ROSEBURG special edition

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN2

Kenneth W. FordAugust 4, 1908 — February 8, 1997

t is often said, “No man ever dies wishing he had spent more time at work.” KennethFord may be the exception to that homily. His lifetime of hard work bore extraordi-nary fruit: the nation’s largest family-held wood products company and one of

Oregon’s largest charitable foundations. His flourishing company, Roseburg ForestProducts, has the most integrated manufacturing facilities in the world, produces a broader

mix of products than any other forest products company, and has timber holdings to sustain itself wellinto the 21st century. All from a gentleman who would rather have a wrench in his hand than a foun-tain pen. A man who would rather be on the head-rig than in the boardroom. How can we notrevere a man who knew his business, his huge business, from the ground up?

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN 3

“THERE’S NO ELEVATORTO SUCCESS;

YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE STAIRS.”

- Kenneth Ford

II

“Therefore, today I say ‘good-bye’ to myfriend, Kenneth, knowing that he used histime to work and in so doing, he made the

world a better place to live for the rest of us.”

“Therefore, today I say ‘good-bye’ to myfriend, Kenneth, knowing that he used histime to work and in so doing, he made the

world a better place to live for the rest of us.”- Harry A. Merlo

Roseburg Forest ProductsWas His Life...

ime management isa concept Mr. Ford

understood and prac-ticed better than anyone.

He believed every week begins with 168hours, subtract sleep and personal main-tenance time, allow for a good honestday’s work, and an individual still hasover five hours every day to do what hemight choose—hours for relaxation,sports, reading, or leisure.

Everyone who knew him talks aboutMr. Ford’s work ethic. His philosophy,though he never practiced it, was to bal-ance work and play. “Remember thatgood, honest work is the way your goalsbecome reality. There’s no elevator to suc-cess; you have to take the stairs.”

John Bozich, owner of Capitol Plywood,Sacramento, California, has been purchas-ing products from Roseburg for years. Hestates, “I’ve been in business since 1957and know how tough it is to survive. I’mtelling you, the most important ingredient

is integrity. I’ve seen many companiescome and go, but Roseburg ForestProducts is a true industry leader, led bythe master of all leaders, Kenneth Ford.”

Mr. Ford told Cal Fanus, retired Riddleplant manager, “What I do, Cal, is I work.I don’t do anything else. I don’t have asocial life to speak of. I don’t read, can’tdrive a nail in straight. I work. That’swhat I do.” That’s what he did for over 70years. He worked long, hard hours.

Over and over one hears, he was the firstto get to work and the last to leave. If aproblem in a mill was keeping him awakeat night, it wasn’t uncommon for him toget up and tackle the problem right then.If something was going on at one of hismills, Mr. Ford was there. An employeewould show up at 4 a.m. to begininstalling a new piece of mill equipment,and Kenneth would be there guiding anddirecting the operations.

Mr. Ford was a dynamic individualthat made things happen. When he waspresent, his wisdom and energy ignitedany project the Company might be work-ing on. If he asked one of the employeesto do something, they had the resourcesof the whole Company behind them...and a clear understanding that the workwas due now or yesterday!

Ron Parker, CEO of Hampton Affiliatesand former RFP Chief Financial Officer,said, “For Kenneth, work was play. Hewould often work seven days a week,long hours each day, as recently as lastyear. Several years ago, I was with him inAnderson, California, on a day when thetemperature exceeded 110 degrees. Hespent the better part of that day in theplant’s boiler room where the temperaturemust have been over 120 degrees. It wasonly after he saw his co-workers looking

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN4

TTI don’t have asocial life tospeak of. Idon’t read,

can’t drive anail in

straight. Iwork. That’s

what I do.

I don’t have asocial life tospeak of. Idon’t read,

can’t drive anail in

straight. Iwork. That’s

what I do.- Kenneth Ford

Left: 1920’s photo of a timber worker preparing to climb and tree top a large Douglas FirMiddle: Timber workers load a log for transport in this 1926 photoRight: The timbers loaded on this truck were en route to Roseburg for the construction of the new mill on Dixonville Road in 1929

pale and ready to pass out that he agreedto go down to the office to finish theirdiscussion. He had promised to swing bythe office at the end of that day to pick upsomeone returning to Roseburg with us.As usual, the rest of us were at the airportat the designated time, but Kenneth wasstill working. When he finally did arrive,he had forgotten the other passenger. Isaw how physically exhausted he was andimmediately started out the door to goback to the office. Kenneth refused to letme go. He insisted that it was hisresponsibility, and that he would returnin the heat to retrieve the passenger.Kenneth Ford never let someone else doany part of his job.”

Kenneth realized a flaw in his charac-ter was the inability to relax and play. Heloved to work. It was his work thatenabled so many others to play.

Astute Businessman...

enneth Ford createdhistory. His “dream”

began in 1936 withone sawmill located on

Diamond Lake Blvd. just east of Roseburg,Oregon. He patched together enough sal-vaged equipment to build a sawmill thatemployed 25 workers. He had a one-roomoffice but spent most of his long days withthe crew, working as head salesman, logger,mill superintendent, and sometimes cookand waiter in the logging camp. From thestart, Mr. Ford looked out for his workers,paying them before he paid himself andpouring profits back into the business.

Early evidence of his long visionincludes the purchase of county timber-lands that had been repossessed.Whenever it was possible, he bought asmuch as he could afford. The lumber mar-ket exploded in the post World War IIhousing boom, and Roseburg Lumber Co.took off. In 1953, when it became evidentto him that plywood manufacturing was agrowing market and that Roseburg couldget more value out of it, Ford built his firstplywood plant.

When a new mill was built or a manu-facturer designed a new piece of equip-ment, he would go to research what theyhad done. He was always expanding hisknowledge. It was very common for him toreturn and build the same thing, only moreefficiently. His mechanical genius servedhim well as he re-engineered equipment tocreate superior quality, less costly products.Manufacturers often sold Kenneth a pieceof equipment, only to find he had modi-fied it to work more efficiently. He was soprecise, sometimes he had his engineersmove machinery a half inch. He knew justwhere he wanted things, and he wasalways correct.

According to Jim Pratt, retired RFP ply-wood manager, Mr. Ford’s genius was hisability to take someone else’s idea and makeit better. His mills are full of examples—

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN 5

KK

Early evidence of

his long visionincludes thepurchase of

county timberlands that had been

repossessed.

Early evidence of

his long visionincludes thepurchase of

county timberlands that had been

repossessed.

Left: In the early years Kenneth(with his back to us) spent most of his long days with the crewMiddle: This 1929 photo shows Kenneth, proud owner of this new truckRight: 9000 ft. Douglas Fir log for delivery to Roseburg Sawmill

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN6

“and,” Pratt said, “if it cost more money,that wasn’t significant, as long as the com-pany could afford it.” Ford’s argument wasthat the increased cost was insignificantwhen you considered the volume of piecesthat went through the machine.

Pratt recalled Mr. Ford’s sense ofhumor. One time, urging regular weekendmaintenance for lathes, so high speedthey tend to self-destruct, he comparedthe lathes to high-performance race carsand said teams had to learn to “changethe engines after every race.”

“One of the things about Kenneth,”Pratt said, “he was always open to newtechnology, someof which he onlyunderstood on aphilosophical level.For example, henever quitebelieved that asoftware programmight be worthmore than thecomputer hardwareto run it.”

He worked hard,and people admiredhis consistency. Hewas good at whathe did and justkept at it. Mr. Fordrecognized that hiscustomers wantedconsistent qualityand on-time ship-ment. He insisted on quality control sothat every time a customer receives an RFPshipment, they get what they expect, asuperior quality product.

Thinker...

hat was KennethFord’s greatest

strength? Hard workalone would not found

and build the legendary Ford empire.Kenneth Ford knew how to think, how

to plan for the future, how to boldlytake action.

He said many times, ‘I never think; Ijust go to work every day,’ but he didthink, and he forced those around him todo the same. He once gave advice onhow to think: be realistic; be objective—look at the facts and don’t get blinded byemotions. Use the facts; know everythingthere is to know.

“Let’s be brutally honest.” Those werewords managers heard often. KennethFord was always tough but fair. “See me”written in broad red felt pen was hisfavorite written expression, and meant the

recipient would bein for some prob-ing questions.In a typical meet-ing, the manage-ment team woulddiscuss a currentproblem and comeup with a goodsolution. “Kennethwould look atthem funny andsay, ‘You peoplearen’t thinking.You’re only think-ing about today.It’s not goodenough. We’ve gotto think 20 yearsinto the future.’Then he’d get upand leave. He

might come back the next day or the nextweek. He’d ask some more questions.Talk to other people. He’d go out intothe mill and stop the supervisor or one ofthe workers and ask them questions. Heasked questions all the time. He mightask someone working a machine whatwas wrong with it, how it could be better.He’d walk up to someone else and say,‘Why are you doing that?’”

John Pearl, a retired employee, was anextremely talented engineer who admiredMr. Ford. He would find out what Kennethwanted and spend hours designing it.Kenneth would take one look at it, shakehis head, and say, “John, you must bedrunk; you don’t know what you’re doing,”then he’d mark up the drawing in red ink.

He said manytimes, ‘I never

think; I just go to workevery day,’ but he did

think, and heforced those

around him todo the same.

He said manytimes, ‘I never

think; I just go to workevery day,’ but he did

think, and heforced those

around him todo the same.

WWTop: Kenneth posed for this early 1920’s portraitMiddle: Kenneth examines logs being unloaded by crane at DillardBottom: Kenneth knew how to think and plan for the future

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN 7

• Jan 1936 - Roseburg Lumber Co., Founded by Kenneth Ford• Apr 1945 - Roseburg Lumber Co., Incorporated

• Jan 1946 - Purchases Douglas County Timber Jan 1946 - Sawmill 1 Starts at Dillard

• May 1952 - Plywood 1 starts at Dillard• Jan 1956 - Dixonville (Douglas Veneer) starts

Feb 1956 - Plywood 2 starts at Dillard• Jan 1958 - Plywood 5 (Coquille) purchased

• Mar 1961 - Plywood 6 (Coquille) starts• Jun 1962 - Carlyn Panel Plant Starts

• Jan 1963 - Purchased Ford Industries• Mar 1965 - Particleboard Line 1 Starts

Apr 1965 - Purchased Riddle VeneerOct 1965 - Purchased Winchester Plywood• Jan 1967 - Purchased Colonial Leasing

Apr 1967 - Douglas Veneer merges with Douglas Fir PlywoodAug 1967 - Plywood 3 Purchased

Aug 1967 - Purchased Timber from National PlywoodNov 1967 - Ford Products starts in San Jose, California

• Jan 1968 - Chip Facility BuiltApr 1968 - Carlyn Panel merges into Douglas Fir PlywoodOct 1968 - Riddle Veneer merges into Roseburg Lumber Co.

• Apr 1969 - National Plywood merges into Douglas Fir Plywood• Mar 1970 - Plywood 4 Starts

Dec 1970 - Douglas Fir Plywood merges into Roseburg Lumber Co.• Feb 1971 - Purchased Doors, Inc. (Mt View, CA)• Jan 1972 - Truck Shop Built

Jan 1972 - Particleboard Line 2 StartsApr 1972 - Purchased Sawmill 2 from Dillard Lumber Co.

• Mar 1973 - Ford Products moved to DillardMar 1973 - Ford Products merged into Roseburg Lumber Co.

• Feb 1974 - White City Oregon Log Yard StartsMar 1974 - Goshen Oregon Chipper Starts

Mar 1974 - RLC Fibre, Domestic International Sales Corp. FoundedMar 1974 - Dillard Lumber Co. merges into Roseburg Lumber Co.

Mar 1974 - Doors, Inc merges into Roseburg Lumber Co.Jun 1974 - North Bend Oregon Chipper Starts

Jul 1974 - Sawmill 4 Purchased• Feb 1977 - Dillard Small Log Mill CompletedNov 1977 - Dillard Large Log Mill Completed

• Sep 1979 - Purchased Kimberly Clark Land • Apr 1981 - Purchased Cal Builders

• Dec 1982 - Ford Industries Renamed to KWF IndustriesDec 1982 - Weed California Veneer Starts

• May 1984 - Melamine Plant Starts at Dillard• Mar 1985 - Roseburg Forest Products Founded

Mar 1985 - Roseburg Forest Products Purchased Assets from Roseburg Lumber Co.Mar 1985 - RLC Industries Founded

Mar 1985 - Roseburg Resources FoundedMar 1985 - Roseburg Resources Owns Kimberly Clark & Oregon Timber

• Mar 1986 - RLC Fibre Foreign Sales Corp. FoundedDec 1986 - Noca Timber Founded

Dec 1986 - Noca Timber Purchases Walker TimberlandDec 1986 - Purchased Paul Bunyan Lumber Sawmill 4 (Anderson, CA)

Dec 1986 - Paul Bunyan Lumber merges into Roseburg Forest Products• Mar 1988 - Diamond Lands Purchased from James Goldsmith

• Apr 1996 - Purchased IP Timberlands, Changed IP Timberlands Name to Smith River Lands

THE GROWTH OF THE FORD EMPIRE

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN8

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...TO RESPECTED LEADER

Kenneth Fordbuilt his one mill

operation,located inDillard,

Oregon, into a totally

integrated,state-of-the-

art forestproducts

manufacturingand processing

facility.

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN 9

Mr. Ford brought a new engineer tothe plant in Riddle, Oregon. They had anew bark hog down in a hole 12 to 15feet deep, with six or seven inches of oilywater in the bottom. Kenneth wore highworking man’s shoes, always did. Theengineer wore a tie and dress shoes butfollowed Kenneth down the ladder intothe pit and stood in the greasy water,while Kenneth told him all about themill. He passed Kenneth’s test.

Mr. Ford worked hard until he died.On managers’ desks throughout the cor-porate headquarters lie pieces of paperwith Kenneth Ford’s bold red marks—corrections, drawings, notes. A memofrom Vice President of Sales LyleThompson to Kenneth bears words famil-iar to RFP managers: “See me” pennedagain in his traditional red ink.

Kenneth Ford has long been widelyrecognized as a leader in the wood prod-ucts industry. The World Forestry Center,in 1996, presented him the first Harry A.Merlo Award for his lifelong commitmentto sustainable forestry, providing afford-able building products to the world. “Hewas certainly one of our pioneers,” saidJim Geisinger, president of the Northwest

Forestry Association. “He created anempire unlike any we’ll probably everknow again.” (Oregonian Feb. 9, 1997).

The forest products industry requiresvision. Mr. Ford took huge risks in pur-chasing timberlands— some when no oneelse wanted them or would commit to theprice. Most recently, the Company pur-chased enough timberlands to sustain itself

well into the 21st century. As a result, Mr.Ford has been able to supply his mills fromhis own lands when other producers,dependent upon federal timber sales, haveshut down. Roseburg’s sound environmen-tal practices have led the field in using effi-cient forest management principles toimprove forestry and timber utilization.

Kenneth Ford Modest Man...

eople were in awe ofMr. Ford and looked

up to him. He nevermade you feel uncom-

fortable or intimidated, nor did he expectyou to be assertive or aggressive, rushingto shake his hand or to impress him.

Lee Williams, a former RFP foreman,recalled the prosperity of the post waryears. He asked Mr. Ford, “Why do youcontinue working so hard when you don’t

The WorldForestry Center presented him

the first Harry A. Merlo

Award for his lifelong

commitment to sustainable

forestry.

The WorldForestry Center presented him

the first Harry A. Merlo

Award for his lifelong

commitment to sustainable

forestry.

PP

Left: This 1959 photo shows Kenneth speaking with an employee at the Dillard log dumpMiddle: Kenneth oversees and continued to envision ways to improve and streamline production Right: This 1940’s photo captured Kenneth at work in his office

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN10

have to? Why don’t you sell out, relax,buy yourself a yacht and go fishing?”

Kenneth replied, “I love my work. It’sall I know and, besides, I don’t think Iwould like fishing.”

Kenneth did not seek money. It cameto him, because he never lost sight of hisvision of building the most modern andefficient mills in the world. He knew thatif he focused on this concept, theCompany would produce superior prod-ucts at a competitive price. Harry A. Merlostated in Mr. Ford’s eulogy, “He wanted tobuild, and he wanted to create jobs.”

Kenneth Ford was a shy man, uncom-fortable in a crowd and uneasy aroundpeople he didn’t know. He was a modestand humble man,born into a work-ing-class family onAug. 4, 1908, inAsotin,Washington, justacross the SnakeRiver fromLewiston, Idaho.Mr. Ford workedhard and his workpaid off, but per-sonal wealth nevermattered to him.He had simpletastes: McDonald’schicken filet sand-wich, safety shoeswith steel toes, andan unpretentiouslifestyle.

Kenneth Fordwas self-effacing. Jerry Bruce, a veryclose personal friend, says about Ford,“Kenneth’s view of himself was that hewas an average person who loved whathe did. He told me, ‘I can’t rememberanything, and I don’t get anything done.’All he did was build a company-one ofthe largest privately held in the UnitedStates, employing thousands of people-and founded The Ford FamilyFoundation, giving away millions of dol-lars a year to deserving organizations andpeople. He had an immense capacity toremember and knew in detail what wasgoing on, right down to the purchase of anew company pickup.”

Visionary...

enneth Ford had aremarkable ability to

focus on the future,both in his business

and in his foundation.“Kenneth’s greatest strength,” Jim Pratt

said, “was his ability to forecast what wasgoing to happen in the future. SomethingI heard him say many times was, ‘I don’tknow when this’ll happen, but it will.’He was uncanny.”

Just before theenergy crisis, thestate was forcingindustry to shutdown wigwamburners (whichmeant piling wasteon the land). Pratt,pollution officer atthe time, remem-bers Kenneth Fordbarking, “Don’tthose peopleunderstand what’sgonna happen?There’ll be such anenergy shortage ina couple of yearsthat it’ll all takecare of itself.” RFPbuilt a big boilerplant at Dillard toturn their waste

into energy and contracted to buy theircompetitors’ bark.

In another example of Mr. Ford’s fore-sight, Pratt recalls, “Kenneth saw that theprice of logs would rise in the late 70’s.He spent time and money on new equip-ment. He spent every dime on new tech-nology (some not yet proven) to get opti-mum use of resources. Over the last 35years, we’ve increased the yield from a logby almost 60 percent.”

In the mid 60’s, Kenneth recognized theopportunity to sell wood chips to theJapanese paper industry. He was one of thefirst pioneers to venture into this untestedmarket. But as he had done so many times

“All he didwas build oneof the largestprivately heldcompanies in

the U.S.,employing

thousands ofpeople...”

“All he didwas build oneof the largestprivately heldcompanies in

the U.S.,employing

thousands ofpeople...”

- Jerry Bruce

KK

Top: Kenneth seeking input from his employees on ways to makeproduction more efficientMiddle: Kenneth instituted a quality control program that ensuredRoseburg’s products were unmatchedBottom: This 1959 photo shows Kenneth relaxing at home

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN 11

in the past, he saw the potential and beganpreparing Roseburg for this new foundopportunity. In short order, he built thelargest and most efficient wood chipexporting facilities in the United States,located in Coos Bay, Oregon. He knew ifhe supplied the Japanese with a steadysupply of wood chips that had consistentquality, he could position the company as amajor supplier. At the very first meetingbetween Kenneth and OJI Paper Companyof Japan, it was clear to the owners of OJI,that Kenneth was a man of integrity. Thatmeeting culminated into a 30 year businesspartnership that exemplifies what candevelop between two companies with highbusiness standards. To this day, Roseburg isstill a major suppli-er of wood chips tomany of the papermills in Japan.

“He built anempire essentiallywith nothing and,even up to thetime of his death,was always lookingthirty years intothe future. Thatlong expectation,that long period ofvision, I think,separates him fromother leaders inbusiness today.”—Ron Parker

Philanthropist...

e was as compas-sionate a man as

I’ve ever known,”Ron Parker said, “and

a lot of people don’tknow that side of him. He essentially hasbuilt up everything over his entire lifetimefor the purpose of now doing charitablework. I think he sought to do this earlyon. He saw that the fruits of his efforts,over his long career, would be to leave

behind a legacy of good works for genera-tions to come.”

The Ford FamilyFoundation...

any who knewKenneth Ford well,

believe The FordFamily Foundation to

be the fullest expressionof his personality. Jerry Bruce states, “Ifyou want a true portrait of the man, lookwhere he put his money: the foundation.”

Mr. Ford hadtremendous sym-pathy for the leastin our society—people struggling,poor, homeless...especially children.Tell him about achild with no win-ter coat, no shoes,and Kenneth’s trueemotions would berevealed. ‘You dosomething,’ he’dsay. ‘Go fix it.’The FordFoundation was setup many years agoto help the men,women, and chil-dren in the com-munities in which

the Company does business. The list ofThe Ford Family Foundation charities islong (see page 13), but often recipientswould not know the identity of thedonor. For example, after the foundationcommitted $500,000 towards the con-struction of a new library in DouglasCounty, Jerry Bruce asked Mr. Ford if heshould or could tell anyone, including themedia or the fund raiser, where themoney was coming from. Bruce said, “Helooked at me with a smile and said, ‘Jerry,do you think we need to advertise?’Kenneth didn’t think you should tell any-one what you were doing to help others.”

Kenneth Ford was not only a brilliant

The list of TheFord FamilyFoundationcharities is

long, but oftenrecipientswould notknow theidentity of the donor.

The list of TheFord FamilyFoundationcharities is

long, but oftenrecipientswould notknow theidentity of the donor.

MM

“H“H Top: This 1961 photo show Kenneth enjoying an afternoon at homeMiddle: Kenneth hard at work solving problemsBottom: Governor Kitzhaber presents Kenneth with an award for hiscontinued support of education through the Ford Scholars Program

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN12

businessman; he was also a generous phil-anthropist. The Ford Family Foundationhas concentrated on making lives betterfor people everywhere. Often Ford’s giftsfocused on children, both in educationand in recreation.

Ford Foundation Scholar Program...

n later years, a goodbit of Kenneth Ford’s

work was devoted tothe Ford Scholars

Program, established tohelp individuals that are less fortunateadvance their education. The foundationpays up to 90% of room and board,tuition, and books for each scholar.

Mr. Ford was intimately involved inthe program since its inception. In fact,he personally developed the criteria forthe candidates. He looked for individu-als who might not be able to attend col-lege without financial help. Many schol-

ars, in fact, are the first in their family toattend college.

It was very important to Mr. Ford thatthe scholarship program involve morethan giving money. He felt it important forthe program to provide additional sup-port. Every quarter, he sent each scholar aletter listing questions that would be goodto think about or presenting an approach

based on his experiences over the years.He took special delight in seeing morethan 100 new Ford Scholars enter theFord Scholars program each year, knowingupon successfully completing their highereducation, they would be better preparedto enter their communities, imbued withMr. Ford’s drive to make the world a betterplace for all. The scholars, in turn, passon Kenneth Ford’s legacy of communityservice and work ethic.

Charles Walker, former president ofLinfield College, directs the FordScholars Program. He describedKenneth Ford as a humble person whowould tend to minimize his own knowl-edge or understanding, when, “in fact,he was an unusually intelligent person.”Mr. Ford involved himself in every levelof the scholars program. He reviewedapplications, attended functions, evenjoined groups and sat on the floor indiscussions. “If someone said, ‘Write thisdown,’” Walker said, “he’d pull out aspiral pad and do it.”

Walker found Mr. Ford to be a won-derful person. “He was,” Walker said,“able to engage in discussions with manypeople and, in listening, make up his own

The FordScholars, in

turn, pass onKenneth

Ford’s legacyof community

service andwork ethic.

The FordScholars, in

turn, pass onKenneth

Ford’s legacyof community

service andwork ethic.

II

Left: Kenneth presents his son, Allyn, with the scholastic honor for 8th gradeMiddle: A “This Is Your Life” tribute for Kenneth in 1961 gathered family and friends from around the countryRight: Kenneth receiving cuff links from President Ford

SPECIAL EDITION ❖ WOODSMAN 13

• The Ford Family Center at Umpqua Community College

• The majority of the funding for the new Douglas County Library

• Major funding for the new addition of the Douglas County YMCA

• Computers for all of the schools in Douglas County...from grade schools through the high school level.

• The new lighting system for Umpqua Community College

• A major amount of funding for the bleachers at Roseburg High School

• Provided for the re-facing of the Roseburg Police Department building

• Facilities for the Parent Relief Nursery• Facilities for Safe Haven, a facility for young

women with little or no means to support themselves

• $3 million for the building of the new wing at the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

• Donations to the Community Cancer Center• Seed money and continued funding for

Douglas Community Hospital• Funds for renovation of the lighting and

sound systems of the music and theater departments, as well as upgrading the computer systems, and remodeling of the Student Center and administrative offices at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed, CA

• Generous donations to the United Way throughout the years

• Support for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and funding of a new facility

• Yearly support to the Oregon Independent College Foundation, which helps fund Oregon’s private colleges

• Support of the Salvation Army • Funding for the Roseburg Battered Person’s

Advocacy and the Confidence Clinic• College scholarships in 1997-98 for 660

full-time students in Oregon and California

EXAMPLES OF THE FORD FAMILY FOUNDATION CARING

FORD FAMILY FOUNDATIONSHELPING HANDS

FORD FAMILY FOUNDATIONSHELPING HANDS

mind. He had an uncanny ability toraise similar questions with differentpeople and gain multiple perspectives onhis topic.”

Marija Kovacevic , a Ford Scholar,describes Mr. Ford’s attendance at theFord Scholar conferences every summer,“He participated fully, joked and actedlike a grandpa, very caring and interestedin what each of us was doing.” Likeother Ford Scholars, Kovacevic learnedfrom Mr. Ford. “His humility helps meto be humble and understand the joy ingiving to others.”

Karie Praszek, a Ford Scholar now inher first year of medical school at OregonHealth Sciences University, describes Mr.Ford as unpretentious, totally genuine,someone who didn’t throw wordsaround. “What came out of his mouthwas full—simple words with big impact.Mr. Ford’s words carried great energy, aheartfelt passion.”

Mr. Ford’s message to the scholars was:“If you have hope and courage, you willbuild a good society.”

The program has been extremely suc-cessful, with over 600 full time studentsattending college during the 1997 school

year. The scholars themselves are trulyspecial individuals. Hand picked by Mr.Ford, they have been extraordinarily suc-cessful. Of hundreds involved, not onehas dropped out. The group GPA is bet-ter than 3.4.

The Future is Clear for Roseburg Forest

Products...

oseburg ForestProducts truly is a

manifestation ofKenneth Ford. His lead-

ership qualities and business philosophiesare finely ingrained in every supervisorand manager working for Roseburg.“There is not a company operating todaythat functions as close to its founder’s per-sonality as Roseburg,” Tim Leybold, CFO,Roseburg Forest Products.

In fact, Allyn Ford, President andCEO, is much like his father, exercisingstrong leadership, vision, and businessskills that will guide Roseburg into thefuture.

Allyn understood his father’s vision atan early age and has spent the last 30years working very closely with Kenneth,setting the pace for the company.

“What cameout of his

mouth was full,simple words

with big impact.His words

carried greatenergy, a heart-

felt passion.”

“What cameout of his

mouth was full,simple words

with big impact.His words

carried greatenergy, a heart-

felt passion.”- Karie Praszek

RR

Left: Kenneth receiving the Mulrooney Award from Barney BlondalMiddle: Kenneth poses in 1996 in front of a loaded railroad car Right: Ted Whitlock from Plywood Company of Fort Worth, Inc. and Kenneth

Lyle Thompson states, “Allyn has aclear understanding of the industry andthis Company’s strengths. He is commit-ted to customer service and has the abili-ty to get things accomplished. Though wewill all miss working with Kenneth, Ihave a deep respect for Allyn’s leadershipabilities and am excited about the coursehe has set for this Company.”

Allyn Ford has been instrumental insecuring the future of Roseburg, with hisdecision to purchase nearly 200,000additional acres of timberland in 1996,upgrade the plywood production facili-ties, build a new sawmill, and expandMelamine production.

Allyn Ford states, “Roseburg ForestProducts is a very unique organization. Itis family-owned, allowing us to controlour own destiny. Our management teamwill continue to operate this company inthe tradition that made it what it is, yetwe will implement positive changes when

needed. Kenneth had a long-term planfor this Company, and I intend to see hisvision completed.”

Kenneth and the members of his fami-ly provided for a smooth and efficient

transition of Roseburg Forest Products,with complete ownership remaining withthe Ford family. Allyn Ford is stronglycommitted to ensuring the company con-tinues to grow and serve its customerswith integrity.

enneth Ford was always compassionate, yet clear about how important it is for individuals to be themselves—and be self-disciplined, responsible, passionate in their lives and in what they are doing. He did what he

thought he should be doing. He felt everyone else should do the same. His greatest gift to all may have been hisability to identify men and women of potential and inspire them to go forth as he has done.

As in the passing of every admired leader, all who were touched by Kenneth Ford willmourn the loss of this great man. However, he leaves behind a legacy that will live on,

as the people who knew and worked with him continue in his footsteps. �

KK“People have been so good to me that I want

to give back to them. This company, the timber industry, my friends and family, and the employees are the ones who will carry onwhen I am gone. You are now the torch bearers, and you must understand yourresponsibility to mankind.”

“People have been so good to me that I wantto give back to them. This company, the timber industry, my friends and family, and the employees are the ones who will carry onwhen I am gone. You are now the torch bearers, and you must understand yourresponsibility to mankind.”

-Kenneth Ford

“Kenneth hada long-termplan for this

Company, andI intend to see

his visioncompleted.”

“Kenneth hada long-termplan for this

Company, andI intend to see

his visioncompleted.”

- Allyn Ford

Above: Allyn Ford, President and CEO of Roseburg Forest Products

Bulk RateUS Postage

PAIDRoseburg, ORPermit #135

P.O. Box 1088, Roseburg, ORTel (541) 679-3311 • Fax (541) 679-9543