1940

Clemons Tree Farm - First in the Nation

In 1941 Weyerhaeuser continued to demonstrate its industry leadership by establishing the nation's first certified Tree Farm on 200,000 acres of harvested and fire-burned land in Washington state. This launched the American Tree Farm movement, which by the 1990s would cover 95 million acres and include over 70,000 members in 50 states.

Continuing its "timber is a crop" theme, Weyerhaeuser made "Trees and Homes", a 1941 film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film was created "In Technicolor" and was selected as one of the world's six outstanding public relations films by the Films of the World Festival in the category of documentary, informational, and factual films. Over the next two decades, nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population would see the film in schools, theatres, at civic club meetings and on television. View a clip from "Trees and Homes" (56k and below) or (Above 56k). You might need a free media player

A Forest Laboratory

The Clemons Tree Farm served as a vast forest laboratory. Company foresters were given free rein to put into practice new theories such as opening up the soil to allow seeds to grow better, distributing seeds by air and by hand, planting seedlings and controlling brush. The Clemons crew also tested advanced forest fire protection and communication systems in the woods. Each new method that was found to be successful at Clemons was shared with other company locations, accelerating the modernization of company forestry practices. "Trees are our most precious asset and, in lending nature a hand by land rehabilitation, seeding, planting and careful harvesting methods, we will grow timber from now on." — Phil Weyerhaeuser

Forestry Research Department

The first was established at Longview, Washington in 1942.

World War II - Women Employees

As American men went to war and production demands increased, acute labor shortages began to appear. Women stepped up and became a significant part of the company's work force.

The Weyerhaeuser Fleet

Company vessels were ordered into federal service, and Weyerhaeuser Steamship Company became a general agent of the War Department, directing the operation of 68 freighters and troop ships. In 1943, two ships of the original Weyerhaeuser fleet were torpedoed and sunk.

Power Chainsaw

The power chainsaw began to replace the hand-operated whipsaw in harvesting, greatly improving productivity. Early models could weigh as much as 120 pounds.

Logging Trucks

Logging trucks gradually replaced the train as a means of bringing logs out of the woods.

Pension Plan

The company established a pension plan for full-time salaried employees in 1945.

Continuing Innovation and Expansion

The company embraced the post-war era and responded to the need for new products with additions of many new mills in the Northwest. The company opened three kraft pulp mills (for grocery sacks and multi-wall sacks for pet food, lawn and garden seed); a liquid packaging board mill; plywood and ply-veneer plants; particleboard, containerboard, hardboard and wood-fiber mills; and even a bark-processing plant (for a variety of products designed by the research department such as asphalt roofing, flooring, fertilizer, chemicals and landscape materials).

The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation

Established in 1948 to focus on humanitarian issues and improve the quality of life in the communities where Weyerhaeuser employees and their families live and work. The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation supports projects in education, the environment and the arts.