CatchMark Timber Trust Inc.

CatchMark Timber Trust Inc. ("CatchMark") is a real estate investment trust focused exclusively on timberland ownership and management. Headquartered in Atlanta, CatchMark began operations in 2007 and owns interests in 1.5 million acres throughout the United States. of timberlands located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. CatchMark is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CTT
== Properties ==
As of June 30, 2020, the company owns interests in 1.5 million acres of timberlands located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. All of the company’s fee timberlands, excluding those subject to a contract for sale, are certified sustainable by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI). 
== History ==
CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc., formerly known as Wells Timberland REIT, Inc., was incorporated in Maryland in 2005 and commenced operations in 2007.  In 2013, Wells Timberland REIT became self-advised, changed its name to CatchMark Timber Trust, and listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol CTT.
At the time of NYSE listing, CatchMark owned interests in approximately 280,000 acres of timberland located on the Lower Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plains of East Central Alabama and West Central Georgia. 
The company’s brand was derived from the term "catchmark" used in logging. A catchmark refers to the “branding” at the end of cut logs to ensure easy ownership identification of high-quality timber. Catchmarks were especially critical when multiple logging companies were cutting timber in the same forest and floating logs downriver for sorting and distribution to different mills.  In the early days of logging, catchmarks were cut into logs by axe or pounded in using branding hammers. Catchmarks are still in use today but may be in the form of barcodes or other identification symbols.
In 2014, CatchMark acquired approximately 121,500 acres of prime timberland throughout the Southern fiber basket, expanding its timberland holdings by 44%. 
In June 2016, CatchMark closed on its single, largest timberlands purchase since its listing on the NYSE—the acquisition of 51,700 acres of prime timberlands in South Carolina for $100.7 million. The acquisition of the Carolinas Midlands III timberlands expands the company's total acreage in the U.S. South to 480,400 acres. 
In April 2017, CatchMark formed a joint venture with the Missouri Department of Transportation & Patrol Retirement System (MPERS), which acquired 11,031 acres of timberlands in North Georgia. Under terms of the 50-50 joint venture with MPERS, CatchMark will be the fiduciary for the public pension fund's investment and will manage the timberlands.
In October 2017, CatchMark acquired 14,923 acres of prime timberlands near the southeast coast of Georgia for $43.3 million.
In July 2018, CatchMark completed the acquisition of 1.1 million acres of prime East Texas timberlands for approximately $1.39 billion in a joint venture with a consortium of institutional investors.  The transaction was one of the largest U.S. timberlands transactions of the past decade. The joint venture — operating as Triple T Timberlands — is a CatchMark-managed affiliate.  This transaction tripled CatchMark’s number of acres under its control and management to approximately 1.6 million acres and expanded its fee-based asset management business.   
In August 2018, CatchMark marked its entrance into the Pacific Northwest with the acquisition of 18,063 acres of  Oregon timberlands for $88.8 million. The are situated within the Douglas fir/western hemlock zone between the Coos Bay markets and Roseburg mills approximately 150 miles southwest of Portland.  
In February 2020, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp honored CatchMark as a 2010 partner in the state’s Forestry for Wildlife Partnership, a program administered by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.
In June 2020, CatchMark announced that its Triple T joint venture had amended its wood supply agreement with Georgia-Pacific WFS LLC (Georgia-Pacific) intended to achieve market-based pricing on timber sales.  
== Corporate Governance ==
Brian M. Davis serves as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of CatchMark.
In June 2020, Douglas D. Rubenstein succeeded Willis J. Potts, Jr., as chairman.
Five out of six Board of Director members are independent directors.
== References ==
== External links ==
* CatchMark Timber Trust (official website)
 
Category: Atlanta timberland ownership 
Category: Atlanta timberland management