NAICS 113210 Quarterly Industry Report
Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 113210Sector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 113210 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing forest nursery operations and non-timber forest product gathering enterprises. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from USDA Forest Service[5] reforestation statistics, USDA NASS[6] nursery crop production reports, and SBA size standards[9] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for forest nursery and wild-harvest businesses.
Industry Definition & Overview
Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (NAICS 113210) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in growing trees for reforestation purposes and gathering forest products such as gums, barks, balsam needles, rhizomes, fibers, Spanish moss, ginseng, and truffles. This classification covers two distinct operational segments: commercial forest tree nurseries producing seedlings and transplant stock for reforestation programs, and wild-harvest operations collecting non-timber forest products from natural stands. The U.S. Census Bureau[4] distinguishes these operations from ornamental nursery production (NAICS 111421) and maple sap gathering (NAICS 111998), which fall under separate crop farming classifications.
Forest tree nurseries serve both public and private sector reforestation demand, producing billions of seedlings annually for timber companies, state forestry agencies, and federal land management programs. The USDA Forest Service[5] coordinates national reforestation priorities and tracks seedling production capacity across federal, state, and private nursery operations. Non-timber forest product gathering generates revenue through wild-harvested botanicals including ginseng, goldenseal, ramps, mushrooms, and decorative greenery such as boughs, moss, and ferns sold to pharmaceutical, food, and floral distribution channels.
Business valuations for forest nursery operations must account for production capacity measured by seedling output, cold storage and greenhouse infrastructure, irrigation systems, established seed source contracts, and customer concentration across public and private buyers. Wild-harvest operations present unique valuation challenges including permit and lease arrangements on public lands, sustainable harvest yield estimates, and seasonal labor force management. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service[6] tracks nursery crop production statistics that inform comparable transaction analysis for these specialized enterprises.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for forest nursery and wild-harvest operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across seedling production, reforestation stock, and non-timber forest product segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 113210
- Comparable transaction data from recent forest nursery sales, wild-harvest operation transfers, and gathering permit valuations
- Market analysis covering reforestation seedling demand, botanical wild-harvest products, and decorative greenery segments
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for nursery technicians, seasonal planting crews, and wild-harvest gathering workers
- Industry risk assessment including seedling mortality rates, weather exposure, permit dependency, and seasonal revenue concentration
- Regulatory compliance overview covering seed certification standards, wild-harvest permits, and endangered plant species protections
- Capital expenditure profiles for greenhouse construction, cold storage, irrigation systems, and seed processing equipment
- Production metrics including seedling survival rates, output per acre, harvest yields, and pricing trends for key forest product categories
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 |
| Subsector | Forestry and Logging | 113 |
| Industry Group | Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products | 1132 |
| NAICS Industry | Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products | 11321 |
| National Industry | Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products | 113210 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 113110 | Timber Tract Operations | Timber tract operations that purchase reforestation seedlings from forest nurseries and manage standing timber inventories grown from nursery transplant stock |
| 111421 | Nursery and Tree Production | Nursery and tree production establishments growing ornamental trees, shrubs, and plants that share greenhouse and field growing infrastructure with forest nurseries |
| 115310 | Support Activities for Forestry | Forestry support service providers offering reforestation planting, site preparation, and forest management services using seedlings from forest nursery operations |
| 113310 | Logging | Logging operations that create reforestation demand through timber harvesting activities, driving seedling orders from forest tree nursery producers |
| 325320 | Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing | Pesticide and agricultural chemical manufacturers supplying herbicides, fungicides, and growth regulators used in forest nursery seedling production programs |
| 423990 | Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers distributing non-timber forest products including decorative greenery, moss, and botanical raw materials to retail channels |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 9.7% | 15 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 9.1% | 14 |
| 3 | Florida | 9.1% | 14 |
| 4 | Georgia | 8.4% | 13 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 7.8% | 12 |
| 6 | Oregon | 7.1% | 11 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 6.5% | 10 |
| 8 | Washington | 6.5% | 10 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 5.8% | 9 |
| 10 | Virginia | 5.2% | 8 |
% Of Establishments
0%
10%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[2]
SBA Lending Summary
48
Total SBA Loans
$36.9M
Total Loan Volume
$769K
Average Loan Size
10 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.53%
Average Interest Rate
704
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[3]
Key Insight: The SBA[10] classifies Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (NAICS 113210) with a size standard of $20.5 million in average annual receipts. Forest nursery operators and wild-harvest businesses within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[11], government contracting preferences, and USDA agricultural assistance programs supporting reforestation and sustainable forestry practices. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[12] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[13] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bank of America, National Association | 16 | $33.9M | $2.1M |
| 2 | Macatawa Bank, National Association | 8 | $2.4M | $302K |
| 3 | Columbia Bank | 8 | $298K | $37K |
| 4 | 1st Security Bank of Washington | 8 | $200K | $25K |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 8 | $80K | $10K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for forest nurseries?
Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products is classified under NAICS code 113210, covering establishments growing trees for reforestation and gathering forest products per the U.S. Census Bureau[4] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for forest nurseries?
The SBA[10] sets the size standard for NAICS 113210 at $20.5 million in average annual receipts, qualifying eligible forest nursery operations for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
What products do forest nurseries produce?
Forest nurseries primarily produce seedlings and transplant stock for reforestation, while gathering operations harvest non-timber products including ginseng, mushrooms, decorative greenery, gums, barks, and botanical materials per USDA Forest Service[5] forestry data.
What drives demand for reforestation seedlings?
Demand is driven by post-harvest replanting requirements on private timberland, federal and state reforestation programs on public lands, wildfire restoration projects, and conservation planting initiatives tracked by the USDA Forest Service[5] reforestation program.
What factors affect forest nursery valuations?
Key valuation drivers include seedling production capacity, greenhouse and cold storage infrastructure, established customer contracts with timber companies and state agencies, seed source agreements, and geographic location relative to reforestation demand centers.
How are non-timber forest products regulated?
Wild-harvest operations require permits from the USDA Forest Service[5] for gathering on national forest lands, with state-level regulations covering ginseng harvest seasons, endangered plant protections, and sustainable yield requirements.
What risks affect forest nursery operations?
Major risks include seedling mortality from drought and frost events, disease outbreaks in nursery beds, customer concentration among large timber companies, seasonal revenue patterns tied to planting windows, and dependency on public sector reforestation budgets.
What government programs support forest nursery operators?
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [3]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [4]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [5]USDA Forest Service fs.usda.gov
- [6]USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service nass.usda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [10]SBA sba.gov
- [11]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [12]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [13]504 loans sba.gov
- [14]USDA Farm Service Agency fsa.usda.gov
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