Interfor Corporation
Corporate brand
UnclaimedInterfor Corporation is a Canadian forest-products company and one of the world's large lumber producers, operating sawmills in Canada and the United States.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Interfor Corporation is a Vancouver-based forest-products company whose principal business is the production and sale of lumber. Its operating history began with a sawmill in Whonnock, British Columbia, during the 1930s. The business was incorporated as Yorkston Lumber Co. in 1963, soon changed its name to Whonnock Lumber Co., and became a public company in 1967 under the name Whonnock Industries. Through acquisitions, divestitures, mill closures, and changes in corporate identity, it developed from a regional British Columbia operator into a North American lumber producer. A major ownership transition occurred in 1979, when Sauder Industries acquired a controlling interest. That interest was later transferred to the Sauder family's Mountclair Investment Corporation holding company. The company adopted the name International Forest Products Ltd. in 1988, a name that reflected its increasingly broad forest-products activities. During the 1990s and 2000s, Interfor expanded and reshaped its operating base through transactions involving the Hammond, Weldwood, Primex, Crown Pacific, Floragon, Portac, and other operations. At the same time, it closed or sold a number of mills and divisions as market conditions, resource access, and operating economics changed. The company entered a further expansion phase in the 2010s. It acquired Rayonier Wood Products' division, Keadle Lumber Enterprises, Tolleson Lumber Company, properties from Simpson Lumber Company, and the Monticello operation. In 2014 it changed its name to Interfor Corporation and opened a corporate office in Peachtree City, Georgia, for its southeastern United States region. The period also included closures and divestitures, including the Forks and Beaver operations and the Tacoma operation, illustrating the company's practice of adjusting its network rather than pursuing uninterrupted capacity growth. Interfor's later portfolio changes included the closure of the Hammond operation in 2019, the sale of the Gilchrist operation in 2020, the acquisition of the Summerville operation in 2021, and major eastern Canadian expansion in 2022 through the purchase of EACOM Timber. In the same year, Interfor sold its Acorn Division and acquired Chaleur Forest Products. These transactions broadened the company's geographic footprint and strengthened its presence in eastern Canada while continuing its emphasis on sawmilling. The supplied reference describes combined manufacturing capacity of more than 4.7 billion board feet of lumber and sales into North America, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe. Interfor employs approximately 5,000 people according to that reference. Its product and operating model is centered on converting logs into structural and appearance lumber for construction, industrial, and related markets. The company also emphasizes third-party forest and fiber certification. Its British Columbia sawmills are described as having Chain-of-Custody certification, with facilities certified under PEFC, SFI, and, at selected mills, FSC requirements. United States facilities including Preston and Perry are described as meeting SFI fiber-sourcing requirements. Interfor's environmental record has also attracted public attention, particularly regarding logging of old-growth cedar in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest. The supplied material identifies this as a criticism of the company but does not provide enough detail to establish a specific legal finding or a complete account of the dispute. Overall, Interfor is best understood as a publicly traded Canadian lumber producer with a multinational sales reach, a history of acquisition-led expansion and operational rationalization, and an extensive sawmilling network concentrated in Canada and the United States.
History
Interfor Corporation traces its roots to a sawmill established at Whonnock, British Columbia, in the 1930s. The enterprise was incorporated as Yorkston Lumber Co. in 1963 and changed its name the same year to Whonnock Lumber Co. It became publicly owned in 1967 and adopted the name Whonnock Industries. The company's early development was therefore tied to British Columbia's forest economy and to the operation and consolidation of sawmilling assets. In 1976, the company acquired the Adams Lake division. In 1979, Sauder Industries obtained a controlling interest, which was subsequently transferred to the Sauder family's Mountclair Investment Corporation holding company. The ownership change preceded a longer period of expansion and corporate repositioning. In 1988, Whonnock Industries changed its name to International Forest Products Ltd., signaling a broader identity than its original Whonnock-centered operations. The 1990s and early 2000s brought both acquisitions and retrenchment. The company acquired the Hammond Division in 1991 and the Weldwood Operation in 1995, but closed the Bay Lumber Operation in 1996. It sold the Flavelle Mill in 2000, acquired Primex Mills in 2001, and closed the Fraser Mill in the same year. In 2002, it closed the MacDonald Operation and opened the Sumas Operation. The Squamish Operation was closed in 2004. Interfor continued to adjust its asset base in the middle of the 2000s. It acquired Crown Pacific Limited Partners and Floragon Forest Products Molalla Inc. in 2005, while closing the Marysville and Field Operations. In 2006, it sold the Saltar and MacKenzie Operations. It acquired Portac Inc. in 2008 and closed the Queensborough Operation that year. These actions show a recurring pattern in the company's history: acquisitions added capacity or geographic reach, while closures and sales removed assets that no longer fit its operating or market strategy. The 2010s saw substantial expansion in the United States and a clearer multinational identity. In 2013, Interfor acquired the Rayonier Wood Products Division and Keadle Lumber Enterprises Inc. In 2014, it acquired Tolleson Lumber Company, changed its name from International Forest Products Ltd. to Interfor Corporation, and opened a regional corporate office in Peachtree City, Georgia. It also acquired properties from Simpson Lumber Company. The company closed the Forks and Beaver Operations in 2014, demonstrating that expansion was accompanied by continued rationalization. In 2015, it acquired the Monticello Operation and closed the Tacoma Operation. The later period included further portfolio changes. Interfor closed the Hammond Operation in 2019 and sold the Gilchrist Operation in 2020. It acquired the Summerville Operation in 2021. In 2022, it acquired EACOM Timber, expanding into eastern Canada, sold the Acorn Division, and acquired Chaleur Forest Products. The supplied reference identifies Interfor as having combined sawmilling capacity of more than 4.7 billion board feet and approximately 5,000 employees, with sales across North America, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe. Environmental certification is an important part of the company's manufacturing and sourcing profile. The supplied material states that all of Interfor's British Columbia sawmills have Chain-of-Custody certification. It describes certification under PEFC and SFI Chain-of-Custody requirements, with selected mills also meeting FSC Chain-of-Custody requirements. Preston and Perry mills in the United States are described as meeting SFI fiber-sourcing requirements. These systems are intended to document and verify the movement of fiber from harvesting through manufacturing. The company has nevertheless faced criticism over old-growth logging. The supplied reference specifically associates Interfor with logging some of the oldest and rarest cedar trees in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest. Because the available material does not give detailed dates, claims, responses, or legal outcomes, the issue is recorded as an environmental controversy rather than expanded into an unsupported allegation. Interfor's documented history is consequently one of geographic expansion, repeated restructuring, and continuing participation in the large-scale North American lumber industry.
- 2022
Eastern Canadian portfolio expansion
[1]Interfor acquired EACOM Timber and Chaleur Forest Products while selling its Acorn Division.
- 2021
Acquisition of Summerville operation
[1]Interfor acquired the Summerville operation.
- 2014
Adopts Interfor name and expands in the southeastern United States
[1]The company changed its name to Interfor Corporation, acquired Tolleson Lumber Company and properties from Simpson Lumber Company, and opened a regional office in Peachtree City, Georgia.
- 2013
Expansion through Rayonier and Keadle acquisitions
[1]Interfor acquired the Rayonier Wood Products Division and Keadle Lumber Enterprises Inc.
- 1988
Renamed International Forest Products Ltd.
[1]Whonnock Industries changed its name to International Forest Products Ltd.
- 1979
Sauder Industries acquires control
[1]Sauder Industries acquired a controlling interest, later transferred to the Sauder family's Mountclair Investment Corporation holding company.
- 1967
Becomes a public company
[1]The company became public and adopted the name Whonnock Industries.
- 1963
Incorporation as Yorkston Lumber Co.
[1]The business was incorporated as Yorkston Lumber Co. and changed its name to Whonnock Lumber Co. in the same year.
- 1930
Origins in Whonnock, British Columbia
[1]The company traces its beginnings to a sawmill in Whonnock, British Columbia, during the 1930s.
Products and positioning
A large, vertically oriented North American lumber producer positioned around sawmilling scale, geographically distributed manufacturing, international sales, and independently certified forest and fiber sourcing.
Lumber
Softwood lumber
Softwood lumber is Interfor's core output. The company manufactures lumber through a network of sawmills in Canada and the United States and sells into North American, Asia-Pacific, and European markets. The supplied references identify total manufacturing capacity of more than 4.7 billion board feet, although they do not provide a detailed breakdown by species, grade, or mill.
Construction materials
Structural lumber
Structural lumber is a principal application of sawmill production and is used in building and construction markets. Interfor's North American manufacturing footprint supports supply to regional construction channels, but the supplied material does not identify individual product grades, dimensions, or branded series.
Lumber
Appearance-grade lumber
Interfor's sawmilling operations also produce lumber for appearance-oriented uses. The available references establish the company's broad lumber production and international sales but do not specify a complete catalog of appearance products or their commercial brand names.
Certified forest products
Certified forest-products supply
At applicable facilities, Interfor provides lumber manufactured within independently audited Chain-of-Custody or fiber-sourcing systems. The supplied material identifies PEFC and SFI Chain-of-Custody certification in British Columbia, FSC certification at selected mills, and SFI fiber-sourcing certification for the Preston and Perry mills in the United States.
Controversies
Old-growth logging criticism in the Great Bear Rainforest
Interfor has been criticized in connection with logging old-growth cedar in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest, including trees described in the supplied reference as among the oldest and rarest. The available material does not establish the full chronology, the company's detailed response, or any legal outcome.
Brand decisions
2022
Expand in eastern Canada through EACOM and ChaleurM&ABackground
Interfor continued to reshape its sawmilling portfolio and geographic coverage after earlier acquisitions and divestitures.
Action taken
The company acquired EACOM Timber and Chaleur Forest Products and sold its Acorn Division.
Aftermath
The transactions expanded Interfor's eastern Canadian presence while simplifying or reallocating other parts of its portfolio.
2014
Rebrand as Interfor Corporation and strengthen southeastern United States presenceStrategyBackground
The company was expanding through acquisitions in the United States and broadening its identity beyond its former International Forest Products name.
Action taken
It changed its name to Interfor Corporation, opened a corporate office in Peachtree City, Georgia, and acquired Tolleson Lumber Company and properties from Simpson Lumber Company.
Aftermath
The move reinforced Interfor's North American operating identity and southeastern United States presence, while the company continued to close or divest selected facilities.
Recent events
Reported
Interfor completes acquisition of EACOM[2]
Interfor completed its $490 million acquisition of EACOM on February 22, 2022. The acquired assets include sawmills and other wood-production facilities in Ontario and Quebec.
Reported
Interfor agrees to acquire Eacom Timber[3]
Interfor Corp. reached an agreement with an affiliate of Kelso & Co. to acquire 100% of the equity interests of Eacom Timber Corp.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Interfor completes $100 million long-term debt financing[4]
Interfor completed previously announced long-term debt financing of $100 million with Prudential Private Capital. The senior secured notes have an average interest rate of approximately 3.30% and final maturity in 2030.
Reported
Interfor completes $100 million debt financing[5]
Interfor completed $100 million of long-term debt financing with Prudential Private Capital. The senior secured notes carry an average interest rate of approximately 3.30% and mature in 2030.
Reported
Interfor announces temporary production curtailments[6]
Interfor announced plans to temporarily reduce production across its operations in British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest and the US South. The curtailments were expected to reduce production by approximately 35 million board feet per week and initially last two weeks, subject to regular reevaluation.
Reported
Interfor announces CFO resignation[7]
Interfor announced that Senior Vice President and CFO Martin Juravsky would resign effective April 30, 2020, to pursue another opportunity.
Sources8 sources
- 1Interfor Corporationen.wikipedia.org
- 2Interfor完成对EACOM的收购northernontariobusiness.com
- 3Interfor同意收购Eacom Timbernorthernontariobusiness.com
- 4Interfor完成1亿美元长期债务融资pulpapernews.com
- 5Interfor 完成 1 亿美元债务融资lesprom.com
- 6Interfor宣布暂时削减产量pulpapernews.com
- 7Interfor宣布首席财务官辞职pulpapernews.com
- 8Interfor adds 1 billion board feet of lumber with Eacom acquisition | Woodworking Networkwoodworkingnetwork.com
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