Everwood enters the capital of the American F&W Forestry and becomes its largest shareholder

Everwood, a French player in sustainable forest management, participation in the Transition Evergreen fund, announces its entry into the capital of the American specialist in forestry asset management F&W Forestry Services, Inc and becomes its first shareholder. Everwood's investment aims to realize the two companies' shared growth ambition to become one of the world's largest forest managers and consultants with revenues reaching $100 million in 5 years. .

This is a new Franco-American page written for Everwood and F&W Forestry Services, specializing in sustainable forest management and the preservation of natural capital. As the retirement of its manager approaches, the company based in Albany, Georgia, welcomes French actor Everwood to its capital. F&W has been chaired by Marshall Thomas for 30 years, a charismatic and recognized leader in the forestry sector in the United States, who will be involved in the company's new wave of external growth for another 5 years. Everwood's investment materializes through an initial increase in F&W's capital of $5 million and the repurchase of shares from three shareholders nearing retirement. At the same time, the five members of management are making a significant investment alongside Everwood. This association is accompanied by a first external growth operation with the acquisition of Inland Forest Management (IFM).

“We are proud to announce this transformative transaction for Everwood today. Faced with increasing investments in natural capital by institutions, and to respond to their ambitious strategies, Everwood is taking a major new step in its long-term commitment to sustainable forest management, in Europe and internationally. F&W is recognized as one of the best players in its sector and the level of forestry expertise is the main reason for our association. Over the past two years, we have defined our common goals with F&W management, including strategic priorities and shared values, such as innovation and a customer-centric approach. By joining forces today, we have a unique opportunity to contribute to the next boom in natural capital,” said Charles Flipo, President of Everwood.

“Everwood proved to be the natural partner to capture and accelerate opportunities in this market environment. The association with Everwood will stimulate innovation and allow F&W to be at the forefront of the changing needs of forest owners and to develop new business lines. This includes promoting the development of our FIS ERP, software offering a complete range of forestry and accounting solutions to landowners and institutional investors,” says Marshall Thomas, President of F&W.
                                         
Forestry France, Everwood and F&W: a long-term partnership
F&W invested ten years ago in Forestry France, number 2 in expertise and management of forestry assets in France, joined in 2021 by Everwood. Under the leadership of Sylvestre Coudert, Forestry France, F&W and Everwood have joined forces to create Forestry Europe in 2022, a company specializing in the expertise and management of forestry assets in Europe, in order to meet the needs of clients investing in other countries of the old continent. This long-term partnership gave birth to this operation, with a common ambition: to develop internationally.

Expand geographic coverage and strengthen sectoral expertise
Created in 1962, F&W is the second largest player in the United States in the field of consulting and management of forest resources (forest transactions, forest management, inventory and mapping, carbon valorization, preservation of natural capital, etc.). The company already manages 1 million hectares of assets with institutional and private owners, representing a value of approximately $5 billion, and employs 250 people in its 43 regional offices. It is present in several countries including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and France. The operation will allow F&W to strengthen its presence in these existing markets and to expand into new countries where its clients invest. It will also contribute to consolidating its competitive advantage by integrating new skills and strengthening the use of technologies such as satellite, drone and lidar data analysis, as well as through the continuous improvement of its Forest Information System® ERP. This financial and accounting software, owned by the company and developed over the last two decades, remains at the heart of the strategy based on the effective use of data.

Acquisition of IFM, the first acquisition in a series to come
F&W intends to carry out several external growth operations in the years to come. First to date: the 100% acquisition of its competitor Inland Forest Management (IFM), based in Sandpoint (Idaho). This acquisition allows F&W to extend its territorial coverage to the North-West of the United States, where IFM is present, and to strengthen its offer of services for the prevention and fight of forest fires, a major issue of global warming and preserving global carbon sinks.

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