Virginia Economic
Development Partnership

901 East Byrd Street
P.O. Box 798
Richmond, VA 23218-0798
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(804) 545-5700 (Domestic)
(804) 545-5750 (International)
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Virginia's Wood Products Industry
Virginia's Wood Products Contact:
Brent Sheffler
Managing Director. Advanced Manufacturing Team. Business Development
804-545-5742
BSheffler@YesVirginia.org

Virginia's Wood Products Industry

  • Employs 33,800 people.
  • Is a $9.3 billion industry.
  • Supported by 15.8 million acres of forests.
  • Virginia’s timberland is 79% hardwood forest and 21% softwood forest.
  • Central location on the Atlantic Coast provides interstate and rail access to the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest.
  • Access to international markets provided by the Port of Hampton Roads and Washington-Dulles International Airport.

Click Graphic for Interactive Map

Wood Product companies doing business in Virginia

 

Wood Products Employment in Virginia, 2009



In 2009, Virginia’s Wood Products industry employed 33,800 people.  Total Manufacturing employment in Virginia was 246,700.  The Wood Products industry accounts for 14% of Virginia’s manufacturing employment, and is the second largest industry behind transportation equipment.  The top three Wood Products sectors by employment are Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing (8,600); Other Wood Product Manufacturing (6,900); and Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (4,950).  These three sectors comprise 61% of all Wood Products employment in Virginia.  The economic output of Virginia’s Wood Products Industry is $9.3 billion.  Wood Products supports an additional $7.0 billion in economic activity in Virginia.



Wood Products Firms in Virginia, 2009



Virginia is home to 1,102 Wood Products companies.  Of the 6,184 manufacturing locations in Virginia, 19% of them are in Wood Products.  Wood Products represents Virginia’s largest number of manufacturing establishments.  The top three sectors for Wood Products companies are Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing (412), Other Wood Product Manufacturing (256), and Sawmills and Wood Preservation (185).  These three sectors comprise 77% of Virginia’s Wood Products companies.

 

Major Wood Products Companies in Virginia
American of Martinsville
American Woodmark
Augusta Lumber
Bassett Furniture
Chervan
Georgia Pacific
Greif Packaging
Hooker Furniture
MeadWestvaco
Merillat Corporation
Nationwide Custom Homes
Packaging Corporation of America
Rowe Furniture
Shorewood Packaging
Smurfit-Stone
Stanley Furniture
Stuart Flooring
Thomasville Furniture
Vaughan Bassett Furniture
Yorktowne Cabinetry

 

New and Expanding Wood Products Companies in Virginia

In the past ten years, over 10,000 new jobs have been added in the wood products industry, with investment of $1.5 billion.

 

Recent major announcements include:
Aspen Products
Blue Ridge Fiberboard, Inc.
Cavco Industries, Inc.
Infinity Global Packaging
Mercury Paper, Inc.
Mill Branch Industries
O'Malley Lumber Company
Vaughan Bassett Furniture

 

Virginia's Skilled Wood Products Workforce

 

Selected Wood Products Occupations
Virginia Employment
Virginia Mean Wage
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters 2,960 $15.08
Carpenters 21,250 $18.88
Cementing and gluing machine operators and tenders 520 $13.52
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders 1,570 $14.92
Furniture finishers 650 $12.82
Helpers--production workers 8,560 $10.79
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers 10,280 $16.91
Machine feeders and offbearers 3,200 $13.76
Packers and packagers, hand 14,680 $9.69
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders 2,630 $17.37
Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood 1,700 $14.13
Sewing machine operators 2,680 $10.61
Team assemblers 13,890 $13.24
Upholsterers 930 $13.13
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing 3,070 $12.28


Virginia's labor force benefits from over 16,000 skilled workers exiting the military each year.

Education and Training
The Virginia Community College System provides education and training programs for Virginians and Virginia businesses. Degree programs include:

  • CAD/CAM

  • Engineering Technology

  • Forestry Technology

  • Industrial Electronics

  • Industrial Production

  • Industrial Technology

  • Mechanical Engineering Technologies