Interest in hardwood timberland investment is growing, according to Bruce Jacobs, president of environmental support services company Fountain Forestry Inc, the US subsidiary of fountain plc.
Mr Jacobs was in the UK recently to meet existing and new investors and members of the UK forestry team.
“Events have, if anything, increased interest in hardwood timberland investment – the value of US timberland is not only holding its own during the economic downturn, but continues to perform well,” he said.
“A new breed of owner – institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies – research and buy forests in the same way a mutual fund manager acquires stocks.”
Mr Jacobs believes that investors in hardwood forests were likely to benefit from long-term rises in hardwood lumber prices.
