Our roots run deep
We trace our history back to 1926, when the Rainier Pulp & Paper Company began operation in Washington State. Eleven years later, we emerged as a global leader. With three companies merging in 1937 to form Rayonier, we immediately became the single largest manufacturer of dissolving pulps in the world.
In 1931, when DuPont sought a process to purify hemlock pulp for use in the production of rayon, they turned to us, planting the seeds for a partnership that led to innovation and fueled Rayonier’s growth. In the years since, we’ve built and maintained our position as the leading provider of high-purity performance fibers.
When our country went to war in the 1940s, we played a major role in the war effort, producing nitrocellulose. And our enduring commitment to continuously improve our research and manufacturing operations has made us a leader in innovation, driving growth and attracting customers in 20 countries around the world.
Unlocking the potential for future growth
In 2014, Rayonier Inc. divided its land resources businesses from its performance fibers business, creating two independent publicly traded companies. Completion of the acquisition of Tembec represents the opening of yet another new chapter for our company. We are now a global forest products company with products ranging from lumber, paperboard and newsprint to high-yield pulp and high-purity cellulose. We have expanded our international footprint to include global manufacturing operations in Canada and France in addition to our U.S. operations. We have increased opportunities for innovation and product diversification. We are even better positioned for future growth.
Company Timeline
1926
1926
Rainier Pulp & Papers founded in Shelton, Washington1931
1931
Rainier Pulp & Paper teams up with DuPont to produce purified hemlock cellulose for use in the production of rayon fibers
1937
1937
Company begins public trading on the New York Stock Exchange after three mills in Washington merge to form Rayonier, a combination of the words Rayon and Mt. Rainier
1939
1939
Rayonier completes construction on its first cellulose specialties plant in the Southeast in Fernandina Beach, Florida
1942
1942
Company aids the war effort by producing nitrocellulose, a common explosive found in military munitions during WWII
1954
1954
Rayonier’s largest cellulose specialties plant, and second in the Southeast, opens in Jesup, Georgia
1974
1974
Jesup plant expansion makes it the largest kraft pulp production facility in the world
1996
1996
Rayonier moves its research division to a new state-of-the-art facility in Jesup
2014
2014
Rayonier separates its land resources businesses from its performance fibers business, creating two independent, publicly traded companies. The performance fibers business becomes known as RYAM
2017
2017
RYAM acquires Tembec, creating a diversified global leader in high-purity cellulose, packaging, paper, high-yield pulp and forest products.
2019
2019
RYAM sells their Matane, Quebec, pulp mill to Sappi Limited.
2022
2022
Rayonier Advanced Materials undergoes a corporate rebrand to highlight our commitment to a sustainable and renewable future shaped, in part, by the emerging “bio-economy”. Under the new name “RYAM” and the tagline ‘‘Pure Nature, Pure Science’’, the company’s growth is focused on finding transformative and sustainable products to meet the demands of an ever discerning and increasingly socially and environmentally conscious market.