Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) today announced the following executive promotions, effective immediately:

• Paul G. Boynton is promoted to executive vice president, Forest Resources and Real Estate. In this newly created position Boynton will be responsible for Rayonier’s Forest Resources business which manages nearly 2.5 million acres of timberland in nine U.S. states and New Zealand. He will also assume responsibility for Rayonier’s Real Estate business and the thousands of acres that have greater economic potential for residential and commercial development, recreation, conservation, or public infrastructure. Boynton joined the company in 1999 and most recently served as senior vice president, Performance Fibers & Wood Products.
• Jack M. Kriesel is promoted to senior vice president, Performance Fibers, taking the position previously held by Boynton and assuming responsibility for Rayonier’s industry-leading manufacturing of high purity, high-performance specialty cellulose fibers, and the production of absorbent materials fibers. Prior to this promotion, Kriesel was vice president, marketing, research and strategic sourcing in the Performance Fibers group. Kriesel has been with Rayonier since 1978.

Both Boynton and Kriesel will report to Lee M. Thomas, Rayonier’s chairman, president and CEO.

In addition, Timothy H. Brannon, previously senior vice president, Forest Resources, has announced his retirement. Brannon has agreed to remain onboard until March 2010 as senior vice president, special projects. In this role, Brannon will lead a number of strategic initiatives, including Rayonier’s opportunities in bio-energy. Brannon joined Rayonier in 1972, and has held a variety of positions in operations, sales and marketing, and executive administration in the Forest Resources, Wood Products and Performance Fibers businesses.

“The promotions of Paul and Jack are well-deserved, and I look forward to working with them in their new roles as we continue positioning Rayonier to achieve the best results for our shareholders, our customers and our employees,” said Thomas. “We can’t thank Tim enough for his years of service and the great contributions he has made to our organization. It has been our good fortune to have dedicated executives like Paul, Tim and Jack at Rayonier.”

For further information, visit the company’s web site at www.rayonier.com. Complimentary copies of Rayonier press releases and other financial documents are available by calling 1-800-RYN-7611.

About Rayonier

Rayonier is a leading international forest products company with three core businesses: Timber, Real Estate and Performance Fibers. The company owns, leases or manages 2.5 million acres of timber and land in the United States and New Zealand. The company’s holdings include approximately 200,000 acres with residential and commercial development potential along the fast-growing Interstate 95 corridor between Savannah, Georgia, and Daytona Beach, Florida. Its Performance Fibers business is one of the world’s leading producers of high-value specialty cellulose fibers. Approximately 40 percent of the company’s sales are outside the U.S. to customers in approximately 40 countries. Rayonier is structured as a real estate investment trust. More information is available at www.rayonier.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6088266&lang=en