Rayonier Matariki Forests
Rayonier Matariki Forests manages 116,000 hectares of New Zealand plantation forest, providing silviculture, harvesting, and log export services to forest-owning investors, domestic timber processors, and buyers in India, China, and Korea.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rayonier Matariki Forests does
Rayonier Matariki Forests (RMF) is a New Zealand forestry management company that oversees 116,000 hectares of plantation forest across six regional operating hubs (Northland, Bay of Plenty/Coromandel, Hawke's Bay, Canterbury, and Southland/Otago). Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Auckland, the company runs a full production cycle — planting approximately 4 million trees annually, silviculture, harvesting, and log marketing — primarily in Pinus radiata. It serves three core customer groups: forest-owning investors seeking professional estate management, domestic NZ timber processors (plywood, construction timber, furniture), and international buyers in India, China, and Korea reached via three export ports (Marsden Point, Tauranga, Bluff/South Port).
The operating model blends commercial plantation forestry with environmental and social stewardship that functions as both licence-to-operate and a marketing differentiator. RMF holds FSC certification, runs long-tenure iwi partnerships (including a 20-year kiwi conservation programme at Omataroa Forest that grew the Eastern brown kiwi population from 30 to 120+ birds), and has built proprietary operational innovations: a decade-refined e-thinning chemical application method (now ~25% sector adoption), thermal-drone pest control deployed in Hawke's Bay, and a VR thinning-operations training tool customised from a Scion-developed platform. Revenue is generated through direct log sales to domestic and export buyers and through professional forest management services for investor-owned estates.
Ownership is privately held following The Rohatyn Group's June 2025 acquisition of the 77% stake previously held by Rayonier Inc. The company employs approximately 100 full-time staff, draws on a 600-strong contractor base, and has co-founded the AVA Timber export joint venture with Manulife Forest Management. Leadership positions in the Forest Owners Association, Forest Safety Council, and Future Foresters, together with the Supreme Award at the inaugural MPI Good Employer Awards (2021) and ICFPA sustainability recognition (2023), underpin its standing in NZ's forestry sector.
Rayonier Matariki Forests firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rayonier Matariki Forests
- Legal name
- Matariki Forestry Group
- Website
- https://matarikiforests.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rayonier Matariki Forests manages 116,000 hectares of New Zealand plantation forest, providing silviculture, harvesting, and log export services to forest-owning investors, domestic timber processors, and buyers in India, China, and Korea.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rayonier Matariki Forests industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Timber Tract Operations (113110), Forestry and Logging (113)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Timberland & Forest Asset Management (IMAMAJAA), Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private) (AFAMAKAA), Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI)
Keywords
Where Rayonier Matariki Forests is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices6 records
Markets served
Rayonier Matariki Forests business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Timber and Log Sales: Core revenue from harvesting and selling timber and logs. Domestic customers process logs into plywood, construction timber, furniture, and interior applications. Surplus exported to international markets including India, China, and Korea. Logs processed into a wide range of products including plywood, construction timber, furniture, and interior applications.
- Forest Management Services: Professional forest management and woodlot harvesting services for investors and landowners, leveraging decades of experience and a highly qualified team.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rayonier Matariki Forests product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rayonier Matariki Forests is a New Zealand forestry management company that manages 116,000 hectares of plantation and indigenous forests across multiple regions. It provides end-to-end forest management and woodlot harvesting services, harvests and sells timber and logs to domestic processors and international export markets (India, China, Korea), and integrates conservation, biodiversity, and community access programmes alongside its commercial production forestry operations.
Product overview
Rayonier Matariki Forests operates as a comprehensive forestry management company overseeing 116,000 hectares of forests throughout New Zealand. The company offers a portfolio of services centered on forest management and woodlot harvesting, log export to international markets (Korea, India, China), public forest access and recreation, pest control using innovative thermal drone technology, and environmental conservation programs. With 100 full-time staff and 600 contractors, the company manages the complete forestry lifecycle from planting (4 million trees per annum) through harvesting operations to log export.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Kiwi population in Omataroa Forest increased from 30 (2008) to 120+ birds over 20 years of predator control programme
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Rayonier Matariki Forests
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rayonier Matariki Forests technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Rayonier Matariki Forests partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Ōmataroa Rangitaiki No2 Trustcore20-year partnership on kiwi conservation in Omataroa Forest. Matariki provides critical expertise, resource, and funding for predator control programmes. Kiwi population increased from 30 to 120+ birds, with 80 eggs collected and 60 chicks released. Over 1,500 traps across 8,000 hectares maintained. Also supports outdoor education programmes for local school children.
- Ngā Maunga Whakahii o KaiparacoreCo-management partnership for Woodhill Forest operations. Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara retain ownership of the land following 2013 Treaty of Waitangi settlement. Matariki manages the forestry operations in partnership, balancing responsible forest management with public access and community use. Land was returned to the iwi after being established to stabilise drifting sand dunes in the 1930s-1980s.
- Tāne MahutamajorPartnership providing forestry employment and training for local rangatahi (Māori youth) on Māori-owned land in Bay of Plenty. Over 7 years, approximately 100 rangatahi given opportunity to experience forestry, with at least a dozen now trained forest workers meeting industry standards. Tāne Mahuta's goal is building Māori workforce capability on their own whenua.
- Save the KiwimajorCollaboration through the Save the Kiwi exhibit at Fieldays. RMF's work with Ōmataroa Kiwi Project showcased as example of how forestry companies create kiwi-safe habitat. Supports Kōhanga Kiwi programme providing safe forests for juvenile kiwi.
- Wairere Mahi / Ngāti HinerangimajorLifetime partnership focused on pest control and native tree planting around Killarney Lakes in the Kaimai Mamaku. First investment of its kind under the Kaimai Mamaku Restoration Project, managed by Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust. Wairere Mahi kaimahi (workers) conduct pest control and biodiversity monitoring on Matariki-leased land.
- Christchurch City Council / Smart ChristchurchminorCollaboration on trial of Australian fire detection technology in Waitākiri/Bottle Lake Forest. High-speed sensor network with cameras collects and delivers fire detection data to key stakeholders. Also involves Fire and Emergency NZ and Police. Trial may extend to other high-recreational-use forests.
- Zealandia HorticultureminorMatariki supplies pulp logs and offcuts from Greenridge Forest to Zealandia's glasshouse operation in Clevedon for biomass energy production. Logs are chipped and fed into an onsite furnace to heat 9.5 hectares of glasshouses. Zealandia invested $1.3 million in own chipping machinery. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil fuels.
- Department of Conservation (DOC)majorMultiple conservation partnerships including sea lion protection in Hina Hina Forest, kākā translocation at Boundary Stream, kiwi conservation at Glenbervie Forest, and rare plant protection. DOC provides regulatory oversight and access coordination; RMF provides land access, funding, and operational support.
- Forest Owners AssociationmajorRMF is a member and active participant in industry leadership. Supports Forestry Hub at Fieldays in collaboration with Forest Growers Levy Trust, Scion, Forest Owners Association, and other industry bodies.
- Forest Safety CouncilmajorActive member and industry leader in health and safety. RMF's Director of Health & Safety participates in Safe Start national roadshow, sharing Critical Risk Management and Human and Organisational Performance principles industry-wide.
- Hanmer Heritage Forest TrustminorPartnership supporting the Forest Amble Walk in Hanmer Forest. RMF plants coastal redwoods to enhance the area and supplies recovered redwood logs for sculpture carvings. The Trust manages the sculpture trail which attracts ~83,000 visitors annually.
- NZ Council of Cargo OwnersminorListed as 'Working Alongside' partner, supporting log transportation and export logistics for the forestry sector.
- Log Transportation Safety CouncilminorPartnership on the 'Share the Road' campaign - a national forestry and log transport programme for primary schools. RMF regional teams visit schools with logging contractors and trucks to teach children about safety around logging trucks.
- Burwood Pegasus Community WatchminorPartnership to include Bottle Lake Forest in community patrol routes following rise in arson reports. Community Watch has been patrolling for 27 years; expanded to include forest with ~450 patrols annually. RMF provides financial support for vehicle.
- Maungaharuru-Tangitū TrustmajorPartnership on kākā translocation at Boundary Stream Mainland Island Reserve in Hawke's Bay. Also joint venture partner in Esk Forest (Esk Forest Joint Venture). Trust and RMF collaborate on bird translocation, predator control, and biodiversity programmes.
- Kiwi CoastminorCollaborative conservation initiative linking over 200 community-led projects, iwi, schools, forestry companies, and government agencies. RMF contributes to kiwi predator control in Glenbervie Forest. Kiwi Coast coordinates predator control across 205,000+ hectares.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Rayonier Matariki Forests competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Port Blakely Companies: US-family-owned forestry group owning and managing plantation timberland in NZ (including Tairua forests adjacent to Matariki's), plus the US Pacific Northwest and Chile. Direct comparability on plantation forestry, harvesting, log export, and conservation integration.
- Rayonier Inc. Former 77% shareholder of Matariki and one of the largest US timberland REITs. Operates a global timberland portfolio with plantation management and log marketing capabilities structurally identical to Matariki's, including in NZ through its previous ownership.
- Ernslaw One: Privately owned major NZ radiata plantation owner and forest manager with ~120,000+ ha across NZ (one of MFG's key domestic competitors) operating under OneFortyOne. Direct competitor for log supply, export markets, and forest management mandates.
- OneFortyOne Plantations: ASX-listed softwood plantation timberland company managing large NZ and Australian radiata pine estates, exporting logs to Asia. Closest listed peer in species, geography, scale, and export-market exposure.
- Hancock Natural Resource Group: Manulife-owned global institutional timberland investment manager with portfolios across the US, Australia, NZ, Canada, and Chile. Strong overlap with Matariki on institutional timberland mandates, plantation active management, and ESG/conservation framing.
- Manulife Investment Management (Timberland): Global institutional timberland investment manager and Matariki's joint venture partner in AVA Timber export venture. Highly comparable business model: managing large timberland portfolios globally for institutional investors with active harvesting programmes.
- PF Olsen & Co: NZ-headquartered forest management and harvesting services provider managing large plantation estates for institutional and iwi owners. Comparable service offering, contractor model, and NZ-only geographic footprint.
Broad incumbents
- PotlatchDeltic Corporation: US-listed timberland REIT owning ~2.2 million acres of timberland. Directly comparable institutional timberland ownership and harvest business model, though focused on US South/Mountain West rather than NZ radiata.
- Weyerhaeuser Company: One of the world's largest timberland owners and a publicly listed timberland REIT. Compares on institutional timberland ownership, plantation management, and log marketing at scale, though Matariki is NZ-only and far smaller.
Regional players
- City Forests Limited: NZ Dunedin-based council-owned plantation forestry company (~13,000 ha in Southland/Otago). Overlaps with Matariki on radiata plantation management and Southland log supply, but materially smaller and council-owned rather than PE-owned.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rayonier Matariki Forests social profiles
Digital presenceRayonier Matariki Forests compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Rayonier Matariki Forests financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rayonier Matariki Forests leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Rayonier Matariki Forests subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Rayonier Matariki Forests funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rayonier Matariki Forests M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rayonier Matariki Forests
What does Rayonier Matariki Forests do?
Rayonier Matariki Forests is a New Zealand forestry management company that manages 116,000 hectares of plantation and indigenous forests across multiple regions. It provides end-to-end forest management and woodlot harvesting services, harvests and sells timber and logs to domestic processors and international export markets (India, China, Korea), and integrates conservation, biodiversity, and community access programmes alongside its commercial production forestry operations.
Is Rayonier Matariki Forests a public or private company?
Rayonier Matariki Forests is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Rayonier Matariki Forests founded?
Rayonier Matariki Forests was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rayonier Matariki Forests based?
Rayonier Matariki Forests is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Rayonier Matariki Forests make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Timber and Log Sales are the primary driver. The others are forest Management Services.
Who are Rayonier Matariki Forests's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Port Blakely Companies, Rayonier Inc., Ernslaw One, OneFortyOne Plantations, Hancock Natural Resource Group, Manulife Investment Management (Timberland) and PF Olsen & Co. Broad incumbents are PotlatchDeltic Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company. City Forests Limited is listed as a regional player.
Does Rayonier Matariki Forests have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rayonier Matariki Forests.
What industry is Rayonier Matariki Forests in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAAAA, Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland), with a secondary code of IMAMAJAA, Timberland & Forest Asset Management. Its NAICS code is 113110 and its SIC code is 800.