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