Team Pennsylvania Selected As Key Partner in Great Lakes Mass Timber Collaborative

USDA Forest Service investment will advance regional manufacturing, supply chain development and economic opportunities

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Aug. 20, 2026 — Team Pennsylvania has been selected as a key partner in the next phase of the Great Lakes Mass Timber Collaborative (GLMTC), an eight-state initiative working to strengthen the regional mass timber economy by better connecting forest resources, manufacturers and consumers.

The work is supported by a recently awarded USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Grant for Phase II of the collaborative, led by Minnesota-based Dovetail Partners. The initiative brings together partners across Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota to build a more coordinated and competitive mass timber ecosystem across the region.

As part of the next phase, Team Pennsylvania will co-lead the Collaborative’s Coordinated Economic Development Workgroup, working with partners to identify manufacturing opportunities, strengthen connections across the supply chain and advance a more coordinated regional approach. 

“Pennsylvania is positioned to be a leader in the growing mass timber economy by connecting our forest resources, manufacturing expertise, workforce and innovation assets,” said Abby Smith, president & CEO of Team Pennsylvania. “The Great Lakes Mass Timber Collaborative is the kind of partnership that can turn that opportunity into action. By working across state lines and bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia, we can establish lasting economic opportunities.”

Team Pennsylvania enters with Pennsylvania-specific research already underway. With support from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Team Pennsylvania is conducting a hardwood mass timber supply & demand analysis to better understand the commonwealth’s hardwood resources, existing and potential markets, manufacturing capacity and opportunities for growth.

The Great Lakes Mass Timber Collaborative was founded in 2024 and brings together leaders from across the mass timber value chain. Its work focuses on priorities including supply chain development, manufacturing expansion, workforce training and technical assistance for mass timber projects.

The new USDA Forest Service investment will support coordinated supply-chain mapping, technical assistance for emerging projects, feasibility analysis for manufacturing expansion, including hardwood mass timber products and the development of shared tools and case studies.

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To get involved with Team Pennsylvania, visit teampa.com or email info@teampa.com.

For media inquiries, contact news@teampa.com.

Team Pennsylvania is a statewide nonprofit working to accelerate Pennsylvania’s long-term economic future. As the commonwealth’s trusted public-private partnership, we bring together leaders from business, government, nonprofits, organized labor, and academia to solve big challenges and seize transformational opportunities.