Restoration Forest Products

What Restoration Forest Products does

Restoration Forest Products (RFOR), founded in 2017 in Flagstaff, Arizona (originally as NewLife Forest Products), is a vertically integrated sustainable forestry and lumber manufacturer that combines US Forest Service forest restoration contracting with high-capacity sawmill and engineered wood production. The company holds Phase 1 of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) with the US Forest Service — the largest forest stewardship contract in the United States — under which it restores overgrown Ponderosa Pine stands across Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, and Tonto national forests to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and protect 124 watersheds serving over 5 million people.

Its physical operations center on a 425,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bellemont, Arizona (the largest high-capacity sawmill in the state), comprising three sawmill lines, a planer mill, kiln-drying capacity, a first-of-its-kind Arizona Engineered Wood Products plant that converts low-value "restoration-grade" timber with knots and blemishes into high-grade lumber, and a compression bagging line for residuals. Engineered capacity is 120 million board feet of lumber per year; the firm also produces Solid Lumber (WWPA-graded 2/3/4 Common dimensional lumber in 1x4 through 2x8 sizes), branded Pattern Stock (Sedona, Flagstaff, Rustic grades), and a portfolio of residual by-products including planer shavings, sawmill cuttings, bark, wood chips, whole tree chips, slash, and biomass.

RFOR earns revenue through four distinct streams: (i) lumber and pattern stock sales to Southwest US home building markets in Arizona, California, and Texas via direct phone sales and a regional partner network; (ii) engineered wood products manufactured from low-grade restoration timber; (iii) sale of sawmill by-products to animal-bedding, landscape, and bio-energy buyers; and (iv) government forest restoration contracts under 4FRI. Pricing across lumber and residual lines is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Following a $200 million sustainability-linked bond (2022, Goldman Sachs underwriter) and a January 2024 Chapter 11 prepackaged restructuring that injected $95 million from Invesco Senior Secured Management as new majority owner alongside Lateral Investment Management, the company is emerging under a new CEO (Tony Flagor) with the Bellemont facility completing construction in Q2 2024.

Name

Restoration Forest Products

Legal name

Restoration Forest Products, LLC

Website

https://rfor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Restoration Forest Products is an Arizona-based, vertically integrated forestry and lumber manufacturer that holds Phase 1 of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative contract with the US Forest Service. It operates Arizona's largest high-capacity sawmill, producing Ponderosa Pine lumber, engineered wood, and residual products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lumber and Wood Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Sawmills (321113), Sawmills and Wood Preservation (32111), Logging (11331)

SIC

Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Softwood Lumber Sawmills (IMAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Planing Mills & Lumber Surfacing (IMAMABAE), Custom/Contract Sawing & Portable Sawmilling (IMAMABAC), Logging & Timber Harvesting (IMAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Lumber manufacturing
• Forest restoration services
• Engineered wood products
• Ponderosa pine lumber
• Wood biomass residuals

Headquarters

HQ city

Flagstaff

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lumber Sales: Sale of solid Ponderosa Pine lumber products including dimensional lumber (1x4, 1x6, 1x8, 2x4, 2x6, 2x8) and pattern stock in various grades. Lumber is sold to home building markets in Arizona, California, and Texas.
2. Engineered Wood Products: Production and sale of engineered wood products manufactured from low-value restoration-grade timber. The plant converts small and low-value logs with blemishes into high-value lumber products.
3. Sawmill By-Products: Sale of residual products including planer shavings for animal bedding, sawmill cuttings, bark for landscaping, wood chips for playground covering/landscape mulch/pellet production, whole tree chips, and slash for bio-energy stock.
4. Government Forest Restoration Contracts: Revenue from US Forest Service contracts under the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) for mechanical thinning and forest restoration services. The company is contracted to restore 25,000 acres of forestland per year.
5. Sustainability-Linked Bond Financing: The company raised $200 million in sustainability-linked bond financing issued by the Arizona Industrial Development Authority, with Goldman Sachs as underwriter. Additional $95 million financing received from Invesco Senior Secured Management in 2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Restoration Forest Products manufactures WWPA-graded Ponderosa Pine dimensional lumber, patterned lumber, and engineered wood products from restoration-grade timber harvested under the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) at the Windfall Mill in Bellemont, Arizona. The 425,000-square-foot facility is the largest high-capacity sawmill in Arizona with three sawmill lines, planer mill, kiln-drying capacity, and an Engineered Wood Products plant producing up to 120 million board feet annually. The company also monetizes residual products including planer shavings, sawmill cuttings, bark, wood chips, whole tree chips, slash, and biomass.

Product overview

Restoration Forest Products operates as Arizona's leading sustainable forestry and wood products manufacturer, producing a vertically integrated portfolio of Ponderosa Pine products. The core offerings consist of Solid Lumber (dimensional lumber in 1x4 through 2x8 sizes in WWPA-graded 2, 3, and 4 Common grades) and Pattern Stock (1x6 and 1x8 in branded grades Sedona, Flagstaff, and Rustic with various WWPA patterns). The company's Engineered Wood plant converts low-value restoration-grade timber into high-grade lumber. The product portfolio also includes residual products: Planer Shavings and Sawmill Cuttings for animal bedding; Bark, Wood Chips, and Whole Tree Chips for landscape/garden cover; and Slash for bio-energy stock. The company operates the Windfall Mill in Bellemont, Arizona (425,000 sq ft, the largest high-capacity sawmill facility in Arizona) with three sawmill lines, planer mill, kiln-drying capacity, an Engineered Wood Products plant, and compression bagging line for residuals. Production capacity reaches 120 million board feet per year of lumber plus engineered wood products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solid Lumber WWPA-graded Ponderosa Pine dimensional lumber available in 1x4, 1x6, 1x8, 2x4, 2x6, and 2x8 sizes in lengths from 8' to 16', offered in 2 Common, 3 Common, and 4 Common grades for home builders and construction companies.
• Pattern Stock Patterned Ponderosa Pine lumber in 1x6 and 1x8 sizes, branded as Sedona (#2 Common), Flagstaff (#3 Common), and Rustic (Economy/#4 Common), featuring WWPA patterns including WP4, WP4/WP4, V Rustic, V Rustic Center V, and WP ceiling patterns for walls, ceilings, furniture, and cabinetry.
• Engineered Wood High-grade lumber produced from low-value 'restoration-grade' timber using highly automated engineered wood processing equipment that converts smaller and blemished logs with knots into high-value lumber products. The first-of-its-kind plant in Arizona.
• Planer Shavings Planer shavings produced from the surfacing of kiln-dried lumber, commonly used for horse bedding and other large animal bedding applications.
• Sawmill Cuttings Sawmill cuttings generated from sawmill production, suitable for horse bedding and other large animal bedding applications.
• Bark Bark removed from logs prior to sawmilling using ring debarkers that create a larger bark profile ideal for premium landscape and gardening cover.
• Wood Chips Screened wood chips made from sawmill production, providing a clean and consistent product commonly used for playground covering, landscape mulch, pellet production, and pulp chips.
• Whole Tree Chips Whole tree wood chips produced from forest floor remediation, ideal for landscape covering and playground covering applications.
• Slash Forest residuals or slash from forest floor remediation grindings, commonly used as bio-energy stock.
• Biomass Low-grade biomass products derived from forest restoration and thinning activities, including chipping and grinding operations for processing smaller diameter trees.
• Forest Restoration Services Mechanical thinning and forest restoration services across Arizona's four national forests (Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, and Tonto) under Phase 1 of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), targeting 25,000 acres of forestland per year to reduce wildfire risk.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000 acres treated in FY2024, exceeding 110,000 acre goal by 177 percent
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TriStar LoggingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2021Local logging company and consortium partner working with Good Earth Power AZ and NewLife Forest Products. Allen Reidhead of TriStar Logging noted their harvesting experience and facilities complement NewLife's manufacturing capabilities.
• Novo Star Wood ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 January 2021Local wood products company part of the consortium of partners preparing for Phase 2 of 4FRI expansion. Partnership helps expand the scope of forest restoration efforts across Arizona.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRFOR partners with the US Forest Service on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), the nation's largest forest stewardship contract. The company is contracted to restore Arizona's four national forests (Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, and Tonto) under Phase 1 of 4FRI.
• Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder initiative to restore 2.4 million acres of Arizona forestland to reduce wildfire risk. RFOR is the primary contractor managing Phase 1 of 4FRI, working with communities, state, federal, environmental, and business stakeholders.
• GRO-Well BrandsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal industry partner company that works with RFOR in the regional forest products industry ecosystem. RFOR collaborates with GRO-Well Brands and other local companies as part of building out the Arizona forest products industry.
• Scotts Miracle-GrominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry partner company collaborating with RFOR in the regional forest products ecosystem. Partnership helps expand the scope of forest restoration efforts and develop the local industry network.
• LigneticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal industry partner working with RFOR as part of the regional forest products industry consortium. Collaboration enables the collective group to scale forest restoration work in Arizona.
• Novo BioPowerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal industry partner in the Arizona forest products industry ecosystem. RFOR has partnered with Novo BioPower and other local companies to build out and expand regional industry relationships.
• NAPAminorOthersSupply partner providing parts and equipment for RFOR's operations, including millwright and maintenance operations at the Bellemont facility.
• GraingerminorOthersIndustrial supply partner providing equipment, tools, and supplies for manufacturing and forest operations.
• PPGminorOthersSupply partner providing paints and coatings for RFOR's wood products finishing operations.
• Sherwin WilliamsminorOthersSupply partner providing paints and coatings for wood products finishing and manufacturing operations.
• Ace HardwareminorOthersSupply partner providing hardware supplies for mill and forest operations.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• West Fraser Timber: One of the largest North American softwood lumber producers with extensive U.S. South and Western operations. Comparable as a major softwood lumber peer competing in the same end-markets (residential construction) as RFOR.
• PotlatchDeltic: Vertically integrated timber REIT owning timberlands and operating sawmills in the U.S. South and West. Comparable in timberland-sawmill vertical integration and softwood lumber production; CEO Flagor previously held plant management at Potlatch.
• Boise Cascade: Major publicly-traded North American lumber and wood products manufacturer and distributor. Comparable because RFOR's CEO Tony Flagor was previously a Region Manager at Boise Cascade overseeing five mills, and the companies share a similar end-market focus on U.S. residential construction.
• Weyerhaeuser: Largest private timberland owner in the U.S. and major softwood lumber producer. Comparable in combining timberland ownership with sawmill operations and supplying residential construction end-markets.

Direct peers

• Interfor: Western U.S. and Canadian softwood lumber producer operating multiple sawmill facilities. Closely comparable as a softwood dimension lumber peer where RFOR's CEO previously held plant and production management roles.
• Roseburg Forest Products: Privately-held integrated forest products manufacturer producing lumber, engineered wood, and panels in the Western U.S. Comparable in product mix (dimensional lumber + engineered wood) and because RFOR's CEO previously held plant management roles at Roseburg.
• Swanson Group: Family-owned forest products company operating sawmills and manufacturing engineered wood products in the Western U.S. Comparable product mix (lumber + engineered wood) and because RFOR's CEO previously held plant management at Swanson.
• Sierra Pacific Industries: Privately-held major Western U.S. lumber and millwork producer operating large sawmill complexes. Comparable as a Western-region high-capacity softwood sawmill operator with vertical integration into residuals/biomass products.

Emerging players

• TriStar Logging: Arizona-based logging company and 4FRI consortium partner. Directly comparable as a regional peer participating in the same Four Forest Restoration Initiative supply chain that anchors RFOR's feedstock.
• Lignetics: Manufacturer of wood pellets and biomass products sourced from forest residuals. Comparable as a regional partner that monetizes low-grade biomass — the same residual stream RFOR produces from its forest restoration and sawmill operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RestorationForestProducts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newlife-forest-products-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Restoration Forest Products