A legacy of integrity, a future built on values
Thoughtful leadership. Sustainability at the core. Exceptional products. Unshakable integrity. A true sense of family. These aren’t just words at Columbia Forest Products—they’re the foundation of how the company operates, innovates, and grows. As the largest manufacturer of hardwood veneer and hardwood plywood in North America, Columbia’s values don’t just define their culture—they guide every decision, including how they acquire and integrate new businesses.
Challenge: Manual, spreadsheet-based M&A tracking that couldn’t keep up with growing complexity.
Solution: Midaxo’s purpose-built M&A CRM with Outlook integration.
Results: A more connected, efficient pipeline—and a stronger path for legacy-driven growth.
Purpose-driven growth through M&A
For Rick Brewer, Vice President of Corporate Development, growth isn’t about chasing deals for fast flips or short-term gains—it’s about preserving legacies and deepening community.
“We look for small, values-aligned companies—$2 to $10 million in revenue—where owners care deeply about their people and their legacy,” Rick explains. “Our promise is simple: your business finds a long-term home, and your employees become part-owners, not just staff.”
This commitment to stewardship and continuity has helped Columbia become a trusted acquirer—known for doing right by people, not just numbers.
From spreadsheets to scalability
For a long time, Rick’s team managed their deal pipeline in spreadsheets. But with increasing deal volume and complexity, it became clear: spreadsheets couldn’t keep up.
“We were hammering everything into spreadsheets,” Rick said. “It was clunky, time-consuming, and error-prone. We needed something purpose-built—and that’s exactly what we found in Midaxo.”
Transforming collaboration with Outlook integration
Columbia’s team is small, remote, and constantly in motion. Communication happens primarily through email, which made Midaxo’s seamless Outlook integration a game-changer.
“The Outlook plug-in brings our email communication directly into our deal pipeline,” Rick said. “Now, everyone on the team has full visibility into every conversation—no digging, no confusion, no missed messages.”
This shift brought instant clarity and efficiency, turning fragmented communication into a unified workflow.
Technology that adapts to people, not the other way around
Rick didn’t just need power—he needed simplicity. And despite the power under the hood, Midaxo remains refreshingly user-friendly.
“Midaxo is incredibly intuitive,” he said. “We may not be the most tech-savvy team out there, but this platform works for us. No steep learning curve. No unnecessary complexity. Just tools that let us focus on deals, not admin.”
The results: stronger relationships, more efficient processes, better deals
Since adopting Midaxo, Columbia Forest Products has achieved a more connected and scalable M&A process—without compromising the people-first philosophy that defines its success.
“We’re not just buying companies,” Rick said. “We’re giving business owners peace of mind that their people will be taken care of—and treated like family.”
By aligning modern tools with timeless values, Columbia has built an M&A engine that’s not only faster and more effective—but also deeply human.
