MARQUETTE — If you think forest products don’t affect your life, think again!

From microscopic particles of cellulose that make touch screens work to huge buildings using a newer construction technique known as “mass timber,” forest products are essential to everyday life.

This week is National Forest Products Week, celebrating wood products from classic items such as paper plates, napkins and furniture to innovative technologies like those touch screens and much more. Michigan has 20 million acres of forests; nearly 4 million of that is state-owned.

“Besides the many common wood products we use every day, there are also many new wood products in development,” said Brenda Haskill, Timber Sales and Utilization unit manager with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Many researchers are looking at new ways to use wood because thoughtfully managed forests are a sustainable resource.”

Five of North America’s top 15 woodworking companies call Michigan home. They include MillerKnoll of Zeeland, Steelcase Inc. in Grand Rapids, Haworth Inc. in Holland, Cabinetworks Group in Livonia, and La-Z-Boy Inc. in Monroe. Michigan’s extensive forest products industry supports an approximately $26.5 billion economic base and includes nearly 2,000 companies. These companies range from logging and sawmills to furniture manufacturers and even producers of basketball court floors.

Many of these firms manufacture traditional products such as lumber, paper and wood pulp, but there also are many emerging and newer technologies. Mass timber is becoming more noticeable around the state. This construction technique enables building of large and tall structures using beams and panels made of engineered wood. Mass timber buildings often go up faster than traditional steel and concrete construction and use renewable materials.

A few examples of mass timber use include the STEM Teaching and Learning building on the Michigan State University campus and the Newberry DNR Customer Service Center (pictured above), which is under construction and nearly complete.