Built on Timber, Driven by Engineering
Boise Cascade was founded in 1957 through the merger of the Boise Payette Lumber Company and the Cascade Lumber Company — two Pacific Northwest timber businesses with roots going back to the early 1900s. What began as a dimensional lumber operation has evolved into North America's most comprehensive engineered wood products manufacturer.
Our engineered wood division — Boise Cascade Building Products — produces the BCI® Joists, VERSA-LAM® LVL beams, and structural panel systems that form the structural backbone of residential and commercial construction across the continent. Unlike dimensional lumber, our products are manufactured to precise engineering specifications, with each batch tested against APA and ICC-ES standards before it leaves the mill.
We are not the lowest-cost supplier. We are the supplier that builders call when dimensional consistency, verifiable load data, and technical support matter more than price per board-foot. That positioning reflects a deliberate choice we've made over 65 years: compete on engineering quality, not commodity pricing.
We acknowledge that engineered wood products are not appropriate for every application. They require dry installation conditions, proper storage off the ground, and prompt sheathing after framing. Where those conditions can be met, our products consistently outperform dimensional lumber on deflection, span capability, and callback rates.
- 1957 Boise Cascade founded through merger of two Pacific Northwest lumber companies.
- 1986 First engineered I-joist production lines commissioned in response to declining old-growth timber availability.
- 2004 Company restructures; Building Products division established as primary growth segment.
- 2013 IPO on NYSE; capital raised deployed into engineered wood manufacturing capacity expansion.
- 2019 Full FSC Chain of Custody certification achieved across all major manufacturing sites.
- 2023 Carbon-neutral manufacturing roadmap published; 2035 target announced.
