Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 8

73 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 8 EVERGREEN FOREST PRODUCTS INC . for Evergreen. “Before the pandemic, we never really thought about what we do as a company,” shares Edwards. “We considered ourselves just a trucking company. However, when the governor of Alabama deemed our business an essential service, it cast our business in a different light which made us all really proud. One moment we were just truckers, and the next we were considered a vital component in the state’s economic network that ensures wood products like tissue and paper remain available.” In addition to this welcomed company classification, Evergreen also experienced a surge in business in 2020, as the industry rebounded from the previous year’s slow down. Further growth and expansion are in the cards as Evergreen strategizes for the future. Part of this growth includes Edwards handing over the reins to Hall, who is taking over the company leadership and has grand plans for the company. “A lot is changing in our industry, especially around technologies like electric vehicles, autonomous trucks, and artificial intelligence,” says Hall. “Although most of that tech must be vetted first, they do represent exciting prospects for our business and the entire industry. Our classification as an essential business is not going away any time soon, as the number of paper products needed increases. We have a good business model, and we will continue looking for ways to be more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly, so we can keep getting the essential products to where they are needed through a hauling process done right.”