Besse Forest Products

In September of 1966, John Besse began production at Northern Michigan Spliced Veneers with twelve employees; by January 1967 the mill was splicing over 1,000,000 square feet of veneer per month, over 2,000,000 by the end of the first year. 40 years later, Besse Forest Products Group (BFPG) is one of the largest privately owned producers of hardwood veneer, lumber, and specialty plywood in North America.

Until 1983, the year Greg Besse joined Besse Forest Products full time, the company was primarily in the business of splicing veneers. Today the business consists of sixteen manufacturing facilities operating in the United States and Canada producing veneer, lumber, specialty plywood and lumber core for wall panels, doors, windows, flooring, musical instruments and other wood products used throughout the world. The Company's manufacturing operations include six veneer cutting mills, two veneer splicing plants, one cut-to-size plywood mill, and eight sawmills. In addition to the other operations, the Company owns a fleet of railcars and manages its own sustained yield timberlands.

The future of Besse Forest Products Group Companies is built on the foundation of John Besse's 60+ years experience in the business of wood products manufacturing. Greg Besse is dedicated to building on his father's foundation as he leads the Company into the 21st Century. His values and enterprising spirit are summarized in Besse Forest Products Group's business philosophy.

"Our hardwood markets will continue to expand as we provide a consistently high quality product, at a fair price, delivered to the customer on time, in other words, keep the customer satisfied."