Beginnings

When Neumann sold Swanson Fuel to John Leber in 1994, the company employed 20 people. Under Leber's guidance, the name was changed to Swanson Bark & Wood Products, Inc., the workforce has grown to 100 plus employees, and Swanson has been transformed from a small, locally focused business into a nationally recognized entity that distributes its products throughout the United States. more about John -->

During the mid-'90s, Swanson initiated an urban wood program that placed drop boxes at sawmills, cabinet shops, and construction sites. The collected material is sold as fuel, firewood or processed and marketed to pressboard and particleboard manufacturers as furnish.

Walking floor (or live floor) trailers were soon added to make off-loading of materials easier and the company's product line has expanded to include a wide range of rock, soil mixtures, landscaping materials, and gardening accessories, as well as 10 different types of bark in retail.  The variety of bark made for wholesale customers continues to grow yearly.  Learn more about our bark -->

The makeover continued in 1997 with the addition of a bag plant that allows Swanson to package custom soil mixes and bark grinds for wholesale clients. A blower truck was purchased in 1999, giving customers the opportunity to have playground materials, bark products, and sawdust blown directly onto flowerbeds and recreational areas or into stalls and arenas. The blower truck has hose that will reach up to 300 feet.

In 2001, Swanson Bark & Wood Products moved from Talley Way (where they had run out of room) to a 20-acre site on Tennant Way in Longview, Washington, where the company continues to grow (it now occupies 68 acres). In 2010 a rail line spur was added to increase shipping capability and broaden Swanson's reach into markets outside of the Pacific Northwest.