PRT was founded in 1988 in response to a privatization initiative by the government of British Columbia. The company, then known as Pacific Regeneration Technologies Inc., was born from the efforts of a diverse group of employees who, together, purchased six forest seedling nurseries from the province.
Starting from scratch
The original core employees of PRT started with a vision and a business plan. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of PRT’s team, PRT grew from six to ten nurseries, doubled production to 90 million seedlings, and tripled its sales in just a decade.
Building the PRT team
One of the initial challenges was our decentralized structure. Most businesses start out in one location and then gradually expand, but PRT started with six completely different groups of people in six far-flung locations. We quickly learned how to bring these sites together to work seamlessly for our customers. We now have a network of nurseries in Canada and the United States that offer the benefits of a local knowledge along with the experience and resources of a large forest nursery company.
Adapting to change
In 1987, the forest companies in Canada were required to take responsibility for replanting newly logged public land. The companies began to demand higher quality trees and container-grown seedlings, as these were easier to plant and performed better in the field. With a focus on container grown seedlings and through continuous innovation, PRT has grown to become the largest forestry seedling in North America.
Achieving a five-billion seedling milestone
In 2022, PRT celebrates its 34th year in business, having grown over five billion forest seedlings in North America. Reaching this milestone took vision, leadership and hard work. It also required ingenuity. From big innovations to small improvements, our employees found better ways to manage risks and to capture opportunities for customers.
