10/19/2026
Money doesn’t grow on trees, but forest products in Michigan contribute billions to the state’s economy!
You may know materials like lumber that are used to build our homes and much more come from Michigan trees, but did you know that without forest production, you wouldn’t have a cell phone?
How is that possible? The touch screen on the device you’re probably reading this post on comes from nanocellulose, which are microscopic wood particles found in tree bark across Michigan. So next time you put down your devices to go outside and “touch grass,” know that the forest that surrounds more than half the state helps you text your friends back.
Why care now? This week is Forest Products Week. It’s a nationally recognized time to appreciate and reinforce the importance of forestry across the country. In Michigan alone, forest products are a $27 billion industry. This makes it one of the most profitable industries in the state. Without it you can’t build your home, use toilet paper to wipe your butt, or wear some of the clothing in your wardrobe.
Forest products are all around us and the industry in Michigan only continues to grow. In the last decade, job opportunities have grown 4.2%. Now, approximately 42,477 Michiganders are employed through forest product operations.
So next time you’re frustrated that you’re stuck behind a logging truck on a two-lane highway, know that the products created by those trees touch every sector of our lives.
