Green Crow traces its roots in the natural resources industries to the 1920’s in northwest Louisiana, where the family operated an independent oil exploration and development company. Prior to World War II the company experienced several boom and bust cycles as was typical in the oil industry at that time, but managed to survive the Great Depression with a moderate level of success.
After the war, the Crow oil interests in Louisiana grew rapidly. Also at this time, the family began to diversify into southern pine timberlands, a renewable natural resource that was key to the growing forest products industry in the southern states. Starting with small parcels, the timberland business grew to include a controlling interest in a large southern pine project in northwest Florida.
Building on the success of the Florida property, the Crows made the decision to invest in timberland located in the Pacific Northwest. Green Crow Timber began operations on Christmas Eve in 1983, with the purchase of 16,000 acres located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Green Crow has continued to increase its land base in Washington and Oregon through direct acquisitions and through joint ventures with like-minded investors and partners, now totaling over 50,000 acres.
At Green Crow, the company and its employees have been on the front lines throughout the evolution of the timberland investment industry in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades, and we take into account this perspective when advising our clients and investors. Today we manage timberlands in Washington, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
As a result of the recent increased interest in timberland as an investment class, Green Crow Management Services (GCMS) was formally created in 2000 to facilitate the management of client and Green Crow lands. The list of institutional investment clients for whom GCMS manages timberland has varied over time as the clients buy and sell their properties. GCMS draws on decades of experience and expertise to provide extensive land management services to timberland investors.
Throughout our history, we have been open to participating in businesses related to land ownership, such as log brokerage, real estate development, sand and gravel operations, cell towers, wind farms, and conservation easements. These business activities provide a degree of vertical integration to our operations that we believe only make us better land managers.
With a history of steady growth, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a record of solid performance, the company has earned a trusted name in the forestry business. We have the capability to perform complex management and transaction services while still maintaining our commitment to personal and professional service.
One of the major tenants of our mission statement pertains to the communities in which we own land and operate. Our dedication to supporting those individuals in those communities is a cornerstone of our goals. Give back to those who give so much to us. It is our duty to leave the world better than when we found it, and we are dedicated to achieving this not only through our stewardship of the land, but also by devoting a portion of our profits to the public benefit.