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Since 1964, our company has been powered by people and relationships. We love conversations, connections, and we’d love to meet you.
Craig Johnston
President & CEO, FCTG
Craig Johnston
President & CEO, FCTG
Craig Johnston was appointed President and CEO on February 1, 2006. He was additionally appointed Chairman of the Board of Forest City Holdings on February 1, 2008. Craig has spent his entire career with Forest City, starting out as a trader trainee with American International Forest Products in May of 1981. Craig became manager of the Canadian lumber products and risk management group in 1986. In 1993 Craig was appointed Executive Vice President of AIFP and was named President in February of 1998.
In November of 2004, Craig helped lead a successful ESOP transaction resulting in the employee purchase of Forest City Trading Group from their longtime parent company Forest City Enterprises. Craig has led FCTG since 2006 as the company has grown into one of the largest diversified forest products companies in North America.
Craig is currently a Director on the advisory board of Mosaic Capital Partners, a private investment firm in Charlotte, NC. He also has served on the Board of Directors of charitable organizations in the Portland community supporting youth development, fish and wildlife conservation and arts advocacy.
Craig is a graduate of the University of Oregon College of Business Administration.
Dave Goodknight
Member, Board of Directors
Dave Goodknight
Member, Board of Directors
Dave Goodknight is a former KPMG partner with over forty years of business experience. While at KPMG he served both large public and small privately held companies. He has wide ranging experience from participating in public offerings to assisting smaller companies in day-to-day issues. After he left KPMG he was Senior Vice President of Finance for the North Pacific Group. In 2000 Dave formed Goodknight Consulting to provide counsel to businesses and executives. He also assisted companies in transition that needed an independent assessment of the business.
Dave has assisted numerous companies that value periodic, independent counsel. He specialized in the formation of first-time boards. Past Board assignments include The Ulven Companies, Mitchell Lewis Staver, Silver Eagle Manufacturing Company, Assessment Training Institute and Tech West Vacuum. He currently serves on the Board of Forest City Trading Group and has served since the employee purchase of the company. He has served on the Executive Committee and currently serves on both the Compensation and Audit Committees.
Dave has a BA from the University of Northern Iowa and currently lives in Mesa Arizona.
David Cox
President, Richmond International Forest Products, LLC
David Cox
President, Richmond International Forest Products, LLC
David Cox was appointed President of RIFP on Feb. 1 2012. David was hired in 1989 and spent the last 28 years with Forest City. David started the panel department at RIFP in 1990 and was appointed department manager in 1995. In 2010, David was named Vice President.
Prior to FCTG, David spent 8 years in the lumber industry with Union Camp Corp. David is also currently on the Board of Directors for NAWLA and FCTG.
Jon Curley
Member, Board of Directors
Jon Curley
Member, Board of Directors
Jon is CEO of ButcherJoseph Asset Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor in Charlotte, North Carolina that works with high net worth individuals, families and institutions, and President of Sable Capital, LLC, a registered broker-dealer also in Charlotte.
Jon has had a more than forty-year career including Executive Vice President and Life Division for one of the country’s largest life insurance companies, and trust and insurance division head for one of the nation’s top 5 banks responsible for more than $17 billion in assets under administration, and over $200 million in total revenue.
He has served as a director of United Way of King County, Washington where he was Chairman of the de Tocqueville Society major gifts campaign for 2012-13.
Jon is a graduate of Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts and Purdue University Pension and Profit Sharing Institute. He holds the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations from The American College.
Keith Butcher
Member, Board of Directors
Keith Butcher
Member, Board of Directors
Keith Butcher co-founded ButcherJoseph & Co. in 2011, a boutique middle market investment bank headquartered in St. Louis with locations in Charlotte, Chicago and Washington, DC.
Keith is also a founding partner at Mosaic Capital Partners, a $165 million private investment firm providing mezzanine debt and equity to middle market companies. Mosaic focuses on providing capital to ESOP-owned companies.
Prior to ButcherJoseph & Co., Keith served as Executive President of Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. and held a seat on the board of directors of the company. During his tenure, he successfully ran all day-to-day and strategic affairs for the company’s large, diversified distribution and manufacturing business. Under his leadership, the company successfully managed through the Great Recession and completed several M&A transactions from 2008 through 2010.
Keith joined Morgan Stanley & Co. in 2002, serving as an advisor to closely held businesses focused on middle market mergers and acquisition advisory services. Prior to that, Keith was an attorney with two noteworthy law firms practicing corporate tax, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and employee benefits law with a focus on ESOP transactions.
Keith has represented corporations, private equity groups, national and regional banks, and leveraged buyout groups as an investment banker or attorney in more than 100 merger and acquisition transactions. Throughout his career, Keith has served on a number of boards of directors, including Mosaic Capital Partners, Forest City Holdings, Purcell Tire and Rubber Co., Compact Power Equipment Centers, and Express Medical Transport.
Keith attended Bradley University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Business. Additionally, Keith earned a law degree from Wake Forest University.
Craig Johnston
President & CEO, FCTG
Craig Johnston
President & CEO, FCTG
Craig Johnston was appointed President and CEO on February 1, 2006. He was additionally appointed Chairman of the Board of Forest City Holdings on February 1, 2008. Craig has spent his entire career with Forest City, starting out as a trader trainee with American International Forest Products in May of 1981. Craig became manager of the Canadian lumber products and risk management group in 1986. In 1993 Craig was appointed Executive Vice President of AIFP and was named President in February of 1998.
In November of 2004, Craig helped lead a successful ESOP transaction resulting in the employee purchase of Forest City Trading Group from their longtime parent company Forest City Enterprises. Craig has led FCTG since 2006 as the company has grown into one of the largest diversified forest products companies in North America.
Craig is currently a Director on the advisory board of Mosaic Capital Partners, a private investment firm in Charlotte, NC. He also has served on the Board of Directors of charitable organizations in the Portland community supporting youth development, fish and wildlife conservation and arts advocacy.
Craig is a graduate of the University of Oregon College of Business Administration.
Derrick Coder
CFO, FCTG
Derrick Coder
CFO, FCTG
Mr. Coder is the Chief Financial Officer and manages the FCTG Structured Products Business. Mr. Coder has over 20 years of experience in accounting, finance, risk management and executive management in the commodity trading arena. He is a graduate of Washington State University with degrees in Accounting and Finance.
Prior to joining FCTG, Mr. Coder was the General Manager of Shell Energy’s Commercial and Industrial Gas and Power group in the western United States. Mr. Coder had been the Vice President of Risk Management for Avista Energy, prior to its sale to Shell Energy, where he led the company’s financial and commodity trading risk management group.
Mr. Coder began his career at Deloitte and Touche and was a Senior Manager in the Capital Markets group, where he focused on advising companies on trading and risk management practices in the commodity and energy trading industry.
Scott Elston
VP of Business Development, FCTG
Scott Elston
VP of Business Development, FCTG
Scott Elston joined FCTG in 2008. Scott has spent his entire career in the Wood Products industry. He started his career in 1989 with Willamette Industries, Inc. as a project accountant. Progressive roles at Willamette included Business Manager, Administrative Manager and ultimately the General Sales Manager for Wood Products of Willamette’s Southern Region. After Weyerhaeuser Company acquired Willamette in 2002, Scott worked on Marketing and Branding projects before becoming Vice President of National Accounts for Weyerhaeuser’s Wood Products division.
At FCTG, Scott’s focus is on growing the enterprise through current companies and businesses as well as looking at new opportunities, products and segments. Additionally, spending time on development and training of FCTG traders.
Scott is active in multiple industry trade associations and recently was the Chairman of North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA). He also works with charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Oregon Autism Society and St. Matthew Lutheran Church.
Scott is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA) with a business degree with concentration in Finance and Economics.
David Cox
President, Richmond International Forest Products, LLC
David Cox
President, Richmond International Forest Products, LLC
David Cox was appointed President of RIFP on Feb. 1 2012. David was hired in 1989 and spent the last 28 years with Forest City. David started the panel department at RIFP in 1990 and was appointed department manager in 1995. In 2010, David was named Vice President.
Prior to FCTG, David spent 8 years in the lumber industry with Union Camp Corp. David is also currently on the Board of Directors for NAWLA and FCTG.
David Porter
President, Southern Mississippi Trading, LLC
David Porter
President, Southern Mississippi Trading, LLC
David was appointed President of SMT on February 1st, 2016. David joined the SMT team on March 15th, 1985 as a trader specializing in southern hardwoods and SYP. David has worked closely with the industrial segment throughout his career. David was promoted to Group Leader of Sales on February 12th, 2002. A year later he was promoted again, this time to Sale Manager.
In addition to his duties as SMT President, David currently holds two additional positions – Trustee of a local trust fund and Timber and Land Manager of a second trust.
David is a graduate of the University of South Alabama, with a BS in Civil Engineering.
Gerry Pankratz
President, Olympic Industries, ULC
Gerry Pankratz
President, Olympic Industries, ULC
Gerry Pankratz was appointed President of Olympic Industries in 2008 and before this was Vice President since 2007. Gerry began his career at Olympic in 1998, and has spent more than 19 years with the Forest City Trading Group.
Among Gerry’s core responsibilities is driving Olympics’ global strategy – growing our trading platform and recognizing new business opportunities. In 2008, Olympic opened its Export Department and has since sold over 50,000 containers to 10+ countries. Our price discovery is globally driven through our mastery of import, export, and international logistics. Olympic continues to grow and is a leader in recruiting and training, giving people within the organization the tools to succeed.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Gerry has completed a number of courses in business and finance. His philanthropic efforts are showcased through Olympics’ numerous contributions from local sports teams, students, and athletes, to organizations such as the DTES Women’s Shelter, the Lookout Society, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity.
Jim Dermody
President, Seaboard International Forest Products, LLC
Jim Dermody
President, Seaboard International Forest Products, LLC
Jim has spent his entire career with Seaboard, starting out as a trader assistant in July 1994. While a member of the Canadian Spruce Department he created a specialty distribution business for the company before co-founding its Southern Yellow Pine division in 1999. In 2007 Jim was named Vice President and in 2010 became its President.
Jim has been a guest speaker at Boston College and UMASS-Boston sales and sales management courses, had articles published in industry trade journals, and served on the Boston NAWLA regional committee. Since 2010 he has volunteered for the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association as a USA Hockey certified coach.
Jim is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire holding a degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice.
Joe Brown
President, Tampa International Forest Products, LLC
Joe Brown
President, Tampa International Forest Products, LLC
Joe Brown was named president of Tampa International in February 2013. Joe joined Tampa as a trader trainee in May 1987. In 1992 Joe was appointed manager of the Southern Yellow Pine department where he grew SYP into Tampa’s largest department. In 1995 Joe was promoted to vice president of operations. Joe supports the industry through his involvement with NAWLA, MLMA, SLMA AND SFPA.
From 1979 to 1983 Joe served as a Platoon Sergeant in an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. Joe proudly served on the ground as a member of the Multi-National Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon.
Joe’s sense of community is demonstrated through Tampa International’s involvement and donations to many Hillsborough County based charities, the MS and Cystic Fibrosis foundations as well as multiple food drives annually in support of the Tampa chapter of Metropolitan Ministries.
John Vranizan
President, American International Forest Products, LLC
John Vranizan
President, American International Forest Products, LLC
John was appointed President in 2011. He has spent his entire trading career at American beginning in 1990. In addition to trading, he served on Forest City Trading Group Board of Directors as trader representative from 2009 to 2011.
John is a Graduate of the University of Oregon with a degree in Speech and Communications.
Matt Vaughan
President, Buckeye Pacific, LLC & Buckeye Mats
Matt Vaughan
President, Buckeye Pacific, LLC & Buckeye Mats
After graduating from the University of Maine in 1992, Matt got his start in the lumber business working for Jim Gillies Lumber in Gray, Maine. In April of 1995, he joined Forest City Trading Group as a lumber trader eventually became Vice President at Richmond International Forest Products where he spent 20 years.
Matt also spent 3 years serving on the Board of Directors with Forest City Trading Group as the Trader Representative. In March of 2015, he was appointed President of Buckeye Pacific and Buckeye Mats, moving his family out west to Portland, Oregon.
Shane Naish
President, Birmingham International Forest Products, LLC
Shane Naish
President, Birmingham International Forest Products, LLC
Shane was appointed President of Birmingham International Forest Products on February 1st, 2017. Shane began his career with BIFP in January 1996 as a trader trainee. In 2000 Shane became co-manager of the Southern Yellow Pine Department managing risk and training future traders.
Shane served as the trader representative on Forest City Trading Group’s board of directors from April 2015 to April 2017.
Tom Hamilton
President, Viking Forest Products, LLC and Viking Mats
Tom Hamilton
President, Viking Forest Products, LLC and Viking Mats
Tom Hamilton has been with Viking Forest Products his entire professional career. He started his career in the beginning of 2007 as the traffic coordinator at Viking and then moved in to a trading role at the end of that same year. Tom started trading lumber and industrial hardwood products and then went on to start the Viking Mat Division in 2009. He has helped grow the business into what is now one of the largest Matting companies in the country.
Tom is also an active supporter in Trouts Unlimited Minnesota Chapter as well as the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership nationally.
Tom has served as the FCTG Trader Representative to the Board of Directors since April of 2017.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Natural Resources.
