U.S. Lumber Coalition Taps Steve Swanson For Chair, Again

Steve Swanson, CEO & Executive Chairman of the Swanson Group, and recently named the Timber Processing 2026 Person of the Year, has for the second time assumed the role of Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition.

Under Swanson’s prior leadership of the U.S. Lumber Coalition, the organization implemented structural changes that yielded today’s organization. These changes sharpened the focus of the organization to better address Canada’s unfair trade practices using all available tools under U.S. law. As a result, the Coalition has been able to produce unprecedented results for its membership and the U.S. forestry industry following the organization’s most successful set of trade cases under the U.S. trade laws. Swanson was previously Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition from 2005 through 2012.

“I would like to thank Andrew Miller for his great leadership of the U.S. Lumber Coalition over the last four years through some challenging times, all the while pressing the organization unyieldingly forward in its mission to address Canada’s unfair softwood lumber trade practices,” Swanson states. “Much has changed since I last served as Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition. Canada’s unfair trade practices that are driven by its excess lumber capacity and unfair government subsidies unfortunately have not.”

Swanson adds, “I applaud President Trump’s stated policies of strictly and strongly enforcing our U.S. antidumping and countervailing trade laws and for taking additional steps under Section 232 to further boost Made in U.S.A. softwood lumber production and U.S. workers. This is critically important because the simple fact is that if we allow Canada’s massive softwood lumber overcapacity and associated unfair trade practices to destroy our U.S. softwood lumber production capacity and supply, then good luck building homes in America.”

Swanson’s longstanding commitment to lumber fair trade and to Oregon’s rural economy, and his leadership at Roseburg-based Swanson Group were major reasons why he was chosen for the TP POY honor. Swanson Group operates a sawmill at Roseburg, plywood plants at Glendale and Springfield and a pellet mill in Oakland, Ore., while employing more than 1,200.

Swanson will accept the TP POY 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.