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Vol. 49, No. 5
(Founded in 1972—Our 572nd Consecutive Issue)
F E AT U R E S
May 2020 A Hatton-Brown Publication
Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525
www.southernloggintimes.com Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor Managing Editor Senior Associate Editor Associate Editor
Rich Donnell Dan Shell David Abbott Jessica Johnson Patrick Dunning
Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight
Joseph Lang Swamp Hardwood Thinner
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Conference Report Wood Bioenergy Show
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
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Ponsse Marks Two Anniversaries
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out front:
Arkansas logger Jim McKinney, right, is a man who lives by his faith and puts it in action. His son Justin, left, works with him at his company, Cedar Hill Services, where he recently cut costs and improved efficiency with a new Tigercat bogie skidder. Story begins on Page 8. (Photo by David Abbott)
Coronavirus Affects Logging Markets
D E PA RT M E N T S Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . 32 Safety Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Machines-Supplies-Technology . . . 38 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . 41 Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . . 46
Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook Tel: 604-619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 58 Aldea de las Cuevas • Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
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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Coronavirus Shutdown Reflections It was like being 16 again. Gas was cheap but I was grounded.
“I made it just fine!”
Remember the time when we were little and had underwear labeled with the days of the week? Those would have been very helpful.
The mom reported that in just a matter of weeks of home schooling, her 7, 9 and 11-year-old kids did surprisingly well. They all completed high school and are ready to move out and find jobs.
To all the grandparents who miss their grandkids: Moms by the thousands encourage you to take them for a month once things return halfway to normal.
In 6 weeks
88%
of blondes disappeared.
Duct tape was not the solution to every problem.
I used to spin the toilet paper roll like I was on the Wheel of Fortune, but I quickly learned to turn it like I was cracking a safe.
Home schooling got so dreadful that many parents texted local school boards and requested substitutes.
Social distancing champion
For a while there my F-150 pickup got 3 weeks to the gallon. A burglar was seen kicking in the door to his house. He explained: “I’m working from home.”
April stimulus check delivery
Hormel made its first batch of SPAM in 1937. Due to hoarding in April, it made a second batch. 6
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Riding High ■ Cowboy Christian Jim McKinney increases efficiency with a new bogie skidder.
By David Abbott WARREN, Ark. efore last year, Cedar Hill Services, LLC ★ owner Jim McKinney, 56, ran two skidders on his crew. Then he sidelined one skidder and sold the other, replacing it with a 2019 Tigercat 625E bogie skidder. The new machine will drag as much by itself as two tractors did combined. “I cut one skidder man, one fuel bill, one insurance bill and one machine payment,” McKinney says. “It’s saved me about $6,000 a month on fuel, insurance, maintenance, labor and payment.” Another plus, in his estimation: consistency in different conditions. “The bogie skids about as much in the winter as in the summer; that was one of the reasons for buying it. You don’t have to lighten up on your drags in the winter like you will with a four-wheeled skidder.”
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McKinney also reports fuel economy as a factor in his purchase choice. When running dual tires in the winter, the bogie burns around 10 gallons per hour. In the summer, without the extra tires and running on hard ground, fuel consumption is cut to about six gallons per hour. By comparison, the remaining backup skidder stays in the 8-12 gallons per hour range. “The fuel consumption of Tigercat equipment is really good,” McKinney is convinced. McKinney says he was among the first in his area to buy a 625 skidder. For him, it represents a happy middle ground. “We demoed one of the 615s, but we liked the bigger machine. I’d like to have a 635 in timber like we are in right now, but, when we do a lot of plantations, it is a little big for that.”
Lineup At the landing, Cedar Hill sets up three knucklebooms—a 2018 Tiger-
cat 234B with CSI delimber, ’13 Cat 559B and 2384 Prentice— working in tandem to delimb and keep trucks rolling. Other machines in the woods include’18 Tigercat 724G cutter, ’15 John Deere 748H skidder, Cat 12H road grader, ’19 Cat D6K dozer and a 2008 Cat D3K dozer. He also has a 2006 Deere 2054 track loader set up on a Canfor wet yard in Urbana. Equipment dealers are MidSouth Forestry in Warren for Tigercat and Riggs Cat in El Dorado for Cat/Prentice. “They have been really good to me,” the logger says. “They are good people.” McKinney has been dealing with Riggs for 28 years. His relationship with MidSouth is newer, but he’s known his salesman there, Jeff Rains, much longer. They met 30 years ago. “Jimmy was a Bell operator and I worked in sales and operator training for Bell,” Rains says. After years with Riggs, when Rains moved to MidSouth a few years
The 625E bogie, a 2019 model, has had a significant impact on productivity and cost for McKinney's company, Cedar Hill Services.
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ago, McKinney opted to keep doing business with him. “He has been such a good salesman and good man to deal with, I just followed him and it has been a blessing,” McKinney says, adding that another MidSouth salesman, Mark Pennington, has also been a great help. “If a man wants a Tigercat in south Arkansas, those are the men to see.” The Cedar Hill crew fits machines with dual tires in wet conditions, and runs on singles when the ground dries out. “We like Primex,” McKinney affirms. The bogie has size 28L on the back and 30.5 on the front, with 30.5s inside and 24s on the outside on the Deere skidder. “Tigercat has been real good in terms of breakdowns,” McKinney says. Cedar Hill keeps each piece serviced every 300 hours or so. McKinney reports that DEF has presented him no problems at all on the three newer machines (the 625 skidder, 724G cutter and D6K dozer). He buys DEF at Reladyne in El Dorado.
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A trio of loaders—Tigercat, Cat and Prentice—work together at the landing to keep the operation flowing.
Markets The ground had been unusually good the week Southern Loggin’ Times visited the crew in early March, according to McKinney, though there had been some bad spots before he moved onto this tract. “South Arkansas is tough right now, because of so much rain last year and the first few months of this year,” he says. That tract, which he called exceptional, was under PotlatchDeltic management. Cedar Hill works for Sorrells Sawmill in Holly Springs. “We are typically hardwood loggers, but they keep us busy on pine tracts in the wet winter months, till hardwood comes back around,” McKinney says. The crew fills in with pine plantations and second thinning jobs to get through the winter and focuses on hardwood bottoms in spring and summer months. A member of the Arkansas Timber Producers Assn., McKinney says he’s been contracting with Sorrells for the last eight years. “They are good people, and they take good care of us.” He adds that foresters Rick Reep and Jerry West work pretty hard to keep his company busy through the winter. Along with taking hardwood to Sorrells Sawmill, Cedar Hill delivers to a number of mills, including PotlatchDeltic and Oasis Pallet Mill in Warren, Georgia-Pacific at Gurdon, the Evergreen Packaging mill
Front row, left to right: Alberto Morales, Jim McKinney, Justin McKinney, Keith Outlaw, Keith Lassiter; standing in back, Roman Jaimes
in Pine Bluff and Clearwater Paper in Warren. With six Mack trucks pulling all Pitts trailers, Cedar Hill was averaging 18 loads daily in the early spring, about three loads per truck per day. “In the summer we run 18-24 loads a day in hardwood,” McKinney says. “Every day we aim to haul 15 loads; anything we get beyond that, we are tickled to death.”
Cedar Hill runs dual Primex tires on the John Deere 748 when the ground is wet.
Worth noting is McKinney’s relationship with Canfor Southern Pine in Urbana. To generate additional income during wet weather, Cedar Hill sends loader operator Michael Cooper to help maintain a wet yard here—that’s where the 2054 Deere track loader comes into play. Cooper stacks logs at the yard in the summer, and he and three Cedar Hill drivers move logs to the mill as needed dur-
ing wet weather. McKinney works closely with procurement managers Michael Bess and Scotty Booth at Canfor. As of early March, McKinney seemed to have mixed feelings about the state of the market, pre-coronavirus. “We lost G-P in Crossett, and that put a strain on the pine pulpwood market,” he reflected at the time. “And we lost Conifex at El Dorado, a
McKinney has been pleased with Tigercat machines.
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chip-n-saw, with little or no market for lumber. On top of that, early spring weather has taken a toll. A tornado hit Graphic Packaging in Monroe, La., damaging a chip belt, while storms on Easter shut off electricity at several mills and kept McKinney’s crew out of work for a week in earlymid April. “It’s just not good right now,” he laments. “Between the storms and the virus, lumber and logging have been hit hard.”
Background A fleet of six Macks with Pitts trailers average 18 loads a day, three per rig.
pine log sawmill, so that hurt saw logs for a while. It is weak now in south Arkansas. Timber prices are about the same, but less than they were last year. Last year at this time pine timber was higher than normal, as high as it had been in a long time, but now it is back to normal.” Since then—the coronavirus shutdowns started just about a week after SLT visited Cedar Hill—McKinney says things have slowed down even more, with many mills taking less than they already were. The Urbana mill is only taking 2,000 tons a week, he reports, adding that G-P in Gurdon is taking only plywood logs and some
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Jeff Rains, right, who now works for Midsouth Forestry in Warren and Caddo Valley, met McKinney working on Bell cutters 30 years ago. When SLT visited in March, they were again working on a cutter, but this time a Tigercat.
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After graduating high school in 1981, McKinney went straight to work at a Potlatch sawmill, where he stayed for the next eight years. He switched to running a cutting machine for logger Steve Richardson in 1988. Starting in 1992, he worked for Anthony Forest Products, as a dozer operator and then a forestry tech for nine years. “I did all the road building and dozer work for them, and I still do a lot of dozer work for Potlatch and Canfor on the side,” he says. In 1999, McKinney entered a partnership with James Knowles when they bought a logging crew from one of Anthony’s contractors. Calling their fledgling business Double J Logging, McKinney ran the trucking side of the equation while Knowles
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handled harvesting duties. “We started with three trucks, then went to four, then eight,” McKinney recalls. “Then in 2008, rain hit, the economy went bad and diesel got up to almost $5 a gallon, so I got out of trucking.” Selling off most of his inventory, McKinney showed his ingenuity when he built a wheel tractor by adding a headache rack and grapples to a 4WD farm tractor. With that he started cutting a lot of private timber, small tracts and SMZs for Campbell
Timberland. For that enterprise he partnered with Jerry West, who bought a lot of the private timber. “When that work played out, my wife and I decided we either had to get in or get out,” McKinney recalls. Starting with a 2000 model John Deere 648 skidder, he founded Cedar Hill Services in 2012.
Crew Cedar Hill’s crew is Justin McKinney, Keith Outlaw, Mark Dearmond,
Charles Daniels, Jason Smith, Wade Blann, Mike Cooper, Roman Jaimes, Alberto Morales and James Keith Lassiter. McKinney conducts tailgate safety meetings periodically. Chris Poole with Midwestern Insurance Alliance, which provides workers’ comp coverage, has been McKinney’s safety inspector on the job for 17 years. Gary Smith Insurance Agency in Warren handles all the coverage the logger needs. McKinney and wife Tina have four grandsons, ages 4-12: Diesel,
Axle, Cannon and Steele. They have two sons: Caleb, 35, and Justin, 34, who works on the crew. Justin has been in the woods with his dad about five years after having worked for Timber Logistics for a while. “He does all the welding here,” his dad says. “He went to welding school in Oklahoma, but he didn’t care for being gone on the road, so he came back and went to work for us.” Tina recently retired from the Warren school district as the assistant technology coordinator. “If it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Ain’t no way,” her husband admits. “Between her and the good Lord, I believe we are going to get by.”
Cowboy Christian The logger can sum up his world view as such: “I just try to let the Lord take care of me.” The McKinneys are active members of Grace Cowboy Church in Warren. Through the church, Jim and Tina spent seven days on a mission trip to Belize, a Caribbean country on the northeastern coast of Central America, in 2018. “They have a boys club with a rodeo team down there, and we went down to help with the kids,” McKinney says. “We taught them to rope and I shod a few of their horses while I was there, spent a lot of time with the kids. We built a house there, and did some wiring on some other houses.”
McKinney on a mission trip to Belize
Neither a Christian nor a cowboy in name only, McKinney has rodeoed for years as a calf roper, along with his former timber buying partner Jerry West. He competes in tie down roping and team roping frequently and he ropes all year long. He has been in three rodeos so far this year, but he’s not quite as active in the saddle as he used to be. Back in the day, he competed in rodeos every weekend all over Arkansas, in all the states it borders and beyond: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. “Those Texas guys are tough, and SLT tough to beat,” he chuckles. 12
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A Little Different ■ Joseph Lang and his crew thin hardwood in the swampy bottoms of Louisiana.
By Jessica Johnson ATLANTA, La. oseph Lang looks ★ forward to the summer and fall every year. That’s when he and his crew move into the swampy hardwood bottoms near his home in Winn Parish, La. and the fun part of logging begins. Lang, 59, who’s been in the woods since he was 15 years old (minus a three-month stint on a pipeline yard), says the challenge that hardwood thinning presents is unlike anything else. It’s why every summer and fall, he looks forward to moving into that special tract, an agreement he reached with a local mill a few years ago. The mill buys the timber, Lang and his crew harvest the hardwood and haul it to the mill. The mill sells the pine logs and all the pulpwood to Lang to use in whatever way he sees fit. That allows him to service other markets on which he relies the rest of the year. Thinning hardwood is no easy
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task. The crew has to make certain not to damage the smaller timber in the process of removing the bigger trees. Plus, an inch of rain goes a long way in the bottoms. Lang says it starts with the cutter. “It’s not like thinning a pine tract; it’s very hard. You have to have experienced men. You have to look at the trees, where they are going to fall, and you can’t just throw them where you want them. Some you can put a certain place, but some you can’t.” To help with felling, Lang’s cutter man, Landon Weatherford, cuts tops in the woods before the skidder gets a hold of the stems. He says they are doing what some pine thinners do, just in a hardwood bottom with logs that are supersized. “If you’re going to fall a tree in here, you have to cut everything around it where it’s going Joseph Lang to fall,” Lang explains. “If you
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don’t, you’re going to destroy it. You have a lot of error in this. You can minimize the damage quite a bit if you pay attention to what you’re doing.” Bottom line: it’s a lot of thinking and trying your best not to break stuff. The challenge of the hardwood thin each year affords Lang some perspective on how truly efficient his single-crew operation really is. “After all, efficiency is the name of the game with this,” he laughs. The crew, with five pieces of equipment and five men (including himself), consistently churns out 90-120 loads per week… even in the hardwood bottoms. Paid a salary plus production bonus, Lang’s employees like to push as much as their boss does. Rarely do they work on a Saturday. Instead, they have a start-early and finish-early daily mentality. It’s not unheard of for the crew to get 25
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The five-man crews moves a lot of wood—a benefit of being located in timber-rich Winn Parish, La.
loads in a day with the last truck heading out at 2:30 p.m. It’s one of the benefits to being in the heart of Louisiana’s wood basket, Winn Parish, where there are 10 mills within a 60 mile radius: It helps wood move faster.
Timber Lang, who’s contracted for companies in the past, prefers now to work independently, purchasing his own timber and working his agreement with the local hardwood mill. As one of his guiding principles, Lang says he goes out of his way to do services
Thinning hardwood starts with the cutter.
Lang logs all sorts of tracts, but his heart is in hardwood thinning, which his crew does in summer and fall each year.
The Joseph Lang Logging crew, from left: Eathin Dick, Bruce Weatherford, Ben Russell, Jeff Barber, Landon Weatherford and Joseph Lang
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for the landowners for whom he works. This might mean moving from a 40 or 60-acre tract, his typical average, to a 10-acre tract across the road. “No one is going to move into 10 acres,” he acknowledges. “But if we’re right there I’ll do it as a service to the landowner. It’s just like moving one set to another.” Lang says these small ways to take care of landowners add up in big ways—and most of the time he’s got more tracts people want him to cut than time to cut them. He credits part
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of that to the way he views landowner payments, another thing he views as a service to landowners. “I don’t want a quarter of the landowner’s money,” he explains. “When I tell them what I am going to do, if I am getting a certain price but I think it might go up, I don’t tell the landowner. Instead, when I write the check I pay them more than what I said because I got more than what I said. But it’s never lower; it’s always higher or what I said. That gets me a lot of clients.”
Equipment Lang’s five-piece crew is all Tigercat, save for one Cat dozer that is used to help navigate the swamps. The crew runs one cutter and two skidders full-time, though Lang has a spare of each piece if needed. More typically, the cutter will be ahead of the crew, and Lang will hop on one to keep wood moving. The crew uses 2020 and 2017 model 610E skidders, with a ’15 model 620E kept mainly as a spare;
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’15 720G feller-buncher, with a ’13 724E as a spare. At the set, a ’99 model 230 knuckleboom loads trucks and a ’15 234B with a delimber and CSI ground saw processes stems. Hauling duties fall to two contract truckers and two company trucks—a 2007 Mack with a ’16 Magnolia log trailer and a ’17 Kenworth with 2020 Pitts Air Ride log trailer. Both trucks have Vulcan scales, so they don’t leave the woods under-loaded. CB radios are in every machine. “That’s the best piece of safety equipment we have,” Lang says. “We have constant communication between each other.” Equipment is supported by Tigercat dealer Patrick Miller in Many, La. Lang has used other machines in the past, but after a trip to the Tigercat factory in Canada, he’s been loyal to the brand—and his dealer. “They have a production line and when my 610 went down the line, they built every part specifically for that machine. So it fit perfectly. That’s a difference in Tigercat,” he believes. But really, what has kept him loyal to the brand is Patrick Miller. “It’s unbelievable the service I get out of them, with them being such a small dealer,” he says. “When a Tigercat mechanic shows up they have a lot of the parts on their truck and more in stock—especially if it’s something they see a lot,” he says. Since Lang doesn’t employ a mechanic, having the dealer’s service techs respond quickly without having to shuffle back and get parts makes a difference. Lang relies on outside mechanics if needed, for welding or other more extensive maintenance he might not have the time to handle himself. The crew in the woods handles all routine maintenance, making use of a 30x70 shop at Lang’s home in Atlanta to wash equipment. Also, during any extended periods when the crew won’t be working in the woods, they often work in the shop to salvage time handling some other things. Lang elected not to get an extended warranty or PM agreement when purchasing the new machines. He says that for the crew, unless the part is extremely high dollar and must come from Tigercat, it’s too costly in downtime to wait, especially in situations when the local part store has the part available in the aftermarket. Winn Truck & Trailer in Winnfield, La. is Lang’s preferred parts supplier. They are thoroughly stocked and conveniently located. They keep Lang in his preferred Donaldson filters. Lang participates in the Louisiana Loggers Self-Insured Fund and is a proud member of the SLT Louisiana Loggers Assn.
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Wood Bio Expo ■ Atlanta event looks at future of wood bioenergy.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Wood bioenergy in the form of industrial pellets or boiler fuel and other products are big market concerns for many loggers, and this special report covers some of the Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo held March 10-11 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta.
The event, hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine and Georgia Research Institute, featured a diverse range of presentations, 28 speakers, 46 equipment exhibitor companies and three university exhibitors. Like Southern Loggin’ Times, Wood Bioenergy magazine is a Hatton-Brown publication.
ATLANTA, Ga. oggers across ★ the Southeast are hauling to pellet mills that have sprung up in the past 10+ years, and the future of mostly European markets for U.S. pellets was a big topic of
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Producers seek to maintain Europe markets, while looking to Asia.
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the conference. Hovering over the wood bioenergy industry is the future of industrial pellets and the market dynamics in European countries as well as the large potential of Asia as a growing market for North American pellet producers. A key driver of uncertainty is the year 2027, when the UK’s main biomass incentives, which have driven much of industry’s growth, could expire. Speaker Jose Gonzalez, senior principal at AFRY (formerly Pöyry), spoke on the Dynamics of the Global Pellet Market and Impact to North American Supply. According to Gonzalez, a big competitive edge for North America is its stability and reliability as an industrial wood pellet supplier thanks to plentiful fiber sources and excellent infrastructure for timber harvest, processing and shipping. “North America produces 54% of global pellet supply,” Gonzalez said. “Reliability is a big plus and should be a selling point, plus there’s lots of excess biomass available.” Gonzalez noted that 2027 is when some of the major UK support for coal-to-biomass conversions ends, and currently there’s no way to tell what the government might do. While he said he believed incentives wouldn’t be completely withdrawn, Gonzalez noted that with existing European market opportunities set to decrease, there could be new demand developing elsewhere. Ongoing coal phase-out in places such as Germany and the Nordic and Iberian countries may produce opportunities for future demand. Also, while the long-term future for UK and Europe is a bit uncertain, most industry observers agree Asia is set for solid growth in pellet utilization in the near future. There is a wide range for potential demand development, especially in Japan, Gonzalez said. Overall Japan and South Korea could combine to reach Europe’s demand levels by the mid-2020s, he added. Suppliers across North America can offer supply stability and market experience, which Asian consumers appear to value highly. This allows North American suppliers to remain competitive, even if they are not the lowest cost. Some North American producers, such as Envi-
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va and Pinnacle, are already establishing contracts in Asia, Gonzalez said, noting 4.1 million tonnes of contracts from the two companies. “Asia is just getting started,” Gonzalez said, adding it’s important for industry to help foster new demand in countries that are phasing out coal-fired power generation.
Future Potential Dr. William Strauss, president of wood pellet and biomass consulting group FutureMetrics, spoke on the topic The Future of the Industrial Wood Pellet Sector. He said global wood pellet production (including industrial and heating pellets) continues to escalate, approaching 36 million metric tons through 2018, including more than 10 million in North America, and that in 2019 North America exported 8.4 million tonnes. The biggest exporters in 2019 were the U.S., Vietnam, Canada, Russia, Latvia and Estonia. The biggest importers were the UK, South Korea, Denmark, Italy (heating pellets), Japan and Belgium. He speculates global industrial wood pellet demand will increase from 15.6 million metric tons in 2019 to 31.8 million in 2025. Strauss noted the focus on new growth will shift increasingly to Asia. He said he expects no more growth out of the UK come 2022 unless current policies are renewed. In South Korea the demand for pellets is supported by Renewable Energy Certificates. But the system isn’t working properly. REC prices have dropped so producers are buying them and skipping biomass conversion. Meanwhile in Japan, officials are seeking to increase renewable energy from 16% of total power mix in 2017 to 22%-24% by 2030. Strauss noted that under Japan’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) system, “There are hun-
dreds of small biomass-fueled independent power projects operating or in the pipeline.” He added that the trend is reflected in Japan’s increased monthly pellet imports, which have ranged from around 15,000 metric tons in January 2015 to almost 165,000 metric tons at the end of 2019. Japan imported 1.6 million metric tons of wood pellets in 2019, up from 500,000 in 2017. Growth in Japan is expected to be substantial, with industrial wood pellet demand reaching 9 million metric tons in 2025. Several major power plant conversions are likely in the future, Strauss added.
Dructor then reported on the results of the ALC 2019 Logger Survey, which received 580 responses nationwide. He said nearly 35% of
were plentiful: the cut down machines first had to access the damaged stand; snapped off stems required the skidder to pick up individual trees; sawmills would not accept diagonal cuts at the butt or top end; splits, knots and stresses were worse from Michael than less powerful storms; some mills took only leaning trees because of shake, splits and loose knots. Dartnell said future challenges are numerous. Timber supply is severely depleted in the path of the storm. Mills are being forced to truck logs farther. With 1.35 million acres severely or catastrophically damaged in Florida and 370,000
Danny Dructor
Dr. William Strauss
the loggers indicated they are financially worse off than they were a year ago and 16% are better off. A whopping 97% said it is virtually impossible to replace or add new hires to their operations, and 73% said the wages and benefits were not sufficient to attract the right kind of workers to the industry. Loggers ranked finding quality drivers, trucking rates and insurance costs as the three most important impacts in being able to move wood from the landing to the mill. Insurance, equipment costs, trucking and labor ranked one through four on the list of increased operational costs. With a choice of seven items, another question asked loggers to rank to what extent landowners or mills (or the clients they work for) valued those seven items. Low logging costs scored highest, followed by consistent production, high production, safety, environmental quality, professionalism and certification.
acres in Georgia, reforestation contractors and seedling nurseries will be sold out for years and require more than a billion seedlings.
those such as the Dogwood Alliance to stymie operations of private lands through a host of misinformation meant to stop the wood energy markets from developing,” Dructor said. Citing The Giving USA Institute, Dructor said that more than 26,500 American environmental groups collected total revenues of more than $81 billion from 2000 to 2012.
Survey
Logging Danny Dructor, executive vice president of the American Loggers Council, spoke on the Health of the Logging Ranks and Staying Ahead of Environmental Encroachment. Dructor said ALC and its members appreciate the promotion of wood for bioenergy, whether in the form of a pellet, biochar, cogeneration or biofuels, because it provides new markets. Environmentally, he said most loggers just keep doing what they have been doing for most of their careers, practicing sustainable harvesting practices that include caring for the land, the flora and fauna on the landscape, and taking pride in their professionalism and ability to overcome change. He noted that environmentalists have taken well intentioned laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act and have abused them in liberal courtrooms and negotiated settlements with federal agencies as a means to paralyze the industry, especially on federal lands. “We have also seen attempts by
Storm Damage
Loggers help keep industry environmentally sound.
Devon Dartnell, director, market analysis and research, Georgia Forestry Commission, spoke on Hurricane Michael’s impact on forest resources. Dartnell said while typical conventional logging costs are $9-$12 per ton, Hurricane Michael logging costs were $15$25 per ton due to the arrangement of wood and because trucking costs also went up. Harvesting challenges
Growth Andrew Copley, senior analyst with Forisk Consulting, spoke on North American Timberland and Forest Industry Capital Investment Trends. Focusing on southern pine timberlands, Copley said the average southern yellow pine plantation accumulated 2.4 tons of volume per acre per year in the late 1980s, and by 2016 that number had more than doubled to five tons per acre per year. “As a whole, we are growing much more wood on an acre of land today than we were 30 years ago,” he said. “There is still room for improvement; a well-managed SYP plantation can produce six to eight tons per acre per year.” Abundant grade supply is one of the factors that has led to a massive influx of sawmill investment in the South. In 2019 Copley said firms in the South completed 10 sawmill expansions and five new sawmills began operations. This added 1.7 billion BF of capacity to the region. Firms expect to build or expand 21 mills in the South in the next two years. Southern softwood sawmill capacity should approach 23 billion BF by 2024, a gain of SLT 17% in five years. Rich Donnell and Dan Shell contributed to this report.
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■ Ponsse North America marks its 25th anniversary, and Ponsse its 50th, in 2020.
NOTE: This article was submitted by Ponsse. onsse Plc, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of rubber wheel cut-to-length forest machines, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In those five decades Ponsse has grown from a machine entrepreneur’s dream to become an international export company with operations in 40 different countries. The Ponsse Group includes the parent company, Ponsse Plc, and subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Ireland, China and Uruguay, plus Epec Oy in Seinäjoki, Finland.
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Beginnings Ownership of this Finnish listed company is still in the same hands, and its operations are guided by the same family company values as when it was founded. The company’s production, R&D and administration are located in Vieremä, Finland, in the same place as when it started in 1970. Einari Vidgrén, Ponsse founder and chairman of its board of directors, was born to a small farmer’s family in North Savo and began working at a logging site at the age of 14 in 1957. Vidgrén started forest work equipped with only a frame saw, but eventually became one of the most successful machine entrepreneurs in Finland at the age of 27, employing 25 loggers. However, the machines used suffered from durability problems, so in 1969 Vidgrén developed a load-carrying forest tractor in a local village workshop for his own use. He named the forwarder Ponsse, after a crossbreed courser dog that roamed the village. Ponsse was first used at the logging site of a forest company, Tehdaspuu, and after a year of use Tehdaspuu asked for more of the same kind of forwarders. This feedback encouraged forest machine contractor Vidgrén to establish a forest machine plant in Vieremä. With a one-vote majority, the municipal council decided to build an industrial plant to be leased to 20
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the machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén. The plant was completed at the end of 1970 and Ponsse Oy was established.
Forward The first forest machine intended for serial production was a PAZ forwarder. Difficulties and setbacks characterized the early years of the plant. Despite tight money and the difficulty of obtaining a loan, the plant developed and there was enough work for the machines as well as the staff. A breakthrough in the evolution of forest machines took place in the 1980s. Ponsse became renowned to competitors and customers alike in a single dramatic step in 1983 when it introduced the legendary Ponsse S15 forwarder. Built partly from aluminum, the machine’s chassis made it significantly lighter than its competitors’ chassis, putting it in a class of its own for cross-terrain performance. Another significant milestone in Ponsse’s history was reached in 1986 when the first harvester head H520 was introduced. It marked an
important step in the expansion of the product family from forwarders to harvesting machines as well. Finnish quality was rewarded in 1994 when Ponsse became the first ISO 9001-certified forest machine manufacturer in the world. This led to an intensified machine development work and an expansion of the plant. In the 1990s the product range expanded and Ponsse Opti, an advanced measurement and information system for forest machines, was launched on the market. Ponsse was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange, and founded subsidiaries in Sweden, the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
Ponsse North America Over the last quarter century, Ponsse has successfully staked its claim in the forests of North America. In 1991, Ponsse touched down on North American soil when legendary forestry advocate Earl St. John brought the first machines to Powers, Mich. Through proven performance, word quickly spread through the forest industry that Ponsse was here to stay.
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In 1995 Ponsse North America established a North America subsidiary in Atlanta, Ga. Sensing opportunity and demand for cut-tolength machinery in the Great Lakes region, the company found its way north and fully took root, moving its North American headquarters in 1997 to Rhinelander, Wisc. Since setting up shop in North America, Ponsse has never stood still. A brand journey that began in Michigan quickly gained ground in Wisconsin and Minnesota, then Canada, New England, Oregon, Washington and New York. Today, the brand that began in a small village in Finland has machines hard at work in 35 states supported by dealerships and service centers across the nation. From the launch of the Scorpion in 2014 to the much-anticipated launch of the Bison in June 2020, Ponsse has always defined the cutting edge of innovation and performance in forest machinery. The machines are nothing without the horsepower of the passionate men and women who continue to write the next chapter of Ponsse North America’s quarter-century success story. The company tips its hardhat to the nearly 100 employees and dedicated customers of Ponsse North America, some with over 20 years of service and loyalty.
New Products Ponsse has continued its journey successfully from decade to decade and continent to continent. By now, Ponsse has manufactured more than 15,000 environmentally friendly cut-to-length forest machines and is one of the developers and manufacturers of the most advanced forest machine technology solutions in the world. The 15,000th Ponsse was manufactured at the new factory opened a year ago. It was the most significant investment in the company’s history at nearly EUR 40 million. Significant investment in the future has proved its worth along the way towards continuous development. The amount of testing and quality control has increased considerably. For example, the factory features an
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optical 3D scanning unit, representing the latest technology, to inspect all forest machine structures at extreme precision and ensure that all structures meet their quality requirements. At the same time, the factory has been modernized in terms of eco-friendliness and ergonomics. Flexible working methods enable the broadest product range in the markets and reactions to changing market needs. Soon, the 1,000th Ponsse Scorpion, the flagship of the model range, will exit the production line. The Vieremä factory has grown to cover an area of nearly four hectares. It is still based around a 300 square meter hall from where it all started 50 years ago. The oldest still-operational forest machine factory in Finland forms the core of Ponsse’s production. The company’s values and operating methods are based on the original principles of its founder Einari Vidgrén. The customer has always been the starting point for Ponsse’s operations: all innovations are associated with how customers value them and how they can benefit from them in their own operations. Ponsse offers its customers comprehensive harvesting solutions so that the harvesting entrepreneur’s operations
Original plant in Vieremä was result of town voting to build an industrial facility.
would be productive. Ponsse has extensive experience in the manufacturing and development of cut-tolength forest machines, and continually supports its customers, even through the most difficult times. The company has launched new products in recent years and has several in serial manufacturing, including the Ponsse Cobra harvester, Ponsse Bison forwarder and the new Active Crane. The fast-selling Ponsse Cobra is an adaptable all-round harvester with eight wheels and, thanks to its extensive range of equipment, it is suitable for various cutting and working methods. Cobra’s strengths are its six-cylinder engine and hydraulic system, powered by the large 210 cm3 work pump, and its strong and tested structure. Thanks to its high-quality basic solutions, Cobra is a dependable and fuel-effi-
cient machine. Its accurate and easy-to-use crane, good balance and powerful six-cylinder engine make Cobra an economical solution for varying conditions. Ponsse Bison Active Frame has become a revolutionary new model in forwarder markets. Equipped with a modern Mercedes-Benz engine, a powerful loader and a strong continuously variable transmission (CVT), Bison Active Frame is a true powerhouse for the local transport of timber. The model is equipped with the Active Frame suspension system. The solution has a simple and functional structure, effectively suspending any sideways movement directed at the operator. Ponsse Active Crane offers a new way of controlling the loader and boosting efficiency. It is a forwarder system that the operator uses to control grapple movement instead
Today, Ponsse’s ultra-modern Vieremä facilities cover more than 4 hectares.
of individual functions, allowing the operator to concentrate efficiently on loader work. Active Crane is easily controlled using two levers, one of which controls the grapple height from the ground and the other controls the direction of movement. What is essential is that the operator does not need to control all the functions simultaneously. When the operator selects a specific spot, Active Crane automatically takes care of lifting, folding and extension movements. From a simple frame saw held by Einari Vidgrén in the Finnish countryside to a family-owned forestry legend, Ponsse shares its continued global and North American success with the tireless and loyal family of employees and customers who continue to forge the company’s reputation as “King of the Forest” and a SLT “Logger’s Best Friend.”
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Strange Days ■ Coronavirus takes its toll on the wood products industry. By David Abbott and Patrick Dunning
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f you haven’t heard, if perhaps you’ve spent the last few months living in a submarine, or been in a coma, or on another planet, then you may not know this, but the big story so far in 2020, worldwide, is the coronavirus and all the fallout from it. Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying societal shutdown has impacted forest products markets, just like it has affected everything else. Southern Loggin’ Times contacted loggers and association representatives from throughout the region to find out how the industry has responded to the situation. “Everybody is on edge.” That’s how logger Chad Ward of Chad Ward Enterprises, Inc.in Lake Butler, Fla., describes the mood. “Nobody really knows. Everyone is watching this thing. There’s nothing you can do, just get through and hope it doesn’t drag on. We’ll bounce back if we can get over this hiccup soon.” Likewise, Whit Magnum of Magnum Timber Co., LLC, Magee, Miss., expresses optimism. “We’ll make it if this virus situation will straighten up. We just have to bear down and hope it doesn’t last forever.” Virginia Loggers Assn. Executive Director Ron Jenkins has found that VLA members are taking the pandemic seriously. In his five years in his position, he relates, “This is the single issue with the most inquiries and requests for help.” Mercifully, as of late April, there have been only a small handful of reports of positive cases among those working in the South’s forest products industry—loggers, truck drivers, mill employees and so on. That’s the good news, and the most important news, so thank God for that. The bad news is that the virus doesn’t have to kill you or make you or anyone you know sick to take a toll on you. “It is not so much having a sick crew affected by the virus as it is the way the virus is affecting the market,” points out Arkansas Timber Producers Assn. Executive Director Larry Boccarossa. And there, as Shake22
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Sanitizers: new, must-have logging supply
speare’s sweet Danish prince would say, is the rub.
Market Impact “There is a fear among loggers of mills pulling back,” according to Ewell Smith of the Carolina Loggers Assn., which represents timber harvesting operations in North Carolina.
He hears that some loggers have lost up to 25-30% of their business because of diminished demand, particularly from sawmills. “The mills that are full-on are the ones making packaging and fluff. That is where the demand is, in toilet paper and packaging.” Magnum says, “I’m hoping with all this buying of paper products,
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there will be a greater appreciation for the truckers and what it takes to get the supplies to the mill.” Still, all those well publicized toilet paper shortages seemingly have done little if anything to boost demand or prices for loggers, at least in some states. “There is no spike in demand because of the need for extra packaging, paper, etc.,” Jenkins reports
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unequivocally of the situation in his state. “Data shows demand and prices falling on finished products.” Overall, he says, COVID-19 has further stressed what was already an overstressed situation. In Georgia and Florida, the two states served by the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn., lumber is weak, hardwood is good in some areas, but pine pulp is keeping a lot of loggers going, according to SWPA Executive Vice President and Director Tommy Carroll. “There were weather and quota issues before this started. That is still occurring. Some have indicated that the extra weight and low fuel cost has helped their haul costs.” “The pulp and paper side has been real steady but the solid wood mills are cutting prices and reducing log deliveries, as is going on everywhere, I understand,” South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. head Crad Jaynes reports. “Most mills that I have heard about over here are putting all the loggers on quota and only buying a few days,” reports David Livingston of the Mississippi Loggers Assn. “I keep hearing that the demand is down for lumber and other building products.” “It’s not as bad as you might think,” according to Jim Donnell of J&CD Logging, LLC in Clyo, Ga. “We’re still able to work regular hours, we just have to fight the quota situation. We had a real wet winter, it’s starting to dry out, and we were trying our best to get all the wood we could get. The quotas hit so we’re slowing down. Some mills are watching the virus really close and only carrying one day of inventory at a time. They’re concerned about not being able to move their lumber, and when they can’t run lumber they won’t run as hard as they usually do.” Rob Hughes with the Texas Forestry Assn. says the economy in his state has taken a major blow, with just about all housing construction shutting down. “It’s taken about three weeks for the supply chain inventory to fill to capacity, resulting in mills curtailing production through shutdowns and rolling outages. Paper mills, for the most part, still have demand for their products. Craft paper that goes into boxes enjoys great demand but due to the slowdown of lumber mills, (demand for) clean chips for pulping and boiler fuel has waned. Several gatewood loggers have lost their market share as mills are only allowing those with contracts to deliver. Loggers able to work are caught between mill quotas on the delivery side and, on the other side, foresters with tight reins trying to keep loader inventory as low as possible.” The pandemic has also negatively impacted paper demand, with all
Good advice from the Carolina Loggers Assn., North Carolina Forestry Assn. and the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute
schools and many offices and businesses closed. To address that fallout, Domtar is idling operations at its Kingsport, Tenn. mill and the A62 paper machine at its Ashdown, Ark. mill for three months. The company says that this temporary shutdown will reduce its production of uncoated freesheet paper by around 144,000 short tons over that period. Domtar will lay off approximately 304 employees in Kingsport and 142 in Ashdown. Candace Dinwiddie of the Tennessee Forestry Assn. says, “It sure is putting on a hurt with our sawmills and loggers up there because that was a big market for sawmills to take their chips.” Boccarossa adds that Arkansas company Anthony Timberlands announced on April 2 it is also cutting production by half at its pine mills in Malvern and Bearden. CEO Steve Anthony cites not only an imploding pine lumber market but $600 weekly unemployment benefits authorized by Congress that might make being laid off a more attractive prospect than working for some. “It is going to be interesting to see how many other mills shut down for this very reason,” Mississippi’s Livingston considers. Don Allen of Don Allen Logging in Bradley, Ark. expects the mills in
his area will continue running. “They’re taking a lot of precaution to make sure they don’t have somebody get sick and have to shut down. We’re hearing a lot of rumors like everybody else. We’ve been lucky so far, haven’t had any cases in our county. We had one small mill shut down for a little bit, until this is over with. It’s been pretty normal other than that. Mills go down all the time for various reasons so it’s something we’ve learned to deal with.” Donnell fears what might happen if somebody at a mill gets the virus.
“There is no spike in demand because of the need for extra packaging, paper, etc.” “I’m optimistic but at the same time I’m somewhat concerned an entire mill can shut down for two or three weeks.” Although most mills are operating, Magnum reports that three mills to which he usually hauls have shut down, so he’s had to go further out, doubling his usual radius from 60 to 120 miles. “The biggest thing is getting unloaded,” he says. “The econo-
my is so far down that nobody is buying lumber, so there is nowhere to stack lumber in the mills. Our truck drivers are sitting seven or eight hours in line at the mills to get one load off.” Those long distances and long waits have taken their toll. “We usually run 65-70 loads a week; now we’re getting 35-40.” In Tennessee, TFA board member Phillip Hankins of Phillip Hankins Logging of Pikeville recently learned the Huber mill in Spring City would be shutting down for a month. That’s the only place he has to sell pine. “I just called my cutter man and told him not to come in,” Hankins says. “It may take a little time but if they are unable to sell building products then I don’t know. It’s a lot of wait and see. The mills have told us they might can take a load a week. You can’t operate on that.” Malcolm Sibley’s KS Timber Co., Inc. operates from Walker, La., not too far from hard-hit Baton Rouge and New Orleans area. Sibley, who serves as Chairman of the Louisiana Loggers Council, reports that mills here are operating but on a reduced schedule. “Our schedule for about the past month has been between 50-70%,” he says. “We’ve had a 20-40% reduction in hours worked. We’ve had several tailgate meetings about the virus to talk with employees about dealing with reduced hours. Some are looking for alternative work.” There is one positive in all this, from Magnum’s perspective: “Fuel prices are good.” Florida’s Chad Ward Enterprises had been enjoying a healthy export market with chips bound for Turkey, and so far that hasn’t changed. “We haven’t seen any impact in that market,” Ward happily reports, noting that local pulp markets have likewise seen no disruption thus far. His domestic chipn-saw saw market, however, is a different story: that mill has gone to a four-day, 32-hour week. Ward’s real fear is how it affects the building products industry. “Fifty percent of our business is the Turkey market and chip-n-saw, and that’s building products so I’m concerned that it’ll slow down and there will be a ripple effect on us.” Echoing Ward’s worries, Boccarossa warns, “I’m concerned about the long term ripple effect; we may not see the real impact for a couple or three months, depending on when the virus levels out and starts decreasing. And even then you don’t know if or when it will come back.” Livingston agrees: “I think the real slowdown is going to come in the next three to six months, because
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most lumber sheds and warehouses are full and will have to be cleared out before more is needed.”
Business As Unusual “The loss of production affects equipment payments,” Boccarossa points out. “The payroll protection legislation from the federal government is good for payroll concerns, but it is going to be a question too of being able to go to the bank or having some grace period with the equipment company. I did hear that there might be some 90-day delays on some interest payments to help with that, but that is all still in the works.” “We’re all conscious of the virus in one form or fashion,” Donnell says. “It’s business as usual, but with the idea that the virus is there. So we have to do a few things different and be careful.” “I’ve been telling my employees that we’re just going to take it a day at a time,” Hankins relates. “They’re wearing gloves and taking steps to be safer. Personally I’m watching every step I take to be safe.” Some loggers report having met with delays in parts availability. “We were trying to get oil filters last week and the Donaldson filter factory shut down,” Ward relates. “Normally you
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have to wait one or two days, now it’s taking three, four or five days to get what you need.” Donnell concurs: “As far as the virus goes, it’s only affecting us with parts and tires that are on a container ship sitting in a port. Some of the parts places won’t let you in. They’ll meet you at the door.” Operations haven’t changed for Allen’s crew, he says. “There’s nobody on the ground so we do everything like usual. We’re lucky that where we live there’s nobody sick in the southwest corner of Arkansas. We’re in the country so it’s been fine. This is one of those times it’s a blessing to be from a small town. I live a quarter mile from the next person.”
Preventive Measures The most important goal is keeping loggers healthy while they keep working, CLA’s Smith emphasizes. “The priority is the safety of our loggers, period. Without the loggers, all of this shuts down. So we have got to keep the loggers healthy. The great news is, we have not had any incidents, and we want to keep it that way.” Simple, common sense approaches go a long way to keeping loggers, their coworkers and their families
Courtesy Drew Sullivan, Performance Logging
safe, he continues—things like not carpooling and not gathering around the water cooler or sharing food. Reflecting Smith’s advice, Dave Duren, Coordinator of the Texas Logging Council, notes that several loggers with whom he has recently visited have enacted some changes in their safety program to combat corona’s spread. “They have added wood-crew transport vehicles to reduce riders from multiple per vehicle to two: one in the opposite corner of the driver’s seat,” he explains. Also, one Texas contractor’s wife is
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providing masks for crew members to wear while they travel to and from work together. As Donnell puts it, “In the woods, everybody is in a machine. The only time people are in close contact is when they’re coming to work or at the end of the day when they’re leaving. The only time they’re in a confined space is when they’re going to and from work, so we added a couple extra pickup trucks so that there’s only a couple people riding together.” Smith continues, “They are already social distancing by the nature of what they do, but they do interact.” It’s conceivable an employee could pick it up in a gas station and bring it to work, and from work to their families, or vice versa. “We don’t want to see a whole crew get taken down by one person, and this virus is so contagious.” Jenkins has heard of just one case in Virginia in which a logging employee had been exposed to someone who had tested positive for the virus. His boss ensured that individual was assigned work that kept him out of contact with others, and so far that seems to have been effective at preventing the spread of the infection to others on the crew. “These contractors are stressing to employees that if they feel bad, do
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not come to work,” Duren reports. That’s been the case on Ward’s job: “I told my guys if they’re sick to stay home. If you feel like you might have it, go get tested. It’s too serious not to take serious.” In Tennessee, Dinwiddie heard that some wood yards have requested loggers take their temperature before coming on the yard. “We have discussions, in particular with my truck drivers going to the mills, making sure they wash their hands when they fuel,” Donnell says. “The
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scalers at the mills are passing the tickets to truck drivers with gloves and masks on.” Many loggers are having their crews take precautions in the woods with both social distancing and sanitizing. “We’re not doing anything extreme, just being safe,” Ward says. “If we do get on a machine behind another guy, I have Lysol and we’ll wipe the cab down.” Magnum also bought Lysol wipes for cabs and advises his employees to keep to themselves and stay spaced out. “Our
truck drivers are a little more precautious than our crew is,” he admits. “They’re wearing gloves and masks at the mills because of the touch screens to punch in their numbers.” Sibley adds, “We’re adhering to all the precautions. The mills are as well, scalers in particular because they come into contact with a large amount of people throughout the day.” Because his crews are part of Weyerhaeuser’s dispatch trucking system in Louisiana, they see multiple drivers coming through their job
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sites every day. “J. B. Hunt, the nationwide trucking line, has started doing some contract hauling for them. They ship drivers in and out of areas to drive those trucks. We haven’t noticed any drivers being infected, but we’re practicing social distancing. This may be the way life is for the next several months.”
Associated Action Having state governors declare forest products as an essential service was the first major priority for the industry, Smith says. “We sent letters from us, ALC, NCFA, and we also did a call to our industry having them send messages as well to the governor’s office.” In Texas, Hughes says the TFA immediately went into action working with Gov. Abbott’s office, as well as Texas Dept. of Agriculture and many elected officials to keep the forest products rolling. And in Virginia, “VLA has taken every opportunity to make our government leaders aware of the loggers’ plight,” Jenkins stresses. Among other things, VLA is working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and trade representatives to explore new export opportunities. As of early April, both Arkansas and Texas remain two of the last nine states to have not issued statewide shelter-in-place or other lockdown orders. In Texas, Hughes says, “Gov. Abbott has issued quarantine orders for individuals coming from states hardest hit by COVID19, including neighboring Louisiana. Texas DPS officers are set up along the Texas/Louisiana border to filter vehicles and perform questioners. Exempt from these orders are commercial vehicles and anyone who can claim they are critical infrastructure workers according to the CISA guidance document. Different aspects of forestry are considered in Food and Agriculture and Transportation and Logistics. Several paper, lumber, and OSB mills are located on either side of the Texas/ Louisiana border with employees, loggers, and loads daily crossing both ways. None of the Governor’s Executive Orders have directly impacted Texas’ forest sector in any way.” State association heads have been making every effort to relay pertinent information to their members, especially on the financing side. Boccarossa, like many of his peers, says he sends daily electronic updates to all his Arkansas loggers who have access to email. On its web site, forestresources.org, the Forest Resources Assn. is providing relevant information for the forest industry that is updated daily. In South Carolina, Jaynes managed to secure 1,000 KN95 masks from Rick Todd at the South Car-
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Courtesy CLA, NCFA and NCAI
olina Trucking Assn., who had received a large shipment from the state’s Emergency Medical Division. SCTPA is making the masks available for free as a service to its members. “Legislation is still on hold, and we have amazing bills just waiting, most likely that will all be pushed back until summer,” according to Toni McAllister, Executive Director, Louisiana Loggers Assn. “I’m working towards preparing the loggers for uncertain times, helping them all get set up with assistance and making plans financially to hold us off until this passes.” In Tennessee, “We are helping loggers get the essential infrastructure letter to carry with them in trucks,” Dinwiddie says. “We are not hearing of people getting stopped and asking for documentation but we want to make sure everyone is confident that they have the right paperwork if they do get stopped.” Likewise, Hughes says that such
Courtesy CLA, NCFA and NCAI
“Right to Travel” documents were distributed from TFA, TLC, Texas Dept. of Agriculture and the Texas Dept. of Emergency Management to forest sector haulers in case they get stopped by law enforcement. “TFA also developed a tracking spreadsheet for each county and municipality that issued stay-home orders and researched those orders for mention of the CISA guidance or had forestry/ forest products listed as essential business that could continue to operate under local restrictions.”
Weights Lifted
Stay about a tailgate width apart. Courtesy CLA
Speaking of trucking, Livingston adds, “We were also finally able to get a written order from the Chief of MDOT Law Enforcement to
allow trucks hauling pulpwood, chips and dust on interstates at higher weight limit.” Magnum is one of those Missis-
sippi loggers who reports benefitting from the policy. “They’ve been lenient about hauling weight. It helps a little bit. I got the email that they will bump it to 90,000 to pulpwood mills.” Donnell reports that Georgia has also given a little bit of leeway in the weight he can haul. Several states have enacted similar measures regarding weight limits. In Arkansas, weight standards have relaxed to 90,000 lbs., though Boccarossa says there is still some ambiguity as to whether or not the temporary order applies to forest products loads. “They want to know what wood fiber is used in making medical supplies, because that is what the relaxation is geared towards,” he says. He has been working to show state offi-
Viral Times Require Smart Communication e are currently experiencing, what we hope
W is, a once in a generation event. Many of you
are struggling on how to make sense of how this event will not only impact you personally but how this event impacts your business. During unprecedented times communication is the key on how businesses and individuals survive and prosper. It is recommended that you are having conversations with the key stakeholders of your business. You should be having conversations with your family, employees, lenders, equipment and parts suppliers, sub-contractors, your wood consuming mills and anybody else that has an impact on your business. Each of these stakeholders is being impacted differently during today’s situation and their situation has already changed again or it could change tomorrow. Honest communication will allow you to adapt and adjust to the fluid situation that is every changing. With your employees, make sure they know what steps you are taking to ensure their safety and well-being during this time. It is also important to be honest with your employees on how the current economic environment is impacting 28
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your business. If you haven’t developed a business continuity plan already, look to see what other companies are doing and adjust their plans and procedures to fit your business. When we do return to normalcy, develop a business continuity plan, should we experience anything like this in the future. With your equipment and parts suppliers understand what their company is doing to mitigate the risks and how they are serving their customers during this time. Ask questions like, how do I obtain parts, what if I need a service call. With your wood consuming mills understand how this situation is impacting their business and how they are adjusting to the ever changing situation. Determine what steps they are taking to mitigate risk, have they adjusted their scale hours or any other aspects that will impact your ability to deliver wood. With your lenders, tell them everything you know for certain; now is not the time to communicate hearsay. Have solid concrete information about the aspects of your business that are impacted. Talk to your lenders early and often, but most importantly be honest with them. Weigh the
importance of having a good lender that has access to lending capital, has financial strength and most importantly understands your agricultural industry. Find out what options are available to you. Some of these include asking if there are principal deferment options available, can you consolidate loans for ease of payment, interest rate changes, and plan for capital (equipment) replacement. When you do have these conversations with your lender it is important to have your financial information up to date. Have a completed balance sheet and updated earnings ready. Just because the IRS and states have extended tax filing deadlines does not mean you should delay. This information will be of utmost importance during these times to help you make important business decisions. The most important thing you can do is stay positive and be adaptive. Understand that what you did yesterday may have to change to be successful tomorrow. But look for the opportunity SLT and keep calm. Oh yes...wash your hands. By John Marchand and Ben Mussehl, Compeer Financial and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Assn.
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cials that wood fiber is a raw material in the production. Dinwiddie says the same questions are being asked in Tennessee. “We have nothing in writing now but we think that under executive order 19, we are covered under the ‘Other’ classification to weigh up to 95,000 lbs. right now.” Not all state governments saw it as Mississippi did, Hughes reports. “Unfortunately, Texas did not follow the precedent set in southeast-
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ern states where forestry was included in the truck weight waivers.”
Financial Help Like other small businesses throughout the country, many loggers are hoping the stimulus package— paycheck protection program (PPP), tax relief and low interest small business loans—can help them weather the storm. Donnell is among them. “I
have applied for the small business loan where if I keep my employees working, I don’t have to pay it back.” Some have not found it an easy or pleasant experience. In Louisiana, Sibley calls the payroll protection application process a nightmare. “There’s still no help. We’re still waiting on the bank.” In Virginia, Jenkins acknowledges, “SBA lenders are very specific. Fortunately VLA has four bank members, of which three process SBA loans.”
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In mid-April, the American Loggers Council shared on social media the good news that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation would be offering a new grant opportunity for small businesses, providing $5,000 in short-term relief for eligible businesses. The foundation started accepting applications on April 20; by April 21, it announced that applications had closed. The web site explained, “We appreciate your interest in the Save Small Business Fund. Due to overwhelming interest in this grant program, we have reached our capacity and we are not accepting new applicants at this time. We know these are difficult times, and we wish we could help everyone who needs it.” If there’s any industry accustomed to such volatility, it’s the logging business. For many, this is just another day in the woods, not so different from any of the normal ups and downs they face. “I think we all didn’t know how to deal with this when it first came out, and maybe we do a little better now,” Jaynes says. “My best guess is, give it another 30 days or so and everyone I think will have a better handle on it.” McAllister has a similar optimistic confidence. “Loggers are resilient and we will find a way to evolve and move forward.” Down in Mississippi, Magnum, who is only 26, by the way, is looking forward to a long career still ahead of him. With his youthful perspective, he may well be the one who puts it best: “We’re going to give it all we can and have high hopes. We’ve seen trying times before. You have to keep your head up and keep pushing forward. If we can make it through this, we’ll be able to make it through anything SLT until I retire.”
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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It Forestry: Meeting Essential Needs During a Global Pandemic By Nick Smith
social distancing long before the pandemic COVID-19 is challengresponse required it. But ing our society in many there are good reasons ways. Today we appreciwhy the U.S. Department ate the men and women of Homeland Security who are serving on the identified the forest sector front lines of this epidemas an essential critical Nick Smith ic and making personal infrastructure workforce sacrifices to provide care as the nation responds to to those in need. COVID-19. Those who harvest, Judging by shortages of medical manufacture and transport woodsupplies and many household based products are helping ensure items, the epidemic should give us our medical professionals, firstan appreciation for the basic responders and the rest of us have resources we depend on—and the essentials we need to weather those who provide them. this crisis. Foresters and loggers practiced These essentials include, but are
not limited to: —Masks —Filters —Tissue papers —Disinfecting wipes —Cleaning products —Cellulose-based pill fillers —Latex gloves and other protective products —Wood pallets to move food, medical supplies and other critical goods —Lumber and plywood for emergency structures and shelters —Fuel for energy production and heating We are all in this together. We all have a role to play, even if that is
ing the final year of World War II. Working alongside his brothers in the company, Norman’s first major responsibility was with the forestry division, supervising that group while also working with logging operations. He assisted the company’s land acquisitions, surveying prospective purchases and marking boundaries. He was also instrumental in reforestation on Martin land. In 1967, while continuing to serve on the board, he left daily activities in the family business and started a real estate development company.
Martin was known as a civic mover in central Louisiana. He cofounded the Central Louisiana Community Foundation. He also founded the Alexandria chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He is survived by Lorraine, following 69 years of marriage.
Martin Was Focused On Forestry Norman Kittell Martin, who guided Roy O. Martin Lumber into cutting-edge forestry and conservation in the 1950s and 1960s, died March 10 surrounded by his family in Kansas City. He was 93. He was born in Alexandria, La. in 1926 to Mildred and Roy Martin, only a few years after Roy Martin started Roy O. Martin Lumber. He attended Louisiana Tech before serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps dur-
Bobby Dixon Led Dixon Lumber Robert Mack (Bobby) Dixon, who served as president of M.C. Dixon Lumber Co. in Eufaula, Ala.
simply staying home and staying healthy to protect others. Our forests and those who work in the woods are also doing their jobs, and hopefully our society will remember our important connection to this natural resource long after our nation has recovered. Smith is the founder of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that advocates for active forest management on federal forest lands. American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters and log truckers in 32 states. Visit amloggers. com or phone 409-625-0206
for more than 30 years, died peacefully in Eufaula on Palm Sunday, April 5. He was 87. Dixon was born in Clayton, Ala. to Mack and Janie Dixon. Mack had started M.C. Dixon Lumber in 1928 before moving the business and the family to Eufaula in 1936. Bobby was a graduate of Eufaula City Schools and Auburn University, where he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. He served his country during the final months of the U.S. Army occupation of Germany. After the military, he joined the family lumber business, which had built its first stationary sawmill at what had been a concentration yard with a planer mill. Bobby’s younger brother, Mike, would also join the business and they assumed ownership after the death of their father in 1968. Bobby and Mike were a progressive team, installing a sharp chain small log line and the latest scanning and optimization into the mix in the mid 1980s. Bobby served as president of many organizations, including Alabama Forestry Assn., Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. and Alabama Forestry Council. Bobby was a life-long Presbyterian, serving as Deacon and Ruling Elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Eufaula. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary Clayton Dixon; their children and their families, and his brother Mike.
Wilcox Co-Founded Woodland Parts Jimmy Ernest Wilcox, who cofounded Woodland Parts & Service Inc. in Talladega, Ala. in 1983, died last November 4. He was 83. He graduated from Munford High School in 1954 and went to 32
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work for the County of Talladega and then worked for equipment and parts manufacturer Soderhamn, which later became Kockums Industries. In 1958, Jimmy married Maudine Crawford after a four-year courtship. In 1983, Wilcox co-founded Woodland Parts and Service, Inc. with Leslie Crawford and they serviced the sawmill and plywood industries with machinery, supplies and a range of services. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sarah Maudine Crawford Wilcox, a son and extended family. Wilcox was a charter member of the Talladega Bible Methodist Church where he held many positions with the church and the conference.
Bob Jordan Left Major Mark Robert Byrd (Bob) Jordan III, who led Jordan Lumber & Supply Inc. into becoming one of the most progressive sawmill operations and one of the largest Bob Jordan single-site lumber producers in North America, who was a 2007 Timber Processing Man of the Year, who served as Lt. Gov. of North Carolina from 1985 to 1988 and as state senator from 1977 to 1984, died February 16 peacefully at home overlooking Lake Tillery in Mount Gilead, NC, surrounded by his loving family. He was 87. The State of North Carolina flew its flags at half-mast for three days. Bob Jordan served as CEO and President of Jordan Lumber & Sup-
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Mid-South Show Postponed Until 2021 The 2020 Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, scheduled for August 21-22 near Starkville, Miss., has been postponed until late summer of 2021. The show’s board of directors made the decision on April 23, citing the upheaval caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event will be rescheduled for a yet-to-be determined date in August of next year. Show Manager John Auel said all exhibitors who had paid for exhibit space would receive refunds or have their uncashed checks returned. ply, Inc. and its affiliates from the time he returned home from the armed services in 1956 until his son, Robert IV, succeeded him this year. Under his leadership, Jordan Lumber’s business imprint on its local community and industry always read like an exemplary template of what every forest company should strive to be: a growing, innovative business that views as matters of principle long-term viability and sustainability while providing good jobs and conserving raw materials. Jordan Lumber operates a massive southern yellow pine manufacturing complex in Mt. Gilead, as well as a sawmill in Barnesville, Ga., in addition to chip mills and other operations while owning a timberland base that has long been under best management practices. Bob graduated from North Carolina State University School of Forestry in 1954, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving in Europe in 1955-1956 before leaving the service as a Captain. Not long after joining the family business, Bob began public service in the community and county. He was encouraged to run for the state senate in 1976, won the election and served four two-year terms until 1984, when he ran for and was elected lieutenant governor, serving a four-year term. Jordan campaigned for governor in
1988, won 80% of the primary vote to gain the Democratic Party candidacy, but ran into strong Republican momentum during the Reagan-toBush transition and lost by a modest margin. After his political office career ended, Jordan returned full speed to the family lumber business. Jordan received the North Carolina Forestry Assn. Distinguished Service Award, and the Outstanding Forestry Leader Beal Award from the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. He was celebrated with the distinction of belonging to the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is the highest award in North Carolina for public service. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Mount Gilead and is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sarah Cole Jordan and their large family.
Sun Bio Pulls Out Of Pulp Mill Project The $1.8 billion Chinese pulp mill anticipated for a site near Arkadelphia, Ark. is officially terminated. Andrzej Bednarski, International Project Director of Shandong Sun Paper Co., Ltd., confirmed the development in a letter to the Arkansas AEDC and Gov. Hutchinson. The mill was expected to con-
MAY 2020 l Southern Loggin’ Times
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sume 3.5 million tons of southern pine chips per year and produce 600,000 tons of dissolving pulp. “The current situation related to the coronavirus outbreak and continued political friction and economic instability make it impossible for us to proceed with the project within the timelines set forth in the environmental permit,” he stated.
Husqvarna Announces New NA President Husqvarna has appointed Robert M. McCutcheon as President of North America for Husqvarna Division, effective June 1, 2020. Prior to joining Husqvarna North America, McCutcheon served as President and Managing Director of the Americas for Britax Child Safety Inc. in Fort Mill, SC. Bringing over 23 years of experience and expertise in consumer products, he has led successful business growth initiatives through innovation, marketing, and operational excellence. McCutcheon’s background also includes positions with Conagra Brands and Walmart. “We are pleased to welcome Robert to the North American team and believe that he is uniquely qualified to lead Husqvarna during and beyond these challenging social and economic times,” says Sascha Menges, Global President Husqvarna Division. McCutcheon is succeeding Earl Bennett, who served the company both as legal counsel and President of the North American division. He has been instrumental in building a strong organizational and business platform for the future growth of Husqvarna in North America.
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Sawhead Projects Wood Splinter into Vehicle Tire BACKGROUND: On a clear summer morning in the Appalachians, a logging crew was harvesting hardwood timber in rolling terrain. The logging crew had parked a service truck on the edge of the log deck as usual when they arrived in the morning. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The crew members were experienced, and the main person involved in this incident was the logging business owner, who was operating a feller-buncher equipped with a rotating disc saw (“sawhead”). The 58-year-old owner had been working in logging for 35 years, was fully trained, had no physical disabilities or previous accident history, and was wearing
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personal protective equipment appropriate for the job. UNSAFE ACT AND CONDITION: The service truck was parked close to the active work zone. During the day, the sawhead operator cut a group of trees approximately 25 to 35 feet away from the service truck and did not account for the potential hazards to the nearby vehicle. ACCIDENT:At some point, the sawhead faced the service truck and
forcefully discharged some wood splinters in that direction when felling those closeby trees. When the logging crew went to leave that evening, they discovered that the passenger-side front tire was flat. INJURY: The crew found a splinter of wood lodged into the sidewall of the tire. Fortunately, no one was hurt when the splinter was projected forcefully into the tire. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: Operators of disc saw-equipped felling machines must avoid cutting when people, domestic animals, buildings, or easily damaged property
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are located on the discharge side of the saw. Reposition the felling machine as necessary to avoid discharging cutting debris toward people, objects, equipment, and animals. Logging contractors should design their cutting sequences and cutting work areas so disc saw felling machines are directed away from high-traffic areas. Never work on the discharge side of disc saw felling heads. Always maintain a 300-foot separation between high-speed disc saws and ground workers. Follow all safe operation and maintenance procedures and heed all cautions and warnings described in operator and service manuals when inspecting, maintaining, and operating feller-bunchers with sawheads. Supplied by Forest Resources Assn.
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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Komatsu 8WD Harvester Komatsu’s new 901XC (eXtreme Conditions) 8WD harvester excels in challenging steep, rough or soft harvesting environments. The 901XC has all of the market-leading features found in Komatsu’s proven 901-6WD harvester platform, including the innovative, 3PS threepump hydraulic system, best-inclass ergonomic cab, 4-way cab/crane leveling, and ±180° cab/crane rotation. Komatsu’s 901XC’s exclusive “double Comfort Bogie” drive system provides excellent handling and follows the terrain more closely. The 8WD system generates 12% more tractive effort and significantly reduces rear ground pressure: 53% lower psi with tracks and 19% lower psi with tires.
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The 901XC shares all the same market-leading features as the Komatsu 901, 911, 931, 931XC and 951 harvesters, including Komatsu’s innovative, 3PS three-pump hydraulic system, for higher hydraulic working flow at low engine speeds, while lowering fuel consumption. The range of available Komatsu harvesting heads includes the S92, C93 and C124 designed to meet specific application needs. The 901XC is suited for the rugged Komatsu C124 “carry-style” head, which has four powerful motors and four heavy-duty driven feed rollers. All daily maintenance checks and fills can be performed at ground level or from inside the cab. The highly-functional machine design includes a one-piece hood that opens rearward to fully expose the entire engine compartment for easy service access. An automatic central lubrication system and wellplaced front, rear, cab and hydraulic tank service platforms further facilitate machine serviceability. Visit komatsuna.com.
Axe Timber LoggersTruckers App Axe Timber Transportation is a new app for loggers and truckers to move loads daily. Loggers post available loads so wood moves faster to the mills. Truckers search for available loads resulting in more loaded miles. Together loggers and truckers, using this app designed specifically for the logging industry, could increase their efficiency and profits. Recent studies show that log truck drivers spend the majority of miles unloaded. Use Axe Timber Transportation to become the exception to the rule—drive more loaded miles: l Create more backhaul miles by scheduling loading sites and mill destinations to decrease deadheads. l Find new loads when weather orequipment delays prevent you from
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hauling for your primary logger. l Shorten your work week by getting more loads in less time and in fewer miles. l Reduce unnecessary wear on trucks by reducing unloaded miles. l Increase your opportunities to locate loads outside normal contacts. Axe Timber Transportation provides loggers access to local trucking anywhere in the region. Find available trucking for your loads wherever you are logging: l Pre-schedule trucking needs to distribute truck arrivals throughout the day. l Move additional loads beyond your current trucking capacity. l Increase your opportunities to locate haulers outside your normal contacts. l Increase loaded miles of your company-owned trucks with backhauls. Use the app for just $1.99 per load. Android users can download the Axe Timber Transportation App on GooglePlay. iPhone users can download the app directly from the website: axetimbertransportation.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
Logo indicates that equipment in the ad also appears on www.ForesTreeTrader.com
RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!! In addition to new machines, CHAMBERS DELIMBINATOR, INC. now has factory reconditioned DeLimbinators. These units have been inspected, repaired, and updated as needed. Call us and we will help you select a DeLimbinator for your need.
WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS Call: 662-285-2777 day, 662-285-6832 eves Email: info@chambersdelimbinator.com 1123
LOGGER’S BEST FRIEND!
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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
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FOR SALE
2006 Tigercat 630C Skidder, dual arch & winch, 35.5x32 tires, good skidder ready to work ..............Price on Request 3939
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A D L I N K ●
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ADVERTISER
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PG. NO.
PHONE NO.
American Truck Parts
30
888.383.8884
Around The World Salvage
43
936.634.7210
Bandit Industries
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800.952.0178
Barko Hydraulics
47
715.395.6700
Big John Trailers
5
800.771.4140
BITCO Insurance
10
800.475.4477
Carter Enterprises
31
205.217.1644
Caterpillar Dealer Promotion
13
919.550.1201
John Deere Forestry
11
800.503.3373
Eastern Surplus
38
855.332.0500
Flint Equipment
24
404.859.5790
FMI Trailers
12
601.508.3333
Forest Chain
30
800.288.0887
Forestry First
41
803.708.0624
Forestry Mutual Insurance
3
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G & W Equipment
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G&R Manufactured Solutions
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Granger Equipment
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Hawkins & Rawlinson
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888.822.1173
Interstate Tire Service
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864.947.9208
Komatsu Forestry Division
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888.285.7478
Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency
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LMI-Tennessee
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Logger Shop Equipment Sales
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Magnolia Trailers
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Maxam Tire North America
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Maxi-Load Scale Systems
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Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show
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Moore Logging Supply
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Morbark
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Pitts Trailers
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Puckett Machinery
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601.969.6000
Quality Equipment & Parts
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386.754.6186
River Ridge Equipment
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855.325.6465
Southern Loggers Cooperative
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318.445.0750
Stribling Equipment
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855.781.9408
Tidewater Equipment
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912.638.7726
Tigercat Industries
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519.753.2000
TraxPlus
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Trelan Manufacturing
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W & W Truck & Tractor
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Waratah Forestry Attachments
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Waters International Trucks
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601.693.4807
COMING EVENTS 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 11-14—Virginia Forestry Assn. Summit, Hotel Madison, Harrisonburg, Va. Call 804-278-8733; visit vaforestry.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.
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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. 29-October 1—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Doubletree Hotel, Little Rock, Ark. Call 501374-2441; visit arkforests.org.
October 7-9—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC. Call 800-231-7723; visit ncforestry.org. 9-10—Expo Richmond 2020, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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MAY 2020 ● Southern Loggin’ Times
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