Our History

William F. Grant becomes the principal shareholder and sole representative.

Universal acquires the assets of a lumber yard in Thomasville, Georgia. The plant moves to Moultrie, Georgia, and Universal establishes its position in the southeastern market.

Florida Component Products opens in Auburndale, Florida, serving the retail industry and the residential construction market in the state. The trust fund 'The Universal Employee's Profit Sharing and Retirement Trust Fund' is established to reward long-term employees for their part in the success of the company. Although not required to offer such a plan, Universal wanted to assist its loyal workers with their retirement.

Current CEO Matthew Missad joins Universal's maintenance team as a 'lawn boy'. (He will finance his high school and college education by borrowing money from the company to pay for law school and will repay it by working full-time for the company after graduation.) The first orders are shipped from New Warrens, Wisconsin. A new addition follows at Grandview, Texas Forest Products. The Florida plant produces its first batch of treated wood.

The Gordon plant in Pennsylvania becomes operational in January.

Universal Forest Products reorganizes into five geographic divisions: Northeast, Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest, and begins operating all regional facilities under the Universal Forest Products division.

Current CEO Matt Missad takes a full-time position with the company as compliance manager. Ian Stalker, an international authority on pressure-treated wood preservation, joins Universal as vice president of wood preservation. Universal has since maintained its expertise and leadership in wood preservation by keeping a staff of experts. The Janesville, Wisconsin, plant opens to meet the growing demand for treated wood in the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison markets.

Peter Secchia is appointed United States Ambassador to Italy by President George H.W. Bush, and Bill Currie succeeds Peter Secchia as CEO. Universal acquires a planing and distribution facility in Woodburn, Oregon, then the inventory of a lumber distributor in Madison, Wisconsin (which merged with Janesville). Having become the largest national producer of pressure-treated wood, Universal purchases land and equipment for constructing a treatment facility in Saginaw, Texas (between Dallas and Ft. Worth).

The Salisbury, North Carolina, plant relocates to a new state-of-the-art site and adds wood treatment facilities.

Universal opens a treatment plant in Harrisonville, Missouri.

Universal consolidates its five regional operating companies into two divisions, each with a purchasing office: the eastern division is based in Union City, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, and the western division is in Windsor, Colorado, just outside Denver. The company announces Performance 2002, a profitability growth initiative for the years to come. Universal enters the site construction market by purchasing Consolidated Building Components (with locations in Emlenton and Parker, Pennsylvania) as well as Structural Lumber Products (with a facility in San Antonio, Texas). This marks the beginning of new and significant growth for Universal. The site in Moultrie, Georgia, adds a wood preservation facility to its manufacturing and distribution operations. Universal then acquires the Great Northern Wood Preserving treatment facility in Lodi, Ohio.

Universal acquires two lumber treatment facilities from Louisiana Pacific Corp. in New Waverly and Silsbee, Texas. Universal acquires a treatment facility in Schertz, Texas. Universal builds a facility in Liberty, North Carolina. Universal acquires a lumber treatment facility in Blanchester, Ohio. Universal acquires Gang-Nail Components, Inc. in Fontana, California, a manufacturer of engineered roof trusses, and renames it Universal Truss, Inc. Universal acquires the Open Joist manufacturing facility in Elkhart, Indiana, from Banks Corporation.

Peter Secchia retires from the workforce. Universal is mentioned in Forbes magazine's Platinum 400, an annual ranking of the 400 top-performing American companies with annual revenues over $1 billion. Universal climbs 79 positions on Fortune's annual list of the largest American companies and is now ranked 842nd. Universal acquires certain assets and enters into an exclusive licensing agreement with InnoTech Plastics, Inc., a Springfield-based company, opening the door to the wood replacement products industry. Universal announces plans to open its first manufacturing plant in Michigan, in White Pigeon, just north of the Indiana border. Universal acquires a Quality Wood Treating Co. Inc. facility located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, which manufactures EverX composite decking.

Universal is again named in Forbes magazine's Platinum 400, its annual ranking of the 400 top-performing U.S. companies with annual revenues over $1 billion. In February, the television show Money Gang from CNN names Universal 'Stock Pick of the Day'. Universal expands the TechTrim line to include composite products with a finished two sides and corner trim panels. Following its commitment to grow its framing business, Universal announces an investment in the largest multifamily structural supplier in Massachusetts, Shawnlee Construction, LLC., based in Plainville, Massachusetts. Shawnlee has been established in the field for over 30 years. Universal acquires the assets of Midwest Building Systems, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana.

JF Granger is appointed Vice President and General Manager of Sales and Marketing. Universal completes the acquisition of Aljoma Lumber, Inc. Universal wins the prestigious 2006 Editors Choices award from ProSales, the industry's leading trade publication, for its micro-treated wood ProWood. MicroPro from Osmose is the first and only wood preservation technology in the world to earn the prestigious Green Cross recognition, characterizing it as an environmentally friendly product (EPP); ProWood from Universal is treated with MicroPro. Universal adds concrete shaping to its growing product line.

Pat Webster is appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Forest Products in January. Dick Frazer succeeds Pat Webster as President of the Western Division. The company forms the PACS unit - Packaging and Container Solutions — providing packaging solutions to original equipment manufacturers and other industrial customers. Universal launches Outdoor Essentials, a decorative lawn and garden product line.

Matthew J. Missad is named the fifth CEO in the company’s history. Several executive appointments follow: Allen Peters becomes President of the Western Division; J.J. Granger is named Vice President and General Manager of Universal Consumer Products; Don James is named Vice President of National Sales; Scott Greene is named Vice President and General Manager of Business Development. Universal announces growth strategies that include adding new products and new markets, as well as opening new intercontinental opportunities. An international team is created to achieve these goals. Universal opens a new plant in Salisbury, N.C. Universal opens a new plant in Selma, Alabama, to manufacture products with new exclusive technology.

Universal acquires Custom Caseworks of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, a manufacturer of retail products including lighting, commercial furniture, office furniture, laminated and painted wood panels, and other products.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, Thursday, January 2, 2020 - Universal Forest Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: UFPI) announced today that it has completed the reorganization of its operations and now operates under the name UFP Industries, a change announced in August 2019. The name UFP Industries more accurately describes the company today. 'We are no longer just a forest products or lumber company,' said CEO Matthew J. Missad. 'Over the years, we have transitioned from a lumber wholesaler to a manufacturer of mixed materials and a solution provider serving thousands of commercial customers. Our new segments - UFP Retail, UFP Construction, and UFP Industrial - will be much more focused on their respective markets, and with the leadership teams now in place, we anticipate faster time to market, better alignment of products and customers, and more efficient use of capital. 'This is a truly exciting time for us as we unleash the full power of our employees to seize the opportunities ahead and grow our business.' UFP Industries has approximately 211 locations and over 15,000 employees worldwide. Prior to the reorganization, UFP's subsidiaries were organized by region; now they are organized by market.