History

Warrenton Fiber Company

History

Service List

Used Equipment Sales

Johnson Farm Mitigation Land Bank

Map

Warrenton Fiber Company

Martin Nygaard, 2007 Logger of the Year

Associated Oregon Loggers

Martin’s family

Left to right—John and Julie Nygaard, Judy and David Nygaard, Martin, Adam and Melissa Svensen

Martin’s eldest son, David, introduced his father before the presentation of the 2007 Logger of the Year award

To start out it is appropriate to give a brief history on our company Warrenton Fiber - Nygaard Logging. It has been family owned and operated since my grandfather, Andrew Nygaard arrived from Norway, and started a log rafting business on the Nehalem River near Wheeler, Oregon in 1929. Since then, four generations of Nygaard’s have been actively involved in the Northwest Oregon forest industry.

After initially attending Pacific Lutheran University and participating as a cross country runner, Martin transferred to Oregon State University, where he graduated in 1951 with a degree in Forest Engineering. That same year he married his high school sweetheart, Doris Wetstone and returned to Warrenton to go to work for his father and uncle, rafting logs at their new location on the Skipanon River.

In 1958 Martin started his own business, Nygaard Logging. He sold the company in 1972 to Dant and Russell, and became its Vice President of Logging Operations. In 1982, when the opportunity arose he purchased the logging division from D & R and started a log sorting operation at Tongue Point in Astoria, Oregon. At Tongue Point, the company set up its first pulp log chipping operation with portable equipment.

In 1986 the company moved its sorting and permanent chipping operation to Warrenton, Oregon at Tansy Point. This facility is located on land principally owned by the City of Warrenton and leased to Warrenton Fiber – Nygaard Logging on a long term basis. The facility consists of a 750 foot deep water berth and a separate wood chip barge loading berth on the Columbia River about three miles from the Pacific Ocean. At Tansy Point the adjacent uplands to the berths are used for log receiving, storage and processing. The facility has transfer and processing equipment to chip and load wood chips in barges and trucks for transport to customers at paper mills.

The log yard operation is supported by off site logging activities in which timber is harvested and trucked to Tansy Point or directly to saw mills. The facility also includes maintenance shops and equipment storage necessary for the logistical support of the timber harvesting business.

Nygaard logging operations service accounts with Weyerhaeuser, Stimson, Hampton and RSG, from Tillamook to Aberdeen, Washington. Warrenton Fiber – Nygaard Logging sells chips and hog fuel to Georgia Pacific, Weyerhaeuser and Clearwater Paper.

The company owns about 3,000 acres of timber land in Clatsop County and 750 acres of land within the Warrenton growth boundary. There are plans for developing the urban land for commercial and residential applications, such as its recent sales to Home Depot for its first store in Clatsop County and 150 acres to Olstedt Development for home sites. To facilitate this commercial development in Warrenton (which is built on diked land in the Columbia River Estuary, and predominantly wetlands) the company is developing the largest wetland mitigation bank in the state of Oregon.

Warrenton Fiber – Nygaard Logging, with 120 employees, is one of the largest employers in Clatsop County, Oregon; it annually pays over $4,000,000 in direct payroll dollars and spends an additional $7,000,000 with local businesses and subcontractors.

Warrenton Fiber – Nygaard Logging is well respected in the community; it is represented on the Chamber of Commerce, and it supports many regional charities and foundations including the Columbia Memorial Hospital, Clatsop Community College and the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Some highlight of Martins life include:

One daughter, Mardi, two sons John and David and their wives Julie and Judy.

Four grandchildren, Andrew Nygaard, Melissa Svensen and her husband Adam, John Nygaard Jr., and Tracie Nygaard.

One great grandchild, Hailey Lynn Svensen,

born May 28, 2009.

In 1958, Martin was the Commander of E Company, 162^nd Brigade, 41^st Division, of the Oregon National Guard, stationed at Camp Rilea.

He graduated in 1951, from OSU with a degree in Forest Engineering.

A yearly parking spot at OSU’s Riser Stadium that costs him more than his tuition at OSU.

In 1999, John and David’s company, Nygaard Brothers Logging merged with Warrenton Fiber – Nygaard Logging.

In 1995, Martin retired! Actually Warrenton Fiber – Nygaard Logging quit paying him; but he still shows up for work, every day, except when he drives to watch the Beavers play football, both home and away. This year he drove to Cincinnati and in the past these trips have included games at LSU and ASU.

In 2005, Martin received the Western Outstanding Chip Suppler Award from the Forest Resources Association.

In 1995 Martin was the President of the Oregon Logging Conference. He has also been a director of the organization since 1972.

I’m sure there are many of Martin’s accomplishments that I have left out of this introduction, except for one more that I must include; he has been a dynamic and brilliant mentor in the art of doing business in the constantly changing environment facing our modern logging industry.

With that, and with great pleasure, I turn the microphone over to my father and Associated Oregon Loggers, Logger of the Year, Martin Nygaard.