Telling Forestry's Story
The Georgia Forestry Foundation, Jamestown LP and Georgia-Pacific Gather Leaders to Celebrate Georgia’s Future from Seedlings to Solutions
Winter 2024
By Olivia Parrott
On Nov. 2, 2023, over 100 business and political leaders — including U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock and several CEOs from the largest forestry companies in the U.S. — gathered on the second floor of 619 Ponce to learn about Georgia’s first locally grown and manufactured mass timber building. The event was an important effort to highlight the strength of Georgia’s forests in meeting the needs of our society today and into the future.
The celebration of the building’s sustainability story featured Matt Bronfman, principal and CEO of Jamestown; Troy Harris, managing director of timberland and innovative wood products at Jamestown; Senator Warnock; John Mulcahy, VP of sustainability at Georgia-Pacific; and Andres Villegas, president and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Foundation.
“Part of what you are doing tonight as we watch this project emerge is making it clear that we don’t have to choose between the economy and the environment,” said Senator Warnock. “That, in a real sense, as we move forward and think about a future and a world that will be here for all our children, we need solutions that understand the connection between economic and ecological sustainability.
The celebration of the building’s sustainability story featured Matt Bronfman, principal and CEO of Jamestown; Troy Harris, managing director of timberland and innovative wood products at Jamestown; Senator Warnock; John Mulcahy, VP of sustainability at Georgia-Pacific; and Andres Villegas, president and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Foundation.
“Part of what you are doing tonight as we watch this project emerge is making it clear that we don’t have to choose between the economy and the environment,” said Senator Warnock. “That, in a real sense, as we move forward and think about a future and a world that will be here for all our children, we need solutions that understand the connection between economic and ecological sustainability.
MAXIMIZING THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF WOOD
What Jamestown first learned when they set out to construct a mass timber building next door to their popular Ponce City Market property in Atlanta is that they would need to go to Europe to source the most cost effective timber and manufacturing. But, as an owner and manager of timberland in the state, that answer wasn’t good enough. They wanted to maximize the environmental and economic benefits of using wood by sourcing it locally.
“Just a few years ago, we set out to do something that was truly local — farm to table, seedlings to solutions — that was
really going to take advantage of what we have here in the region,” said Bronfman. Bronfman referred to Georgia’s status as the number-one forestry state in the nation. Georgia has an abundant supply of available timber that can be locally sourced for mass-timber construction projects. Thanks to modern forest management and healthy markets for forest products, forested land in Georgia remains a valuable real estate asset, with growth exceeding harvests by 48% statewide.
Mass timber utilization models using U.S. Forest Service data show that forest growth would still exceed removals by 18% in scenarios using the highest projected estimate of mass timber construction and the lowest estimate for projected forest growth.
Using current data from the Georgia Forestry Commission, the state grows a building the size of 619 Ponce every 16 minutes. Wood used for 619 Ponce was planted in 1996 and grown on Jamestown’s land in Lumpkin, GA. It was then sawn into lumber at Georgia-Pacific’s mill in Albany, GA, and manufactured into mass timber by SmartLam in Dothan, AL. The entire supply chain for the building covers under 600 miles, making it truly locally grown and manufactured in the Southeast.
As part of its Seedlings to Solutions initiative, the Georgia Forestry Foundation produced a documentary series tracking 619 Ponce’s construction. The five part series features an overview of the groundbreaking supply chain, as well as four videos outlining the building’s timber sourcing, processing, manufacturing and construction. You can also explore an interactive map tracing the supply chain at seedlingstosolutions.org.
“619 Ponce is a tremendous project. We’re glad to be a part of it, and we’re really excited about what this portends for our industry going forward,” said Mulcahy.
What Jamestown first learned when they set out to construct a mass timber building next door to their popular Ponce City Market property in Atlanta is that they would need to go to Europe to source the most cost effective timber and manufacturing. But, as an owner and manager of timberland in the state, that answer wasn’t good enough. They wanted to maximize the environmental and economic benefits of using wood by sourcing it locally.
“Just a few years ago, we set out to do something that was truly local — farm to table, seedlings to solutions — that was
really going to take advantage of what we have here in the region,” said Bronfman. Bronfman referred to Georgia’s status as the number-one forestry state in the nation. Georgia has an abundant supply of available timber that can be locally sourced for mass-timber construction projects. Thanks to modern forest management and healthy markets for forest products, forested land in Georgia remains a valuable real estate asset, with growth exceeding harvests by 48% statewide.
Mass timber utilization models using U.S. Forest Service data show that forest growth would still exceed removals by 18% in scenarios using the highest projected estimate of mass timber construction and the lowest estimate for projected forest growth.
Using current data from the Georgia Forestry Commission, the state grows a building the size of 619 Ponce every 16 minutes. Wood used for 619 Ponce was planted in 1996 and grown on Jamestown’s land in Lumpkin, GA. It was then sawn into lumber at Georgia-Pacific’s mill in Albany, GA, and manufactured into mass timber by SmartLam in Dothan, AL. The entire supply chain for the building covers under 600 miles, making it truly locally grown and manufactured in the Southeast.
As part of its Seedlings to Solutions initiative, the Georgia Forestry Foundation produced a documentary series tracking 619 Ponce’s construction. The five part series features an overview of the groundbreaking supply chain, as well as four videos outlining the building’s timber sourcing, processing, manufacturing and construction. You can also explore an interactive map tracing the supply chain at seedlingstosolutions.org.
“619 Ponce is a tremendous project. We’re glad to be a part of it, and we’re really excited about what this portends for our industry going forward,” said Mulcahy.
TO MASS TIMBER — AND BEYOND
As a national leader in forestry, Georgia is a state uniquely positioned to activate the forestry industry in new ways.
From emissions and energy reduction to supply chain efficiency, Georgia’s forestry supply chain stands ready to provide natural and innovative solutions to some of our nation’s biggest challenges. Mass timber underscores the strength, versatility and cultural importance of wood, but it is just one of the ways that products from our forests are being leveraged to power our changing economy.
Choosing wood products locks in the state’s ability to conserve its forests. When consumers choose forest products, they strengthen the forestry supply chain, which starts with the landowner. Demand for the timber that grows in the forests they steward every day ensures a landowner’s ability to remain profitable. As a state with over 90% of its forests marked as privately owned, Georgia needs to choose forest products that support its forest landowners and conserve its forests long-term.
“The thing that touches me the most about 619 Ponce is that not only do we have an incredible sustainability story, but there are people tied to each piece of lumber in here,” said Villegas. “Each column and panel represent a job that
helped someone put food on their table. This building represents the work our forestry community does every day to sustain rural America our working forests.” ■
Olivia Parrott is the communications and development coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Foundation.
As a national leader in forestry, Georgia is a state uniquely positioned to activate the forestry industry in new ways.
From emissions and energy reduction to supply chain efficiency, Georgia’s forestry supply chain stands ready to provide natural and innovative solutions to some of our nation’s biggest challenges. Mass timber underscores the strength, versatility and cultural importance of wood, but it is just one of the ways that products from our forests are being leveraged to power our changing economy.
Choosing wood products locks in the state’s ability to conserve its forests. When consumers choose forest products, they strengthen the forestry supply chain, which starts with the landowner. Demand for the timber that grows in the forests they steward every day ensures a landowner’s ability to remain profitable. As a state with over 90% of its forests marked as privately owned, Georgia needs to choose forest products that support its forest landowners and conserve its forests long-term.
“The thing that touches me the most about 619 Ponce is that not only do we have an incredible sustainability story, but there are people tied to each piece of lumber in here,” said Villegas. “Each column and panel represent a job that
helped someone put food on their table. This building represents the work our forestry community does every day to sustain rural America our working forests.” ■
Olivia Parrott is the communications and development coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Foundation.
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Georgia Forestry Magazine is published by HL Strategy, an integrated marketing and communications firm focused on our nation's biggest challenges and opportunities. Learn more at hlstrategy.com
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