Olympic Acquires Simons Forestry Consulting Group

Olympic Resource Management (ORM), a North American timberland management subsidiary of Pope Resources, has acquired Simons Reid Collins (SRC), a division of H.A. Simons of Vancouver, BC. Terms have not been disclosed.

SRC provides consulting services in forest inventory, timber supply analysis, timber sale cruising, and forest resource mapping to a broad range of clients in western Canada. SRC also provides timberland management services on 60,000 acres (25,000 hectares) on Vancouver Island together with general forestry consulting services for projects in Argentina and Jamaica. In 1997, SRC had revenues of $4.8 million.

"The acquisition is a significant step in ORM's strategic growth as a timberland management firm," said Gary Tucker, president and CEO of Pope Resources and ORM. "The two companies' strategic fit and complementary cultures clearly demonstrate the acquisition's benefits to clients, employees, and shareholders.

"As property managers and forestry consultants, SRC has advised most of Canada's major timber owners and has an established presence in worldwide timber markets. We share a focus on quality client service and a vision for growing timberland management services globally. The synergies between our organizations will add value to all clients' timberland holdings," Tucker explained.

SRC will do business under the Olympic Resource Management name throughout its areas of operation. "Although we deeply appreciate and respect the value of the Simons Reid Collins name, it's important to build a single identity in the marketplace and within our company as we grow," said Tucker.

SRC will become ORM Resources Canada Ltd. and will continue to serve its Canadian clients from its current offices in Vancouver and Kelowna, BC, and in Edmonton, AB.

Executive Responsibilities

ORM will have approximately 260 employees following the acquisition, reflecting the addition of SRC's 64 employees. Four executives will take on new responsibilities as a result of the acquisition.

Charles Goodbrand will become senior VP and GM of ORM Resources Canada Ltd. He will be responsible for the ongoing forestry consulting business and for marketing and developing new timberland management business outside of the U.S. He formerly was VP and GM of SRC, and brings more than 10 years of consulting experience to his new position. He will continue to be based in Vancouver..

Tom Gilkey, senior VP of Timberlands for ORM, will be responsible for all timberland management services in the U.S., Canada, and other offshore locations. He has 25 years of experience in managing large timberlands for industrial and institutional landowners.

Tim Raschko, timberland manager for ORM, will be responsible for managing 160,000 acres (65,000 hectares) of timberland in northwest Washington and British Columbia. Raschko has more than 25 years of timberland management experience, working for both private and institutional owners.

Wes Nicholson, VP of operational planning and analysis for ORM, will be responsible for ORM's centralized technical services in the U.S. and Canada, including timberland management information systems and operational planning. Nicholson has 19-plus years of experience in timberland management planning, forest inventory, and forestry and natural resource consulting.

Olympic Resource Management provides timberland and other property management services on more than 600,000 acres (250,000 hectares) of timberland and development property in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. The company also develops timber-based investment portfolios for third-party investors. In 1997, Pope Resources had revenues of $30 million.