How Is RoyOMartin Responding to Issues in Housing Affordability?
With the U.S. housing market facing a historic affordability shortage, many families are struggling to achieve the dream of homeownership. RoyOMartin, a Louisiana-based, century-old family forestry business, is rising to meet the challenge with a high-tech, sustainability-driven approach.
Over the years, the company has pivoted its vertically integrated timber operations toward producing affordable building materials—like oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood—directly used in residential and multifamily construction. In fact, roughly 80% of RoyOMartin’s output supports housing development, helping to address the housing gap at its roots.
What High-Tech Tools Are Making the Difference?
RoyOMartin has implemented cutting-edge geographic information system (GIS) technology across its 550,000 acres of timberland. This precision tool enables real-time data sharing between field foresters and corporate decision-makers. Using mobile apps loaded with historical and real-time forestry data, teams can conduct harvest planning, spray tracking, and tree growth monitoring from anywhere—even deep in the woods.
Drones add another layer of efficiency and safety. High-resolution aerial imagery replaces slow, risky field audits and helps teams pinpoint areas for replanting or thinning. Combined with satellite imagery, GIS provides a comprehensive view of each tract, increasing speed and accuracy in forest management while reducing fuel and maintenance costs.
How Does GIS Help RoyOMartin Grow Smarter?
The transformation of traditional forestry into a data-driven enterprise has significantly shortened tree harvesting cycles. By using site-specific “prescriptions,” foresters plant the right trees in the right soil and apply tailored treatments. This precision boosts tree growth and saves money—shaving even a year off a harvest cycle has a massive financial benefit.
The company can also measure and compare the success of various forestry treatments across decades of data, ensuring continuous improvement. The result: taller, stronger trees in less time, and a reliable source of raw materials to supply the construction sector.
What Role Does Sustainability Play?
Sustainability is central to RoyOMartin’s values and strategy. By adding to traditional sawmills with OSB panel production, they efficiently use smaller trees and maximize timber value. Their focus on reducing waste and enhancing forest regeneration allows for both economic viability and long-term ecological balance.
RoyOMartin’s commitment to the environment and innovation also opens doors to emerging industries. With pulpwood markets shrinking, the company is exploring opportunities with partners like SunGas Renewables, which could convert timber byproducts into green methanol for sustainable shipping fuel.
How Is RoyOMartin Future-Proofing Its Operations?
Digital innovation doesn’t stop with internal operations. RoyOMartin’s custom GIS portals support external partners too. Logging contractors can now access live data, maps, and contracts remotely. This collaborative, transparent model improves accountability and communication across the supply chain.
Moreover, by blending owned and externally sourced timber (roughly 50/50), RoyOMartin maintains flexibility in a volatile lumber market. The company’s long-term strategy, rooted in tech-forward thinking and family stewardship, prepares it to sustainably meet housing demands for generations to come.
As fifth-generation leaders step into new roles, RoyOMartin stands ready—with a forest of innovation at their fingertips.
