BIOGRAPHY

Bruce S. Lanier is Vice President of McKinley & Lanier Forest Resources, Inc... Read more

PROFILE

Bruce Lanier of McKinley and Lanier Forest Resources knew forestry was the right choice in college when he went from average student to the Dean’s List. “When you like something, you excel at it,” he said.

In 1991, Lanier joined Timber Managers Company, which was unique as a consulting forestry business in that it was owned by Gulf States Paper Company. Lanier and Monty McKinley purchased the subsidiary in 2002. One benefit of this continuity is being able to look up the history of tracts the company has managed for 40 years. After 29 years with the same clients himself, Lanier has enjoyed watching stands of timber grow to maturity, sometimes alongside the client.

“They bring in their children, who are now the decision makers, and they also mature and work with us to manage the family forest.” Lanier counts genetic improvements and more readily available herbicides as the most important changes over the years for the private landowner. Some of those technological improvements were cost prohibitive or not available except to their larger institutional clients, but this has changed. “Trees grow so much better than twenty years ago,” he said. Though the industry faces challenges, he always reminds clients, “People will always need trees and wood products. We just need to stay patient and be flexible.”

Seeking clients in these counties:
Bibb
Chilton
Choctaw
Clarke
Greene
Hale
Lamar
Lauderdale
Marengo
Perry
Pickens
Sumter
Tuscaloosa
Walker

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