California family becomes the nation's largest private landowner

With the recent acquisition of Oregon-based Seneca Jones Timber Company and Seneca Sawmills, Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) has become the nation’s largest private landowner. A third-generation, family-owned forest products company, SPI is headquartered in Anderson, California. The 175,000-acre acquisition brings the family’s timberland holdings to 2.3 million acres, eclipsing the 2.2 million acres owned by John Malone.

“This is a meaningful day for Sierra Pacific Industries as well as for Seneca,” says George Emmerson, president of SPI. “The combined company brings together an outstanding team of people that will leverage our shared expertise in sustainable forest management and innovation in manufacturing, working together to provide quality lumber and wood products to the marketplace. We are excited to join the Oregon forest products industry, along with the opportunities for further growth in the state.” 

The families have known one another for several years. “Aaron Jones and Red Emmerson are both icons of the wood products industry. They were also friends and had a deep mutual respect as industry leaders,” says Todd Payne, CEO of Seneca. He also noted that SPI and Seneca provide complimentary products, have shared family values, and feature similar company cultures.

The two companies also have a strong focus on sustainable tree management. Both manage their timberland for thriving wildlife, healthy watersheds and soils, and world-class recreation. Seneca has 92% more timber on its land today than it had 25 years ago. SPI grows more timber than it harvests. Under its forest management plan, SPI expects to have more large trees on its timberlands 100 years from now than it has today.

The Emmerson family also founded the Sierra Pacific Foundation in 1979. The philanthropic organization has donated over $8.8 million in scholarships and contributes to youth activities and other organizations in the communities where SPI operates. In 2020, the Foundation contributed $2.2 million to organizations in local communities.

A third-generation, family-owned forest products company, SPI is headquartered in Anderson, California.

Eric O’Keefe is the editor of The Land Report, the magazine of the American landowner. See LandReport.com.