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Vol. 49, No. 4

(Founded in 1972—Our 571st Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S

April 2020 A Hatton-Brown Publication

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

www.southernloggintimes.com

out front:

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

18 Texas loggers Hobie Raulston, left, and his cousin Matt Raulston, right, began their partnership in 2014, and in the six years since have grown their joint enterprise, Raulston Land and Timber, into a behemoth: five crews, a trucking fleet 21 strong, plus contractors, a sawmill and a wood yard. All told the operation averages 600 loads a week. Story begins on Page 8.

(Photo by David Abbott)

Spring Timber Blazes New Tracks

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 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 Western Canada, Western USA

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Safety Special Non-Routine Tasks

Southern Stumpin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bulletin Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Machines-Supplies-Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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

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

When It Rains... n my February Southern Stumpin’ column, “2020 Vision,” written in January, I predicted that 2020 would present us with a bumpy ride.

At that time I was thinking primarily about rainy weather, oversupplied markets, the election, the impeachment of President Trump and, of course, the Chinese trade war/tariff situation that had impacted hardwood export markets for many loggers.

Turns out there was something else China-related that I didn’t take into account. Now, two months later, as I’m writing this in the middle of March, I’m thinking 2020 might be bumpier than I anticipated. In just the last week, as of this writing, it seems like much of America, and indeed the world, has been put on hold because of coronavirus.

The disruptions to our plans and routines are everywhere, even in these pages. This, the April issue of Southern Loggin’ Times, was intended to be our Expo Richmond show issue, the issue that would have been on-site at the biennial show. We had set aside two pages for a preview of the 37th East Coast Sawmill and Logging Equipment Exposition, which had been scheduled to take place May 1-2 at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Richmond, Va. That was the plan until just a few days before we went to press when we got the word that Expo Richmond 2020 had been postponed. As of now, the show has been rescheduled for October 910. Hopefully by then all of this will be a memory.

In any case, this was just one of the changes we had to make to this issue at the last minute, in part because of COVID-19.

By the time the Richmond announcement came, it wasn’t much of a surprise. All kinds of events had been getting cancelled, and once they started shutting down the schools, I had a hunch everything else would soon fall like dominoes. It’s a safe bet that almost all large gatherings, from concerts to conferences, have been or soon will be postponed, rescheduled or cancelled outright, at least through the spring and possibly into the summer, depending on how things go. Hopefully the somewhat drastic steps we are taking will reduce the spread and impact of the virus, and further disruptions won’t prove necessary.

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Strange Days Have Found Us As of now, plans still move forward for the Mid-South show scheduled for August in Starkville, Miss. But the CDC has indicated this might continue as late as August. And that is just unacceptable. Look, it’s one thing to end basketball early and start baseball late, but if this thing stretches into August, that’s getting dangerously close to affecting football season, and that simply cannot happen, y’all!

Seriously, though, these are strange times and the extreme measures we have had to take are going to adversely affect a lot of people. If a show 6

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like Richmond or Mid-South goes down, a lot of people lose a lot of money. I think about the lost revenue from TV advertising and ticket sales for the NBA and MLB. Sure, the big stars are rich, but not so all the people who work behind the scenes in those stadiums for sporting events and concerts, not to mention movie theaters, restaurants, and so on. I have friends who still work as servers and whose only income is from tips that they now won’t be getting, possibly for months. I know individuals who will lose their income when their employers are forced to let them go, and small businesses owners of all stripes who don’t have the cash reserves to survive a months-long disruption of commerce. I hope we can all make it work and keep this from lasting too long.

As I’m writing this, things aren’t so bad yet in the U.S.—the numbers aren’t as high as they have been in Italy and China, and our healthcare system does not as yet seem overwhelmed. But by the time you’re reading my words, that very well may have changed. I sure hope not. I hope that all of this will turn out to look like an overreaction. I would prefer that we overreact for a few weeks than to see the kind of systemic collapse that Italy’s health care system is suffering, and the death rates they’re seeing. If all this social distancing, all the cancellations and closures work, then we won’t have a massive number of deaths and it will look like this was no big deal, something that was blown out of proportion. I sincerely hope it goes that way. It’s far better than the alternative—to do too little and learn too late that it really was a big deal.

In my gut, I am optimistic that these measures will be effective: that we will successfully keep the rate at which this thing spreads down to a manageable level so that it doesn’t crash our health care system. I think that social distancing will work to minimize the number of infections and deaths and I’m hopeful that we can get back to normal, or close to it at least, sooner rather than later. But for right now, we just have to wait and see.

The way I see it, if you want to stay healthy, there’s no better place to be than the woods.

Whether you’re working, hunting, camping or hiking, nature can’t be beat. No gatherings of 50 or more there, and there’s plenty of space for social distancing. You guys who get to do that for a living are, in this way, lucky, compared to people trapped in apartments in big cities surrounded by millions of people.

As for this thing of ours: loggers, as always,

mostly seem to be working. Like farmers, you guys are providing an essential service that society needs, even more so in times of crisis. Hey, maybe some people will start to understand and appreciate that fact more, given recent shortages of at least one item most consider pretty important. How about that bizarre run on toilet paper? Once a few people start going crazy, everyone else feels they have to follow suit or be left without. Still, for some in the wood industry, maybe this is a silver lining to the panic. In the short term, at least, that surely can’t hurt demand for pulpwood, right?

Those TP hoarders needn’t have panicked; loggers are still logging, truckers are still hauling and mills are still producing. Along with health care workers, truck drivers, and even grocery store employees, you guys are among the heroes still working and keeping us going while many of the rest of us are quarantined at home, not allowed to go to work.

Unlike mine, yours is not a job that can be done from home. I can do my job at home…to a point. Eventually, we editors have to go to the woods to visit in person with loggers and take pictures, or we won’t have any stories to fill these pages. We have to travel. For the next little while, though, that might not be entirely feasible.

Heck, pretty soon we might not even be allowed to travel, if the government has to keep tightening restrictions.

And our travel plans were already complicated by all the rain we’ve had this year.

Not surprisingly, and completely understandably, some loggers, ones with whom we had made plans to visit, have already called to ask us not to come visit till this blows over. I don’t blame them.

Nobody wants to get this virus or bring it home to their loved ones. If I’m driving across multiple states, stopping in gas stations, drive through lines and hotels, I’m increasing my risk of exposure, and consequently of spreading it to those I visit.

So, I completely understand loggers asking us to wait a while.

Fortunately, we have enough stories to keep Southern Loggin’ Times going for at least a few months without having to take any new trips. I hope that by this summer we’ll be able to get back on the road. In the meantime, if you’re a logger one of us visited in the last six months and you’re wondering why we haven’t run your story yet, just be patient; we might have to space a few stories out a bit to make them last longer so we don’t run out, SLT but we’ll get to everyone.

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Good Ole Boys ■ Raulston cousins Matt and Hobie joined forces to build a Texas-sized wood products business.

By David Abbott CLARKSVILLE, Tex. ou’re sure to have ★ heard it said: everything is bigger in Texas. It’s such a cliché that an editor seeking a Pulitzer Prize might avoid it, but this ain’t that kind of magazine, and Southern Loggin’ Times is unashamedly not too good for the occasional cliché.

Though the saying certainly might not always be true—presumably, at least some things in Texas are the same regular size as anywhere else—one could hardly prove that proposition by using Raulston Land and Timber as an example.

Under this parent company’s

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umbrella, five logging jobs operate, each one a separate LLC, along with several contract logging crews; a trucking company boasting a fleet of more than 20 rigs, supplemented by up to eight contract haulers to turn out an average 600 loads a week; not to mention a sawmill and a recently acquired wet storage wood yard with capacity to hold 80,000 tons. Operating from its base in northeast Texas, Raulston Land and Timber cuts and hauls in four different states.

Owners Hobie Raulston, 43, and Matt Raulston, 33, would like to say that their company is done growing for now…but they can’t guarantee it. “We always think we are done and won’t buy anything else,” Hobie says. “And then something else comes along. I think the size we are now is good, big enough, but who knows what the future will

The Raulston crews use a mix of brands, buying John Deere machines from Stribling Equipment in Texarkana...

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bring.” His partner Matt adds, “We are not planning to expand, but we are also always open to any investment opportunities.”

Family Ties Matt and Hobie are actually related—they’re distant cousins—but they did not grow up seeing each other at family reunions and holidays. In fact, they met each other as adults, not through family, but through business—Hobie bought timber for one of the mills that Matt’s logging crew supplied. After getting to know each other over a few years, they decided to become partners, starting the new business together in 2014.

While Matt grew up in a logging family, Hobie did not. A friend introduced him to the timber business as a teenager, and when he

turned 18 Hobie started buying timber for that friend. He later went to work as a forester for Weyerhaeuser in 2005, then for International Paper when it bought the Valiant, Okla. mill in 2008.

Matt also began his career fulltime after he finished high school at age 18, though he had already grown up working for his dad on weekends and other breaks from school. In 2004 he started running a crew for his dad. Five years later, when he was just 23, he bought his dad out entirely. From ’09 till 2014, Matt operated his company on his own, sans partner. He already had two crews when he and Hobie teamed up.

Crews Each of the five crews under the Raulston Land and Timber banner

...and Tigercat machines from Smith Equipment in Idabel, Okla.

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Timber buyers, from left: David Allday, Keith Barrett, Matt Thomas, Hobie Raulston, Matt Raulston

is a separate company, and each has its own unique name. “We tried to set them up as just crews one through five, but that got confusing,” Matt says. “Every parts store would charge it all to one company.

So we broke it into separate companies to keep track of what expenses went to which one.” Most of the crews were established as LLCs. Matt still has Matt Raulston Logging, his original crew, and MSR Forestry (named for Matt’s initials, Matthew Steven Raulston), the two jobs he was running before he partnered with Hobie. After they became partners, the first crew they added together was Red River Logging, named for Red River County.

A fourth crew, Bowie Logging, from Bowie County, soon followed.

The fifth crew is Southern Timber Service. They also contract three other logging companies, one of which has two crews. All in all, that makes nine crews hauling for Raulston Land and Timber, which buys the stumpage for all.

The company crews break down as follows. Each is a four-man job, including a foreman, and most run relatively late model Tigercat and John Deere machines. All five have two loaders, one for merchandizing and the other for keeping trucks rolling. All the loaders have CSI delimbers and ground saw packages, and Rotobec grapple saws.

Red River Logging has a 2018 Tigercat 724G cutter, ’18 John Deere 748L skidder, ’18 Tigercat 234B loader, and ’15 Tigercat ➤ 12

Left to right, Billy Green, Keith Raulston, Tracy Henderson and Danny "Bubba" Jones work at the sawmill.

In the Prentice cab on the wood yard, operator Currell Beatty has been running loaders almost five decades.

All loaders in the woods have Rotobec grapple saws.

The cousins bought the wet yard last summer.

Matt started the R3 Lumber sawmill with his dad Steve seven years ago.

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Left, the Matt Raulston Logging crew in the woods, from left: David Green, Kris Blyth, Kelley Hadley and Paul Ralston; right, the Southern Timber Service crew at the yard, from left: Toby Forsyth, John Keene and Tyler Burke

Left, Red River crew, from left: Everado Garary, Julio Zepeda, Jose Alvarado and Tony Knight; right, the Bowie crew, from left: Ramone Garary, Charlie Hines, Doug Provence and Ray Dale McCleskey

9 ➤ 234 loader. Foreman Tony Knight supervises the crew of Jose Alvaredo, Everado Garary and Julio Zepeda.

Bowie Logging runs a 2019 Deere 843L-II cutter, ’18 Deere 948L skidder, ’18 Tigercat 234B loader and ’15 Tigercat 234 loader. Crew members here are foreman Charlie Hines, Doug Provence, Ramone Garary and Ray Dale McCleskey.

Matt Raulston Logging uses all Tigercat equipment: ’18 632 skidder, two ’17 234B loaders, and ’17 724G cutter. A 2011 John Deere 648H skidder was helping out on this crew when SLT visited, but it is a spare used as needed on any of the crews. Another cousin to Matt and Hobie, foreman Paul Raulston has been with Matt ever since the start.

“He’s the only guy who’s been with me the whole time,” Matt says. His crew includes Kris Blyth, David Green and Kelly Hadley. Jace Gates, who drives the spare skidder wherever it goes, is Matt’s son.

MSR Forestry added a ’20 Tigercat 724G cutter in February. It joins a ’17 Tigercat 234B loader, ’14 Prentice 2384C loader and ’18 Deere 648L skidder. Johnny Lee is the foreman on this crew, which includes Josias Espinoza, Monte Wallace and George Williams.

Southern Timber Service has a 2018 John Deere 948L skidder, ’18 12

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duct safety meetings throughout the year. Hobie, who was a safety coordinator for IP for years, believes safety is a matter of common sense as much as anything. “We are big on high visibility stuff in the woods,” he says.

Slipping off trucks or machines, Matt notes, is the most common source of injury in today’s woods.

Production

MSR Forestry crew, from left: Monte Wallace, Johnny Lee, Josias Espinoza; not pictured, George Williams

Deere 437E loader, ’18 Deere 337E loader and ’17 Tigercat 724G cutter.

John Keene is the foreman overseeing the crew of Toby Forsyth and Tyler Burke.

Equipment dealers are Smith Equipment in Idabel, Okla., for Tigercat, and Stribling Equipment in Texarkana, Tex., for John Deere.

Each crew, as a separate entity, buys its own equipment, fuel, and other supplies and parts. The crews buy fuel from Oilco Distributing in New Boston, Tex. The owner, Chris Johnson, is a long-time friend.

“One thing we do have is good hands,” Matt says of the men in the

woods, noting that it also applies to those in the shop, in the sawmill and in the wood yard. “All our crews are rock solid. We don’t have to wonder in the morning if they’ll be at work. We hardly ever have turnover in the woods. We pay extra to make sure everybody is where they need to be. I’d rather pay more and have the right quality. I’ve seen people try to do it without quality hands, and that is usually what takes a good operation down.”

Insurance comes from Chris Harvey at Harvey Insurance Group and Lumbermen’s Insurance agent Mark Van Dover in Lufkin. The crews con-

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Average production, with all five company crews and four contract crews combined, is 600 loads a week.

It breaks down to about 200 loads a week from the four contractors and an average 400 from the company jobs. Each crew averages from 55110 loads a week, depending on what kind of timber they are cutting and in what kind of terrain.

The cousins say they designed all five crews to be versatile. “We do all of it: hills, swamps, plantation pine, thinning, clear-cut,” Matt says. “We cover a large circle, from Hot Springs to Shreveport, along I-20 and north. We cut a lot in Arkansas, in the Ouachita mountain range, and some in Oklahoma.” From their headquarters in Clarksville, Tex., Hobie says they don’t work very far west because they are on the western edge of the pine timber region. “It thins out 30 miles west of here. Our buying area goes 140 miles east,

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south and north. Texarkana is the central area. From the office we’re 15 miles to Oklahoma, 30 miles to Arkansas and 50 to Louisiana. From Texarkana you can be to any of those states in 30 minutes.”

The crews haul pulpwood to Hobie’s former employer, International Paper in Valiant, Okla., as well as to Domtar Paper in Ashdown, Ark., Graphic Packaging in Texarkana/ Queen City, Tex., Norbord in Jerfferson, Tex., and Huber Engineered Woods in Broken Bow, Okla. Pine logs go to West Fraser’s lumber mills in New Boston, Tex. and Henderson, Tex. Weyerhaeuser’s plants in Dierks, Ark. and Idabel, Okla. are also regular destinations. “We haul to every mill around here,” Matt says. “We have to.”

How are markets doing? Matt says it depends on who you talk to.

“We’re not crybabies. We have barely been on quota this year to speak of, or at least our quotas have been manageable.” Hobie points out that there has been a tremendous amount of rain in the last year, making 2019, he believes, one of the wettest years on record. “The thing about this business, it is kind of like the weather: it changes daily,” Hobie says. “It is a roller coaster, just up and down.” Matt continues, “We make a game plan and it gets changed pretty quickly. Different mills need different things and we have to be flexible.”

Managing the details is essential, the cousins believe. “You could take a logging company as big as we are, and give it to anyone, and if that person is not geared to make it work, it wouldn’t last three months,” Matt is convinced. “A huge corporation can kind of keep going, it might take five years, but a logging company will crash just that quick.” He points to the high overhead/operating costs and low profit margins. “You have to stay on top of everything all the time and keep timber bought.”

While Matt primarily concerns himself with overseeing production and trucking, Hobie has more to do with the timber buying side. A team of three timber buyers—Matt Thomas, Keith Barnett and David Allday—work with Matt and Hobie to purchase a mix of private and corporate tracts to keep the crews busy and to supply the wood yard.

“What we do all year long is look for winter ground,” Matt says.

“That is our year-round mission.

We can buy enough summer ground to keep 30 crews busy.”

Keeping all those crews working in the winter is the trick, he observes.

He says he could add more crews and hire more workers in the summer but it wouldn’t be fair to them because he would have to let them go in the winter.

Trucking Matt Raulston Trucking LLC has a fleet of 21 Western Star and Kenworth trucks, bought from MHCKenworth in Texarkana and Texarkana Truck Center. All trucks are newer—the oldest is a 2018 model—and every one sports a custom paint job, different colors or patterns, something unique to each truck. The crews supplement hauling capacity with seven or eight contract trucks.

Trailers are Pitts and CPS, a new brand the Raulstons buy from Lonestar Truck Group. All are four bolster trailers. Weight limit is 84,000 lbs. in all four states to which the Raulstons haul, and they use Vulcan onboard scales to stay legal while maximizing payloads.

Matt dispatches all the trucks every night, assigning them as to where they will go the next day. None of the trucks is committed full time to a specific crew necessarily, he says: “They go where we need them.”

Truck drivers are Dave Callahan, Daniel Smith, Josh Moore, Josh Martin, Jeff Word, Logan Eubank, Charles Knighten, Mark Keeling, Bob Trenary, Dewayne Johnston, Ronnie Green, Dennis Barnette, Ben Holt, John Sisemore, Chris Sheffield and Shane Fowler.

In Matt’s experience, having newer trucks is one thing that helps attract and retain quality drivers.

Another thing is the wood yard.

“People know it is a steady ➤ 14 income.”

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Wood Yard, Sawmill Explaining the reason he and Hobie decided to add a wood yard to their portfolio, Matt says, “When it gets wet and we can’t haul out of the woods, we can keep our trucks busy, and when the mills have no lines we can hit them with 60 loads, and keep everything going. We don’t have to hire extra hands because on rainout days some of our woods help can come up here. It keeps them working and keeps money generating, so it is

a good all-around fit.”

Raulston Land and Timber, the wood yard, is adjacent to the Raulston procurement office, which was under construction when SLT visited last fall. The yard has been here since 1989, but closed in 2016. It sat vacant and unused for three years until the cousins bought it from former owner Douglasville Timber Co. in August 2019. “It is kind of scary taking it on,” Hobie admits.

The yard can hold around 80,000 tons, but in early November had

around 33,000 tons under wet storage. The scales are dinosaurs, the cousins laugh; they were made in 1937. A Prentice 2384B loader on a self-propelled carrier unloads around 35 trucks a day, some from Raulston crews and some from other loggers.

A lot of it comes from pretty far away, Matt says. The goal for 2020 is to have 50,000 tons stored.

Employee Currell Beatty, who has manned loaders for the better part of 50 years, runs the Prentice at the wood yard. Other Raulston em-

ployees fill in to help as needed.

Kimber Skeen, who just had a baby in November, works in the scale house. Her father Dusty Winchester runs the company truck shop. “Dusty is the go-to man when you have any problem,” Matt says. Hobie adds, “He just gets it done: wood yard, trucks, cows, marriage advice—he can fix anything from broken axels to broken hearts.” Ricky Roberts also works in the shop. Raulston buys all its service trucks from a locally owned Chevy dealership, JP Harvey Motors in Clarksville, owned by Heath Harvey.

Matt started R3 Lumber LLC, the sawmill near the wood yard, with his dad Steve Raulston seven years ago. The elder Raulston later sold it to Matt and Hobie. R3 cuts pine to make pallet material. It is supplied mostly from Raulston crews but also some from other loggers. It produces in the neighborhood of 7.5 MMBF a year, Matt reckons.

The sawmill employs 14. Key employees include sawyer Tracy Henderson, assistant yard boss Billy Green, yard man Danny “Bubba” Jones (a cousin to Hobie and Matt), and manager Keith Raulston, an uncle to the owners.

Downtime Outside the wood business, Matt is also a partner in a pipeline/directional drilling business.

“Logging has enabled me to be able to do a lot of different things.”

The Raulstons also run about 500 head of crossbred beef cattle. Members of the family all compete in rodeos, especially team roping; Matt’s dad and brother qualified for a team roping world series that could pay out as much as $400,000.

“My dad has done well,” Matt says.

“He’s a real worker. He is retired, but when I say retired, his retirement is not like most people’s. He still has 300 head of cattle and he ropes every day; that is his passion.”

They also have a car and compete in seven or eight races a year, and Hobie is dedicated to duck hunting and fishing.

“Both our wives work as secretaries here,” Matt says, but Hobie corrects him: “They don’t work for us, we work for them.” Hobie’s wife Cassie runs the sawmill books and Matt’s wife Sandra Dawn runs the trucking company books. Another secretary, Marti Chumbley, handles the paperwork for the logging side. Hobie has four kids from ages 3 to 17, while Matt has three kids.

The Raulstons say they are working on getting involved with the Texas Logging Council and the Arkansas Timber Producer Assn. and the crew foremen are Pro LogSLT ger certified in Arkansas.

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Right On Track ■ Josh Spring has set his crew up to keep working when wet ground keeps others at home.

By David Abbott BOGUE CHITTO, Miss. here’s a reason they say fortune favors the bold. Those too timid to take risks may avoid some of the negatives, but ★ they also miss opportunities for success. Josh Spring, 42, has never been afraid to try new things.“I always try stuff that other folks are hesitant to try, and I get picked on a lot for it,” he says. “I have things that didn’t work out like I wanted. I’m human; I breathe and I make mistakes. But other things have worked out and been helpful.”

For example: Spring recently purchased a set of tracks from G&R Manufacturing Solutions, a new company based in Stonewall, La. Robert Reeves, a partner in G&R, worked for John Deere dealer Dog-

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The Spring family, from left: Dillon, Jessica, Levi, Josh and Jackson

gett Machinery before he retired at the end of 2019 to pursue this new venture full time. Spring saw a prototype of G&R’s extreme application tracks on a John Deere machine at the Southwest Forest Products Expo in Hot Springs, Ark. last August. “I got in touch with them, and I bought the first set they sold.”

Spring says he has put 125 hours on the new tracks since adding them to one Tigercat 610E skidder. “It has probably helped me work an extra two solid days a week, or get 40 loads a week, on average, that I wouldn’t have been able to get without it, as wet as it has been.” One recent tract presented the challenge of some really slick clay on a hill.

“You could not get it with a rubber tired skidder,” he says. “I took that machine and dragged 18 loads up to the top of the hill where the other skidders could get it. That is where it

Tracks from G&R Manufacturing Solutions on the '16 model skidder have allowed Spring to keep working when conditions would have otherwise been too wet.

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Spring says his Tigercat dealer, B&G Equipment in Magnolia, takes good care of him.

has made a difference. It is not something you want to run all day every day, but when you need it, it’s like gold. I have dragged wood where I couldn’t even drive my dozer, and a full drag too.”

After working for other loggers during and after high school, Spring started Spring Timber Corp., the company he owns with his wife, Jessica, in 2000. The Mississippi company bases its operations in Lincoln County. The past year has been an extremely wet one here. “We had 25 inches in January and February in Jackson, and I saw on the news that was the wettest first two months of any year on record,” Spring says. Jessica adds, “I saw where it has been three times the normal rainfall.”

The tracks weren’t cheap, he admits, but he figures he’s made at least $150 thousand from them.

“When you keep all this other stuff going by having something like that, it is well worth it,” he is convinced. “A lot of guys have sat at home for two weeks doing nothing while we have been averaging 80 loads a week through all this wet.

Southern Loggin' Times managed to catch the Spring crew on a rare dry day in early spring.

There is no way I could have done it without the tracks on the skidder.”

Equipment Spring Timber has enough iron for two crews, but runs as one. Most of it

Crew, from left: Anthony James, Jeremy Hunt, Greg Hayes, Dillon Spring, Jackson Spring and Josh Spring

is Tigercat: two 234 loaders, 2014 and ’15 models, with CSI delimbers and slashers; a ’19 718E cutter; and three skidders—2019 632E, ’16 610E and ’13 610C. B&G Equipment in Magnolia is the dealer. “We have gotten real good service from

B&G,” Spring says. “If we have a problem, they are on it. They are good at keeping parts in stock and getting you back going.” Another reason for his preference, he says: “Tigercat has good resale value.”

Spring also has a ’19 model

Truck drivers Kanta Bridges and Greg Touchstone

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Youngest Spring son Levi is a YouTube star with his own outdoor video channel, Buckwild with Bubbarudy; merchandise is available.

Safety is a priority for Spring, who says no load of wood is worth anyone getting hurt.

Komatsu 51PX dozer with a winch, used mostly for constructing and maintaining skid roads and ramps, and a 2009 TimberPro TL735B track cutter. He bought both machines from Lyle Machinery in Summit. For pole saws, Stihl is his preference. “If you keep good gas in a Stihl you won’t have any trouble with it,” he believes.

For maintenance, B&G comes out to service the Tigercats at every 1,000 hours, while operators keep oil changed every 250 hours. The

He runs Vulcan scales on all the trucks.

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Komatsu came with a service plan, so Lyle Machinery takes care of it when it’s due for service. “I don’t have to call them; they call me,” the logger says.

Spring hauls with his own trucks—three Peterbilt 389 gliders from 2018, 2019 and 2020, a 2012 Mack and a 2018 Freightliner. All but the Mack have 46,000 lbs. suspension and full locking rear ends.

Trailers are Pitts Load Payin’ series, a light-weight Viking, and a CPS from Lonestar Truck Group.

Production With the TimberPro cutter and the G&R tracks on one skidder, Spring has tried to carve out a niche for himself working in steep ground. “That has gotten me a spot for this minute,” he says. He likes having the capability, but he doesn’t want to be limited, either; flexibility is more his style. “I have done

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everything from swamp logging to cutting hardwood in bad hills and everything in between. I try not to stay pinned in one spot. If all I cut was pine pulpwood, and that market gets bad, then I’m just shot.”

Lately it’s been so wet that he can’t move on hardwood bottoms.

“My track cutter is not low ground pressure. It has 28 in. single grouser pads and it is a 70,000 lbs. machine.

You get in the bottoms without something under you and you’re stuck. The money to do that kind of

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stuff, in this part of the country, where there are so many of us who log, the pay is cheap because there are people standing in line to get your spot.”

He says the wet conditions have made it a challenge for Weyerhaeuser to find tracts for loggers to work. “They weren’t planning on it being as wet as it has been for as long as it has been. They have had to move some tracts that were supposed to be cut next year into this year so they can keep their contractors working.”

Average loads per week vary somewhat. The crew got 100 loads in one recent week, but it would be closer to 60 if they were working in rougher ground, or 120 on flatter ground. The crew hauls small pine logs to Weyerhaeuser in McComb, pine pulpwood to Drax Biomass and Hood Industries in Gloster, and small chip-n-saw to Weyerhaeuser’s chip mill in Holden, La. Hardwood logs go to Netterville Lumber in Woodville. Hardwood pulpwood also goes to a wood yard in Woodville, ultimately bound for Evadale, Tex., and pine and hardwood pulp both go to the G-P Byrd chip mill in Brookhaven.

The market for hardwood logs is doing well enough, but Spring says

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The 632E, a 2019 model, is the newest of Spring's three Tigercat skidders.

hardwood pulpwood is looking a little rough. Pine pulpwood is working right now, he notes, but admits, “We have so many loggers here, and we lost Port Hudson, and Crossett got shut down. It just choked off our pulpwood market.” Prices have come down at wood yards, he says, because the market is glutted.

He has an idea to help, though. “I wish we could have two 400 MW power plants around here. There’s no reason we need to make pellets and ship them to port. We need electricity; that’s the last thing to

get cut off. Burning wood has been happening since there has been a planet. It’s not like you’re doing something that’s going to wreck the environment. Burning is part of the natural way of life. What’s left over from the ash becomes fertilizer to go back into growing more trees.

It’s a cycle.”

Team Spring’s twin sons, Jackson and Dillon Spring, 18, work on the crew, Dillon in a skidder and Jack-

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son on a loader. His dad, James Spring, also helps out sometimes on the dozer. The other woods operators are Anthony James, cutter, and Greg Hayes, skidder. Truck drivers are Greg Touchstone, Kanta Bridges, Marquis Haynes, Jarvis King and Jeremy Hunt.

Safety meetings take place at least once a week, usually when paychecks are handed out. Jessica takes care of printing lessons, one for truck drivers, and another for the woods team. “What we practice is really practical,” Spring says. “If

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you see someone doing something unsafe, stop them. And if they consistently do unsafe things they have to go somewhere else. I don’t want anybody getting hurt; no load of wood is worth anyone getting hurt over.” Employees wear high visibility shirts, vests or jackets, and other PPE. They keep first aid and blood born pathogen kits in crew trucks.

Spring actually got out of logging in 2008 when the economy tanked.

He went to work at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, the nuclear power

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plant at Port Gibson, for almost two years. “I’m not made for plant life,” he admits. “I’m a legend there now because I left this $130 thousand a year job to go cut pulpwood.” But he’s happier. “Definitely,” he says without a moment of hesitation. “If that skidder broke in half right now, it’s a better day than sitting there 12 hours in a concrete place that’s worse than a prison. I much prefer this.” He came back to logging in 2010.

Spring readily admits that not all

his attempts to think outside the box pay off. Two years ago, the whole family packed up and moved to Tok, Alaska. Jessica says they headed out on Friday the 13th of April, 2018; the date might have been an omen.

The plan was to cut firewood. Spring explains, “It’s like a desert there.

They only get 15 in. rain and they have peat moss 2 ft. thick. In fire season, it catches fire and you can’t put it out. It burns all the spruce trees. They cut that and haul it treelength. They buy it by the 18 wheel-

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er load.” There was big money in it and the venture sounded good on paper. There was just one problem.

When they arrived, the timber was all rotten and they didn’t have any work to do. What was meant to be a permanent move ended up lasting only about a month before they came back to Mississippi. Right after they left…before all their machines even made it back across the border… things in Alaska broke through.

“After we got back we found out we had 60 messages of people wanting loads!” Spring says. At least they can laugh about it now.

Josh and Jessica have been married 19 years. They met at an insurance agency; she worked there, he went in to get truck insurance and asked her out.

That’s more of that boldness fortune seems to favor. These days Jessica runs the Spring Timber office, where she handles all the paperwork, tags and applications, payroll, etc. She is also occasionally a parts gopher. “She can do whatever she needs to do,” her husband sings her praises. “She brought me a tire down there to Louisiana once and backed right in with it.”

The mom also home schooled all three of their sons—the twins have a younger brother, Levi, 10.

Levi is already a successful YouTuber, the ultimate aspiration of all kids his age these days. He has his own channel with around 600 subscribers: Buckwild with Bubbarudy (Bubba Rudy being a nickname his dad gave him when he was little). Using a GoPro camera, he makes videos to entertain his followers with scenes from his daily life in the country, going to the woods with his dad, riding four wheelers and tending to the cows around the family farm.

“He’s so country it hurts,” Josh says. “But we all are and there’s nothing wrong with that.” Levi’s videos get comments from loggers from all over the world.

Levi also took part in Shankfest 5, a fan VIP experience connected with Pigman, a TV series on the Sportsman Channel. He and his dad got to go hunting with the titular Pigman himself, wild boar hunting Texan Brian Quaca. They may end up appearing on an episode of the series. Quaca then invited Josh to join him for a twoweek hunt in Australia. “I said yeah, I reckon I won’t pass that up.” The Springs are now planning to attend Shankfest 6.

Spring sums up his approach to life, family and business like this: “We’re not here for a long time, so I try to do things that I wouldn’t be ashamed of if the Lord was watching, and that is the best way SLT to be for me.”

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Campaigning Versus Voting!

Sign Of The Month

While walking down the street one day a corrupt U.S. Senator was tragically hit by a car and killed. His soul arrived in heaven and was met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” said St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” said the Senator.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from the higher ups,” came the reply. “What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really? I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” the Senator said.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules,” St. Peter said. “You will visit hell first and visit for 24 hours.”

And with that, St. Peter escorted him to the elevator and the politician descended down to hell. The doors opened and he found himself in the middle of a beautiful golf course.

Standing in front of the clubhouse were all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone was very happy and in evening dress. They ran to greet him and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They played a friendly game of golf and then dined on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.

Also present was the devil, a very friendly guy who lived it up by dancing and telling jokes.

They were all having such a good time that before the Senator realized it, it was time to go. Everyone gave him a hearty farewell and waved while the elevator ascended and reopened in heaven where St. Peter awaited.

“Now it’s time to visit heaven,” he said.

The Senator joined a group of contented souls and moved from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They had a marvelous, joyous time and before he realized it, the 24 hours had gone by and St. Peter returned.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity,” said the saint.

The Senator reflected for a minute, then answered: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I’d be better off in hell.”

So, St. Peter escorted him to the elevator and he again descended, arriving on his chosen turf. The doors opened and the Senator found himself in the middle of a blistered, barren land covered with garbage, weeds, and thorns. All his friends were dressed in rags and relentlessly labored at picking up the trash, which continuously fell from above.

The devil came over to him and put his arm around his shoulders. “I don’t understand,” stammered the Senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil smiled and said, “Yesterday we were campaigning; today, you voted!”

The moral: Vote wisely!

Elderly, But Cunning An elderly couple returned to a Mercedes dealership to find the salesman had just sold the car they were interested in to a woman who was young, stunningly beautiful and flirty.

Disappointed, the old man asked the salesman: “I thought you said you would hold that car until we raised the $75,000 asking price, yet I just heard you closed the deal for $65,000 to that lovely young lady there. You insisted there could be no additional discount on this car.”

“Well, what can I tell you?” the salesman said. “She had the cash, and just look at her. How could I resist?”

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Just then the young woman approached the couple and handed the old man the keys to the car, saying: “There you go, grandpa. I told you I could get this joker to drop the price. You and grandma have a nice vacation.”

(Never mess with the elderly.)

53 Years Ago Fifty-three years ago, a West Virginia mountain man was drafted by the U.S. Army. On his first day in basic training, the army issued a comb to him. That afternoon a military barber sheared off all his hair. On his second day, the army issued the man a toothbrush. That afternoon a dentist yanked seven of his teeth.

On the third day, the army issued him a jock strap. The army has been looking for the man for 53 years.

“Lexophiles” “Lexophile” is a term that describes those who love to come up with clever phrases that play on words. Here are some examples of their work: l When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate. l A thief who stole a calendar got 12 months. l When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A. l The batteries were given out free of charge. l A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail. l A will is a dead giveaway. l With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress. l A boiled egg is hard to beat. l When you’ve seen one shopping center you’ve seen a mall. l Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest. l Did you hear about the fellow whose entire left side was cut off? He’s all right now. l A bicycle can’t stand alone; it’s just two tired. l When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds. l He had a photographic memory which was never developed. l When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she’d dye. l Acupuncture is a jab well done. That’s the point of it. l Those who get too big for their pants will be totally exposed in the end.

They Said It lI

have concluded that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress. — John Adams l Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself. —Mark Twain l A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. —George Bernard Shaw l A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. —G. Gordon Liddy l Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. —Ronald Reagan l I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government This morning at the the facts. —Will Rogers post office, while I was andl Ifreport you think health care is expensive now, wait until in line, two people with you see what it costs when it’s free! —P.J. O’Rourke l The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharmasks entered. ing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. —Winston Churchill l What this country needs are more unemployed Then they said: “This is politicians.

—Edward Langley a robbery” ... and we all l A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have. calmed down ...

—Thomas Jefferson

TOTAL PANIC!

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It: The Survey Results Are In!

By Shannon Jarvis A heartfelt thank you to the 580 logging professionals throughout the United States who took the time to complete the first ever American Loggers Jarvis Council Logger Survey that began in November 2019 and concluded on December 31, 2019.

The 34 questions that appeared in the survey were primarily designed by our many sponsors in an effort to help them, and us, better understand the current state of the industry and what we could all do better to represent those that are gainfully employed in this profession that we call “logging.”

You have given us a glimpse of your needs to move forward with a successful operation as well as helped us all to rethink our priorities based on the issues that you

U.S. Endowment Picks Madden As President U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announced that Pete Madden has joined the staff as President.

“Our Board and staff are excited to share with our partners and collaborators that Pete will be coming aboard,” says Endowment President and CEO Carlton Owen. “This decision is the culmination of more than two years of thoughtful and deliberate succession planning to ensure that the Endowment continues to advance its dual mission of keeping working forests as forests and advancing family-wage jobs in forest-rich, rural communities.”

Madden joins the Endowment with more than 30 years of experience in the forest sector. He has held roles in land management, procurement, supply chain and logistics, and renewable energy within well-known and respected industry players including Westvaco, Georgia-Pacific and Plum Creek. Most recently, he led Drax Biomass, Inc. as President and CEO. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marlboro College in Vermont and both a Master of Science in Forestry and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.

Endowment Board Chairman Mark Emmerson, who is Chairman of California-based Sierra Pacific Industries, notes, “We are fortunate to have had consistent, stable, and visionary leadership since the Endowment’s creation in 2006 and are happy to report that Carlton Owen 30

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believe are having the greatest impact on your ability to run your business.

We will begin posting the results of two to three survey questions with the results per week on our social media (Facebook) page, American Loggers Council and ask that you please provide comments on those results.

A lot of the questions were cutand-dry, yes-no or a-b-c-d answer requests, but if you have further comments, we would like to hear from you. The American Loggers Council is currently setting priorities for the next several years and we want to make certain that those priorities are aligned with those that we represent. While we can’t do much about the price of diesel or weather related downtime, working together we can try to help implement change that will will continue as CEO for an extended period.”

“I have watched the Endowment emerge as one of the most progressive and impactful players in the greater forest sector bridging academia, conservation, government at all levels, and industry,” Madden says.

Madden will work out of the Endowment’s headquarters in Greenville, SC and plans to relocate his family there.

The Endowment was established in September 2006 at the request of the governments of the U.S. and Canada in accordance with terms of the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement.

Enviva Updates Pellet Plant Developments Enviva, the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets, reports that its plant in Hamlet, NC continues to ramp up production, and Enviva expects it to reach its full production capacity of 600,000 metric tons per year by the end of 2020.

Enviva’s previously announced projects to increase the production capacity of its wood pellet production plants in Northampton, NC and Southampton, Va. by 400,000 MTPY are progressing and the project has received the necessary permits. Enviva expects to commence the expanded production ramp for the Northampton plant and the Southampton plant in the second and third quarters of 2020, respectively.

The company also reports it is investing incremental capital and

ALC got survey responses from 580 loggers throughout the country.

produce greater efficiencies and an improved operating environment for you, the professional logger and log hauler.

Thank you to all of you who support the American Loggers awaiting permits to increase production capacity of the wood pellet production plant in Greenwood, SC to 600,000 MTPY. Enviva has ordered equipment and initial foundations are being completed at the newly announced wood pellet plant under construction at Lucedale, Miss. The first of two large concrete wood pellet storage domes is being constructed at the Pascagoula terminal.

The company expects to make a final investment decision in the first of this year as to the development of a wood pellet production plant in Epes, Ala. And Enviva continues to evaluate additional sites for wood pellet production plants in Alabama and Mississippi, the production of which would be exported through the Pascagoula terminal.

Exhibitors Signing Up For Mid-South Show

The exhibitor list for the MidSouth Forestry Equipment Show, set for August 21-22 near Starkville, Miss., continues to expand. As of early March, the group included

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Council, and we look forward to serving you for years to come.

Shannon Jarvis is the current President of the American Loggers Council and owner of Jarvis Timber Company, LLC based in Potosi, Missouri.

AKE Safety Equipment; American Loggers Council; Dutch Oil Co.; Hatton-Brown Publishers; INSASV; Goodyear; Magnolia Trailers; Maxam Tire; Mississippi Forestry Association; Mississippi Loggers Association; MLA Insurance Services/Risk Management Partners; Nokian Tyres; INS-Pemberton; Stribling Equipment/John Deere, Truckers Supply Co.; Vermeer Midsouth; and Waring Oil Co. A new layout will make this year’s event more compact and convenient, according to Show Manager John Auel. Static exhibits will be located in the partially tree-shaded area formerly used for parking, while the area formerly used for static exhibits will become the parking lot. Registration and smaller exhibits formerly housed in the pavilion will be relocated in tents that connect the parking and the static areas. The live demo section, featuring lots of mature trees, will adjoin the static area.

Food trucks will be stationed in the static area to offer a greater variety of food and to quickly fill orders.

Contests, cash prizes, kids’ activities and continuing education opportunities will round out the program.

Registration for both days is $25 per adult at the gate; $20 per adult for those who pre-register on line beginning May 1.

Founded in 1983, the show is the longest running event of its type and typically draws between 6,000 and 7,000 attendees and some 75 exhibitors.

For more information, visit mid southforestry.org or phone 662-3257948.

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Virginia Tech Students Learn Ropes Six Virginia Tech undergraduates recently stepped onto the trading floor at Richmond International Forest Products. Wearing headsets that allowed them to listen to negotiations in real time, the students followed along as traders for the company worked with sawmills and purchasers to negotiate prices for spruce, pine and other forest materials.

A few days earlier, two other students visited the Richmond branch of LandCare, a commercial landscaping company. Following a field crew to job sites, students were introduced to some of the challenges of caring for and maintaining outdoor spaces.

These day-in-the-life experiences, the first in the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s new immersive experience program, were exactly what John Freeborn envisioned when he took on the role of the college’s director of employer relations in May 2019.

“I see this program as an opportunity for our students to learn about a specific area of an industry,” Freeborn says. “The experience we’re looking to provide hits a really important spot between a company tour

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and an internship. We’re giving stuhelp each other out both inside and values, growth strategy, and culture dents the ability to get to know an outside the office. It’s a company before traveling to two job sites — organization and a career path in a culture that is really hard to find one suburban and one urban — to nontraditional, somewhat informal nowadays.” interact with field crews about the setting.”

“The kind of engagement that the work they do. Later, they had a netAt Richmond International Forest program offers is valuable for stuworking dinner with employees Products, a dozen employees joined dents preparing to enter the job marbefore returning the next day to learn the student group for a casual dinner ket,” notes Brian Simmons, branch about customer service and leaderand ice breaker event at a local manager of LandCare’s Richmond ship structures of the company. restaurant before a full schedule of office. “Students can be in a kind of “It was helpful to get a feel for the activities the following day designed limbo about what they’re going to do day-to-day workings of a large comto familiarize them with the ins and post-college. To have the opportunity pany like LandCare,” says senior outs of the lumber trade. The students to show them the possibilities that John Kese. “I found that it was useful sat in on a morning marketing meetexist in our industry was exciting for practice for the interview process, ing, listened to a presentation and talking to management about the company’s history there helped me work on my and vision, and then joined skills for interacting in a busitraders on the trading floor. ness atmosphere.”

Afterwards they had lunch The concept for the daywith the company’s four in-the-life experiences was newest traders, who shared the brainchild of alumna how they got into the busiMegan Schnizler, a trader for ness as well as their perspecRichmond International Fortives on starting careers. In est Products who received a the afternoon, the company’s geography degree from Virleadership team worked with ginia Tech in 2012. When the students on setting career Virginia Tech students learn the lumber trading business. she heard about Freeborn’s goals and finished the day new role, she knew she with a discussion about the compaall of us,” adds Simmons, who first wanted to bring some Hokies to ny’s strong emphasis on teamwork. heard about the program while atRichmond.

“I was surprised by the strong, tending the College of Natural Re“There are so many job opportunifamily-like unity they showed us,” sources and Environment’s anties out there for graduates and so said Jake Davis, a senior forestry nual career fair. many different paths you can take to major. “The employees really care The students who visited LandCare a career,” Schnizler says. “I thought about each other and make sure they learned about the company’s core about how great it would be if ➤ 36

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Mississippi’s Mayerhoff Family Loses Patriarch The editorial staff at Southern Loggin’ Times was saddened to hear that Mr. William “Bill” Fletcher Mayerhoff, Jr., 77, of Meridian, Miss., passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Anderson Regional Medical Center. Bill and his family were featured as the cover story of the March 2020 issue in an article written by associate editor Patrick Dunning, who visited the Mayerhoffs in February. The issue saw print just days before his death.

“I had the honor of doing SLT’s March 2020 cover story on the Mayerhoff family,” Patrick reflects. “After arriving at Mayerhoff Junction shortly Bill Mayerhoff after lunch, I conducted the interview and strolled around a stand with Bill and his son, Mark. Bill was in good spirits and content to be along for the ride. We sat and talked about life and truth, politics and former presidents, without regard for time. His industry knowledge was unparalleled and people listened every time he spoke. I offer my personal condolences to the Mayerhoff family as well as others affected by Bill’s passing.”

Born February 6, 1943, Bill was the founder and owner of W.F. Mayerhoff Logging, Inc., and was active in the company for over 50 years. A big Timberjack fan from way back, he loved the forestry industry, where he made many lifelong friendships, and was well-respected by all in his community. Bill was a lifelong member of Sageville United Methodist Church and an avid farmer and cattle rancher. He loved animals, especially his dogs, Elsie, Panzer and Bo, who were more like family than pets to him. One of his favorite pastimes was making improvements

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Bill, right, with his son Mark, left, posed for SLT; note the Timberjack items on the shelf.

around his property with his bulldozer. He loved his family, especially his eight grandchildren. He also served in the United States Air Force.

Funeral services were held on March 7 at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home. Reverend Kim Culpepper and Reverend David Schultz officiated the service.

Bill is survived by his children, Mark (Dana) Mayerhoff, Marshall (Misty) Mayerhoff, and Michael (Samantha) Mayerhoff; grandchildren, Hannah Mayerhoff, Lilly Mayerhoff, David Mayerhoff, Luke Mayerhoff, Fletcher Mayerhoff, Lila Mayerhoff, Michaela Mayerhoff, and Mackenzie Mayerhoff; siblings Mary Ruth Mayerhoff Bodron and Ed Mayerhoff; a special friend Juanita Knight Mayerhoff; and numerous other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife of thirty-seven years, Wanda Mayerhoff, a sister, Linda Mayerhoff Touchstone and his parents, Bill and Ann Mayerhoff.

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32 ➤ we invited students to come and learn what we’re doing here, and then a handful of other companies did the same thing.”

After his visit to Richmond International Forest Products, Davis says the chance to see how a company works firsthand is a valuable opportunity to gain confidence as he looks to start a career. “This program is extremely beneficial to students because it helps us experience a relatively untapped job market that is really taking off. It’s also a great opportunity to make connections that can help with jobs and internships.

It’s made me feel much more confident in what career path I want to take when I graduate.”

Looking ahead, Freeborn antici-

pates that these immersive experiences will benefit employers as well as students. “The flip side is that the program allows companies an opportunity to talk about what they do to students who may pursue internships or careers with the employer. Then, as students share their experience within their peer networks, they can generate additional interest in future immersive programs and in the participating companies.”

Schnizler said that a connection like the one Freeborn envisions is already in the works at Richmond International Forest Products. “We’ve already received emails back from students saying they’re interested in internships or thanking us for putting on this program. I’m very excited

about it, and I hope that the students will raise awareness of the lumber industry, that what we do here is a real thing, and that it’s a great job opportunity for graduates.”

Submitted by Virginia Tech. Written

by David Fleming.

World of Wood Now Held as Virtual Meeting The 2020 World of Wood Convention is being reimagined as the firstever Virtual World of Wood Convention from April 1-3, the International Wood Products Assn. (IWPA) announced today. Escalation of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), which the World Health Organization has characterized as a pandemic, has led to concerns being raised by attendees, exhibitors, and speakers who have been prohibited from traveling due to government travel advisories and bans as well as employer restrictions on attendance at large meetings, among other reasons. In response, IWPA has decided to transition from its industry gathering in Savannah, Ga. to a virtual event.

“The well-being of attendees and our community is our number one priority. We have been closely monitoring the progression of the coronavirus and it is with deep regret that we announce that the 2020 World of Wood Convention will not take place in Savannah,” IWPA President Kenny MacMaster of Argo Fine Imports said.

“Given the alarming spread of the virus in the U.S. and more than 100 countries, U.S. health officials have stressed the importance of limiting mass-gatherings in order to ‘flatten the curve’ to slow down the rate of advancement of the coronavirus.

Therefore, we feel that transitioning to a virtual conference is the most prudent decision at this time.”

IWPA Executive Cindy Squires is confident that IWPA will be able to deliver the value of World of Wood attendance utilizing video conferencing tools. “While we are disappointed that our attendees won’t be able to come together in Savannah, transitioning to a Virtual World of Wood on the same dates that they were scheduled to be in Savannah will allow them to access industry-leading business intelligence and critical information remotely,” said Squires.

IWPA invites all attendees to aid in the effort to control the spread of COVID-19 by following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention interim guidance on large community events and embrace video conferencing.

All registrants will automatically be enrolled in the Virtual World of Wood. IWPA staff will follow up with all registrants with detailed information about how to participate in the Virtual World of Wood.

Further updates about Virtual World of Wood will be posted on the 2020 World of Wood website.

Established in 1956, the International Wood Products Assn. (www.

IWPAwood.org) is the leading international trade association for the North American imported wood products industry, representing 220 companies and trade associations engaged in the import of hardwoods and softwoods from sustainably managed forests. Association members consist of three key groups involved in the import process: U.S. importers and consuming industries, offshore manufacturers and the service providers that facilitate trade.

Expo Richmond Rescheduled The 37th East Coast Sawmill and Logging Equipment Exposition, or Expo Richmond 2020, which had been scheduled for May 1-2 at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Richmond, Va., has been postponed in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Show organizers issued a statement via the event web site (exporichmond.com) on March 17 that read, in part, “Our top priority is the safety and health of our exhibitors, guests, staff, vendors and community. Therefore, due to COVID-19 concerns, Expo Richmond 2020, scheduled to take place May 1-2, 2020, will be postponed or cancelled.” After evaluating if rescheduling would be possible, organizers announced October 9-10 as the new dates. Attendee registration opens June 1.

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SA FETY FOCUS SPECIAL Challenge To Safety: Non-Routine Tasks orking in the logging woods, non-routine

W tasks significantly increase the likelihood of

Safety focus is critical, especially in unexpected situations.

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a serious injury or fatality incident to occur (SIF). Other contributing factors, primarily leadership, can also influence the likelihood and severity of non-routine SIF incidents. It is imperative that non-routine tasks are met with a solid risk assessment tool that the entire crew knows, and can repeat together, like SAPS: Stop, Assess, Plan, Share. Be mindful of the non-routine task, recite SAPS, and remind yourself to: 1. Slow down, stop, re-assess the situation 2. Discuss the task with another qualified person 3. Come up with a plan with controls in place 4. Share the plan, procedure and control measures with the crew.

As I approach nearly 15 years as a safety professional, some of the most common phrases I hear from employers at investigations involving SIF incidents are: “We’ve never done a task like this before the accident…We weren’t trained for this task or don’t have a written plan…Usually, we only do this type of thing once in a while.”

It is tragic when you hear these types of com-

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ments after an SIF incident, because you know in your heart that it could have been avoided.

It’s fairly easy to identify the hazards associated with the normal tasks loggers perform on a daily basis. However, studies have shown that industrial workers are 25-35 times more likely to get killed or seriously injured when they are performing a task they have either never done before, or only do occasionally. Some non-routine tasks may have been successfully performed in the past, but maybe not in the safest way, maybe with a lack of control measures in place, no written plan, etc. This can further skew your risk assessment process with a false sense of security, allowing for bad decisions to continue by not completely appreciating the severity of the hazard if something fails.

Sometimes I hear, “I have completed this non routine task this way before, and it worked out fine.” This attitude carried out by a supervisor can be cancerous, and will spread to the crew and kill your safety culture and undermine the risk assessment process for the entire crew. The best leaders truly lead by example. They take a near miss “good catch” and turn it into a teachable moment.

In order to create the necessary capacity for safety and a coachable, smart decision-making process, it is imperative that strong leadership is coupled with a risk assessment tool like SAPS and supported with a documented non-routine task plan to close the loop with OSHA. Examples of non-routine tasks or situations include: unplanned or rushed equipment repairs…felling “jackpots”…clearing a “cat’s

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ass”…felling hazard trees…lines coming off drums…equipment stuck in mud or snow…hurriedly searching for a hydraulic leak and replacing a hose…moving equipment—the list is endless. Also, normal, routine tasks can become “non-routine” when performed in bad weather or with fewer people.

Here are two typical questions that an OSHA compliance officer will ask an employer at the opening of an investigation involving a suspected non-routine task accident: 1. Do your employees routinely perform this kind of task?

2. Are there methods used to outline and inform employees of the hazards for tasks they are completing and were they trained on how to protect themselves from said hazards?

Before performing a non-routine task, simply conduct the following steps: l Assess the hazard using your own risk assessment tool, like SAPS—Stop, Assess, Plan, Share. l Choose the exact control measures for each hazard encountered, with another qualified person as needed. l Develop a written procedure for the task, with the hazard control measures clearly specified. l Share procedure with Asa Yraguen entire crew. l Train and document, with

signatures and dates, the workers performing the tasks of the procedure, recording the proper hazard control measures to be implemented, including the use of any specialized tools/equipment including PPE to qualify workers on the procedure with ability to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. l If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. l If you train your crew to follow these steps, your crew will be safer, and poised to make smart decisions. Also, when an incident does occur, the conversation with OSHA will go much easier when you have the right answers and the required documentation.

From the horse’s mouth, see requirements in OSHA Div7 sub B 437-007-0110 Supervisory Responsibilities, 437-007-0135 Hazard Identification and Control, and 437-007-0140 Training.

In conclusion, failure to identify a non-routine task or dismissing the need for written plans are the largest contributors to non-routine accidents.

Follow these simple steps, discuss them as topics during your monthly safety meetings or pre-work site plan meetings, and you will set yourself up for SLT success.

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Morbark Grinders Morbark, LLC, a leading manufacturer of forestry, biomass, tree care, sawmill, and wood recycling equipment, will debut the 2400X and 3000X Wood Hog horizontal grinders at this year’s CONEXPO/CON-AGG

show in Las Vegas, Nev. Both machines can be equipped with tracks (XT models; the 2400XT will be shown at CONEXPO), and the 3000X can be built as a fifthwheel/dual-axle unit (3000X) or pintle hitch/tri-axle (3000XP, to be shown at CONEXPO).

Ideal for niche markets like

municipal solid waste, pallet recycling, sawmills, nurseries and tree care debris, both grinders are perfect for processing yard waste, brush and other mixed woody feedstock into saleable product. Designed to be modular and available in multiple configurations for various applications, these grinders can take busi-

nesses to the next level.

These newest models in the X Series of next-generation horizontal grinders from Morbark follow the successful launches of the 3400X in March 2017 and 6400X in May 2018 and maintain Morbark’s focus on versatility, transportability and operator-friendliness.

“Morbark continues to expand our efforts to better serve the needs of all our customers no matter where they live and work around the world,” said Michael Stanton, Morbark Director of Industrial Products. “The 2400X and 3000X broaden our line of horizontal grinders for all global markets and further extend our reach into key niche markets both domestically and internationally.”

One of the most important features of the 2400X and 3000X is their compact size. Their standard width (2400X: 7'6"/2.29 m, 3000X: 8'2"/2.49 m) make them

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY within the legal transport width in any country. The models also share design features like the sloped infeed sides, which improve operator sight lines for more efficient loading of material, and easy-toload grate systems.

The 2400X ranges in horsepower 188 to 203 (140.2 – 151.4 kW), while the 3000X has engine options from 350 – 577 HP (260 – 430 kW). Like all of Morbark Wood Hog models, both the 2400X and 3000X also will be available with electric power.

Among the key features of the 2400X, the infeed system consists of one 20" (50.8 cm) diameter top compression feed roll with internal drive and a 53" wide x 8'2" (134.6 cm x 2.49 m) smooth rubber belt or optional steel chain infeed conveyor. The 2400X has a 9' long x 52" wide (2.74 m x 132.08 cm) infeed floor, infeed flares and cleated belly belt and maintenance access doors. The manual folding infeed tray is adjustable to various positions and adds 3' (0.91 m) to the infeed length when open or closes to contain small material.

The large, proven design, 22" x 49.25" (55.88 cm x 125.1 cm) downturn hammermill system, plate and pin style, with 22 singlebolt inserts set in a V pattern, improves feeding characteristics, ease of maintenance and durability.

Routine maintenance and grate changes are easily conducted by a single operator due to the 93-gallon (352L) fuel tank, which pivots away from the machine to allow easy access, and the single, sideload grate system (AR450 steel grates are available in multiple sizes and patterns).

The 36" (91.44 cm) wide chevron discharge conveyor belt is available in a single section stationary 9'6" (2.9 m) height conveyor or folding 14'6" (4.42 m) height conveyor and can be equipped with optional magnetic head drum for ferrous metal removal.

An adjustable backside flat idler allows for drive belt tensioning with no need to move the engine.

Key features of the 3000X include variable speed infeed system, which consists of one 34" (86.36 cm) diameter top compression feed roll with internal drive and a 12'4" long x 57.5" (3.76 m x 146 cm) wide live floor designed to accept both WD120 and slat chain.

The plate and pin style, up-turn hammermill system measures 32" x 58.5" (81.28 cm x 149 cm) and has 18 double-edged replaceable inserts and 18 rakers.

The discharge system consists of a hydraulically driven, horizontal 42" x 14'2" (106.68 cm x 4.3 m) aggregate belt conveyor discharging onto a 36" (91.44 cm) wide stacking conveyor with hydraulic fold for transport and can be equipped with optional magnetic head drum for ferrous metal removal.

Like the 2400X, the 3000X is

designed so that a single operator can change the grates. The 3000X’s top-load system with four grates includes a hydraulic hinged door for quick and easy access.

Both models are equipped with the Morbark Integrated Control System, or MICS. The ultimate diagnostics tool and control system, this allows the operator to automati-

cally adjust feed rates and monitor pressures and feed wheel position to maximize production and engine efficiency. New smart device apps (IQANrun and IQANsync) allow you to connect to your machine using your phone or tablet’s Bluetooth or allow you to connect your machine directly to Morbark, so Morbark personnel will be able to

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY view and edit your machine’s settings and program or send you updated programming.

See these machines and more at booth #S5573 at CONEXPO/CONAGG or, for more information, visit www.morbark.com or find your local Morbark industrial dealer at www.morbarkdealers.com.

Tigercat Grapple Skidder

Quick, compact and fuel efficient, the Tigercat 602 grapple skidder is ideal for high value selective logging in tight or challenging terrain. The size and agility of the 602 makes it ideal for selective felling applications. The machine can access high value timber in steep terrain, while mini-

mizing damage to the residual stand. A fixed front axle with an oscillating center section allows the 602 to achieve a narrow overall width of 2.7 m (106").

The Tigercat FPT N45 Tier 4f engine delivers 125 kW (168 hp) at 2,200 rpm while conforming to emissions standards for North America and Europe.

Performance in tough terrain is excellent with no gear shifting required. Full tractive effort is available at any engine speed, minimizing wheel spin and improving breakout performance.

Maximum fuel efficiency is achieved by the use of Tigercat’s load sensing hydraulic system.

Electronic control technology combined with Tigercat’s unique hydrostatic drive system allows the skidder to operate at variable engine rpm, automatically increasing engine speed when additional horsepower is required.

Tigercat’s Tier 4 solution is packaged into a physically smaller engine compartment, leading to clear operator sightlines. Excellent cab ergonomics, Turnaround and the benefits that come with hydrostatic drive, along with painless maintenance routines, make the Tigercat 602 skidder a top choice among operators.

Visit tigercat.com

John Deere Felling Head With the continued growth of the steep slope market and the movement from manual felling in mind, John Deere announces its

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY NOTE: CORRECTION This item originally ran on page 33 in the special focus section devoted to grinders and chippers in the March 2020 issue of Southern Loggin' Times. Unfortunately, we mistakenly paired the wrong photo with the copy Morbark submitted. This is the correct photo and text as supplied by Morbark.

Morbark Morbark listened closely to customer feedback while developing the design for both the 3400XT and the 6400XT Wood Hog Horizontal Grinders. The result: products with the features customers want and the versatility they need, while staying true to Morbark’s proven technology.

One of the most important features of the 3400XT is its width — the model has a standard width of 8'6" (2.59 m) and can be built as narrow as 8'4" (2.53 m), making it within the legal transport width in any country. This model accommodates engines from 520 to 800 horsepower (388 to 596 kW), so it is ideal for a broad range of appli-

cations in a wide variety of markets worldwide.

Similarly, the 6400XT weighs in at less than 96,500 lbs. (43,772 kg) and measures 11'5½" (3.49 m), allowing the unit to be transported to nearly all domestic and international markets. The 6400XT ranges in horsepower from 1,050 to 1,200 (783 kW to 894 kW).

The infeed bed on both models is long with sloped sides. This configuration improves operator sight lines for more efficient loading of material. A removable infeed chain return floor, which allows excess material to fall away to minimize the wear on the floor, bed chain and inserts, is standard. This feature is particularly useful in land-clearing or other applications with dirty material.

When maintenance is required, it’ll be quicker and easier to perform on these machines’ extended platform, up to 31.5" wide (80 cm, a 25% increase) on the 6400XT. This area between the hood and the engine has been reconfigured to provide additional working space, for better access to components for general maintenance or to change screens.

For more information, visit www.morbark.com or find your local Morbark industrial dealer at www.morbarkdealers.com.

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY new large-class directional felling head, the FL100. The FL100 model provides customers with a larger, more durable directional felling head solution.

“Our customers are continuing to tackle more challenging terrain, and we want to provide reliable, durable equipment that is designed to meet their unique needs. As they seek purpose-built equipment for their

operations, the FL100 will allow them to efficiently and safely fell in both unique steep slopes and tradi-

tional felling applications,” says Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager for John Deere tracked harvesters and feller-bunchers.

The robust, durable design of the new FL100 makes it ideal for steep slope, shoveling, and traditional felling applications. Featuring increased grip strength, grapple capacity and shoveling performance, the FL100’s grapple

arm effectively handles both small and extra-large timber. The increased durability of the FL100 reduces potential downtime in tough conditions, while allowing excellent access to maintenance and service points.

Factory installed on the new John Deere 959ML shovel logger/directional feller, the FL100 offers the ideal solution for felling and maneuvering timber in steep slope applications.

Visit johndeere.com

Tigercat Launches LogOn

Tigercat has launched LogOn, a powerful onboard information system to optimize machine performance and reduce downtime. Users can now easily access detailed machine data and diagnostics tools at the worksite, including mechanical parameters, fuel economy, performance metrics, service codes, service manuals and more.

Users can access detailed fault codes and important troubleshooting information onsite to help ensure the correct fix the first time.

“LogOn is a valuable new tool that allows you to access vital machine data onsite,” says telematics project manager, Irfan Zardadkhan. “Users can easily access the system through the Tigercat mobile app when they are within a few meters of the machine.”

Users open the Tigercat Mobile App on their smartphone, select the LogOn icon, and connect to the secure Wi-Fi hotspot to enter the system. From there, users have access to detailed activity charts, stem count and production volume, important failure cause and repair information, along with operator and service manuals. No electronic tools or cables are required.

The LogOn system collects data automatically and provides extensive built-in reporting and analytics.

No operator training is required.

Data is displayed with an easyto-use mobile interface. No cellular coverage is needed. An optional satellite modem allows access in the world’s most remote locations.

LogOn comes standard on all 2020 Tigercat machines.

Visit tigercat.com

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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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2014 Deere 2954D • $175,000 STK# LT290205 • 10,660 hrs

2013 Deere 437D • $42,000 STK# LT244662 • 11,185 hrs

2015 Deere 948L • $125,000 STK# LT668837 • 6,818hrs

2015 Deere 748L • $150,000 STK# LT667210 • 6,472 hrs

2016 Deere 648L • $138,000 STK# LT675679 • 6,178 hrs

2916 Deere 843L • $177,000 STK# LT676363 • 4,274 hrs

2016 Deere 803M • $275,000 STK# LU291502 • 4,123 hrs

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2014 Deere 643K • $58,000 STK# LT656318 • 7,327 hrs

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2010 Prentice 2384 Log Loader with 264 delimber

Please call me for advice before you do any welding on your saw disk.

ANY welding done on any saw disk should be ‘peened’ using an air hammer to relieve the tension caused by welding that can lead to

WE repair and straighten ALL feller saw disks Carver Saw Disk Repair 543 Havens Street Washington, NC 27889 252.945.2358

566

■ Final Drives–Used Lohmann GFT 50,

60, 80s and older Cat Finals in stock. Drive Motors, Implement Pumps, Valve Parts, Cabs, Funk Drives, Undercarriages, Booms, Cylinders and more!

■ John Deere–E-G GII and GIII 548, 648 and 748 Axles, Transmissions, Engines, Rims, Valve Parts, Cabs, Cylinders, Blades and more!

■ Special–Quadco 360 Hotsaw 22 inch cut, Very nice unit. .......................$39,900

Shipping Available and Credit Cards Accepted Call 614-439-6115 or 740-541-4405

FOR SALE

2015 CAT 559C Loader, hydraulic trailer, VERY CLEAN & NICE, JOB READY ...................................................$88,000

Call or Text Zane 334-518-9937

3939

2010 Bandit 3590XL Whole Tree Chipper, with 1700 hrs., one owner, great condition

Timbco/Timberpro Parts Available

FELLER SAW OWNERS:

13666

FOR SALE

Call Bill at 931-260-7259 or 931-260-9764 3233 RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!!

LOGGER’S BEST FRIEND!

8309

Repair Hoses in the Log Woods Crimper Start-up Kit Less than $5,000 Contact: Chris Alligood 1-252-531-8812 email: www.chrisa.cavalierhose@gmail.com

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.

WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS

IF YOU NEED

To buy or sell forestry, construction, utility or truck equipment, or if you just need an appraisal, contact me, Johnny Pynes with JM Wood Auction. Over 25 years experience.

770

Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net

Call: 662-285-2777 day, 662-285-6832 eves Email: info@chambersdelimbinator.com 1123

visit us online: southernloggintimes.com

Logo indicates that equipment in the ad also appears on

www.ForesTreeTrader.com

7393

13189

Visit ForesTreeTrader.com for online listing opportunities.

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ADVERTISER American Truck Parts Around The World Salvage B & G Equipment Bandit Industries Barko Hydraulics Big John Trailers BITCO Insurance Brandt Tractor Caterpillar Dealer Promotion John Deere Forestry Doggett Machinery Service Doosan Infracore North America East Coast Sawmill Expo Eastern Surplus Flint Equipment FMI Trailers Forest Chain Forestry First Forestry Mutual Insurance G & W Equipment G&R Manufactured Solutions Granger Equipment Hawkins & Rawlinson Hood Equipment Interstate Tire Service Kaufman Trailers Komatsu Forestry Division Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Logger Shop Equipment Sales Lonestar Truck Group l Texarkana Magnolia Trailers Maxam Tire North America Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show Moore Logging Supply Morbark Pitts Trailers Ponsse North America Puckett Machinery Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment Southern Loggers Cooperative Stribling Equipment Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries Timberblade TRACT TraxPlus Trelan Manufacturing W & W Truck & Tractor Waratah Forestry Attachments Waters International Trucks Yancey Brothers

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888.383.8884 936.634.7210 601.656.7011 800.952.0178 715.395.6700 800.771.4140 800.475.4477 888.227.2638 919.550.1201 800.503.3373 225.368.2224 877.745.7814 804.737.5625 855.332.0500 404.859.5790 601.508.3333 800.288.0887 803.708.0624 800.849.7788 800.284.9032 870.510.6580 318.548.5977 888.822.1173 715.372.4222 864.947.9208 336.790.6807 888.285.7478 800.766.8349 800.467.0944 336.973.4242 800.223.3409 800.738.2123 1.844.MAXAM.NA 877.265.1486 919.271.9050 662.325.2191 888.754.5613 800.831.0042 800.321.8073 715.369.4833 601.969.6000 386.754.6186 855.325.6465 318.445.0750 855.781.9408 912.638.7726 519.753.2000 519.532.3283 478.447.2893 601.635.5543 877.487.3526 800.845.6648 770.692.0380 601.693.4807 800.282.1562

ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

COMING EVENTS April 28-May 1—Virginia Forestry Assn. Summit, Hotel Madison, Harrisonburg, Va. Call 804-2788733; visit vaforestry.org.

May 18-20—Forest Resources Assn. annual meeting, Omni Austin Downtown, Austin, Tex. Call 202296-3937; visit forestresources.org.

20—TEAM Safe Trucking Semi annual meeting, Omni Austin Downtown, Austin, Tex. Call 207-8410250; visit teamsafetrucking.com.

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.

25-28—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.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—Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. annual meeting, Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.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.

September 10-12—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, UP State Fairgrounds, Escanaba, Mich. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltapa.org.

13-15—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.

18-20—Virginia Forest Products Assn. Annual Conference, Virginia Beach Hilton Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, Va. Call 804-7375625; visit vfpa.net.

23—TEAM Safe Trucking Semi annual meeting, Branson Convention Center, Branson, Mo. Call 207-8410250; visit teamsafetrucking.com.

23-25—National Hardwood Lumber Assn. Convention & Exhibit Showcase, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Call 901-377-1818; visit nhla.com.

24—TEAM Safe Trucking Training Day, Branson Convention Center, Branson, Mo. Call 207-841-0250; visit teamsafetrucking.com.

24-26—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Hilton Branson Convention Center, Branson, Mo. Call 409-625-0206; visit amloggers.com.

Listings are submitted months in advance.

Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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