Four Generations,

One PLACE

For more than 130 years, the Overton family has owned, worked and cared for land in Washington. Today, fourth-generation owner and General Manager David E. Overton continues that work through timberland management, natural resources and real estate investment. The company's long history in the region shapes how it approaches the future of the land - not simply as property to be bought, sold or developed, but as part of the communities where the family has lived for generations. The company's work is grounded in a long view: responsible stewardship of the land, respect for surrounding communities, careful consideration of environmental and infrastructure impacts, and a commitment to creating opportunities for future generations to live, work and raise their families close to home.

A Long View

E.E. Overton has been working with Washington land for four generations. That history creates both perspective and responsibility. Communities need room to grow, but growth should be thoughtful. Property owners have legitimate rights, but those rights exist alongside responsibilities to neighbors and communities. Protecting what people value about a place and creating opportunities for the next generation do not have to be mutually exclusive. The goal is to make decisions with the long view in mind.

Four Generations Working With the Land

Eugene Edwin Overton moved to Seattle in 1889. In 1892, he started a shingle mill on Salmon Bay in Ballard and began what would become a four-generation family business rooted in Washington's forests and natural resources. The business grew and changed with the region. Eugene purchased timberland in Littlerock, invested in a sawmill and later moved his operations to Orting. In 1922, his son Hubert "Pete" Overton joined him, and the family purchased timberland in Allyn. Over the following decades, the family adapted as the land and the timber industry changed. Timberland was replanted for Christmas tree production in the 1940s. In 1958, Hubert's son Peter E. Overton returned from the Navy and joined the family business. Over his career, Peter managed timber operations and land leases and ultimately transitioned the family's Christmas tree fields back to timber production. In 1990, Peter completed that transition and focused the business on managing the family's own land. After more than 50 years with the company, he transitioned management to his son, David E. Overton. Today, E.E. Overton's work extends beyond its early timber operations to include timberland, natural resources and real estate investment. The company's relationship with the land, however, remains central to its work.

What Four Generations Teaches YoU

Managing land for generations changes the way a business thinks about time. A decision that looks attractive today can have consequences decades from now. A forest may take generations to mature. A road, building or neighborhood can shape a community long after the original project is complete. That long view remains central to the company's approach.

Today, the company is managing land that has been in the family for generations while planning for the generations that will come next. That means recognizing and respecting both sides of the responsibility: protecting the qualities that make communities worth living in while allowing them to grow and provide opportunities for the people who will live there in the future.

Our Approach

Land ownership carries responsibility. For E.E. Overton, that responsibility begins with understanding that land is never simply a parcel on a map. It is part of a larger community - one with neighbors, roads, schools, businesses, natural resources, wildlife, working lands, history and a sense of place. When considering what comes next for a property, the company looks beyond what is legally possible or financially attractive. The questions include: What makes sense for the land? What makes sense for the surrounding community? What are the environmental and infrastructure considerations? How could a potential use affect neighboring properties? What will the decision mean years and generations from now?

Four Principles Guide the Work

Stewardship Land should be managed with a long-term perspective. That means understanding the land's characteristics and limitations, protecting natural resources and considering how today's decisions will affect the property and surrounding community over time. Community Communities should have the opportunity to grow without losing the qualities that make them special. Rural character, open space, working lands, natural resources and a strong sense of community all matter. Responsible Development Development is not automatically the right answer for every property, and owning land does not mean every possible use is appropriate. When development is considered, it should be thoughtfully planned, consistent with applicable requirements and evaluated in the context of its impacts on neighbors, infrastructure and the environment. The Next Generation The future of these communities matters personally to a family business that has lived and worked here for generations. Future generations should have choices - including the opportunity to live, work and raise their families close to home. Preserving a community does not necessarily mean keeping it unchanged. It means finding responsible ways for a community to evolve without losing the qualities people value most.

How we Make Decisions

Every property is different. So is every community. When considering a new use for land, the company starts by understanding the property itself - its history, existing use, physical characteristics, natural resources, environmental considerations, surrounding land uses and infrastructure. The larger community and planning context are also important. What does the community need? What does local planning policy provide for? What infrastructure exists today? What would need to change? How could a potential use affect neighboring properties? What environmental considerations need to be addressed? The company also considers whether a potential use makes sense over the long term. A project may be legally possible and still not be the right fit for a particular property. Conversely, a property may be well suited to a use that helps accommodate community needs while maintaining other important characteristics of the area. There is no single formula. The responsibility is to understand the facts, follow the applicable public process, evaluate the consequences and make decisions with the long term in mind. Reasonable people can disagree about how land should be used. Not everyone will agree with every decision the company makes. People should, however, have access to straightforward information about what is being proposed, why it is being considered and how the applicable public process works

Our Opperations

Our Operations E.E. Overton is a fourth-generation family business with roots in Washington's timber and natural-resource industries. Today, the company's work includes timberland management, forest products, land leases, naturalresource products and real estate investment. Different properties require different approaches. Some remain working timberland. Others support forest products, agricultural or recreational uses, leases, businesses, homes or other community needs. Each property is managed according to its characteristics, applicable land-use requirements and longterm potential. Forest Products E.E. Overton wholesales and custom-sources delivered logs throughout Western Washington, including Douglas fir, western red cedar, hemlock, alder and pine. The company's timberlands are certified under the American Tree Farm System / PEFC. The company also manages land leases and cultivated and foraged forest products, including salal, huckleberry, noble fir boughs, reed grass, mosses and mushrooms. Real Estate The company's real estate activities include industrial, commercial, retail, urban residential and rural residential properties. Different properties present different opportunities and constraints. The company evaluates potential uses in the context of each property's characteristics and applicable land-use framework. Industrial. Commercial & Retail E.E. Overton owns and manages commercial and retail development opportunities in Belfair, ranging from individual sites to larger planned development properties. Urban Residential The company provides residential sites in Belfair for single-family and multifamily development. Rural Residential The company manages rural residential properties ranging from five-acre sites to larger ranch properties, providing opportunities for people seeking a rural setting within reach of established communities and urban centers.

Stewardship of Natural Resources

Working with land means recognizing that natural resources are not unlimited and that decisions made today can affect a property for decades. The Overton family has spent more than a century working with Washington forests. That experience has reinforced the importance of understanding the land before making decisions about it. For timberland, that means managing forests for the long term, including replanting and maintaining healthy working forests. For properties considered for other uses, it means understanding environmental conditions, physical limitations, drainage, habitat, vegetation, topography and other factors that can affect what is appropriate. Environmental review and applicable regulations are important parts of the public process. Responsible stewardship also means asking practical questions early: What is here? What could be affected? What can be protected? What needs to be mitigated? What is the appropriate use of this particular property? Responsible land management does not mean assuming every property should remain unchanged. It means understanding the land, respecting its limitations and making decisions carefully.

 Questions We Hear:

Land use and development can raise legitimate questions, particularly when a proposed change affects a place people know well and care about. The company believes those questions are best addressed directly and respectfully.

What does E.E. Overton do?

E.E. Overton is a fourth-generation family business involved in timberland, natural resources and real estate investment. The company's work includes forest products, timberland management, land leases and a range of industrial, commercial and residential real estate. Who is David Overton? David E. Overton is the fourth generation of his family to lead E.E. Overton. He was born and raised in the area and is raising his family in Tacoma. His connection to the region is both professional and personal. He is managing land his family has owned for generations while thinking about the kind of community future generations will inherit.

How do you decide what to do with a property?

The company considers the property's characteristics, existing use, environmental conditions, surrounding land uses, infrastructure, applicable planning policies and long-term potential. The potential effects on neighboring properties and the surrounding community are also considered. There is no single answer for every property. Why develop land at all? Sometimes leaving land in its existing use is the right decision. E.E. Overton continues to manage working timberland and natural-resource properties. Communities also change. People need homes. Businesses need places to operate. Infrastructure changes. Public policy evolves. And regionwide, the impacts of growth and careless development can be damaging to the people and places that have been there longer than newcomers. We want to be thoughtful and respectful. Responsible landownership means considering those realities while also taking seriously the qualities that people value about their communities.

Does owning land mean you can build whatever you want?

Property ownership exists within a larger framework of local land-use planning, zoning, development regulations, environmental requirements, infrastructure considerations and other applicable laws and policies. A property owner does not simply decide what will be built and bypass the public process. At the same time, land-use policies establish where and how communities can grow. Understanding that framework is important when considering both the rights of property owners and the interests of neighboring residents.

What does responsible development mean?

Responsible development means more than meeting the minimum legal requirement. It means understanding the land, considering environmental and infrastructure impacts, respecting neighboring properties, complying with applicable regulations, participating in the public process and thinking about the long-term consequences of a project. It also means recognizing that reasonable people may have different views about what a community should look like. How do you balance growth with rural character? Growth and rural character are not necessarily opposing goals. Communities need to be able to grow and provide opportunities for housing, employment and economic activity. At the same time, rural landscapes, working lands, open space, natural resources and community character matter. The challenge is to make thoughtful decisions about where and how change occurs while recognizing and respecting the value of what already exists.

What about traffic and infrastructure?

Infrastructure is an important consideration when evaluating significant land-use changes. Road capacity, access, utilities, drainage, emergency services, schools and other infrastructure can all affect whether and how a property can appropriately be used. These questions should be considered as part of the planning and development process.

What about the environment?

Environmental considerations are part of responsible land management and development. Depending on the property and proposed use, that can include natural resources, habitat, vegetation, drainage, topography, water, soils and other site-specific conditions. The appropriate response depends on the property and the facts. Those conditions should be understood and addressed as part of the applicable process.

Do you expect everyone to agree with your projects?

No. Land-use decisions involve legitimate competing interests, and reasonable people can disagree about what is best for a particular property or community. The company's responsibility is to understand those concerns, provide accurate information, participate in the applicable public process and make decisions it believes are responsible.

What role does E.E. Overton play in the communities where it operates?

E.E. Overton is a landowner and business, but its interests do not exist separately from the communities where its properties are located. The company participates in conversations about land use, infrastructure, economic development, natural resources and other issues that affect the communities where it owns land and conducts business. As a property owner and long-term investor, E.E. Overton has a direct interest in how those communities grow and change. That participation includes engaging with public agencies, community organizations, other property owners, businesses and residents as issues arise. The company may not agree with every perspective or every proposed approach. It does, however, have a responsibility to understand the broader community context and to participate constructively in discussions that affect its properties, its business and the future of the communities where it operates. The company's perspective is informed by a simple fact: E.E. Overton is not a short-term participant in these communities. The family has owned land and operated businesses in the region for generations, and decisions made today can affect both the company's properties and the communities around them for years to come. Why should local residents care about how anyone thinks about land? Because land decisions have consequences beyond the property line. They can affect neighbors, roads, businesses, schools, natural resources, community character and the opportunities available to future generations. E.E. Overton has been operating and working in local communities on the peninsula for generations. That creates a responsibility to consider those consequences carefully.

Our most popular question, do you allow public hunting?

E.E. Overton does not allow public hunting. We hunt the land privatly and manage wildlife populations with State and Local Orginizations.

Our Operations

Forest Products:

• Wholesale and custom sourced delivered logs in Western Washington.  Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Hemlock, Alder and Pine.  Our timberlands are certified under the American Tree Farm System / PEFC.

• Land leases, cultivated and foraged forest products. Salal, Huckleberry, Noble Fir Boughs, Reed Grass, Mosses, and Mushrooms.

Real Estate:

• Industrial - PUGET SOUND WEST INDUSTRIAL CENTER

  • Listing Brochure

  • South of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & adjacent to Bremerton National Airport.  The largest greenfield industrial site in the Puget Sound served by air and rail. SItes In Belfair aNd Bremerton, WA.

• Commercial & Retail Belfair, WA.  Individual pads to large master planed development sites.

• Urban Residential Belfair, WA. Single and Multi Family Residential sites for builders and developers. 

• Rural Residential Five acres to ranches, rural setting close to urban centers.

Our History

Eugene Edwin Overton moved to Seattle in 1889.  He was employed as a accountant at the Stimson Mill Co. owned by his sister Harriet's husband, C. D. Stimson.  Three years later he branched out on his own and started a shingle mill on Salmon Bay in Ballard, WA.  He ran E. E. Overton Shingle Co. until 1904.  The profits from the mill enabled him to buy 400 acres of state school land at Littlerock, WA.  He invested in a nearby sawmill, the J.A. Ray Lumber Co. and changed the name to the Salmon Creek Lumber Co.  The mill expanded to 35,000 daily board feet and the rail spur became known as “Overton Station.”  The timber was exhausted in 1914 and E.E. moved onto Orting, WA.  He built a new mill and railroad spur and by 1916 was producing 28,000 board feet per day.  

In 1922 E.E. was joined by his son Hubert “Pete” Overton and they purchased timberland in Allyn, WA.  No mill was built, instead a logging camp and railroad delivered "whole logs" to the head of the bay.  60,000 board feet, twelve railcar loads a day were rafted from North Bay on Case Inlet to mills in Olympia and Tacoma.

During the 1930's the rail lines were pulled, and the grades converted to roads. They proceeded to log the "corners" that the rails couldn't reach.  By the 1940's the land was cut over and replanted for Christmas Tree production.  

Hubert's son Peter E. Overton returned from the Navy in 1958 and joined his father on the Tree Farm.  Peter ran the Christmas tree yard and land leases. His vision was to convert the Christmas tree fields back to timber production. Over his lifetime he managed up to five different logging sides buying State and private timber sales while his own timber grew.  In 1990 he completed the conversion and focused on solely managing his own land.  After 50 Plus years Peter retired and transitioned management to his son David E. Overton.

Today, the fourth Generation led by David continues to own and operate E.E. Overton past its 130th anniversary. Our focus remains timberland, natural resources and real estate investment.

CONTACT US:

Questions about E.E. Overton's operations, properties and approach to land management and development are welcome. For questions about a specific property or project, the company will provide available information or direct inquiries to the appropriate public resource

General Manager: David E. Overton

David@EEOverton.com

206.948.0554 mobile

Mail: PO Box 1477 Tacoma, WA 98401  

Opperations Manager: Shawn T. Fontana Jr.

Natural Resource / Project Manager

Shawn@EEOverton.com

360.809.0659 mobile

Mail: PO Box 1091 Allyn, WA 98524

Employee Contacts:

Brandon Kave

Forester / GIS Analyst

BKAVE@EEOVERTON.COM

253.347.0804 Mobile

Nick Elias

Heavy Equipment Operator

NELIAS@EEOVERTON.Com

360.808.5743 Mobile

Ken VanBuskirk

Sawyer Fireboss

360.801.0550 Mobile