Buck Family
TThe heirs of a nuclear physicist oversee one of the largest timberland portfolios in Maine, and their investment can be traced back to the family patriarch’s side hustle. In 1965, DR. PETER BUCK (1930-2021) teamed up with a family friend by the name of Fred DeLuca to open a submarine sandwhich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut. On opening day, Pete’s Super Subs sold 312 sandwiches priced from 49¢ to 69¢. The brisk business was a portent of future success. Three years later, the partners changed the name to Subway, and by 1974, they began franchising. Today, Subway sells sandwiches, wraps, and salads in more than 37,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries.
Rank:
#7
Total Acres:
1,236,000
Buck Family
James Dergavel “J.D.” Irving (1860-1933) left his native Scotland for New Brunswick, Canada, where he founded a timber enterprise that eventually included a sawmill, a gristmill, and a carding mill, along with several farms. His son K.C. acquired substantial landholdings in New Brunswick, as well as in neighboring Maine, where the family eventually became the Pine Tree State’s largest landowners. As forest stewards who have planted more than 1 billion trees to date, the J.D. IRVING COMPANY harnesses the latest science and technology, including GPS and lidar, to further sustainability efforts. In 2021, the company made a $21 million investment in silviculture that included a new seedling facility, which can hold up to 3 million seedlings. The Irvings operate their timberlands on 60-year rotations while harvesting less than 1.7 percent of their forested area each year.
Rank:
#7
Total Acres:
1,236,000
Articles Featuring The Buck Family
The Magazine Of The American Landowner
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Articles Featuring The Buck Family
The Magazine Of The American Landowner
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