November 2025 Newsletter: Projects, News & Events

Proposal Submitted!

The PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub officially submitted our FY25 EDA Tech Hubs Implementation Grant proposal. Our submission requests $33 million in federal funding to catalyze growth across three component projects that together will position our expanded region – Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana – as a global player in mass timber design, manufacturing and construction.

The three component projects are:

1. GROW

• Customer pipelines for new mass timber housing products and a revolving working capital fund
• Go-to-market strategies to increase penetration of mass timber in promising market subsectors: housing, healthcare, schools, industrial and military construction
• Institutional asset management firms engaged and mentored to build mass timber underwriting acumen
• Data gaps in the insurance industry addressed to bring premium costs in line with actual risk
• Underwriting tools created to support investments in resilient structures
• Building code and zoning outreach to cities and counties, to eliminate barriers to permitting and construction
• Policy barriers identified and addressed to support regulatory streamlining and incentivize greater use

2. Innovate

• Innovation Derisking Fund tol provide affordable technical testing and prototyping services at university labs and generate technical data to address market barriers and access new market segments
• Technology Commercialization Program to bring key technologies to market readiness in forest harvesting operations, mass timber manufacturing, construction and housing.
• Domestic Wood Supply Program to create reliable long-term fiber supply for mass timber, favorable investment conditions for sawmills, and reduced risks of wildfire risk and disease-related forest losses.
• Maker Space at Port of Portland’s Mass Timber Housing Innovation campus for flexible manufacturing, testing and product demonstrations.
• Product certification specialist and building code compliance consultants to assist companies to achieve quicker pathways to compliance and product launch.

3. Train

• Six regional workforce boards will deliver targeted outreach, training, and employment support to connect job seekers to quality careers in forestry, manufacturing, and construction
• Regional needs assessment conducted for forestry, manufacturing and construction in WA, ID, and MT resulting in a targeted action plan for curriculum deployment and workforce investment
• Curriculum developed, shared and delivered by community colleges across the region and “classroom on a trailer” program delivered to take specialized training tools to rural communities.
• Educator-focused professional development to integrate mass timber content into high school and community college curricula.
• Mass timber curriculum disseminated in high schools promoting careers of the future to school-age learners
• Mentored internship program offered to high school students.
• Online portal featuring career pathway information and populated with real-time job postings and training course catalogs.
  

Together, these projects will strengthen our region’s competitiveness, create high-quality jobs, and accelerate mass timber adoption across new and existing markets. Thank you to everyone who contributed insights, data, and energy to our proposal—your support made it possible!

NOFO at a Glance

Competition Structure

• Stage I Preliminary Applications: Nov. 7, 2025
• Stage II Comprehensive Applications: Feb. 18, 2026
• Awards Announced: Spring 2026
• Period of Performance: 24–60 months
  

Next Steps: Join us at our next monthly PNW MTTH stakeholder meeting Friday, December 5th to review proposal highlights, celebrate partners, and discuss how members can stay engaged as we prepare for EDA’s Spring 2026 award decisions.

PNW Regional Leadership

CA Delegation Visits OR

In October, a California delegation of industry and state leaders visited Oregon to learn from the state’s pioneering work in mass timber. The visit showcased Oregon’s national leadership, commitment to innovation, and collaborative approach—serving as a catalyst for knowledge-sharing and regional alignment across the West Coast. From trees to keys, the itinerary highlighted Oregon’s full supply chain approach and emphasized the transferable lessons as mass timber goes from niche to mainstream.

Grateful to Oregon hosts and partners: Oregon Department of Forestry, TallWood Design Institute, Port of Portland, Timberlab, LEVER Architecture, Swinerton, Fortis Construction, Homework Development, Freres Engineered Wood, Worksystems, Business Oregon, and Sustainable Northwest.

Hill Day

In October, members of the PNW Tech Hub met with congressional and federal agency representatives in Washington, DC to highlight regional mass timber progress and federal alignment opportunities. TDI’s Iain Macdonald and OSU federal government relations director Gabrielle Serra were joined by Tyler Freres, Freres Engineered Wood, and William Silva, Swinerton, on a lightning round of visits to all of Oregon’s congressional delegation and the offices of both Washington State senators. There was strong – and bipartisan – enthusiasm for the ideas in our proposal and their potential to create meaningful economic opportunities in both rural and urban communities.

Consultant-led Projects

Mass Timber Market Assessment‍

The Market Study is live! The study benchmarks regional demand, supply, and capacity to set five- and ten-year growth targets and guide future public and private investment in Oregon and Washington’s mass timber economy. On October 14, we hosted a virtual presentation walking through the key takeaways and findings.

Materials: Link to the recorded presentation is up on YouTube. The recording, slides, and market study document are also all live here on the Tech Hub website.

Events & Gatherings

Sauter Timber West Open House

1-4pm PT; December 4, 2025 Portland, OR

Join Sauter in celebrating the grand opening of their new mass timber fabrication facility at 3110 NW Campus Drive. Get a first look at the company’s state-of-the-art operations, commitment to sustainable manufacturing, and expanded role in advancing the regional mass timber market. Guests will hear a brief introduction to the project and the opportunities it creates for the Pacific Northwest’s growing timber economy. Register here.

Market Growth & Insights

AMZ Regional Market Report: Mass Timber at Mass Scale

Amazon enlisted nationwide experts to answer the question: How can we anchor our sourcing decisions in science and forest stewardship so we can spend our dollars wisely, honestly, and impactfully? The experts included ZGF Architects, Sustainable Northwest, Blackbriar Environmental LLC, New England Forestry Foundation, and Skanska. If Amazon starts sourcing mass timber to build warehouses, they could instantly become one of the largest single buyers of mass timber in the U.S. - potentially driving 10% of the entire market. “That kind of demand, if tied to ecological values and transparency, has the power to reshape the market,” said Paul Vanderford, senior director of wood markets for Sustainable Northwest.  Download the full report.

Department of Defense (DoD) Demand

Federal partners continue to identify applications for mass timber in defense and resilience projects. The Hub is tracking DoD interest and exploring pathways for adoption. This includes a 2025 Report to Congress, outlining regional innovation outcomes, federal collaboration, and investment leverage. Mass timber will need to scale significantly to meet the volume demands of military applications. Read the summary here for more takeaways and insights at a glance.

With funding provided by the US Economic Development Administration to Oregon State University, we are laying the foundation for our shared vision of a globally competitive industry in mass timber.

— The PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub Team

Marcus Kauffman, ODF, Tech Hub Regional Innovation Officer (RIO)

Iain Macdonald, OSU, Hub Director