Steve Swanson Is Timber Processing’s 2026 Person of the Year
Longtime Northwest forest products executive Steve Swanson, CEO of Swanson Group based in Roseburg, Ore., was named Timber Processing magazine’s 2026 Person of the Year in its February 2026 issue. Swanson is the 38th winner of the prestigious national award, which debuted in 1989 to honor innovation and success in the North American lumber industry and also involvement outside the mill in support of the industry and state and local communities.
Swanson’s commitment to Oregon’s rural economy and his involvement with the lumber industry’s fair trade efforts are big reasons why he was chosen for the honor: Swanson Group operates a sawmill at Roseburg, plywood plants at Glendale and Springfield and a pellet mill in Oakland, Ore. that employ more than 1,200. Swanson has also served as Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition from 2000-2012 and just started another term this year. He has led his family-owned company since 2001 before naming son Chris Swanson as President in 2025, and remains CEO.
Swanson will accept the Timber Processing 2026 Person of the Year award during a ceremony at 3 p.m. on September 23 during the Timber Processing & Energy Expo held September 23-25 at the Portland Expo Center, Portland, Ore.
Latest News
Forest Sector’s Latest Push: High-Tech Lumber For Tall Towers
Canada’s forestry sector is touting a new generation of high-tech lumber as a way to gain a foothold in a part of the construction industry from which it has long been shut out: condominiums. Officials…
B.C. Sawmill Destroyed By Fire Will Be Rebuilt
A sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia will be reconstructed on the same site after being destroyed by an explosion and fire that killed two people last year. “April 23, 2012 was the worst day…
“Top 20” Lumber Producers Report Indicates Renewed Industry Optimism
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1548381510056-0’); }); The latest Wood Markets annual survey of the “top 20” Canadian and U.S. softwood lumber producers shows an uneven trend across North America for 2012: U.S. softwood lumber production increased 6.3%…
U.S. Housing Starts Surge 27 Percent Above 2012 Rate
Housing starts in February rose 0.8% from January, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 917,000, the Census Bureau said Tuesday. The rate is 27.7% above February 2012. Single-family starts were running at a 618,000…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.