About Us

At FBN, we help forest product businesses grow and prosper. Period.

Our company is built on decades of experience in the industry and our passion for helping others create successful forest product businesses is second to none. FBN helps produce the following:

Our Team

Craig Rawlings, President & CEO, has more than 30 years experience in the forest products industry. As a “serial entrepreneur,” Craig has started and ran several successful construction and forest product-related businesses, culminating with Forest Business Network. Craig’s highlights include:

  • Recognized as a national expert and leader in under-utilized timber and woody biomass.

  • Technical consultation of more than a hundred local and regional businesses from his home base of Missoula, Montana. Craig was recently the lead forest business consultant for the BitterRoot Economic Development District and the Forest Business Technical Assistance Project, which served regional forest product companies in Western Montana.

  • Helped numerous companies acquire a total of over $10 million in forest and biomass-related grants to grow their businesses. Learn more about Craig’s grant work in this interview.

  • Direct experience with bank and private equity financing for entrepreneurial businesses.

  • Nearly a decade of experience maintaining communication between power purchasers, manufacturers, and consultants.

  • Regularly works with the country’s top energy consulting companies.

  • Extensive experience creating industry whitepapers and other custom reports, including the milestone 82-page study entitled Developing a Business Case for Sustainable Biomass Generation: A Regional Model for Western Montana.

  • Received numerous industry awards, including the 2010 Montana Wood Products Association Communicator of the Year Award, the 2010 Society of American Foresters (Missoula Chapter) Citizen of the Year Award, and more.

Arnie Didier, Chief Operating Officer, has extensive experience in finance, management and marketing for some of the largest forest products companies in the United States. Arnie leads the sales efforts for the International Mass Timber Conference. Arnie also has considerable experience in supply chain management for the forest industry and holds a BS degree in Forest Products Management from Southern Illinois University.

Tom Waddell, VP of Marketing & Sales, specializes in internet marketing, and also has a wide-range of experience in sponsorship, copywriting, and event and project management. Tom manages the International Mass Timber Conference. In addition, Tom has managed the ad campaigns for a $45M non-profit (focused on conservation and forest restoration) and been lead on fulfillment for almost $1M in sponsorship and outreach programs. He also served as the account point person for a $1M+ client at one of Montana’s largest marketing agencies. Tom holds a BS degree in Marketing from the University of Montana.

David Parcell, VP of Communications, has over 30 years of experience in marketing and communications including almost 20 years running his own agency providing market research, strategic planning, public relations, advertising, promotions and a variety of other communications related services for a wide array of clients including big brand companies such as Black and Decker, Campbell’s Soup, Kraft General Food, and Pillsbury. Moving to Missoula Montana in 2005, David took over marketing and communications responsibility for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation where he became engaged in issues related to conservation, forest health, and forest products. Still involved in forest issues, David is on the Board of the National Museum of Forest Service History.

Julie Parmley, Customer Service Manager, serves as lead for International Mass Timber Conference registration, customer service, and sponsorship fulfillment.

Paul Toussaint heads up the international sales for the International Mass Timber Conference and is also the lead consultant on our used equipment brokerage service.