Family-owned, value-added Canadian re-manufacturer, serving wholesalers across North America
A family legacy of lumber since 1912.
1912
Ralph Alexander Green, born January 13, 1881, moved from St. Thomas ON. to Vancouver Island, BC around the year 1900. He created custom millwork furniture, such as bank desks and church pews. In the early 1910s R.A. Green purchased land outside of the City of Victoria. The land was roughly a square block on Douglas Street, and he built a large factory building with some outbuildings on the property. This allowed him to expand his work and take on larger projects such as the interiors of schools, offices, hotels etc.
1925
The building was completed on the property in 1925. In the same year, R.A. Green and his brother, John R. Green, incorporated the business, naming it R.A. Green Lumber Co. Maurice, R.A. Green’s son, also began working for the company in 1925. Only a few years later, in 1929, R.A. Green’s other son, Lawrence, also joined the family business. In the early 1930s, R.A. Green began to purchase lots in the City of Victoria and built small, affordable houses to rent or sell, using the slogan “Houses for sale on easy terms”
1930
In the early 1930s, R.A. Green Lumber Co started working with the Royal Canadian Navy to supply scaffolding, yellow cedar for boat building and red cedar/ clear fir for framing boats. In the same time period, R.A. Green Lumber Co also took contracts with hotels, creating custom furniture and mouldings. He continued to develop his houses for sale as well, and by the 1950s, the business had begun to change.
1950
After the end of the second world war, R.A. Green Lumber Co transitioned into primarily creating custom interior furnishings for homes. They specialized in corner cupboards, bedroom furniture, kitchens, flooring and moldings. In 1952, Ralph Alexander Green retired, leaving his two sons, Lawrence and Maurice in charge. In the 1950s, Lawrence’s son, Jim Green, began working for R.A. Green Lumber Co. In the 1960’s, the market began to shift away from custom wood furnishings and move towards cheaper materials. At the same time, the brothers realized the value of their land and began to think about selling.
1966
Tragically, in 1966, after over 30 years of the brothers working together, Lawrence Green died. In 1967, his son, Jim Green, moved to Vancouver and by 1968 Jim was working as a lumber trader. In 1970, he was recruited to a company in Portland, where he worked, learned, and developed his skills for 3 years. In the meantime, back in Victoria, Maurice had decided to close R.A. Green Lumber Co, and in the early 1970s, he sold the land to a GMC dealership, which is still there today. In 1973 Jim Green moved back to Vancouver and began working for a lumber wholesale office.
1988
In 1988, Jim found his true professional niche when he began developing specialized Tongue and Groove (T&G) knotty pine lumber. What started as a singular custom order for one customer quickly evolved into a dedicated business venture: Pacific Pine. The company built its reputation on the pillars of consistency and premium quality, filling a gap in the market for reliable T&G pine.
1995
The business entered a new era of growth in 1995 when Jim’s son, Stuart Green, joined the team. Stuart brought a fresh perspective to the family business, identifying significant untapped potential within the United States. By leveraging the company’s reputation for excellence, he successfully cultivated a much broader American clientele, transitioning Pacific Pine from a local specialist into a respected international supplier.
2010
The year 2010 marked a significant milestone for the family as Jim moved back to Vancouver Island, bringing the heart of the operation back to its roots. This transition kicked off a decade of intensive collaboration between father and son. Over the next ten years, Jim and Stuart worked side-by-side to navigate the evolving industry, combining Jim’s deep technical knowledge of the product with Stuart’s strategic market reach. Together, they focused on expanding their client base while refusing to compromise on the standards that defined the brand. Even as they scaled the business to reach new heights, they remained committed to delivering the consistently top-quality product that Pacific Pine customers had come to expect. Their partnership ensured that the company not only grew in size but also in its reputation for reliability across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
2022
After years of running the business under the umbrella of Olympic Industries, Jim and Stuart decided to take their business fully private. In honour of the past generations of Green men who worked so hard in this industry, Jim and Stuart re-instated the R.A. Green Lumber name. They expanded to more products and began to service a wider variety of customers, creating new relationships and opportunities for the “new” company.
2025
In January of 2025, Stuart’s son Taylor Green joined the business, marking the 5th generation of men involved in R.A. Green Lumber. With a combined 90 years of experience in the lumber industry, Jim, Stuart, and Taylor continue to honour the pillars of R.A. Green Lumber, creating high quality products and long standing customer relationships, while pushing to innovate and navigate the changing landscape within the lumber industry.
Proud partners with industry leaders.
