Mill Owner’s Tract
One of the Most Significant Timberland Sales in North Central Florida of the Year!
- 2,966 Acre Timber and Recreational Property in Levy County, FL
- Owned by seller of a large regional sawmill – The smaller details in management have resulted in Major Differences – This isn’t a typical timber Tract
- Planted with the finest, fastest growing slash genetics of one of the best nursery’s in the country
- Accessible via easement of four-lane US 19
- 344 Acres of Merchantable Timber including:
- 304 acres of 40 year old plus thinned planted pine
- 40 acres of 14 year old slash pine
"We’ve known the seller 40 years and have done numerous transactions with the buyer. We're happy to see Florida's prosperous Timber industry continue to thrive." - Jon Kohler
While we are renowned for selling high-valued recreational properties but are also known for closing the largest timberland sale in the South for eight years running! This one sale in 2008 covered 10 states at 124,000 acres and $142M! However, the rest of the story is that we were handicapped in that we could only find the buyer from within our “Rolodex,” yet find him we did!
Fine bourbon and timberland have more in common than most would think. The best distillers in Kentucky know forethought and subtle details make a big deal in the end - similar to comparing a small batch to a single barrel. In the world of Timberland, the difference is known as the Mill Owner’s Tract and the financial ramifications are much greater. These are strategic tracts that the mills rely on to make things happen in rain or events when they really need timber. These are tracts that when this happens the timber commands a premium. The mills usually don’t have the luxury of owning them. Here the same owner owned both.
Here, the owner of this tract is one of the most sophisticated and successful mill owners of this generation and backed by a NY Private Equity Firm, Blue Wolf Capital. It’s a “who’s who” of the timberland business. This tract is vetted! This “Mill Owner’s Tract” is owned by the former owner of Suwannee Lumber Company. When the mill itself sold, the buyers also wanted this tract but financially things didn’t align. Now that the seller doesn’t own a mill, the general public has a rare opportunity to purchase one of the finer tracts in the region. Like the highest grade bourbon, the subtle differences of this tract make it heads above a typical timber tract. However, unlike the premium price high-end bourbon commands, this can be bought right now for the same price or less than a typical timber tract. If you’re looking to invest in Florida timberland and you have an opportunity to buy a “Mill Owner’s Tract” for the same price as regular timberland you would be well advised to add this to your holdings.
Stand Map Available By Request
These 2,966 acres of square sections are planted with the finest, fastest growing slash genetics of one of the best nursery’s in the country. The 40 year old mature timber looks more like the Osceola National Forest than what we see on private lands. Interspersed uniformly throughout are scattered mesic wetlands typical of North Central Florida. There is currently no conservation easement nor water storage agreements on the property. Planned like a pro, the timber ages and stands are broken out across the landscape accentuating eco-tones for wildlife. Currently, the hunting rights are leased to one of Central Florida’s premier outfitters and turkey guides.
The property is almost surrounded by one of the largest and most capitalized cattle ranches in North Florida. Access is through this ranch via an easement directly to four-lane US 19. It has a small adjoining boundary with the 7,000 acre Quota Hunt only Devil’s Hammock Wildlife Management Area, which is on the Wacassassa River. Chiefland is 8.2 miles away, Ocala is 43 miles away, and Gainesville is 30 miles away. There are multiple mills in this area.
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Mill Owner’s Tract
- 2,966 Acre Timber Property in Levy County, Fl
- Located 8 Miles from Chiefland
- Located 30 Miles from Gainesville
- Access is through this ranch via an easement directly to four-lane US 19
- Eight Mills located within 80 Miles of property
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Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.
Prior to joining Jon Kohler & Associates, Walter Hatchett served for 30 years as a land manager to several of the south’s most esteemed properties, including Rock Creek. As a former property manager himself, and a consistently ranked “Top Sales Producer” nationwide and achieved “APEX Top 20 Land Broker” multiple times, Walter has a keen eye for the best in habitat management.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.