Weyerhaeuser opens headquarters in Pioneer Square

SEATTLE — Nearly every step inside the new headquarters of Weyerhaeuser is on or beneath something the timber company produces -- from the overhead Douglas fir beams grown in the Pacific Northwest to the flooring beneath one's feet.

"It's an OSB (oriented strand board) product from Elkin, South Carolina," Ara Erickson, construction project manager, said of the flooring material.

Weyerhaeuser is setting down roots in a neighborhood with a storied history in the timber business, which is one reason its Texas-bred CEO, Doyle Simons, cited for moving the more than 100-year-old company's headquarters here.

"Over 100 years ago, the first saw mill in the Pacific Northwest was just down the hill," Simons said. "And actually logs skidded down Yesler Way down to the mill. So, it ties back to our history. And we're really excited to be here."

There is excitement a block away at Clementine's, a women's apparel store that moved to Pioneer Square in 2014.

The following question was put to Clementine’s sales clerk Pam Moller: Can one business make a big difference or do you need a lot more as well?

"You know every business needs more businesses," Moller said with a laugh. "There's never too much. We want to welcome everybody."

Still, violence continues to plague parts of Pioneer Square.

But Weyerhaeuser's CEO says he believes Seattle police, the mayor, and even people in the neighborhood are working to ensure the safety of its 700 employees -- and everyone else.

"I think it's just going to continue to transform," Simons said. "And I think three years from now we're going to look back and go 'Wow, look what's happened in this neighborhood.'"

But a man was slain eight days ago in a parking lot across from Weyerhaeuser along Washington Street.

Seattle police say the killer is still on the loose.

Cox Media Group