We deliver custom-crafted forest management, due diligence, appraisal, analytics, and rural brokerage services, at scale, and on time.
Mission
FORECON Inc. is a team of knowledgeable forestry professionals using innovative, cutting-edge technology to help landowners, both small and large, achieve profitable and environmentally responsible natural resource management objectives.
Our Team
We're a multidisciplinary team of driven, creative women and men with technical expertise in forestry, natural resources, GIS database management, biometrics, appraisal, and engineering fields.
History
Now, celebrating our 70th year of service to our clients, we’re thankful and reflect on the contributions of our founder and early leaders.
Our Founder
FORECON, Inc. is the successor firm of “C.H. Bauer, Consulting Forester”, founded July 1, 1954. Curtis (Curt) Bauer graduated from the College of Forestry (now SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) in Syracuse NY. After various forestry jobs, Curt moved to western New York, and saw the need to start and lead his own professional forestry consulting firm, in Jamestown.
A true visionary, Curt constantly explored new technologies and learned any new forestry management concepts that developed, to better serve his growing client base. He continued to expand his reach with new office locations throughout New York and northwestern Pennsylvania, providing an increasing variety of forestry and natural resource consulting services. His professional forestry staff continued to grow, as did the need for administrative and technical support team members. Curt (and FORECON, which stands for FOrestry Recreation Ecology and CONservation) became nationally known as an expert in the forestry consulting field, respected by his peers across the country.
Forecon's Evolution
In 1991, after decades of providing expert consulting and leadership at Forecon, Curt sold the business to three of his employees; David Thomas (President), Ronald Johnson (Vice President), and John Gifford (Secretary-Treasurer). Though Curt stepped down from the grind of administering to the daily workings of the company, he stayed on as an advisor and Senior Forester, and remained a great help right up until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 80.
After some fits and starts, the new management was able to weather a significant downturn in the timber markets in the early 1990s and began expanding on the operational and geographic platforms that Curt had developed. In November of 1996, Dave suddenly and unexpectedly passed away, which was certainly a shock to so many people. Despite his untimely death, FORECON continued to stay on top of the technological advances that allowed foresters to provide better services to its clients. In the mid-late 1990s, the Timber Investment Management Organization (TIMO) sector began exploring the opportunity to expand their forestland investment portfolios that they managed for large institutional investors (pension/retirement funds, college endowments, and high net-worth individuals) into the hardwood regions of New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This offered the opportunity for FORECON to expand again.
Expansion in Eastern US
FORECON has continued to expand its services and areas of operation within the hardwood region of the eastern US. At the time of the first ownership transition in 1991, FORECON had 12 employees and two offices; Now led by four long-time employees and owners, Brian Bullard (President), Rick Constantino (Director of Operations), Brock Sanner (Director of Land Management), and Andy Johnson (Principal Engineer of EcoStrategies Engineering and Surveying, PLLC), we now employ over 40 full-time team members with a broad array of natural resource and technical disciplines, as well as 15+ seasonal team members each summer.
Our passion and drive is to serve forest landowners of all kinds, honoring their values and helping them realize their goals. It is FORECON’s pleasure to serve you, and to continue being a leader in balancing the needs of people and the environment. FORECON wishes to thank the clients and communities we serve. We’ve been blessed with a diverse, loyal clientele since 1954, and look forward to walking with you and serving your needs with innovation, drive and balance, for years to come.