Five forestry companies from the Southeast make up the inaugural cohort of the Alabama Forestry Accelerator. The accelerator aims to increase technology and business innovation in the forestry industry.
Forestry in Alabama generates an estimated $36 billion in annual economic impact, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. The state ranks fourth in lumber production and second in pulp and paper production.
The Alabama Forestry Accelerator is hosted in Dothan’s Wiregrass Innovation Center, in partnership with HudsonAlpha Wiregrass. The accelerator has partnered with gener8tor, a startup accelerator, and Grow Southeast Alabama, a regional economic development organization. The seven-week accelerator brings startups together to tackle forestry challenges.
“Alabama already has the industry strength to lead in forestry innovation, and this program is about putting that advantage to work,” said Justise Black, gener8tor’s program manager for the accelerator. “By connecting these founders with landowners, operators and industry leaders across the 11 counties in the Wiregrass and Southeast Alabama region, we’re helping them refine and scale solutions in real forestry environments while strengthening an industry critical to the state’s economy.”
The five companies making up the inaugural class are:
Chonex, of Baldwin County, converts agricultural and industry byproducts into biofertilizers that rebuild topsoil and improve crop resilience.
Contreras Forestry, in Birmingham, is building upon 30 years of reforestation and utility forestry operations by developing new product and technology.
Druid, based in Huntsville and Charlotte, North Carolina, developed SERRA, a patented smart camera system that monitors plant health 24/7 using visual, infrared and night-vision technology.
Shellulose, in Auburn, transforms pecan shells into a biodegradable alternative to traditional plastics by repurposing agricultural and forestry-adjacent waste streams.
TreeTracker, of Starkville, Mississippi, provides a mobile and web-based forest management platform that is designed for foresters, landowners and contractors.
“These companies understand that effective forestry innovation starts with the people who work the land every day,” said Al Jones, senior economic development representative at the Alabama Forestry Commission.
The program will culminate in a showcase on April 28 at 5 p.m. at the Wiregrass Innovation Center. To register for the event, visit here.
