Paving The Way: On Solid Ground 

The sweeping views of the Sierra Nevada foothills draw the eyes up, rather than down. But at the Sierra Pacific Industries site in Sonora, California, a key decision is underfoot: a paved lot. 

FAMILY TREE

The family-owned forest products company is widely known as one of the largest lumber manufacturers in the United States, managing about 2.4 million acres of timberland across three western states.

In 2024, the business celebrated the planting of its 300 millionth seedling, which founder Red Emmerson put in the ground himself. Yet SPI makes a point of stating that sustainable forest management means more than just planting trees.

CHIPPING IN

One way SPI utilizes all its resources is through colored mulch. Through time, the company recognized a growing market for the product and its own excess material in the form of wood chips. 

“We take those clean chips and make a good product for people's homes,” said Steve Carey, manager of fiber product operations. “It's 100% virgin material. It comes right out of the woods. There's no trash, there are no nails, there are no screws.”

SMOOTH OPERATOR

The Sonora site is home to SPI’s colored mulch production. The combination of its clean material and top-tier colorant result in an enviable finished product. But underneath it all is the investment that has paid off for the business. 

SPI paved about ten acres of the site, with a depth well over five inches in most places. It was no small investment, clearly, and such a decision often requires convincing. But the benefits were immediately evident. 

“It lowers the maintenance costs, it reduces fatigue on our employees, it’s cleaner and we have less breakage on the logs — the raw material that’s our most valuable item.” - STEVE CAREY, SIERRA PACIFIC INDUSTRIES

Additionally, a project as large as a mulch yard is likely to lock in the best price any paver can offer.

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Carey, along with managers at other mulch yards that invested in paved lots, says the true value of the decision does not necessarily show up in the ledger. Some benefits are difficult to quantify. “It was the right thing to do,” he simply said.