Charleston-based Forest Technology Group awarded Hancock Timber contract

Forest Technology Group, a leader in information systems and decision support for forestry, has signed a five-year agreement to provide its web-based forestry information system to Hancock Timber Resource Group, timberland investment manager for institutional investors.

The agreement is an expansion of the companies’ business relationship. Forest Technology Group has previously used its forest planning expertise and state-of-the-art software to provide information that Hancock Timber uses in developing strategic and tactical forest management plans.

In addition, Hancock Timber will use FTG’s handheld computing tool for forestry. The system, mobile FRIS, enables foresters to take timber inventory data and associated aerial photography to the field and collect new geographic and timber inventory data for uploading into the main database—all on common handheld computers running Microsoft’s PocketPC operating system.

“Forest Technology Group has proven itself with expert analyses and data solutions to help the Hancock Timber Resource Group meet its needs,” says Bruce McKnight, director of forest operations and stewardship. “Their innovative systems and integrated decision support made FTG the best choice for information services that will facilitate our growth.”