OFO Plantations completes management team

Forestry group OneFortyOne Plantations has finalised its Australian management team with the appointment of its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Mr Owen Trumper has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) while Ms Julie Connors has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The appointments follow that of Ms Linda Sewell, who was named Chief Executive Officer in April this year.

Mr Trumper was previously General Manager of HVP Plantations and has extensive expertise in such areas as contract harvesting, distribution, processing and sales in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as in managing forest nurseries.

Ms Connors was previously Accounting Manager for The Campbell Group, based in Portland, Oregon and was responsible for accounting and reporting for all international portfolios held by TCG.

Ms Sewell said today the appointments complete the management transition process for OFO, which was formed last year by TCG following the purchase of the forward rotations of more than 110,000 hectares of forestry assets in the Green Triangle region of South Australia.

The plantations were previously owned and managed by the government of South Australia and are known to be among the highest-quality softwood plantations in Australia.

Ms Sewell said OFO’s operations were now being run from Australia, although TCG  continued to provide management oversight and advisory services.

“We have put together a very strong management team that has extensive forestry expertise gathered from around the world,” she said.

“We are optimistic that the forestry industry, especially in the south east of South Australia, has a very strong future.”

Forestry management of the assets is currently being undertaken by ForestrySA as a condition of the purchase agreement.