Marion Plywood

Marion Plywood was started in 1894 by two Danish immigrants, Peter C. Rogers and Peter Johnson, to cut Wood Excelsior.  About 1900, they gave up on their plans to add a sawmill because they didn't think there was enough timber left to keep a sawmill going; instead they added round veneer cheese boxes to their product line because they needed the trim scraps for boiler fuel.  In the early years, things were so tough that Peter Rogers worked out as a millwright and saw filer to earn money to send back to Peter Johnson to keep the mill going.

Peter's son, Emory Rogers, joined the firm in 1919 after serving in Word War I.  Emory's sons, Tom and Jim Rogers joined the firm after serving in World War II.  Tom's son, Peter T. Rogers, (the fourth generation of Rogers) joined the firm after his graduation from college in 1974, and is now the company president.

Under the guidance of Tom, Jim, and Peter, and with the hard work and dedication of the people working at Marion Plywood Corporation, the plant has grown from a few old unheated wood buildings, with 18 workers in 1950, making only Excelsior and cheese boxes, to its present size, work force, and diversified line of products.

Today our plywood is used in hardwood floor panels, window parts, drums, and pianos, just to name a few.

Through Marion Plywood Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, Great Lakes Veneer, Inc., wood veneers are used by flooring manufacturers, furniture manufacturers, door and window manufacturers, and countless other plywood finished goods.