Forest Solutions

What Forest Solutions does

Forest Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a B2B professional services firm headquartered in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, providing specialized forestry project management and services to industrial tree plantation operators. The company operates as a one-stop service provider across the full project lifecycle, covering pre-start feasibility assessment, operations planning, contractor management, performance auditing, standards development and training, and biological asset valuation compliant with the MFRS141 Agriculture standard. Its primary client segment is industrial tree plantation operators in Sabah seeking Sustainable Forest Management certification (FSC, MTCS/PEFC), cost control, and operational discipline.

The company's underlying technology stack is built around drone-based aerial surveillance using five DJI UAVs with WebODM photogrammetry processing to produce geo-referenced orthophotos, digital elevation models, 3D models, and multispectral imagery for tree species identification, Operation Harvesting Plan support, growing stock monitoring, and encroachment detection. This is supplemented by GIS mapping and a 30-year Forest Rehabilitation Plan (2020-2050) covering 965 hectares of degraded conservation area restoration with native species planting. The firm also operates a conservation nursery in collaboration with Sabah Forestry Department's Forest Research Centre and the Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre.

The business model is professional services revenue from plantation operators, with Forest Solutions managing 32,000+ hectares and 12.5+ million trees across its portfolio. The company is part of a corporate group including Asian Forestry Company (Sabah) Sdn Bhd and Gerak Saga Sdn Bhd (both managed by Forest Solutions), with Australian parent Merica Pty Ltd. The company participates in the Borneo Forestry Cooperative (BFC) research network spanning 150,000 hectares with 35+ replicated trials across member companies. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with direct engagement of plantation operators and forestry management companies, supported by industry event participation and content marketing via the company website.

Name

Forest Solutions

Legal name

Forest Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd

Website

https://forestsolutions.asia

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Forest Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a B2B professional services firm providing forestry project management, drone-based surveying, feasibility assessment, certification compliance, and biological asset valuation to industrial tree plantation operators in Sabah, Malaysia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Project Management Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAMAAAI

Timberland Asset Management & Consulting

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Management & Silviculture

SECONDARYAFAMAKAE

Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

SECONDARYAFAMAKAC

Timberland Valuation, Appraisal & Timber Inventory

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Timberland Management Services

Keywords

• Forestry project management
• Industrial tree plantations
• Sustainable forest management
• Biological asset valuation
• Drone aerial surveillance

Headquarters

HQ city

Kota Kinabalu

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Forestry Project Management Services: Comprehensive forestry management services covering pre-start feasibility assessments, long-term project planning, operational management, and compliance monitoring for industrial tree plantations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Forest Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a one-stop B2B forestry project management and services firm covering the full lifecycle from pre-start feasibility to long-term project management for industrial tree plantations. Services span project design and feasibility assessment, drone-surveyed operations planning, contractor appointments and work costings, operations management and control systems, standards development and training, and MFRS141-compliant biological asset valuation. The company manages over 32,000 hectares under management and has planted over 12.5 million trees in Sabah, Malaysia.

Product overview

Forest Solutions operates as a single integrated service platform offering end-to-end forestry project management and services. The company's portfolio comprises six interconnected service modules: Project Design and Feasibility Assessment (pre-investment planning), Operations Planning and Drone Surveys (field mapping and compliance), Contractor Appointments and Work Costings (contract management), Operations Management and Control Systems (ongoing oversight), Standards Development and Training (compliance and workforce development), and Biological Asset Valuation (MFRS141-compliant forest accounting). These services collectively cover the full lifecycle from pre-start feasibility through long-term project management for forestry operations in Sabah, Malaysia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Design and Feasibility Assessment
• Operations Planning and Drone Surveys Detailed operational plans supported by drone-based aerial surveillance (DJI UAVs with WebODM image processing) for compliance and performance measurement at industrial tree plantations.
• Contractor Appointments and Work Costings Work contract formulation and costing services to ensure long-term viability of forestry operations, supporting industrial tree plantation operators.
• Operations Management and Control Systems Processes and systems designed to ensure productive and successful forest operations through ongoing monitoring and oversight at plantation sites.
• Standards Development and Training Establishment of universal performance, technical, and safety requirements for forestry operations, supporting certification compliance under FSC, MTCS, and PEFC frameworks.
• Biological Asset Valuation Forest valuation services compliant with the MFRS141 Agriculture standard, delivered for financial and accounting purposes to plantation operators and investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% survival rate achieved in forest restoration initiatives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sabah Wildlife DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Collaboration on Honorary Wildlife Warden training program (May 2026) for Forest Solutions staff. Training covered wildlife management, enforcement protocols, and evidence handling procedures.
• Timber Association of Sabah (TAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Industry association representing Forest Solutions at Forest Plantation Forum discussions on building Sabah's Industrial Tree Plantation sector.
• Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Co-organizer of Forest Plantation Forum facilitating industry discussions on plantation forestry development in Sabah.
• Sabah Forestry DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Government authority co-organizing Forest Plantation Forum and overseeing forestry regulations and sustainable forest management standards in Sabah.
• Merica Pty LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Parent company that develops projects to supply sustainably grown timber while protecting ecologically and socially important landscape values.
• Control UnioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Third-party auditing body conducting FSC and MTCS surveillance audits for Gerak Saga. Five auditors inspected company operations in January 2022 to verify compliance with certification standards.
• Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021SEDIA conducted Sustainable Forest Management training at Gerak Saga covering forest certifications (FSC, MTCS, Sabah-TLAS), HCV forest management, and environmental protection.
• Mercy Malaysia (Persatuan Bantuan Perubatan Malaysia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration on flood relief operations delivering drinking water and hygiene kits to flood victims in Kota Marudu district. Over 630 containers of mineral water distributed.
• KK Downtown Lions ClubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership on flood relief donations worth RM8,000 to Kampung Longob village. Joint assessment with village headman and District Officer.
• Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Collaboration for sun bear rehabilitation and release into the wild. In July 2020, a 6-year-old sun bear named Montom was released into AFCS conservation area with GPS tracking collar.
• Sabah Forestry Department (Pitas & Kota Marudu)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Collaboration on 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign 2020-2025 under Greening Malaysia Programme. Over 1,000 E. pellita seedlings planted at Gerak Saga.
• United Motor Works (UMW)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Corporate partner in rain harvesting system project for Kg Suang Duyung village, providing clean water access to over 500 residents.
• Asian Forestry Company (Sabah) Sdn BhdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2018Parent/affiliated company managed by Forest Solutions Malaysia. AFCS operates industrial tree plantations and was founding partner of BFC along with Sabah Softwoods Berhad.
• Sabah Forestry Department (Forest Research Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaboration on forest restoration and rehabilitation projects. The Forest Research Centre assists with seed collection and wildling identification of native species for conservation nursery operations.
• Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for forest restoration efforts including training on indigenous species practices (2015) and seed collection assistance for native species restoration.
• Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (SWEPA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaboration on solar electricity project for Kg Sonsogon Magandai village. SWEPA managed the charitable project with support from AFCS for access and logistics.
• Barefoot College of IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Training partner for grandmothers to become solar technical engineers. Tarihing Masanim was trained in India to install, wire, and repair solar panel systems for Kg Sonsogon Magandai.
• PACOS Trust SabahminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Community organization collaborating on Gravity Water System project in Kampung Pinapak in 2009, providing clean drinking water to approximately 370 residents.
• Gerak Saga Sdn BhdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Subsidiary company managed by Forest Solutions Malaysia. Gerak Saga holds stewardship over Bengkoka and Tambalugu Forest Reserves and operates forest restoration projects.
• Raleigh InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2013Collaboration on biodiversity surveys at conservation areas and forest restoration projects. Raleigh volunteers participated in 52.2 hectare biodiversity survey in Nibang ITP (2013) and enrichment planting activities at Gerak Saga.
• Borneo Forestry Cooperative (BFC) / BFC Research and Development Sdn BhdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009BFC founded in 2009 by Sabah Softwoods Bhd and AFCS. Forest Solutions participates in collaborative research, shares trial data, and implements BFC research programs across 150,000 hectares of plantations with 35+ replicated trials. Members include Sabah Softwood Berhad, Acacia Forest Industries, Sapulut Forest Development, Samling Reforestation, and Sabah Forest Industries.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Weyerhaeuser: Large publicly traded timberland owner and forest products manufacturer with global operations. Comparable to Forest Solutions only at the category level — both manage forest assets under sustainable forestry frameworks — but Weyerhaeuser is vastly larger, vertically integrated, and operates at portfolio rather than project scale.
• Asia Pulp & Paper (Sinar Mas): Large Indonesian pulp and paper group with significant plantation forestry operations in Southeast Asia. Comparable to Forest Solutions as a regional forestry and plantation operator with sustainability certification programs, but at much greater scale and with downstream manufacturing integration.
• PotlatchDeltic: US-based timber REIT and forest products manufacturer. Comparable at the category level as a sustainably certified timberland manager, but operates at a fundamentally different scale and geography than Forest Solutions.

Direct peers

• Resource Management Service (RMS): Specialized forestry investment management and consulting firm historically serving timberland owners and investors. Directly comparable to Forest Solutions as a professional services firm providing forestry asset management, silvicultural planning, and operational oversight to plantation owners.
• Domain Timber Advisors: Independent forestry advisory firm providing consulting and asset management services to timberland investors and operators. Comparable to Forest Solutions as a boutique professional services firm delivering forestry project planning, due diligence, and operations support.
• The Campbell Group: Timberland investment management firm offering direct investment and asset management services to institutional owners of forestland. Comparable to Forest Solutions as a specialty forestry asset and project management services provider serving plantation owners.

Others

• Control Union: Global third-party certification and auditing body that conducted FSC and MTCS surveillance audits on Gerak Saga. Comparable as an adjacent forestry ecosystem participant — a certification/auditing service provider that Forest Solutions works with but does not compete against.

Regional players

• Sabah Softwoods Berhad: Sabah-based industrial tree plantation operator and founding member of the Borneo Forestry Cooperative. Directly comparable to Forest Solutions as a BFC peer operating industrial plantations in the same Sabah geography, with overlapping forestry management and certification needs.
• Acacia Forest Industries: Sabah-based industrial tree plantation operator and BFC member. Comparable to Forest Solutions as a regional peer operating acacia plantations in Sabah under similar sustainability certification regimes.
• Samling Reforestation: Sabah-based reforestation and plantation operator and BFC member. Comparable to Forest Solutions as a regional peer operating industrial tree plantations in Sabah with similar FSC/MTCS compliance and silviculture requirements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-solutions-malaysia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Forest Solutions