Supporting Our Veterans at PotlatchDeltic
At PotlatchDeltic, one of our core values is inclusion and respect. To live up to this value, it is important that we focus on the needs of all team members and ensure they feel respected, supported, and valued. In 2023, we introduced a Veterans Employee Resource Group, Salute, whose purpose is to recognize and support PotlatchDeltic veterans and military families. PotlatchDeltic employed 88 veteran Team Members who bring a unique set of skills developed through their service1. These skills include teamwork, discipline, leadership, and adaptability that support our values and help to deliver on our business objectives.
Mission: To recognize and support our veterans by providing a community that fosters connections through which veterans can connect and collaborate on opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Executive Sponsor: Robert Schwartz, Vice President, Human Resources
Chair: Daniel Cortes, Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis
Our Gwinn, Michigan Wood Products Facility
In 1955, the U.S. Air Force identified the need for a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The U.S. Government negotiated the establishment of a base at an airport site in Gwinn, Michigan.
This vision culminated in the establishment of the K.I Sawyer Air force Base, named after the late K.I. Sawyer, a local World War II hero and was activated in 1956. The base served as a symbol of deterrence to prevent and monitor attempts of Soviet invasion. As a result, the men and women stationed at the base were called the “Guardians of the North”.
K.I. Sawyer Air Force base closed in 1995. The former Air Force base was transformed in part to a wood products facility, which was acquired by Louisiana Pacific in 2000 and later by Potlatch in 2005. Today, the former base is home to our Gwinn sawmill, a testament to the adaptability and resilience of the Gwinn community and symbol of industry and economic growth to the Michigan Upper Peninsula.
Footnotes:
- Data as of December 31, 2023.
