Inside New Brunswick’s Forest Economy: A Conversation with JDI’s Jason Limongelli

Our guest on this episode of the Insights Podcast is Jason Limongelli, Vice President, Woodlands Division with JD Irving, Limited. The forest products industry is the most important driver of economic activity in New Brunswick, generating nearly a billion dollars in tax and royalty revenue in 2024 and supporting one out of every 17 jobs in the province. Despite its importance, most people don’t really understand how it works. How many trees get cut down every year? How long does it take for a tree to reach full maturity? How many trees are planted each year? What does it mean to manage a Crown Land license? Jason answers all these questions and more. He also tells us about JDI. Known in New Brunswick as one of the largest companies in the province, it turns out the company competes with much larger global firms when selling its wood and paper products. Jason explains how JDI competes with these industrial behemoths. Finally, we chat about the future of the industry and having a +50-year business plan.