About J.R. Timber Co. (JRTC)

Selling timber directly and without the representation of a consulting forester can have unfortunate, even devastating results. More often than not, you're left with significantly less money than what you should have received and a forest that could take decades to recover. Without the assistance of a forester, can you be sure you'll get paid for what will be actually taken? Was the price really fair? Is your forest being managed correctly? Will the harvesting job be properly cleaned up and retired? is there a contract protecting you, your property, and your interests? These are just some of the important issues related to selling timber. Most people wouldn't buy or sell a house without a good idea of its value. The same should apply when buying or selling timber or timberland. You should know what you have, what its worth, and how it should be managed before you make a deal. JRTC serves as the landowner's agent throughout the sale process. That is an important distinction because our fiduciary responsibility is to you and you alone. While we do business with sawmills, timber buyers, and loggers, we do not consider them our clients or our fiduciaries. Our job is to make sure that your property and interests are protected while obtaining the highest price possible for your trees. We handle and guide you through the entire timber sale process. 

Trees, like anything else, have a natural lifespan. Once they reach maturity, decay sets in and they eventually die. Whether we realize it or not, we all rely on wood products every day of our lives. Sustainable forest management ensures the good health and productivity of our forests while also filling the current global demand for wood products without negatively impacting the needs of future generations. 

In this process, we inventory your forest's resources and establish the market value for those resources. This type of appraisal is subject to our professional opinion of the quality of the trees, the degree of difficulty involved in removing the trees, and the assessment of timber markets in the subject area. Timber appraisals provide an accurate and unbiased estimate of the volume, quality, and value of your timber while it's still standing. 

There are many factors to consider while marking trees for a timber sale. How healthy is the tree? How much growing space does it have? What are the landowner's goals for his or her land? There is considerable difference between a tree that can be cut and sold, and a tree that should be cut and sold. When marking a timber sale, we take a "worst first" approach, which involves removing the lowest quality trees, trees that have been damaged by insect or disease, while also thinning out the mature and over-mature trees. This leaves behind a healthier forest and allows higher quality trees to thrive, which will increase the value of your timber in a future harvest. 

JRTC markets timber in two ways:

One way is by competitively bidding timber sales to sawmills, logging companies, and timber buyers. As long as the bids meet or exceed the minimum acceptable bid (as determined from the timber appraisal), the landowner will be paid a portion at the contract signing and the remaining balance before the start of the harvest. 

The second way is by sub-contracting the job out to a professional logging company known in the industry for exceptional quality work. The logging company is hired to cut and skid the trees to a landing area. From there, JRTC has them sort the logs by species/grade and coordinates with specialized timber buyers from various companies (domestic & export). The timber is sold to whoever is willing to pay the most for the subject logs. The landowner(s) will then receive a percentage of the sale in weekly checks, including detailed receipts for each log sale and payment. 

JRTC takes a 10% commission from the sale of the timber, which covers all of our services from the beginning until the end of the timber harvest. This includes boundary-work, timber appraisal, bidding or contracting the sale, contracts, erosion & sediment control plans, permits, and oversight of the job, including proper clean up at the end.