Forest Economic Advisors

Forest Economic Advisors
Name	Forest Economic Advisors
Type	Private consulting firm
Industry	Forestry consulting
Founded	1988
Founder	R. W. (Bill) Roach
Headquarters	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Area served	Global
Products	Market reports, forecasting models, advisory services

Forest Economic Advisors is a Minneapolis-based private consulting firm specializing in forestry market intelligence, timberland analysis, and forest products forecasting. The firm provides quantitative models, periodic reports, and strategic advice to investors, manufacturers, and policymakers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Through a combination of trade data synthesis, econometric modeling, and field-level sampling, the company informs decisions for stakeholders in timberland investment, pulp and paper production, lumber manufacturing, and bioenergy.

History

Founded in 1988 by R. W. (Bill) Roach, the firm emerged amid structural shifts affecting the United States timber industry, the pulpwood trade, and the paper manufacturing sector. Early work coincided with policy developments involving the United States Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and state forestry agencies, and the firm provided analysis relevant to litigation such as disputes preceding the Supreme Court decisions that affected land use. Over subsequent decades the company interacted with actors and institutions including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, and regional bodies active in British Columbia, Alberta, Sweden, Finland, Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, and Australia. Growth paralleled consolidation among corporations like International Paper, Weyerhaeuser, Plum Creek, and Georgia-Pacific, and amid global trade events such as World Trade Organization negotiations and bilateral agreements influencing timber tariffs.

Services and Products

The firm’s offerings include subscription market reports, custom consulting engagements, timberland valuation models, and risk assessments for investors such as pension funds and asset managers. Deliverables have been used by entities including BlackRock, TIAA, Norges Bank Investment Management, and smaller family offices seeking exposure to timberland assets. Tools produced by the firm integrate data sources from industry associations like the National Association of State Foresters, the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, the American Forest & Paper Association, and international bodies including the Confederation of European Paper Industries. The company’s reports frequently reference manufacturing operations at mills operated historically by Champion International, Stora Enso, UPM-Kymmene, and Smurfit Kappa.

Economic Research and Analysis

Analytical work combines time-series econometrics, partial-equilibrium forestry models, and scenario analysis informed by trade flows among ports and processing hubs such as Tacoma, Mobile, Vancouver, Rotterdam, Yokohama, and Santos. Research outputs examine price dynamics for softwood lumber, hardwood plywood, oriented strand board, pulp grades like kraft and dissolving pulp, and biomass commodities used in combined heat and power installations. Studies integrate macro indicators from central banks such as the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and institutions including the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to assess demand drivers in construction sectors led by firms like D.R. Horton, Lennar, Skanska, and Lendlease. Historical analyses draw on datasets produced by Statistics Canada, the U.S. Census Bureau, Eurostat, and national statistical institutes in Sweden and Finland.

Clients and Markets

Clients span timberland owners, REITs, hedge funds, corporate strategic planning units, legal counsels, and governmental agencies in regions including the Pacific Northwest, Southeast United States, the Canadian Boreal, the Baltic States, and Latin American plantations. Engagements have involved multinational corporations such as Stora Enso, Kimberly-Clark, Mondi Group, Resolute Forest Products, and Nippon Paper, as well as investors like Macquarie, IFM Investors, and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board. Market focus includes sector participants in residential construction, furniture manufacturing exemplified by IKEA and Ashley Furniture, and pulp users in packaging chains dominated by International Paper and WestRock.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The firm is led by a managing partner and supported by teams specializing in timber inventory, statistical modeling, GIS analysis, and trade analytics. Staff backgrounds commonly include professionals who previously worked at academic institutions such as Yale School of the Environment, Oregon State University, University of British Columbia, University of Helsinki, and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, or at industry groups like the Society of American Foresters. Advisory boards often feature retired executives from companies like Plum Creek Timber, Weyerhaeuser, Rayonier, and corporate counsel with experience in environmental litigation and trade arbitration panels.

Impact and Controversies

Analyses from the firm have been cited in investment decisions, merger reviews before competition authorities, and in public discussions about sustainable forestry practices involving certification schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. Controversies have arisen when forecasts diverged from market outcomes during housing downturns, and when consulting engagements intersected with litigation involving timber rights or land-use disputes in regions like the Pacific Northwest and the Amazon. Debates have included stakeholders such as environmental NGOs, indigenous organizations, and multilateral development banks, with scrutiny of assumptions about carbon sequestration values, leakage, and the valuation of ecosystem services in timberland portfolios.

Category:Forestry companies Category:Companies based in Minneapolis Category:Consulting firms established in 1988