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ohio premium pine

Ohio Premium Pine Cooperative consists of a group of hardworking, knowledgeable forest landowners. The primary goal of the Ohio Premium Pine Cooperative is to create value-added marketing opportunities for their pine at premium prices. For years they have been convinced by foresters and resource managers that planting white pine would result in significant economic returns. However, after 30, 40, and even 50 years these landowners find that the return for their investment is only $ 5 per ton as pulpwood. Many landowners feel disenfranchised because of the strong drive for planting white pine and now they see no viable markets for these trees. The pulp market returns are not sufficient enough to cover the costs of years of thinning and pruning that the landowners have dedicated to growing high quality pine stands. The cooperative was incorporated in 2003 with five Steering Committee members as incorporators.

The Ohio Premium Pine Cooperative is a marketing cooperative that will concentrate on marketing white pine as a group. Education is also one of the purposes of the cooperative. The cooperative provides services that will be invaluable for the members involved. Member benefits include marketing assistance, supervision of stumpage sales, forest management services, list of approval loggers, prepare logging contracts, reforestation assistance, landowner education, and patronage benefits.

The cooperative has five members currently. Members of the cooperative are forest landowners that have stands of pine on their lands and are interested in exploring markets for their pine lumber and trees. The cooperative is recruiting members throughout the state of Ohio. The members will focus on a regional market for selling products including states around Ohio. The responsibilities of the members includes develop a management plan, sign exclusive marketing agreement, and pay annual membership fee. Customers are businesses or individuals that use white pine to make more value-added lumber products.

Right now, there is no full-time paid employee. Peter Woyar, the chairman of the cooperative works as a part-time unpaid employee to serve the various needs of the start-up cooperative

Company Information:
Name: Ohio Premium Pine Cooperative
CEO/ Manager: To be hired
Address:c/o OCDC 1864 Shyville Road Piketon, OH 45661
Telephone: 740-664-2475
Contact: Pete Woyar, Chairman
Email: pwoyar@frognet.net