A Brief History of Shasta Forest Products, Inc.

In the early 1970’s, Timber Products Company based in Yreka, California, leased an eighteen (18) acre parcel from Yreka Western Railroad and built a small decorative Bark manufacturing plant on site.

At that time, excess wood and bark products were a very annoying commodity creating questions such as “How do we get rid of it?” and “Who will take it off our hands?” Many operations burned the excess waste in wigwam burners. What a waste!

The construction of this new plant took a very large step in the right direction in reusable materials and how we can better use what we have.

The bark plant ran for a few years but not up to its full potential.

At this same time a young man by the name of Steve Bradley was in the area. Mr. Bradley was the Regional Manager for the Vita Bark Company. Vita Bark was a producer of machinery for bark plants and had sold the equipment to Timber Products Company. Vita Bark also was a big producer of decorative bark and soil amendments in bag form.

Their region of operation was Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and southern California.

As Mr. Bradley toured our area he saw a great potential. In 1975, Mr. Bradley quit his job at Vita Bark and worked out a deal with Timber Products Company to lease its facility in Yreka and buy their raw bark for production of decorative bark products. Shasta Forest Products, Inc. was born.

In the late 1970’s Mr. Bradley purchased the plant from Timber Products Company and also purchased the land from Yreka Western Railroad.

He ran the operation as a family business until 1999 when he instituted the Employee Stock Ownership Plan for his workers and a way that he could retire from the business.

In December, 2005, Shasta Forest Products, Inc. became 100% employee owned. In 2006, we became an S-Corp.

In May, 2008, Shasta Forest Products, Inc. opened their Landscape Supply Center. The large inventory includes all the decorative landscape bark manufactured at the mill site, soil amendments, bagged product, decorative rocks, cinders, underground sprinkler and drip systems, gardening tools, supplies and seeds, walkway and patio pavers, and retaining and courtyard block. Delivery of all products is offered.