Greenleaf Timber & Management began just as a major chapter in the life of Michael Hughes came to a close. For 28 years, Michael had been employed by the North Carolina Forest Service, serving for 22 years as the County Ranger for Hertford County. Upon his retirement in 2016, Michael immediately set upon creating a business through which he could continue to serve the forest management needs in nearby communities. It was through his desire to continue to see the best forest management practices implemented that Greenleaf Timber & Management was born. Since 2017, Greenleaf Timber & Management has been serving the counties of Hertford, Bertie, Northampton, Gates, Martin, Washington, and Tyrrell in various capacities, including forest development planning, harvesting timber, reforestation, and forestry mulching.