Stella Jones

What Stella Jones does

Stella-Jones is a Saint-Laurent, Quebec-based North American manufacturer of pressure-treated wood infrastructure products, founded in 1952 and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker SJ. The company operates 44 manufacturing facilities across Canada and the United States, producing over one million wood utility poles and more than 12 million railway crossties annually. Its core product lines are organized into four categories: wood utility poles (52% of total sales), railway crossties and timbers, treated residential lumber, and industrial products including marine piling, bridge timbers, and crane mats. The product platform has been expanded through 2025 acquisitions to include steel lattice transmission towers and steel poles (Locweld Inc.) and utility pole crossarms (Brooks Manufacturing Co.).

The company serves four primary customer segments: North American electrical utilities and telecommunications companies (for grid modernization, storm replacement, and 5G/fiber deployment); Class 1, short-line, and commercial railroads (for track infrastructure); major residential retailers (for outdoor treated lumber); and industrial/marine/civic customers (for pilings, timbers, and crane mats). Pricing is quote-based and varies by wood species, preservative type (CCA, Creosote, Copper Naphthenate, DCOI), dimensions, and volume, delivered under multi-year contracts with dedicated 24/7 emergency response for utility customers.

Revenue mechanics are anchored in infrastructure capex cycles. FY2025 sales reached CAD 3.5 billion with an EBITDA margin of 18.9%, exceeding the company's 18% target. The Q1 2026 utility-products segment grew approximately 10% year-over-year. Management's 2026–2028 financial objectives target approximately CAD 4 billion in annual sales by 2028, supported by a disclosed liquidity position of approximately CAD 800 million as of Q3 2025, a planned greenfield 20,000-ton U.S. steel lattice tower facility, and continued tuck-in M&A. The company holds a network of over 1,200 hardwood sawmill supplier relationships that secure raw material continuity across its continental footprint.

Name

Stella Jones

Legal name

Stella-Jones Inc.

Website

https://stella-jones.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Stella-Jones is a North American manufacturer of pressure-treated wood infrastructure products, supplying wood utility poles, railway ties, residential lumber, and industrial products to electrical utilities, Class 1 railroads, retailers, and marine/industrial customers across Canada and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pressure-Treated Wood Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Wood Preservation (321114), Wood Product Manufacturing (321)

SIC

Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400), Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430)

akta.pro primary industry

Treated Wood & Preserved Timber Products (IMADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Railroad Ties, Poles & Timber Products (IMAMABAJ)

Keywords

• Pressure-treated wood products
• Utility poles manufacturing
• Railway ties supply
• Residential lumber production
• Steel transmission structures

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-laurent

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices47 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Utility Poles: Sale of pressure-treated wood utility poles to electrical utilities and telecommunications companies for power distribution and communication infrastructure. Driven by grid modernization, storm-related replacements, and 5G/fiber deployment.
2. Railway Ties: Supply of over 12 million pressure-treated wooden crossties annually to Class 1 railroads, short-line railroads, and commercial operators. Benefits from resilient capital spending cycles in the rail sector.
3. Residential Lumber: Supply of treated wood boards, plywood, and dimensional lumber to key North American retailers for outdoor residential applications. Hundreds of millions of board feet sold annually.
4. Industrial Products: Marine piling, wharf timbers, bridge timbers, crane mats, and railway crossings for marine, industrial, and civic sectors. Specialized treatments for saltwater immersion and ground contact applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stella-Jones manufactures and sells pressure-treated wood infrastructure products across North America, including wood utility poles for electrical and telecommunications utilities, railway crossties for Class 1 and short-line railroads, residential lumber for outdoor applications, and industrial wood products such as marine piling and bridge timbers. The company has expanded into steel transmission structures through the Locweld acquisition and added treated wood crossarms through the Brooks Manufacturing acquisition, supplying critical infrastructure materials through 44 manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States.

Product overview

Stella-Jones operates as a North American manufacturer of pressure treated wood infrastructure products organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core platform encompasses wood utility poles, railway ties, residential lumber, and industrial products, while modules include steel transmission structures and utility pole crossarms added through strategic acquisitions (Locweld Inc. and Brooks Manufacturing Co.). The company serves electrical utilities, telecommunications providers, Class 1 and short-line railroads, and industrial/marine construction sectors across Canada and the United States, with facilities strategically located throughout both countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brooks Manufacturing: A manufacturer of treated wood distribution crossarms and transmission framing components, acquired by Stella-Jones in 2025.
• Locweld

Products and services

• Wood Utility Poles Premium quality pressure-treated wood utility poles supplied to electrical and telecommunications utilities across North America. Stella-Jones provides over one million poles per year, available in various wood species (Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Red Pine, Southern Yellow Pine) with multiple preservative treatments (Chromated Copper Arsenate, Copper Naphthenate, Creosote, DCOI). Includes value-added pre-treatment services such as incising, radial drilling, and framing.
• Railway Ties Pressure-treated wooden crossties and timbers for railroad infrastructure. As industry leader, Stella-Jones supplies over 12 million crossties per year to Class 1, Short Line railroads, and commercial operators, with treating capacity, supply sources, and purchasing power spanning the continent. Products include creosote- and borate-treated ties with services such as pre-plating, pre-boring, and end-plating.
• Residential Lumber Treated wood products for the dimensional lumber market, supplying hundreds of millions of board feet of treated residential lumber annually to key North American retailers. Includes treated wood boards, plywood, and dimensional lumber for outdoor residential applications, treated with Copper Azole (CA).
• Industrial Products Pressure-treated wood products for marine, industrial, and civic sectors including marine piling, wharf timbers, bridge timbers, crane mats, and railway crossings. Products withstand outdoor environmental conditions and marine-borer damage with specialized treatments for saltwater immersion and ground-contact applications.
• Steel Transmission Structures Lattice transmission towers and steel poles acquired through the Locweld Inc. acquisition, expanding Stella-Jones' presence in the North American steel transmission structure market. Manufacturing capacity is further enhanced through a planned 20,000-ton U.S. greenfield steel lattice tower facility.
• Utility Pole Crossarms Treated wood distribution crossarms and transmission framing components acquired through the Brooks Manufacturing Co. acquisition, strengthening Stella-Jones' product portfolio for utility pole applications and supporting infrastructure across North America.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full-year 2025 EBITDA margin of 18.9%, exceeding 18% strategic target
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CN (Canadian National Railway)minorOthers · 6 May 2026CN (Canadian National Railway) is a major Class 1 railroad customer of Stella-Jones for railway ties and timbers. In 2025, CN recognized Stella-Jones as a recipient of its Safe Handling Award, demonstrating excellence in safe loading and transportation of regulated products. The award is part of CN's Responsible Care Program and evaluated recipients based on stringent safety requirements.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Koppers Holdings Inc. Koppers is a global producer of wood treatment products for railroad ties, utility poles, and residential applications, with creosote and CCA treatment facilities across North America. It is the most directly comparable peer to Stella-Jones' core pressure-treated wood business.
• Valmont Industries: Valmont manufactures steel and concrete utility poles, transmission structures, and lighting infrastructure through its Utility Support Structures segment. Highly relevant as Stella-Jones expands into steel lattice towers via its Locweld acquisition.
• Sabre Industries: Sabre produces steel transmission poles, lattice towers, and substation structures serving North American utilities. It is a direct competitive peer in the steel transmission structures market Stella-Jones is entering.
• Cox Industries: Cox Industries is a privately held manufacturer of pressure-treated wood utility poles serving U.S. electric utilities. It is a direct competitor in Stella-Jones' core treated pole business across the southeastern United States.
• McFarland Cascade: McFarland Cascade is a U.S. manufacturer of treated wood utility poles for electric and telecommunications utilities. It competes head-to-head with Stella-Jones in the wood utility pole market, particularly in western North America.
• Trinity Industries: Trinity Industries produces rail products (including railcar components and inland barge structures) and structural steel for infrastructure. Comparable in serving rail and utility infrastructure markets where Stella-Jones also operates.

Broad incumbents

• West Fraser Timber Co. West Fraser is a major diversified lumber and engineered wood products manufacturer in North America. Overlaps with Stella-Jones in treated lumber supply and competes indirectly in residential lumber channels.
• Weyerhaeuser Company: Weyerhaeuser is one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands and a major producer of lumber and wood products. It is a broad incumbent with potential overlap in wood raw materials and dimensional lumber.
• UFP Industries: UFP Industries (formerly Universal Forest Products) is a large North American manufacturer and distributor of pressure-treated lumber and outdoor building products serving retailers and contractors. It overlaps with Stella-Jones' residential lumber segment.

Regional players

• Goodfellow Inc. Goodfellow is a Canadian distributor and processor of lumber, wood panels, and specialty wood products. It is a regional peer operating primarily in Canada with adjacent treated wood offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tangent-rail-corporation-stella-jones-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stella Jones