Who is Ernslaw?

Thanks to the foresight of our founders, we have the most diverse asset base and are the largest grower of Douglas-fir in New Zealand. We employ 80 staff and have a contractor workforce of around 400 whom we consider part of the family.

We are passionate about striving to be the best in everything we do – from helping our people succeed and delivering long term value to our stakeholders, to embracing the communities we call neighbours and caring for the land we are privileged to be guardians of.

Ernslaw One is part of the Oregon Group, owned by the Malaysian based Tiong family, along with its subsidiary company and processing arm, Winstone Pulp International, situated in the Central North Island, which undertakes lumber and pulp manufacturing.

Thomas Song, a senior executive of the Tiong family business, came to New Zealand in 1990 to assess opportunities for a new forestry company. At this time the Crown was selling off state-owned forests.

Ernslaw One was formed later that year when it purchased the cutting rights to a number of state forests in the Coromandel, Southern North Island, and Otago. It also purchased the Conical Hill sawmill near Tapanui which was renamed Blue Mountain Lumber.

Expansion continued in three main areas, being Gisborne, Southern North Island and Otago-Southland.

Our People

As a family-owned business, there is a strong emphasis on loyalty, long term relationships and a commitment to each other to support, share and keep ourselves and others safe.