Wood & Paper Products

The OhioSE region has over 30 billion board feet of standing timber with over 400 million board feet of hardwood harvested each year. The hardwood and paper products supply chainis well developed with logging, sawmills, kilns, stave mills, and specialized trucking operations across the region.

Download The Industry Spec Sheet.

The region is a center for furniture, barrel, hardwood flooring, and paper manufacturing. Manufacturers have found great success with the OhioSE region’s abundant and high-quality labor.

Nearly 60 sawmills fuel many of these operations. An excellent four-lane highway system across the region links together the supply chain to get manufactured products to market.

 

Ohio is the #1 state for unupholstered wood furniture manufacturing and our region is home to coveted Appalachian Hardwoods.

Wood + paper stats

Why Ohio Southeast

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The industry added over $900M into the region’s GRP.

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In Southeast Ohio, the industry employs nearly 7,000 people.

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Average annual wages are 10% below the national average and up to 25% lower than nearby metro areas.

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Rail service includes Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, local and regional railroads.

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Wood products manufacturing is driven by a workforce 4x more specialized than the national average.

Regional Snapshot

Key Regional Assets

Ohio has nine foreign trade zones and is the only state in the Midwest with direct shipping routes to Europe for both container and heavy goods.

Our taxes, wage rates, and utility costs are below national and regional averages. Ohio taxes are some of the most favorable in the USA for manufacturing or any business selling goods and services outside of Ohio.

In 2021, the Tax Foundation ranked Ohio 4th most favorable for capital-intensive manufacturers for mature firms and 3rd for capital-intensive manufacturing for new firms.

67% of Ohio’s forestland is located within the Southeastern region

Fast Facts

  • Ohio is the #1 state for unupholstered wood furniture manufacturing

  • Ohio’s forests are over 97% hardwood species

  • 85% of Ohio’s Commercial Logging employees work in Appalachian Ohio

  • Ohio is the 4th largest state measured by manufacturing output

  • Taxes, wage rates, and utility costs below national and regional averages

I Can Help

Katy Farber, OhioSE VP, directly oversees the OhioSE-JobsOhio project management efforts. She was an OhioSE Project Manager for five years, working with eight of the southern-most counties in the region prior to her vice presidency promotion.

Contact Katy

Southeastern Ohio is the Choice

“We take great pride in the furniture we produce and now offer one of the most complete custom dining lines in the country. We are most appreciative to OhioSE, JobsOhio and Holmes County Economic Development Council for their continued support.”

BRYAN COBLENTZ MAVIN

Leading Wood + Paper Product Companies In The OhioSE Region