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Vol. 49, No. 1

(Founded in 1972—Our 568th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S

January 2020 A Hatton-Brown Publication

Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525

www.southernloggintimes.com Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor Managing Editor Senior Associate Editor Associate Editor

Rich Donnell Dan Shell David Abbott Jessica Johnson Patrick Dunning

Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight

Jamie Pruitt Logging Has High Standards

Alger-Sullivan Mill Town History

Art Director Ad Production Coordinator Circulation Director Online Content/Marketing

Cindy Segrest Patti Campbell Rhonda Thomas Jacqlyn Kirkland

ADVERTISING CONTACTS DISPLAY SALES Eastern U.S. Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net

out front:

Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons Tel: 905-666-0258 • Fax: 905-666-0778 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com

Spotlight On: Tires, Tracks, Chains

Southern Stumpin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Vance Wright, above, and his brother Alan (not pictured here) run Charles A. Wright Logging, the company their father started as a side business when farming wasn’t paying off. Vance oversees operations in the woods while Alan takes care of the shop. Story begins on Page 8. (Photo by David Abbott)

Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . 30 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . 40

Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook Tel: 604-619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 58 Aldea de las Cuevas • Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . . 46

Bridget DeVane

Tel: 1-800-669-5613 • Tel 334-699-7837 Email: bdevane7@hotmail.com

Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $65 annually; $75 in Canada; $120 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.southernloggintimes.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Southern Loggin’ Times magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Southern Loggin’ Times. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2020. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed In USA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Southern Loggin’ Times, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419 Member Verified Audit Circulation

Other Hatton-Brown publications: ★ Timber Processing ★ Timber Harvesting ★ Panel World ★ Power Equipment Trade ★ Wood Bioenergy

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SOUTHERN STUMPIN’ By David Abbott • Managing Editor • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: david@hattonbrown.com

Time Flies W

elcome to 2020! If you’re reading this, then you’re holding in your hands (or perhaps reading on your screen) the 568th consecutive issue of Southern Loggin’ Times, which started publication in 1972. I wasn’t around in ’72, but I was here just a few years ago, in 2014, when we published our 500th issue; seems like yesterday. This begins SLT’s 49th year. God willing, this time a year from now I will be writing a column for SLT’s 580th issue in January 2021, which will kick off our magazine’s 50th year of continuous publication. Looking even further ahead, we’ll mark our 50th anniversary with issue number 592 in January 2022, and hit our 600th issue, if I counted right, in September 2022 (right around the middle of what I expect will likely be President Trump’s second term). I just hope we’re all still around and employed by then! `While it feels like it hasn’t already been almost six years since we did the 500th issue, you know what doesn’t feel like yesterday? Bud and Junior. Anyone remember Bud and Junior? I doubt it; I barely do. Bud and Junior were fictional logger characters I made up, a father and son team, meant to represent many of the real

life people about whom I write. Bud was an older logger, frustrated and worn out, struggling to keep his business going. Junior was his son who went to college but couldn’t find a job, so he reluctantly joined his dad in the woods, trying to save the family business. Bud was old school, Junior had newer ideas and they butted heads but somehow made it work. I wrote I think four columns telling their story over the course of a year or two. I never finished their story or resolved their situation; I ran out of things to say about them. The last we saw them, they were just getting started. In my mind, they’d still be out there day in and day out; there really would be no end. If Bud’s still alive, then I imagine they’d still be working together. If not, Junior probably took over and kept it going, perhaps with an eye to passing it on to Junior, Jr. one day. Like one guy said to me last year, “We’re loggers; we work till they throw dirt in our faces.” On one hand it’s hard to believe it’s already been nearly a decade since I took over writing chores for this column from DK Knight. On the other hand, Bud and Junior feel like a lifetime ago. Bud and Junior weren’t my first stab at writing fiction, but they were the first time I tried to

write a fictional story about loggers and in the context of the logging business. I enjoy telling stories; it’s something I’ve always done, even when I was little, and now I enjoy telling the stories of the loggers I meet throughout the country. With that in mind, I have been for the last several months cooking up an idea for a new story about another fictional logger. I call him Gerald Freeman, and at this point I think the title of the story is “Little Girl.” Gerald is a grizzled old fart, a hardwood hills veteran who once had a large crew and a family, but now lives and works alone. He made enough money logging to allow him to send his sons to college, and neither of them have any interest in following in his boot prints. His wife died last year, and his sons have families and lives of their own, so he’s got no one at home, and no real reason to keep it going just for himself. But he doesn’t know what else to do, and giving up isn’t in his DNA. Quality help is scarce, but Gerald finds a rare diamond in the rough in an unexpected place. The idea is almost done baking in the oven of my imagination, and I think I might serialize the story into chapters in the pages of SLT in SLT coming months; time will tell.

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Wright Stuff ■ Wright brothers Vance and Alan split duties at their family company, Charles A. Wright Logging. By David Abbott BLACKRIDGE, Va. t Charles A. Wright ★ Logging and Charles A. Wright Trucking, brothers Vance and Alan Wright are equal partners. Their companies are named for their dad, Charles, who started hauling five ft. pulpwood in the late 1970s as a side venture, his sons say, because he couldn’t make a good living from his primary occupation in farming. Vance recalls, “He made more money on the side hauling pulpwood than he did farming.” After a while it became the mainstay of the business. Vance, 48, and Alan, 47, took over the company after their father died in a truck accident in 2006. Vance looks after their two crews in the woods while Alan supervises the full-time shop crew. “He does his thing and I do mine and it has worked well for us,” Vance says of the division of duties that arose naturally from each brother’s talents. Alan and Vance spent their childhood in row crops and dairy cows, with daily chores starting at age six. They started helping in the woods at nine years old when Charles started logging full time. As they grew older, the business grew with them, and they learned to run machines as Charles added them. Charles had started logging but his passion was still farming. "He'd rather farm than eat," Vance recalls of his late father. "He loved cows and said it was like money in the bank. I said that money keeps getting out the fence." The sons enjoyed farming well enough; they just never made enough money from it. "I said we could plant pine trees out there and make more money, and they don't get out whether the fence is up or down." After he graduated from Virginia Tech's forestry school in '94, it took Vance a year to convince his dad to sell the cows. After that, farming became a true side business instead of a second full-time job.

Diversified The Wrights don’t limit themselves strictly to logging and trucking. With 8

Vance Wright

Crew 2 foreman Brandon Widener, left; Alan Wright, right

two partners, Gary Robertson and Rux Boyd, they own a timber dealership, Union Level Land and Timber. Robertson, a fellow forester who went to elementary school and later forestry school at Virginia Tech with Vance, started Union Level with his uncle. Shortly after Charles’ death, when Vance and Alan were still learning the business side of owning a business and struggling to keep both crews busy, Robertson had lost one of

his loggers and needed a replacement. He asked the Wrights to cut a few tracts, and sometime later they bought out his uncle. Later they added Boyd, another forester, as the fourth partner. Robertson has also started two small crews of his own to log for Union Level. In 2011, Robertson and Vance had the opportunity to buy a hardwood sawmill from its retiring owner. “We didn’t have a clue what we were

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looking at it,” Vance admits. “We saw it as an opportunity to expand.” He sought advice from Don Bright, a college friend who had made a career in pine sawmills. “He looked at it with us and was drooling over it. He was the general manager of a pine sawmill at the time,” Vance relates. The brothers and Robertson bought that sawmill and brought Bright in as a partner in Meherrin River Forest Products. Bright would manage the mill, Union Level would buy timber and the Wrights would deliver logs. They have since expanded to three hardwood sawmills. Just 18 months after acquiring Meherrin River in June 2011, they bought the old Coastal Lumber Co. headquarters in Weldon, NC, adding a fifth partner, Gary Middleton. Later, they bought the High & High mill in Macon, NC. “That has been a good thing for us,” Vance says of the mills. It’s one rea-

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son they cut so much hardwood. He and Alan call themselves the semisilent partners in this venture. “As long as everything is going good, they don’t hear anything from us, and they do a good job with the mills.”

Activism At its annual meeting in 2018, the American Loggers Council named Vance its Logging Activist of the Year for his work on behalf of the industry. Ron Jenkins, Executive Director of the Virginia Loggers Assn., nominated him. "I somehow won it; it must not have been too tough a field is the only thing I can figure," Vance jokes. The VLA has been an integral part of Vance's professional life. Its former President, Ronnie Wright, got him involved in 2006; they still ride together to quarterly board meetings. Vance began his own term as VLA President in August 2014, shortly before the death of then Executive Director Jim Mooney. Vance has also served on the board of the Virginia Forestry Assn. for several years, and has attended ALC fly ins to visit Congressional representatives for seven years. "It opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed," he says. "I have learned a lot about the political process and I like doing it, but I don't make a dime from it." Although he can’t put his finger on how his businesses profit directly from his activism, he believes there are benefits and that loggers need to be more active. “I figured it was my turn to help give back on some of this stuff. We have all sat in the woods too long and have gotten behind. Our industry is looked down upon as a general rule. But I think the tide is turning. I will tell anybody, we are environmentalists as loggers. Some tracts that my dad cut when I was starting out, I have cut for the second time, replanted them back and I plan on cutting them again a third time before I retire. We are not in this to get rich quick and move on. We aim to take care of this world as best as we can to sustain and maintain it for future generations. We have to utilize our resources, but we need to do it

Both crews use a pair of 234 Tigercats to load trucks and feed chippers.

Crew 1 uses a Trelan chipper, while a Morbark does the job on crew 2.

responsibly. That’s what the forest industry does.”

Equipment Charles A. Wright Logging has two crews. Crew 1 uses two Tigercat 234 loaders, usually set up a little apart. One feeds an older Trelan chipper, though it can switch to loading roundwood when needed. Three skidders are on the job, two full-time (Tigercat 620E and John Deere 748L) and the other (Deere 748H) a spare. A 2017 Tigercat 724G tackles felling duties. Machines on crew 2 include two Tigercat loaders, a 2015 234 and 2017 234B and an older John Deere 437C feeding a Morbark 23NCL chipper; three Tigercat skidders (two, a 620E and 630E, run full time, while a 620B is a spare); and a 2015 Tiger-

Crew 1, left to right: Oscar Contraras, Mario Mendez, Ignacio Hernandez, Frankie Reese, John Lacks, Justin Campbell, James Seamster, Vance Wright

cat 724G feller-buncher. A 2013 Tigercat 822 track cutter for cutting on wet ground rotates between the two crews as needed. They also keep a John Deere 648H skidder with size 44 tires for especially wet areas. The saw heads use Quadco saw teeth and all wheeled machines roll on Firestone and Primex tires in the woods. The crews also share a Denharco stroke delimber on a John Deere carrier, which goes to whichever job is in the roughest wood, beyond what the pullthroughs can handle. All the loaders have CSI 264 Ultra delimbers and CSI 4400 classic ground saws. In hardwood is where the stroke shines, Vance says. “In pine we park it; it’s easier to use the pullthroughs and roll on through, but it does a good job in hardwood.”

Dealer for John Deere is James River Equipment in Ashland and for Tigercat is Forest Pro. Another pair of brother-partners, Forest Pro owners Binky and Guke Tapscott recently opened their third branch in Keysville, near the Wright brothers’ stumping grounds. “I know Binky and Guke pretty well,” Vance says. “They are good folks, who’ll give you the shirt off their backs.” Both chippers came to the Wrights previously used. “There is not enough money in it to justify buying new ones, to me,” Vance believes. “You pick up a machine with a couple or three thousand hours on it that has been taken care of, it will make you a good machine. That is something I can justify.”

Trucking Trucking is incorporated separately from logging, under Charles A. Wright Trucking, as their dad was advised in 1995. Today the brothers have 21 Kenworth trucks, 25 Pitts and McLendon log trailers and 12 ITI and Pitts chip vans, but only 14 drivers, three of whom are part time. They’d like to find more, but quality, reliable drivers aren’t to be found around every corner these days. Trucks range from 2000 to 2013 models, as the Wrights want to postpone dealing with DEF as long as possible. The last new truck they bought was in 2006 though they have

Crew 2, from left, standing: Jeremy Whittenberry, Daniel Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez, Miguel Rodriguez, Samuel Campos; kneeling, Kyuntae Mays

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The Tapscott brothers at Forest Pro sell Tigercat machines to the Wright brothers.

James River sells the Wrights their Deere machines.

picked up several used trucks since. “When you can buy a truck with a quarter of a million miles for about half the price of a brand new one, we can’t see buying a new one.” Trucking, Vance says, is the number one issue facing every logger he knows. “You can’t get enough qualified drivers. If you get them to pass a drug test and show up every day and with a good driving record, you’ve found a gem. There just aren’t many out there, especially who want to drive a log truck. That is the worst truck driving job you can have— that’s the mentality around here. Our saving grace is that they’re home every night with their family.” Charles A. Wright is insured through Bituminous, a company that has pretty strict regulations, according to the Wrights, but that doesn’t bother Vance. “My rates are fair because of it,” he allows. “It is a good

gree in electronics, has four mechanics full-time and could probably keep two more busy, he says. The shop crew includes Ramundo Diaz, Chad Velvin, Justin Touchard and Christopher “Bubba” Martin. Martin is a welder whose work, Vance says, is not fast, but it lasts. “We don’t bring it back. When he welds it, it stays.” Vance can’t say enough about Alan’s intuitive knack for the work. “I am not mechanically inclined,” Vance admits. “He got all those genes in the family. My brother has a mind for diagnosing problems like no one else I know. He’s wired different than most people. He can’t stand not to figure out what’s wrong with something. He wants to fix it, he doesn’t want to just buy and replace. And he wants to know why it’s broke. I would put him up against anybody in any dealership

reason that they are strict on who they will allow, because the ones they won’t allow, you don’t need driving your truck anyway. They have it figured it out, and they make money off knowing who should and who shouldn’t be driving. If you don’t listen to them you are being a little hard headed because they are probably right, in the long run.”

Shop At the shop, Vance estimates 75% of the maintenance is to the trucks and trailers, but they handle anything that is not under warranty; no job is too big. That’s thanks to Alan and his staff, who keep the logging crews and trucks running. They do it all from radiators to rear ends and everything in between, even the engines and transmissions. Alan, who has an associate’s de-

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when it comes to working on equipment. He is sharp as a tack.”

Crews In the woods, Vance admits happily, “We have some good employees.” Crew 1 has James Seamster and John Lacks on the loaders and in charge of the crew when Vance can’t be there. James once owned his own job and has been a crew foremen for several since, and John has been with the Wrights for 15 years. “He is the fastest guy I ever had learn how to run a tree cutter,” Vance says. “He went from never having sat in one to five days later being just as fast and doing as good a job as anyone else.” Also on the crew are Ignacio “Nacho” Hernandez and Oscar Ordonez driving the skidders, Mario Sotero running the cutter and all-around man Frankie

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Reese on the stroke delimber. Charles A. Wright Logging crew 2 was working south of the border, across the state line in Halifax, NC, when Southern Loggin’ Times caught up with them in early September last year. Employees are loader operators Oscar Jimenez and Daniel Rodriguez and Daniel’s brother Miguel Rodriguez on the tree cutter. “He is the best cutter man I have ever had,” Vance says. Skidder drivers are Jose “Lupe” Ramirez, Samuel Campos (uncle to Daniel and Miguel) and Kyuntae Mays, whose tongue is planted firmly

in his check when he informs everyone that he is the “lead skidder man.” Mays had not worked in the woods prior to joining the Wright crew three years ago. Newest team member on crew 2 is Jeremy Whittenberry. Foreman Brandon Widener, Vance's right hand man, is in charge of crew 2 and oversees both crews when Vance is gone. Both crews aim to aver-

Alan's shop crew stays busy.

age 75 loads a week of roundwood and chips combined. If they could go wide open, Vance is confident either crew could easily haul 100 loads a week, but production is limited by mill quotas and driver availability. The crews mostly perform final harvests on mixed stands. Production is half pine, half hardwood. Average tracts are 50 acres, but in recent years they’ve cut some bigger spots, including one over 300 acres. Most of it is private land. Chips go to NOVEC (Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative) in South Boston, Dominion Power’s locations in Hopewell and South Hampton, and to Enviva for pellets. Most hardwood logs go to the company mills, and pine to a variety of markets. Vance met his wife and fellow forester Laurie when they were students together at Virginia Tech. Laurie started helping Alan and Vance’s mother, who was suffering with stage 4 kidney cancer, in the office a few months before Charles died. She’s continued in that role in the business ever since. Aside from informal tailgate safety meetings, Vance plans soon to take advantage of a program offered in Virginia. Businesses can request OSHA to come help them get up to speed with no fines. The business has 45 days to comply with everything in the voluntary audit.

Fast Lane When the brothers were growing up, Charles raced the circle track at South Boston Speedway. A bad wreck in 1993 put him in the ICU for five days. “I saw it and I thought it killed him,” Vance recalls. Though

“Need for Speed”

his dad never raced again, Vance picked up the hobby. He rarely watches NASCAR: “I am a participator, not a spectator. The only seat in the house to be in is the driver’s seat. It’s not worth being there if you sit anywhere else.” Though he hasn’t raced recently, he’s working to upgrade his Nissan car. “We are trying to add a turbo to it now. It will run in the turns but we are getSLT ting killed on horsepower.” 12

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Simple Man ■ Jamie Pruitt has learned the secret to remaining content in all circumstances.

By Patrick Dunning JACKSONVILLE, Ala. y the time one ★ tract is finished being harvested, he’s ready to fetch the lowboy and head to the next. It’s the love of the outdoors that drives Jamie Pruitt, 50, owner of Jamie Pruitt Logging. His early life was spent almost entirely outside. From a young age, he was always in the woods observing his father and grandfather make a living cutting pulpwood just down the road from where he still lives. That was their version of daycare, Jamie says. Perched on a stump in his youth, Jamie knew then he never wanted to do anything else. He’ll admit he’s a bona fide simple man. He’s also a man of faith. Not overly consumed with worldly

things, his values remain deeply rooted in his relationship with Jesus Christ. Those values are reflected in the way he runs his business. There’s a zero-tolerance policy for cursing on Jamie’s job sites. It’s helped his employees hold themselves accountable, even in his absence and in their personal lives. Jamie does it because he doesn’t curse himself. “When I hire them, I tell them I’m a Christian and I don’t cuss so I don’t want you to,” he says. “A lot of guys don’t realize how often they cuss.” His goal is to create a more wholesome working environment. Some of his workers have even thanked him after noticing a change in their vocabulary. Jamie ran a Prentice-H loader for his father, James Pruitt, at 11 years old, and later helped his brother Jimmy Pruitt with his small-time operation for a stint throughout his days at Pleasant Valley High

School. His father retired in 1990 after 45 years of logging and sold his equipment to a friend. Jamie officially started his logging operation in 1992. He put $2,500 up for a pulpwood truck and power saw and worked alone until he was financially stable enough to expand. One of the best memories Jamie has of his father is how he loved to come sit out on the tract wherever Jamie was logging to make sure he didn’t get hurt. “He wore his body out over the years felling pulpwood,” Jamie says. “I was working by myself before I made enough to hire someone on with me. He couldn’t do anything but he’d prop a chair up under a tree and watch me work.”

Operations Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains when Southern Loggin’ Times visited in

Logs are bunched up the hill to improve safety.

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October, Jamie Pruitt Logging was doing a multi-dimensional prescription on 430 acres of plantation pine. Sitting on a nearly 60-degree slope, 100 acres was being clearcut up the middle while each side was being second-thinned. He first-thinned this tract as well. In comparison to other regions found throughout Alabama, Calhoun County offers a wide range of elevation. Part of the reason he bought a Komatsu track cutter was to compete with steeper ground. Jamie coaches his skidder drivers to bunch the logs up the hill or back straight up to get it, making it a safer process. He continuously tells his men to be cautious to avoid flipping a machine and getting hurt. “This isn’t anything to these guys,” Jamie chuckles. “This is home to them.” He’s waded the waters and admits there have been choppy sea-

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Leveling out of a 60-degree slope, Dalton Davis approaches the landing.

sons when his faith was put to the burner. When he was a young and new business owner, Jamie says the biggest issue was the trucking situation. “Just having enough trucks loaded at the right time for when the mills aren’t at capacity,” he says. Back in the day, Jamie says there were times when the mills could accept only 10 loads a week and money was tight. He learned a lot of tendencies among the drivers over the years and remembered what was most important. “A lot of people will chase a dollar; they know they can get a dollar here, 50 cents there,” he says. “When the wood is good they’ll leave to go get that extra money.” But when it becomes crunch time for the mills and they need logs, they know Jamie is going to pour the wood on them. “My business has stayed hinged around the good Lord and

being faithful.” The average haul distance is 43 miles, but they haul up to 80 miles if needed. Most of the pulpwood they cut is hauled to International Paper and Georgia-Pacific in Rome, Ga. Saw logs go to Southern Parallel Forest Products in Albertville. He buys his own wood from Hancock Forest Management in Harpersville, also operating under the name Cahaba Forest Management. He’s been cutting for them for over 18 years. Jamie Pruitt Logging has been insured by Hawkins and Rawlinson for 20 years and they’re really good to work with, the logger says.

Equipment His equipment inventory includes two 2018 John Deere 948L skidders with 22.5 sq. ft. grapples and a ’17

From left: Wesley Gunter, Nick Pruitt and Dillion Herod

Caterpillar 545D skidder with 19 sq. ft. grapple; ’13 and ’14 Cat 559C loaders, ’13 and ’14 Tigercat 726E cutters, both equipped with 5702 heads; ’16 D6K Caterpillar dozer and ’13 Komatsu 445-L track cutter with Quadco heads. Pruitt has maintained ties with Forestry 21 in Lafayette, Ala. for all his Tigercat necessities since he started his business. Warrior Tractor in Oxford supports all John Deere equipment. Thompson Tractor in Oxford supplies all Caterpillar machinery. Pruitt owns three hauling trucks: ’97 Mack, ’05 Peterbilt and ’14 T800 Kenworth with a Detroit engine. A fourth truck, his newest purchase, a 2020 model 10-speed Peterbilt, has Jamie tickled to death. He thinks it’s too nice to be in the woods. Under the hood sits a C15 Cummins 500HP engine with a

390-gear ratio rear-end. Pruitt learned to weld when he was young with the intention of helping his father around the shop fixing up trucks and other things. He’s since used that skill to handweld delimbing gates and several trailers. His personal stock of trailers includes several homemade and three Pitts. Almost all maintenance is performed in-house at Jamie’s shop. Woods equipment is serviced on 300-hour intervals. He prefers Delo 400 15-40 oil on trucks and woods machinery. Typically, trucks are serviced every 12,000 miles.

Crews, Family Jamie subcontracts wood to his brother Jimmy Pruitt, who runs his own logging business and crew. Two years ago, Jamie gave his son, Nick

Jamie Pruitt and his son, Nick

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The crew harvests 70 loads of pine pulpwood weekly.

From left: Tommy Smith, Dalton Davis, Brandon Prince, Dakota Turner, George Davis, Cory Westbrook, Jamie Pruitt

Pruitt, his own LLC, Pruitt Timber Logging. Nick’s crew consists of five young talents he’s known and grown up with in church. Wesley Gunter runs the cutter and skidder, Nick operates the cutter, Caleb Johnson and Dillon Herod operate the skidder and Michael Johnson runs the loader. They average about 70 loads weekly. It wasn’t long after Jamie gave his son his own crew that they were

thrust into turbulent times. Ashley Pruitt, Nick’s wife, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome in January 2018 in the midst of expecting a child. Ashley slowly started losing the strength to walk as her immune system began attacking her nervous system. She was admitted to the hospital after complications and loss of feeling. Jamie says the Lord moved on her behalf and brought the family closer than

they were before. The baby was C-sectioned at 2 lbs. 11 oz. and fought like Evander Holyfield in the 11th round. “He did really great through it all and he’s healthy as can be,” Jamie says. It’s been a slow process but Ashley has slowly been improving. It’s day-today, but she’s improving and beginning to walk again, Jamie says. “Our families were really close to begin with, but we had to spend a lot of time helping one another with different errands, so we’ve gotten a lot closer,” Jamie says. Pruitt had his day in the sun. When he had two crews he was hauling a combined 200 loads a week. “We were rolling,” he says. Since downsizing, he averages 90 loads weekly with his remaining crew. “To be honest, I am beyond

blessed. If I wanted to I could run more crews but we do good work for this company and have plenty of timber to cut.” The crew includes skidder operators Dalton Davis and Brandon Prince, loader operator Dakota Turner, cutter operator Cory Westbrook and mechanic George Davis. Pruitt maintains a humble lifestyle revolved around family, something he’s adamant about. He has two children, Nick Pruitt and Megan Johnson, along with seven grandchildren. “We do a lot of family time. All of my family live here locally,” Pruitt says. He doesn’t own a television, and when he’s not logging pulpwood or spending time with his grandbabies he’s tending to his cattle. He raises a herd of about 80 cattle on his 100-acre farm. They make it easy to gather up, Pruitt says. He loves the way they surround his truck and follow him wherever the truck goes. “They make it so easy because they just walk up and follow me,” he says. Jamie’s wife Tracy Pruitt, along with office assistant Jacob Bragg, handle all paperwork, bills, payroll and other day-to-day office tasks. He’s active at Pleasant Valley Holiness Church in Jacksonville. It’s the church his wife attended for eight years before Jamie became a born-again Christian. “Her praying for all those years is what it was,” he stresses. “I have to give all the glory to Him.” He and a few other church members love grilling during occasional gatherings and feedSLT ing the congregation.

Pruitt wants to invest in a drone to survey tracts better.

●

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Why Grandpa Carries A Gun

“I don’t carry a gun to kill people; I carry a gun to keep from being killed. “I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil; I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world. “I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government; I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government. “I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry; I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared. “I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone; I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed and not on a sidewalk somewhere. “I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man; I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love. “I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate; I carry a gun because unarmed and facing armed thugs, I am inadequate. “I don’t carry a gun because I love it; I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me. “Free citizens must protect themselves because police do not protect you from crime; they just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.”

Thoughts Of A Senior Citizen A lot has changed since the 21st century arrived. I used to think I was just a regular person; but I was born white, which now, whether I like it or not, makes me a racist. I am a fiscal and moral conservative, which by today’s standards, makes me a fascist. I am heterosexual, which now makes me a homophobe. I am mostly non-union, which makes me a traitor to the working class and an ally of big business. I was christened by my parents, which now labels me as an infidel. I am retired, which makes me useless and a drag on society. I think and I reason, therefore I doubt much that the mainstream media tells me, which must make me a reactionary. I am proud of my heritage, which makes me a xenophobe. I value my safety and that of my family and I appreciate the police and the legal system, which makes me a right-wing extremist. I believe in hard work, fair play, and fair compensation according to each individual’s merits, which today makes me an anti-socialist. I (and most of the folks I know) acquired a fair education without student loans and little or no debt, which makes me some kind of an odd underachiever. I believe in the defense and protection of my country and I honor those who served in the armed forces, which now makes me a right-wing militant. As if all this nonsense wasn’t enough to deal with… now I’m not even sure which toilet to go into!

Reflections On Life (The following advice theoretically came from a very wealthy person suffering with a terminal illness.) “I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In some others’ eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death. 20

“You can employ someone to drive a car for you, make money for you, but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it’s lost—life. Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down. “Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down, you go down with it. “Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth—that is true happiness! “Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price. Eat your food as your medicine, otherwise you have to eat medicine as your food. “The one who loves you will never leave you for another because, even if there are 100 reasons to give up, he or she will find a reason to hold on. There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, you have to manage!”

Don’t Be Afraid Of Growing Old

Questions About Clothing A young Arab boy asked his father, “What is that strange hat you are wearing?” The father said, “Why, my son, it is a ‘chechia.’ In the desert it protects our heads from the intense heat of the sun.” “And what is the long flowing robe you are wearing?” asked the boy. “Oh, my son!” exclaimed the father “It is very simple. This is a ‘djbellah.’ As I have told you, in the desert it is not only very hot, but the sand is always blowing. My djbellah protects the entire body.” The son then asked, “But father, what about those ugly shoes you have on your feet?” “These are ‘babouches,” the father replied. “You must understand that although the desert sands are very beautiful, they are also extremely hot. These babouches keep us from burning our feet.” “So, tell me then,” added the boy. “Why are you living in Minnesota and still wearing all this stuff?”

A Bar And A Drink I was sitting at the bar staring at my drink when a large, trouble-making biker-stepped up next to me, grabbed my drink and gulped it down in one swig. “Well, whatcha’ gonna do about it?” he growled menacingly as I burst into tears. “Come on man,” the biker said, “I didn’t think you’d cry. I can’t stand to see a man crying.” “This is the worst day of my life,” I said. “I’m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen and I don’t have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife with another man...and then my dog bit me. So, I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all. I bought a drink, dropped a capsule in it and watched the poison dissolve. Then you showed up and downed my drink! But, hey, enough about me, how are you doing?”

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Historical Series…

Prominent Place n Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co. built a memorable town and highly reputable business in the Florida Panhandle. By DK Knight CENTURY, Fla. ★ s names of American towns go, the moniker Century is not comparatively unusual. Still, it’s interesting that no state but Florida lists a Century in its index of cities, towns or counties. Also interesting is the origin of the town, located in far north-central Escambia County on the northwestern edge of the panhandle, and the organization that built, owned and controlled it for, well, more than a half a century. What is more interesting, and even more significant, is that while traces of the original mill are scant, many of the town’s original buildings, including the hotel, post office, churches and dwellings, remain intact. This is a credit to the work of the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society (algersullivan.org), which succeeded in getting the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co. Residential Historic District added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The district, located a short distance off U.S. Highway 29, encompasses approximately 23 acres and includes 45 buildings. (Except as noted, credit for all photos in this account goes to the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society.)

How It All Began By the 1880s, wealthy businessmen Russell A. Alger (known as Gen. Alger) of Detroit, Mich. and Martin H. Sullivan of Pensacola, Fla. among other pursuits held significant lumber and/or timber interests—Alger in Michigan and Minnesota and Sullivan in Florida and Alabama. An accomplished officer in the

Martin H. Sullivan

Russell A. Alger

Longleaf logs of the period were large, very dense and quite heavy—well suited for making long timbers. (SLT photo) Prior to entering the mill, logs were stored in a pond, which help cleanse and preserve them.

Union Army during the Civil War, Alger, who was orphaned at age 12, was the former governor of Michigan, served as Secretary of War for President William McKinley, and later was appointed and then elected a U.S. Senator in Michigan. During and following the war, Alger spent time in parts of the South and was taken with the region’s splendid and abundant virgin longleaf pine forests. Sullivan and his brother, Daniel, arrived in the Pensacola area in the 1870s and quickly added to their wealth by investing in various pursuits, including banking, shipping and real estate. Through Sullivan Timber Co. they eventually accumulated at least 220,000 acres, most of which supported mature longleaf pine. Their holdings were located primarily in the south Alabama counties of Escambia, Baldwin, Conecuh and Monroe. (Florida’s Escambia County and Alabama’s Escambia County adjoin each other.) At the time, the Gulf Coast was brimming with lumber and turpentine activity. The brothers also operated small sawmills

in the area, created the short line Escambia Railroad, operated several miles of log ditches linked to rivers for log and timbers transportation to Pensacola Bay, and owned real estate and other property, including some Pensacola Bay wharves. In 1900 Alger and Martin Sullivan formed a syndicate, created The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co., and made plans for a big longleaf-centered sawmill and supporting village, finding an ideal site in 175 acres located a few miles south of the Alabama-Florida line town of Flomaton. Situated only a few miles from the Escambia River, which flows southward to Pensacola Bay, part of the property flanked the L&N Railroad. The founders viewed both as vital in getting lumber and timbers to domestic and export markets. Investors included Alger, Martin Sullivan, Frank Hecker, C.L. Street, W.D. Mann, E.M. Vynne, John Millen and Edward Hauss. One name considered for the

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town was Alger, but apparently Gen. Alger was not enamored with the idea. Instead, given the year and investors’ optimism over the promising venture, they chose Century for the name for their unincorporated settlement. At least three important AlgerSullivan Lumber Co. (ASLC) acquisitions took place in this time frame, including: 1) Foshee & Fuller Lumber Co.’s circle sawmill at nearby Foshee, Ala., which provided sawn materials for the new sawmill complex, a hotel to house construction workers, employee housing and other structures, and also generated income; 2) Sullivan Timber Co.’s timber assets (the price paid reportedly was $1 million); and 3) the all-important Escambia Railroad.

Construction: Mill, Town Edward Hauss, gifted with an acute organizational-management skillset and an eye for detail, but

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evidently having no lumber or logging experience, was brought in as superintendent of operations to spearhead the building of the mill and town. He was recommended for the job by fellow stockholder and uncle, Frank Hecker. At first Hauss operated out of Foshee, Ala. but soon relocated to Century, directing a group of some 300 craftsmen and laborers in a challenging effort that took more than a year. Road conditions were said to have been deplorable and the work ethic of some locals, particularly around holidays, was not up to Hauss’ expectations. Stockholders chose AllisChalmers Mfg. Co. to design and erect the steam-operated plant. Alger himself specified twin 9 ft. bandmills and opted for the more efficient double cutting types that Allis-Chalmers’ had introduced a few years before. The saw bands had teeth on both edges so that they cut as the log carriage moved both forward and backward, resulting in greater efficiency and higher production. Beginning production in early 1902, the complex included 10 wood-burning boilers that supplied steam to an enormous Corliss steam engine that turned a gigantic flywheel. In addition, the mill complex had two resaws, two edgers, shingle and lath works, log pond, drying yards, planermill, storage areas, rail car loading facilities, engine roundhouse, maintenance shops, and more. The mill building measured 60x300 ft.; its estimated cost, $350,000. The facility evidently got off to a smooth start, reportedly producing almost 60MMBF in 1903. For much of its life the mill cut lots of timbers—12x12s, 14x14s and 16x16s up to 60 ft. long were common early on—and most of the heavyweight output was exported to Europe or the Mediterranean Region. ASLC was said to have employed upwards of 500 at one time. Both in the mill and woods, laborers went at it from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., six days a week. Employees were paid in cash but could draw coupons, redeemable at the company store, against their pay. By 1915 the village had a hotel,

hospital, commissary, post office, executive club, business district, schools, churches and segregated housing districts for black and while families. Housing ranged from small ‘shotgun’ dwellings to large executive types. Smaller houses rented to mill workers were painted gray and each had a gray picket fence to keep roaming animals at bay. In 1931 rent ranged from $8 to $12 a month. All housing was periodically inspected by designated company representatives and generally was well maintained, at least on the outside. The company eventually provided water, electricity and garbage and sewer service to its employee tenants. Even though Century in due course had a constable, there was very little crime, so few, if any, doors or fence gates were ever locked. (To learn more about life in the town, visit algersullivan.org.) ASLC added a large theater and recreation hall in 1922. Decades later it was remodeled to become ASLC offices. The mill whistle, typically heard as one deep, long ‘w-h-e-e-o-o-o-oo-o’ blast, served as the community clock, but a series of short blasts signaled fire. This is what locals heard in 1910 when flames destroyed the sawmill, which investors rebuilt basically as it was originally. The only other fire incident in ASLC history was in 1939 when the planermill, some lumber and storage sheds, a few rail cars and part of the business district were destroyed. Although located a mere 50 miles north of the coast, there is no record of hurricane-inflicted damage to the mill complex or town, but both were impacted somewhat by infrequent flooding. Unlike many large lumber companies of the period, ASLC evidently encountered no problems with union-related labor unrest, nor did it promote itself regularly in trade journals with flashy advertisements. That evidently just wasn’t the style of Edward Hauss, who managed the company for decades. The pages of Southern Lumberman archives reveal that when the company did advertise, it did so in a modest manner.

Still standing, the hotel had 30 rooms but only two baths.

Russell Alger died in 1907; Martin Sullivan in 1911. Neither ever resided in Century.

Rare Curly Paneling Was Prized ASLC Product

Railroad, Logging Camps The railroad the company bought early on was crucial to the sawmill in that it was a direct link to the thick longleaf stands and remote logging operations. At its zenith the railway stretched for about 100 miles north of Century. Nucleus of ASLC’s logging operations was a place called Camp 8, which was basically a compound consisting of an office, dining hall, housing for young men, a repair shop, small commissary (supplied by train) and pens for chickens, cows and hogs. At the outskirts were quarters for married workers and their families. By the late ’30s or early ’40s, parts of Camp 8 benefitted from a gas-powered generator. ‘Camp cars’ were built and set up similar to others of the day in the region but were said to have been more comfortable than those other area sawmill companies provided. Similar to box cars, the wooden structures were fitted with windows and were well-maintained. Mounted on wheels, they were strung together, set on a rail siding, and were relocated from time to time by rail as timber cutting progressed. Camp 8 was kept neat and orderly, thanks to an edict from Hauss and the hands-on efforts of the logging superintendent and his personnel. ASLC’s longest serving logging superintendent was ‘Captain’ Luke Earle, who began working in logging camps at age 10 and joined the company soon after it was organized. Known for his salty tongue, he became logging ‘super’ in 1922 and ruled his little kingdom with strict but fair discipline until he retired in 1945. His habit of cursing was offset by charming courtesy when he was in the company of women. He was a flamboyant type and kept a jukebox in his quarters that played country music at deafening volume. Earle and Hauss had lots of respect for one another and developed a special bond, so much so that Hauss gave orders that Luke could always see him immediately.

This larger dwelling likely housed a supervisor’s family. (SLT photo)

In addition to timbers, framing and finish stock, the ASLC sawmill turned out limited quantities of distinctive and expensive ‘burly’ or ‘curly’ paneling, taking advantage of the burled grain found in the heart of some mature longleaf. The grain was typically identified in only one log out of hundreds, making it quite rare. Logs with this characteristic were set aside until enough were collected to make a special run. The curly or burled grain appeared holographic and threedimensional and occurred most prominently at the interface of the heart and sap wood. It was a genetic anomaly and inherited trait within particular stands. A tree that contained curly heart was often described as being bumpy in appearance, and these tended to grow in groups. At least two offices at AlgerSullivan’s headquarters were eventually finished in curly paneling, as was the alter area in the Century United Methodist Church. Today, small companies that specialize in heart pine made from salvaged longleaf timbers or old growth ‘sinker’ logs still offer limited quantities of curly pine, albeit at a hefty price. Once a year, stockholders, their wives and other special guests visited Century to tour the sawmill, town, and check out logging activity at Camp 8. Luke always saw to it that they were treated graciously and served a fine meal. Crosscut saws, axes and Peaveys were the typical tools of the day for felling, trimming and log maneuver-

The commissary building as it appeared in the early 1900s

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ing. In the early going, oxen and mules—the company reportedly owned hundreds of each—skidded logs to the railroad where they were lifted onto cars by steampowered cable loaders. Eight-wheeled log wagons and ‘big wheel’ carts were also likely in the mix at some point. Later, steam-powered skidders were used to drag logs up to 1,000 yards to the railroad, but this practice was eventu- Even in the mid 1950s, ASLC’s lands continued to yield relatively large logs. The company was ahead of its time, requiring hard hats for woods workers. As well, it was a pioneer in converting to more efficient and productive treelength logging, adopting a trailer set-out system, using portable ally stopped. While such scales to control weight, and fitting its trucks with tachographs to record speed. mechanical skidding was 30,000 additional acres of mature productive, it was also very dangerthe company strengthened efforts to World War II also significantly ous and quite destructive, essentially longleaf in Conecuh County, Ala. reduce the chance of destructive impacted operations, as the proHauss ordered a change in logwiping out all small trees and deeply wildfire, at one time purchasing fire longed conflict saw many personnel ging practices, resorting to less scarring the landscape. plow-equipped Jeep pickups for enter military service. Even though destructive skidding methods, and select personnel and maintaining the War Manpower Commission instituted selective cutting. In the 2,000 miles of 10-ft. fire lanes. encouraged ASLC and other comSignificant Changes 1930s he went against lumbering’s Lean Great Depression years panies to bring in Central American In the beginning, company officonventional thinking and initiated forced cutbacks in logging and mill laborers to help fill the gaps, Hauss cials reckoned its timber supply a tree planting program and hired activity. The railroad was shortened, resisted, citing concerns about the would last 15 to 20 years, but they M.C. Leach as the company’s first the number of log trains reduced, foreigners’ inexperience and how altered course to expand this window land management forester. At the and for the first time, there was no they would mesh with the culture of by decades. ASLC slowed production same time, Hauss ordered turpennew rail construction. A few milithe company and community. at Century after a fast start and closed tine operations suspended on comtary surplus trucks were successfulAfter the war, ASLC gradually the mill at Foshee in the early 1920s, pany lands and sold Conecuh Naval ly introduced to supplement rail log abandoned the railroad, went totally about the same time it purchased Stores, a subsidiary of ASLC. Also, transportation. to trucks, got rid of livestock,

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adopted crawler tractors and gaspowered cable loaders, and converted to chain saws. Even so, in 1946 it continued to employ about 120 men in its logging operations. However, that number was trimmed by some 50% over the next decade, as the company crews became much more efficient and productive. ASLC was a pioneer in converting to treelength skidding, loading and hauling and using a trailer setout system, not to mention adopting larger crawler tractors and more

reliable loaders and chain saws. It was also a pioneer in using portable scales and attaching tachographs on its trucks to monitor speed. Another development that affected the company happened in 1945 with the creation of South Flomaton, an incorporated town located between Century and Flomaton, Ala. This happening began chipping away at ASLC’s traditional paternalistic control of the established community. By all accounts, the ‘stern but fair’

Edward Hauss, regarded as the ‘Great White Father’ of Çentury, left a heavy footprint on the business and town and was given lots of credit in leading and guiding ASLC to a long, reputable, successful run. Known for human relations skills and for taking chances on people, he served as ‘town planner, judge in employee relations matters, mediator in arguments involving families and/or neighbors, and philanthropist.’ He served as the company’s assistant secretary and treasurer, vice-presi-

dent and treasurer, president and treasurer, and chairman of the board.

Liquidation, Slow New Life In late 1956 ASLC stockholders, after reviewing a study “of the trend of the lumber business and of affairs in general,” (read obsolete sawmill and the rapid fading of the mill town era) voted to liquidate the company and sell all assets, then estimated worth $25 million. The company had 400 employees at the time, including Hauss, the last surviving member of the original group of organizers and a 57-year veteran with the company. Early the next year the assets were sold to a syndicate made up of St. Regis Paper Co., International Paper Co., Scott Paper Co., Timber Products Co., and The Koppers Co. The syndicate retained the 227,000 acres involved in the transaction and promptly sold the sawmill, log and lumber inventories, logging equipment and the village

Edward Hauss’ Legacy Continues Edward Hauss, who served The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co. in various capacities for decades and ended up as chairman of the board, loved the outdoors and was a significant benefactor to the Auburn University forestry program during his life. He Edward Hauss established a forestry scholarship endowment in 1955 that is available to qualified students enrolled in AU’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences who are legal residents of Alabama or Florida. This program has helped hundreds of students since his death in 1963. On June 4, 1957, Auburn University honored Hauss for his industry contributions to his industry by awarding him with an honorary doctorate. In 1951 Hauss encouraged the company he led to donate 50 acres located near Atmore, Ala. to the Alabama Forestry Commission, which proceeded to establish a tree nursery on the property and named it after him. Today the facility consists of 400 acres and is the commission’s flagship nursery. 26

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Some workers at a remote logging camp pause for posterity.

of Century to two prominent independent lumbermen: Leon Clancy of Decatur, Ala. and Hobart Manley, Sr., of Savannah, Ga. They renamed the operation Alger-Sullivan Sawmill Co. (ASSC) and entered into a five-year contract (later extended to 10) to purchase substantial volumes of timber from the syndicate, which tapped veteran Alabama lumberman/politician G.R. Swift to oversee the contract in collaboration with M.C. Leach, ASLC’s forester who transferred to the new company. The new owners quickly moved with plans to electrify and modernize the sawmill to more efficiently handle smaller logs and streamline the entire process. This included the installation of a debarker and chipper. About the time the 24-month renovation was completed, the mill was

destroyed by a fire ignited by some last-minute welding. Unfazed, Clancy and Manley started over and in less than a year had a smaller plant going, only to be confronted with a late 1950s economic downturn that sent lumber prices lower. But the business slowed production and held on, among other things finding a new source of revenue by selling chips to the St. Regis paper mill in nearby Cantonment. Later, ALSC added gluing and finger jointing equipment and began making heavy-duty rail car flooring. It later added a new planermill and installed a small wood treating operation. In the early to mid ’60s, ALSC offered mill houses to employees for the prices as calculated by the local tax assessor’s office and sold off vacant residential lots. The company also donated land for a sewer plant, courthouse annex and baseball field.

Final Era ALSC’s performance attracted the attention of Tampa-based Jim Walter Corp., which acquired the Century operations in 1967. It relocated a door plant to Century in the early ’70s and gradually phased out all lumber manufacturing and wood treating operations. The door plant was eventually permanently shut. Today the only sounds coming from the sawmill site, now surrounded by a rusting chain link fence, are those made by birds and animals, and the occasional creaking or flapping of a piece of loose tin on a sagging lumber shed. No wood or building products plant currently operates in Century, which has a population of about 1,900. Interestingly, the town of South Flomaton, incorporated in 1945, changed its name to Century in 1979. On April 22, 1980, the new, officially incorporated town of Century annexed the unincorporated village to the south originally founded as Century and both SLT entities were united as one. 28

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome By Danny Dructor Just recently, I had the privilege to work alongside Hancock Natural Resource Management Group, Thomas Johnson Logging, and John Deere to organize

Dructor

and implement a tour that involved taking participants from the Federal Timber Purchasers Committee to an active logging site. The purpose was to showcase the latest technology that is being utilized in equipment

operating in marginal ground, while first thinning a 12-year-old loblolly pine plantation. The tour offered an opportunity to introduce U.S. Forest Service employees from around the country to the in-the-cab technology that many operations are utilizing today to

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assist them with their efficiencies and productivity. Just prior to and during the tour, several issues occurred that had me focusing on what the challenges really are in the real world of forest management and timber harvesting, including an abundant amount of rainfall causing the contractor to move from the original tour site, a lack of cell phone service which made the “live” demonstration of the technology unusable, and finally ground conditions in a first thinning that were less than desirable due to the recent rainfall with more on its way. What dawned on me by the time I was asked to summarize the tour two days later was the Marine Corps phrase, “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.” That is what professional timber harvesters must do on almost a daily basis, and land managers such as the Forest Service should be ready and willing to do the same. When things don’t go as planned we can either shut down, or we can choose to…. l Improvise. The best made plans for managing and harvesting a stand of timber can come to a screeching halt just as soon as an insect or disease infestation attacks the stand, weather events such as tornadoes, excessive rainfall, straight line winds or hurricanes impact the area, and even loss of markets that were within a reasonable hauling distance to the tract of timber suddenly disappear. Sometimes we are given a warning of impending issues, but more often than not, we are exposed to these threats while operating in an area. The best way forward is to have a contingency plan for those times when you will need to rapidly adjust your original plan and be prepared to implement it. Most importantly, be flexible. l Adapt. While the best laid plans can take an unexpected turn, you should be willing to adapt to ensure your productivity and income do not. We should all be willing to take our contingency plan and adapt it to the ever changing environment around us. There are often no black and white solutions, but experience, knowledge and a good dose of common sense can lead to changes in an operation that result in the same— if not better—outputs. l Overcome. When we are challenged, we should face it head-on and work through it. Having a plan and a contingency plan are great, but the willingness to implement those plans completes that process of overcoming those obstacles that have tried to get in our way. If the Forest Service is going to

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be able to provide the management and harvesting levels that our national forests desperately need to restore forest health, then they should train their employees to be willing to improvise, adapt and overcome, just like the Marines. Handbooks and manuals are great guidance documents, but the onthe-ground managers of our nation’s forests must have the option of being flexible and stepping out of their comfort zone in order to be able to provide more operating days in a calendar year with different harvesting systems that can be deployed without fear of retribution for making a mistake. Our nation’s forests are renewable, and even if we have a small area where we made the wrong decision before correcting, those

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stands will still come back to produce timber and provide wildlife habitat, water quality and recreational opportunities. The American Loggers Council will continue to seek to improve the sustainable management and timber harvesting of all of our nations forests, regardless of ownership, and we will continue to share your knowledge with those who have not had the privilege of planning and operating a sustainable timber harvesting operation. Danny Dructor is Executive Vice President of the American Loggers Council, a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters throughout the United States. Contact American Loggers Council at 409-625-0206, or american logger@aol.com, or visit the website: www.amloggers.com.

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Loggers Groups Push For Tariff Relief American Loggers Council (ALC) and its member state logging associations recently delivered letters to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, asking the administration to include unrefined forest products as an agricultural commodity. ALC and its members say aligning timber and agriculture would enable

impacted loggers to receive relief as the industry continues to be affected by retaliatory tariffs. As part of the supply chain for the second-largest agricultural industry selling into China (forest products), loggers want to be included in the system of tariffimpacted compensation that has already paid out more than $28 billion to farm and ag interests. “The West Virginia forest products industry has been, and continues to be, concerned that federal support for

our products is not being treated equally with agricultural products,” wrote Curt Hassler and William Robinson, representing the West Virginia Loggers Council. “While the agricultural sectors have been the primary beneficiaries of tariff relief, we believe it is time for forest products to be included in tariff relief policies. We stand ready to support policy initiatives that ensure all sectors of the forest products industry, including timberland owners, loggers, and mills, are no longer overlooked as a

needed, valued, and sustainable industry in our national economy.” The logging associations noted that unrefined forest products, such as wood fiber and logs, are among the most widely exported commodities to foreign countries. Retaliatory tariffs have had severe impacts on certain sectors of the forest products industry, resulting in the closure of businesses and the loss of jobs. “Even though the 2018 U.S. Agriculture Exports to China chart ranks forest products as the number two largest industry, the USDA does not list hardwoods on their website as an exported commodity,” wrote Tommy Carroll, Executive Director of the Southeastern Wood Products Assn. “As hardwood and other mills adapt to tariffs in their own operations, logging companies are feeling the impact in their operations as well. In addition, many forest landowners who have significant investment in their timberlands are experiencing a lack of demand and lower prices for standing timber.” The associations also noted that like agricultural commodities, unrefined forest products are also perishable commodities that are sensitive to trade and tariff policies. “Trade or exporting wood products is vital to Oregon’s forest sector economy,” wrote Rex Storm, Interim Executive Vice President of Associated Oregon Loggers. “During recent trade debates we’ve come to realize the lack of federal government support for forest commodity consideration. Timber products are a perishable commodity susceptible to decay, insects, disease and fire— a perishable commodity that is 40 or more years to grow as a crop. Forest products are not treated equitably with agriculture.” Aligning timber and agriculture on trade policies would enable logging businesses to weather the impacts of retaliatory tariffs as the administration seeks to resolve trade disputes. “The timber industry helped build the United States economy as well as agriculture,” wrote David Livingston, Executive Director of the Mississippi Loggers Assn. “We need to make them one and the same, for the only difference between agriculture and tree farming is the length of the crop rotation.”

IKEA Continues U.S. Timberland Purchases Ingka Investments, IKEA’s parent company, recently made two timberland acquisitions that nearly double its U.S. forestland portfolio. One purchase was in East Texas for 42,000 acres, following a deal for 18,000 forestland acres in southeast Oklahoma. IKEA’s 34

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U.S. forestry portfolio is now 125,000 acres. IKEA has also purchased timberland in Alabama (25,000 acres in Lowndes County) and South Carolina (17,000 acres). Ikea, which uses wood in much of its furniture, has been buying forestland since 2014 as it works toward its goal of using 100% sustainably sourced wood in its products. Last year, IKEA planted 600,000 tree seedlings in the U.S., and nearly 7 million globally.

No-Go On Proposed Purchase Of Canfor Canfor Corp. has agreed with Great Pacific Capital Corp. to terminate a previously announced arrangement that called for Great Pacific, which already owns 51% of Canfor, to purchase the remainder of the shares of Canfor for nearly $1 billion. Based on a vote of Canfor share-

holders, the “majority of the minority” vote required under a “Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions” instrument, will not be achieved, coming up at least 5% short in votes. The deal, which would have turned Canfor from a public company into a private one, appeared to have the momentum to reach fruition, with the board of directors of Canfor recommending it following endorsement from various special committees and

shareholder services. The board had stated that the purchase price represented a significant premium over the existing share price, and that ongoing industry headwinds in the forestry sector had caused some instability in trading prices and in company operations, including multiple curtailments of sawmill production in the Northwest U.S. The company operates multiple sawmills in the Southern U.S.

Pellet Plant In Alabama Receives Thumbs Up Enviva, the world’s largest producer of wood pellets, reports that the Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management (ADEM) approved a permit allowing Enviva to construct a wood pellet facility in Sumter County. This permit paves the way for 85 full-time jobs and an estimated 180 additional jobs in logging, transportation and local services, as well as the creation of 300-400 jobs during construction of the plant. The facility will be located at the Port of Epes Industrial Park and represents an initial investment of $175 million and an expected annual economic impact in the region of approximately $180 million. The plant’s planned permitted capacity is expected to be 1,150,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year. The plant would initially be constructed to produce 700,000 metric tons per year, with the possibility to expand in the future to reach full production capacity. Enviva expects to be ready for construction in early 2020, subject to final investment approval, and expects construction to take anywhere from 15-18 months.

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The sustainably sourced wood pellets from the Epes plant are expected to be transported by barge via the Tennessee-Tombigbee River to Enviva’s planned deep-water marine terminal to be located in Pascagoula, Miss., where they would be exported to Europe and Asia for electricity generation. The plant will utilize a mix of softwood and mill residuals sourced from areas within approximately 75 miles of the plant. Enviva notes that this permit

comes at an important time. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)— widely considered the world’s leading authority on climate science— calls for increased use of bioenergy like Enviva’s wood pellets in every one of their proposed pathways to limit the impact of climate change to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. “A sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest CO2 stacks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber,

fiber, or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit,” states the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land.

Primex Tires Offered On Deere Machines Alliance Tire Americas, Inc. (ATA) announced that its Primex brand forestry tires are now offered on John Deere’s 640L-II, 648L-II, 748L-II, 848L-II and 948L-II skidders and on

the company’s 643L-II and 848L-II wheeled feller-bunchers. Alliance forestry tires have been OE fitments on Deere’s forwarders built in Europe and on several other top forestry equipment brands manufactured in the U.S. for years. “The forestry market is rough— from the challenges to the tires to the competitiveness of the industry,” says Eric Lasko, O.E. Account Manager for Alliance Tire Americas. “It’s exciting to see new machinery rolling off the line on Primex LogMonster, Primex LogStomper Xtremes and on our line of Alliance 342, 343 and 346 logging tires.”

Divinol Gains Cat Spec Certification Germany-based lubricant specialists Zeller + Gmelin and its Divinol Multimax lubricant line have received the “Meet Caterpillar XY specification” certification for meeting Caterpillar’s demanding requirements and the product’s overall performance in heavy duty applications. The new Meet Caterpillar XY specification represents a standard for third-party products that promises maximum durability and performance from Caterpillar engines. The particular ECF specifications have been developed to help Caterpillar engines comply with the stringent emissions regulations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Doosan Reveals Equipment Web Site Side-by-side machine comparisons, immersive product info and up-to-date industry advice await visitors to the new DoosanEquip ment.com. The revamped digital experience brings users up close to the excavators, wheel loaders and articulated dump trucks (ADTs) of Doosan Infracore North America, LLC. “With our new DoosanEquip ment.com, we’re welcoming users to explore our machines, gain valuable insights and see for themselves how Doosan is powered by innovation,” says Edward Song, CEO of Doosan Infracore North America. Doosan has digital updates beyond the site, too: The new Doosan Parts Book app, available on iOS and Android devices, streamlines the brand’s 600-page product manuals into a simple interface. Doosan customers can even enter their equipment info to immediately receive the latest parts books on their mobile devices. The app is available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. 38

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PRINT CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Print advertising rates are $50 per inch. Space is available by column inch only, one inch minimum. DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 10th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 12th of month prior to month of publication.

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CONTACT: Call Bridget DeVane at 334-699-7837, 800-669-5613, email bdevane7@hotmail.com or visit www.southernloggintimes.com

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IF YOU NEED

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RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!! In addition to new machines, CHAMBERS DELIMBINATOR, INC. now has factory reconditioned DeLimbinators. These units have been inspected, repaired, and updated as needed. Call us and we will help you select a DeLimbinator for your need.

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2015 Deere 748L • $155,000 STK# LT669606 • 6,329 hrs

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2012 Tigercat 718E • $74,000 STK# LT181285 • 8,108 hrs

2017 Deere 648L • $162,000 STK# LT684330 • 3,322 hrs

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John Deere log John Deere dual arch for SWEDA/20 boom. We hole 1400 replaced mount Teammate and logging (4) ..................................$8,500 exchange attachments. For • YZ19118 648H or 748H Front Axles ........................................................$7,250 John Deere 2009 Tigercat 620C Skidder, dual arch & Contact Gavin at 601-394-7796 1400 series winch, 35.5s, NEW ENGINE, turn around seat, Chris at 601-410-4682 .......................................$7,500 exchange good machine ...................................$68,000 or Jerry at 601-410-3415 3528 • PG200788 Rear Axles Call or Text Zane 1400 Series John Deere 334-518-9937 748H..$7,500 exchange Maplesville, AL • YZ19001 John Deere 843J Front Axles, 1200 Series, Complete .........$7,500 exchange NOBODY Beats Our Prices Contact Gavin at 601-394-7796 On Gates 4-Wire Hose! Chris at 601-410-4682 or Mark at 601-410-0566 3528 252-531-8812 Cavalier Hose and Fittings Visit ForesTreeTrader.com for online listing opportunities.

Spotlight On: Tires, Tracks, Etc. outhern Loggin’ Times invited manufacturers of

S tires, tracks and chains to submit editorial. ECO-Wheel Tracks

ECO-Wheel Tracks from Olofsfors are an economical alternative to conventional tire chains. They are suitable for skidders and wheeled feller-bunchers with tire sizes ranging from 23.1 x 26 to 35.5 x 32. ECO-Wheel Tracks provide numerous benefits over chains including superior traction, longer lifetime and less maintenance. With the smooth and consistent traction, ECO-Wheel Tracks reduce the ‘spin and grab’ effect on the machines drive line. They fit new or used tires. ECOWheel Tracks also increase the stability and mobility especially in hilly conditions. For more information visit www.eco-tracks.com or call 519-754-2190.

Forest Chain Multi-Ring Forest Chain wide range of ring skidder chains are available in fixed ring, multi ring, and studded with 9⁄16", 5⁄8" or 3⁄4" tag chains to fit all popular tire sizes. Designed to give as much as 60% more traction to your skidder, Forest Chain skidder chains provide quicker skid times, more production and increased bottom line profits. Forest Chain premium multi-ring heavy duty chains offer superior traction and are available in 9⁄16, 5⁄8, 3⁄4, 7⁄8 and 1 inch. The DoubleDiamond configured chains equipped with U-shaped studs are especially effective in the worst conditions: the deep biting lugs dig deeply into the terrain. Repairs are easy using common welding techniques and materials for longer life. Email forestchain@gmail.com or call 800-288-0887.

Maxam LogXtra Performance Tire

Wallingford’s Chains, Tracks

Maxam has introduced the LogXtra forestry line to its broad range of specialty tire programs. Maxam has engineered the MS931 LogXtra to provide the industry with the best solution for abusive forestry applications. Throughout the development and performance validation phase of the LogXtra program, the design components and tire construction have displayed increased efficiency, durability and traction compared to industry benchmarks. A high performance rubber compound has been developed by the Maxam engineering group specifically for the LogXtra tread to maximize tire resilience in the working environment. To prevent bead winding defects and protect against mounting damage, the LogXtra goes through an enhanced bead wrapping process that has been developed and implemented during the manufacturing process. The LogXtra forestry line is designed for use on demandng forestry equipment. High strength, belt stabilized tire construction provides excellent traction and flotation in severe logging applications. LogXtra tires feature heavy duty shoulder and sidewall; maximum protection from cuts, impact, and punctures; cut resistant compound specifically engineering for forestry service; and steel reinforced undertread. In addition, the LogXtra offers excellent traction and flotation thanks to its aggressive self-cleaning tread pattern that is deeper and wider than the industry standards. The MS931 Logxtra will be offered in five LS2 sizes and optional ply ratings. Visit maxamtire.com

Wallingford’s Inc. offers BABAC forestry and heavy equipment tire chains built from 10B21 Through Hardened Boron Alloy steel, with a uniform hardness and tensile strength. Extensive tests and field experience have shown that BABAC tire chains wear longer, more uniformly, and without breakage associated with case hardened products. BABAC offers a full line of standard tire chain patterns for heavy equipment applications. BABAC tire chain models include single and multiple Diamond net type (with and without U-Form studs), and standard and Multi Ring models (in single or multiple wide patterns). BABAC has computer design capability and we specialize in custom tire chain applications and odd tire sizes. BABAC’s Ring chains provide excellent traction for operating in adverse conditions, and have been popular with our Southern logging customers for many years. All models feature alloy lugs that, unlike most other chains, are butt and wrap welded for unsurpassed strength and durability. Tag and cross chains are made from through hardened 10B21 Boron Alloy steel, side chains of 1022 hardened steel. Wallingford’s Inc. is a marketing partner with Sweden’s Nordic Traction Group in North America, a premium brand supplier of high-quality traction products for professionals. Nordic Traction Group produces Clark bogie tracks and single wheel tracks. Clark SuperGrip single wheel tracks are an alternative to tire chains. Many Southern logging professionals have found that they perform very well on soils found in their region. All of our SuperGrip wheel tracks come stock with 28mm linkages and with a fitting kit that includes tensioners and joining links for installation and adjustments. Visit www.wallingfords.com and www.clarktracksusa.com.

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A D L I N K ●

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ADVERTISER American Truck Parts Around The World Salvage Big John Trailers BITCO Insurance Caterpillar Dealer Promotion John Deere Forestry Doggett Machinery Service Eastern Surplus Flint Equipment FMI Trailers Forest Chain Forestry First Forestry Mutual Insurance G & W Equipment Granger Equipment Hawkins & Rawlinson Interstate Tire Service Kaufman Trailers Komatsu Forestry Division Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Logger Shop Equipment Sales Magnolia Trailers Maxam Tire North America Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show Moore Logging Supply Morbark Olofsfors Peterson Pacific Pitts Trailers Puckett Machinery Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment Southern Loggers Cooperative Stribling Equipment Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries Timberblade TRACT TraxPlus Vermeer Manufacturing VPG Onboard Weighing W & W Truck & Tractor Wallingford’s Waratah Forestry Attachments Waters International Trucks J M Wood Auction Yancey Brothers

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COMING EVENTS January 14-15—Missouri Forest Products Assn. winter meeting, Capitol Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Jefferson City, Mo. Call 573-634-3252; visit moforest.org.

February 7-9—South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. annual meeting, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton, Myrtle Beach, SC. Call 800-371-2240; visit scloggers.com. 19-23—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, Naples Grand Beach Resort, Naples, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.

March 5-7—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. annual meeting, Okefenokee Fairgrounds and Exchange Club, Waycross, Ga. Call 904-845-7133; visit swpa.ag. 6-8—Carolina Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Ballast, Wilmington, NC. Call 828-421-8444; visit ncloggers.com. 10-11—Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; email dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit bioenergyshow.com.

southernloggintimes.com

25-27—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. 2019 National Conference & Expo, JW Marriott, Nashville, Tenn. Call 412-244-0440; visit hmamembers.org. 25-27—SFPA/SLMA Spring Meeting, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpa.org.

April 7-9—Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. annual meeting, Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.

May 1-2—Expo Richmond 2020, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com. 18-20—Forest Resources Assn. annual meeting, Omni Austin Downtown, Austin, Tex. Call 202296-3937; visit forestresources.org.

July 16-18—West Virginia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Cannan Valley Resort & Conference Center, Davis, W.Va. Call 681-265-5019; visit wvfa.org. 24-26—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Ctr., Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478-992-8110; visit gfagrow.org.

August 21-22—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org. 20-23—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va. Call 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org. 25-27—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850-222-5646; visit floridaforest.org. 25-27—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, TBD. Call 318443-2558; visit laforestry.com. 25-28—IWF 2020, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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