French sustainable forest management firm Everwood has acquired a stake in US forestry asset management specialist F&W Forestry Services, Inc., becoming its first shareholder. Everwood’s investment is aimed at achieving the shared growth ambition of both companies, namely to become one of the world’s largest forest managers and consultants, with sales reaching $100 million within 5 years.
As its CEO approaches retirement, the company, based in Albany, Georgia, welcomes French player Everwood to its capital.
F&W has been headed by Marshall Thomas for 30 years, a charismatic and acknowledged leader in the US forestry industry, who will be involved in the company’s new wave of external growth for another 5 years. Everwood’s investment takes the form of an initial $5 million increase in F&W’s capital and the purchase of shares from three shareholders nearing retirement. At the same time, the five members of the management team are making a significant investment alongside Everwood. This partnership is accompanied by a first external growth operation with the purchase of Inland Forest Management (IFM).
F&W plans to carry out several external growth operations in the coming years. The first of these is the acquisition of 100% of its competitor Inland Forest Management (IFM), based in Sandpoint, Idaho. This acquisition will enable F&W to extend its territorial coverage to the North-West of the United States, where IFM is present, and to strengthen its range of services for the prevention and control of forest fires, a major challenge for global warming and the preservation of the world’s carbon sinks.
