WholeTrees

Transforming Forest Resources Into Sustainable Building Solutions

Across rural Maine, a new kind of forest-based innovation is taking root, and WholeTrees Structures is leading that shift with sustainable building materials sourced directly from regional forests. The company transforms Solid Structural Timber into durable, high-value components for architects and commercial builders nationwide. 

Their work addresses a long-standing challenge in rural forest communities: the loss of access to high-value timber markets and the economic decline that follows. WholeTrees is helping reverse that trend by creating modern uses for timber that retain the natural strength and beauty of the tree.

Solid Structural Timber refers to large, single pieces of wood used as structural elements in construction. It retains the tree’s natural strength and grain rather than gluing and reassembling pieces, giving new life to material often treated as waste. 

WholeTrees has spent nearly two decades applying this resource in commercial projects across the country, including zoo habitats, large and small playscapes, and custom installations for public spaces. Recent examples include the Smithsonian Zoo’s Panda Habitat and the Children’s Museum of the East End’s new natural playground.

Opening a new facility in Ashland, Maine in early 2024 marked an important milestone. The team transferred operational knowledge from its Wisconsin headquarters, integrated advanced digital tools, and began sourcing Solid Structural Timber from regional forests. MTI’s funding and MERC support helped accelerate that ramp-up by strengthening operations, expanding the sales and marketing team, and securing legal and storytelling resources to establish their Maine presence.

That investment has already produced measurable results. The company added 15 new jobs in Aroostook County, with projections to exceed 40 by 2028. Their east coast sales funnel grew more than 30% in the first year of the Maine facility opening, and revenue continues to increase steadily.

As demand for sustainable building materials expands, WholeTrees is positioned to scale Solid Structural Timber into new markets while contributing to the strength and resilience of Maine’s forest-based economy.