Company Profile
Freres Engineered Wood
Company Overview
Freres is a family-owned and operated company based in Oregon’s Santiam Canyon, known for its leadership in the production of high-quality veneer and innovative engineered wood products. Operating since 1922, Freres has evolved into a diversified enterprise that includes Freres Engineered Wood, Freres Timber, and Evergreen BioPower LLC.
With a strong focus on sustainability and innovation, Freres maximizes the use of every part of the log, producing everything from Mass Ply Panels to bark fines, hog fuel, wood chips, shavings, and even renewable electricity. The company operates across three locations and six facilities, including a small and large log veneer mill, plywood mill, veneer drying operation, cogeneration plant, and Mass Ply production facility.
Freres is committed to creating not just jobs, but long-term careers that support families and communities. The company upholds core values of technological innovation, environmental stewardship, and a deep respect for its heritage and workforce.
https://frereswood.com/careers/current-job-openings/
Company History
Freres was founded in 1922 by T.G. Freres, who began with a small, portable timber cutting operation in the hills above the Little North Fork of the North Santiam River. With just his horses, Charlie and Trixie, T.G. laid the foundation for what would become Oregon’s premier producer of veneer and engineered wood products.
In 1963, the company transitioned from traditional lumber production to veneer, a move that set the course for decades of innovation. The 1990s brought plywood production, and in 2007, the company built Evergreen BioPower, a cogeneration facility that now provides renewable power to over 5,000 households.
In 2017, Freres introduced Mass Ply Panels (MPP) — a revolutionary new mass timber product that has positioned the company at the forefront of modern construction materials.
A century later, Freres remains a multigenerational family business, grounded in its values, connected to its community, and continually investing in the future — for the forests, the people, and the planet.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Founded in 1922, Freres Engineered Wood is a third-generation, family-owned company with over 100 years of leadership in Oregon’s forest products industry. Known for innovation, Freres pioneered the development of Mass Ply Panels (MPP)—a patented, veneer-based structural composite that’s redefining sustainable construction across North America. As the first U.S. manufacturer to produce MPP, they’ve supplied materials for landmark projects like the Portland International Airport terminal. Freres is also a recognized leader in sustainability, managing over 17,000 acres of timberland and replanting more than 350,000 trees annually. With a zero-waste philosophy, renewable energy production, and deep roots in the local community, Freres continues to set the standard for what’s possible in modern wood innovation.