Founded in 1982 by Carl Jansen in downtown Portland, Oregon, Search North America remains the premier wood products recruiting and placement company for both the US and Canada. After working in the forest products industry with companies like Weyerhaeuser and Evans Products, Carl realized he had a unique skill set to become a recruiter specializing in placing managers and senior executives in the forest products industry.

The first recruiting company that Carl worked for was Dunhill Professional Search, where he specialized in forest products recruiting and placement. He worked there for several years and became one of Dunhill’s top recruiters. Then, he and two of his coworkers decided to start a recruiting company of their own. The name of their company was initially called Search Northwest because most of their clients were located in the Pacific Northwest. A few years later, Carl decided to start out on his own. He purchased the company from his partners and renamed it Search North America. The new name came about because more and more business clients were located in all areas of the United States and Canada, not just the Pacific Northwest.

Search North America still lives up to the dreams that Carl had when he started the company. He wanted to create a team of industry-specific experts who know how to find the talent companies are searching for.

In 2020 Carl recognized the need for a new generation of leadership for Search North America and recruited Richard Poindexter to become a senior recruiter for Search North America, helping clients and candidates in the eastern US and Canada. Prior to his arrival at Search North America, Richard worked for over 20 years in the wood products industry at Columbia Forest Products. Then in 2021, Richard purchased Search North America from Carl.

In November 2022, Dave Rupp joined Search North America as a senior wood products recruiter. Dave has over 40 years of wood products experience and is a key player in Search North America’s western US and Canada recruiting and placement efforts.

Today, Search North America is placing professionals in every area of wood products and related industries. From entry-level positions and skilled trades to executive-level roles, we have the experience and expertise to help you and your company find the talent you need. Search North America can also help individuals with their next career move.