon, last week. As the dust settles on our 10th Anniversary International Mass Timber Conference, I am filled with overwhelming gratitude. Despite the economy and other headwinds, the event was a huge success — a true testament to how far this industry has come and the strength of the community we’ve built together over the last decade.

However, as I look back on that 10 year milestone, I’ve come to realize that 2026 is a year filled with some meaningful “big numbers” for me personally.

This year, I turned 75. Carol and I are celebrating 55 years of marriage. It also marks 50 years since my family founded Rawlings Manufacturing Inc, now owned and operated by my brother John Rawlings and his wife Judi Tyacke-Rawlings.

In addition, this is my 25th year publishing the Forest Business Network (FBN) weekly e-newsletter, along with four years of publishing this LinkedIn Newsletter you’re reading today.

When you add it all up, it becomes clear that this is a unique moment in time. One that calls for more than just a standard weekend off.

I’ve decided to take a six-week sabbatical starting immediately. During this time, the FBN E-Newsletter, my LinkedIn newsletter, and my social media updates will all take a pause.

This isn’t a retirement; it is a dedicated period for reflection, gratitude, and perspective. After decades of moving at full speed and never fully taking time off, I want to step back and gain some quiet clarity on the road ahead — for myself and my family, for this organization, and for the stories we tell in these newsletters. I want to return with a renewed sense of purpose and a fresh vision for what the next chapter looks like for all of us.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me for the last 25 years. I look forward to reconnecting with you all in six weeks with a clear head and a full heart.

Until then,

C. Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, Forest Business Network - Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference

TAGS: Arnie Didier Donna Bellantone Shelby Cherry Rick McConnell Tom Wadell