Aaron U. Jones
He founded Seneca Sawmill Company in 1953 and, through his leadership and foresight, it has become one of the most technologically advanced mills in the world. Seneca is currently the second largest-producing mill on one site in the United States. Although he has been in the lumber business for over 50 years, he is constantly working toward a higher level of excellence. Aaron has been granted over 25 US and Canadian patents in various sawmill technologies, and built the two newest sawmills in Lane County. It is in these sawmills that the patents have been developed and are being used. Seneca maintains a research and development program designed to continually increase the quality and quantity of wood fiber recovered from the log. With the same type of foresight that made Seneca a leader through technology, Aaron recognized the need to diversify his company. In 1989, Seneca became a landowner with the acquisition of 30,000 acres of timberland. Today Seneca Jones Timber Company owns and manages over 165,000 acres of Oregon forestland. In the decade of the 60s, during the green vs. dry lumber debates, Aaron was a member of the "Unholy Eleven" that represented the interests of the independent sawmills. He has served on many industry-related associations, including: Founding Director and first President (1968-71) of the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau (as successor to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association), as well as Chairman of the Executive Committee (1963-67), member of the Executive Committee (1955-56, 1959-60 and 1963-67), former member of the National American Lumber Standards Committee, former President and Director of the Western Forest Industries Association, Director of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, and former President and Director of Western Resource Alliance. He was selected as an official United States delegate for meetings on log exports with the Japanese government in 1968. In 1964, he received the Western Wood Week "Tall in The Forest" Award as "the man who has done more for the forest products industry than any other single individual." In 1994, Aaron began development of the "Friendly Swap," a concept to exchange land between the federal government and non-federal landowners to create land ownership patterns which would better support federal ecosystem management as well as private property objectives. In 1996, Aaron was featured in Oregon Business magazine as one of the visionaries who will shape Oregon's future with his "Friendly Swap" concept.
In 2000, Aaron was selected Lumberman of The Year by the Portland Wholesale Lumber Association.
Aaron served as Chairman of the Board, President and Director of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and is a lifetime member.
Aaron is an avid hunter, and was never so excited as when he went hunting in 2003. Take a look at this impressive elk! Aaron also has another passion: he and Marie breed and race thoroughbred horses, and are well-known in racing circles throughout the world. If you'd like to continue by visiting either Seneca Sawmill Company or Seneca Jones Timber Company, just click on the names below. |
Aaron
Jones has been in the lumber business since 1948. He entered the
University of Oregon in 1940, but college plans were disrupted when
World War II broke out. Aaron joined the Army and served in the Pacific
Theatre as an officer. After the War, he returned to Eugene and, in
1947, graduated from the University of Oregon as a member of the Class
of '44, with a degree in Physical Education.
