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Vol. 46, No. 7
(Founded in 1972—Our 538th Consecutive Issue)
F E AT U R E S
JULY 2017 A Hatton-Brown Publication
Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525
www.southernloggintimes.com
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Crouse Logging 50 Years Growth
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Trucking Survey More Bad News
out front:
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Highland Pellets Coming On Line
William Wilkerson, owner of Wilkerson Logging, has been working the woods in South Carolina’s coastal region for more than 50 years, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Story begins on Page 8. (Jay Donnell photo)
D E PA RT M E N T S Southern Stumpin’................................................................................................. 6 Bulletin Board....................................................................................................... 32 Industry News Roundup......................................................................................34 ForesTree Equipment Trader..............................................................................47 Coming Events/Ad Index..................................................................................... 54
Co-Publisher Co-Publisher Chief Operating Officer Executive Editor Editor-in-Chief Western Editor Managing Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Art Director Ad Production Coordinator Circulation Director Marketing/Media
David H. Ramsey David (DK) Knight Dianne C. Sullivan David (DK) Knight Rich Donnell Dan Shell David Abbott Jessica Johnson Jay Donnell Cindy Segrest Patti Campbell Rhonda Thomas Jordan Anderson
ADVERTISING CONTACTS DISPLAY SALES Eastern U.S. Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons Tel: 905-666-0258 • Fax: 905-666-0778 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com Western Canada, Western USA 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 Fax: +34 96 640 4331 Aldea de las Cuevas 66 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 ® 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed In USA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Southern Loggin’ Times, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419 Member Verified Audit Circulation
Other Hatton-Brown publications: ★ Timber Processing ★ Timber Harvesting ★Panel World ★ Power Equipment Trade ★ Wood Bioenergy
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SOUTHERN STUMPIN’ By David Abbott • Managing Editor • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: david@hattonbrown.com
The Big Show hey call it “The Whole World’s Forestry Fair,” and based on the density of the crowds present it seemed like the whole world might have been there. I’m talking, of course, about Elmia Wood, the event touted as one of if not the largest live, outdoor logging equipment show in the world, held every four years. This year’s Elmia, held June 7-10 in Sweden, is the second I’ve attended. I personally spoke with attendees and exhibitors from the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, Chile, Spain, France, Romania, Austria, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and of course from Sweden and neighboring Finland. Elmia is very similar to forestry expos here in the States, only much, much larger. I don’t have final numbers yet on how many people attended or from how many countries. I can attest that the level of foot traffic on the Thursday and Friday of the show was significantly greater than anything I have seen in 13 years of U.S. shows and even more crowded than the last time I was at Elmia, in 2013. Unlike that other show, which was lovely and very hot, this year was unseasonably cold and it rained just about the entire show until the last hour or so of the last day. Show
Southern Loggin’ Times out and haven’t had a chance to properly go through everything I brought back from Elmia. Look for a more detailed report in the July/August issue of Timber Harvesting, another Hatton-Brown Publication which is
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A Texas Longhorn in Sweden; we want YOU to go to Elmia 2021.
circulated throughout Europe as well as North America. For now, I thought some of you might enjoy a few of the pictures I took there.
Another Perspective
organizers spread wood chips on most walking paths to help with the mud. I saw a lot of very interesting and innovative technology on display, including a few things that might
have applications in U.S. logging. The next Elmia show is scheduled for 2021, so make plans to attend now! I’ve only just returned from the trip in time to get this issue of
During and after the show I received emails from a fellow U.S. Southerner who was at Elmia, Jeff Denman of Little Rock, Ark. (not far from where my parents grew up in Cabot). Jeff describes himself as a hardwood forester who went to Sweden looking for innovations to pass along to his logging friends. He tried to find me at the show, even coming by the Hatton-Brown tent once, but unfortunately we were never able to connect in person. Here is what he had to say: (During the show): The exhibition is tremendous. Maybe 5,000+ people. In the rain. Huge amount of equipment, big and small. Very well organized, walking on wood chips is a natural. Attending with Swedish friend. When I emailed him about attending Elmia Wood, he knew where it is. About 3 miles from his home! While walking through, I see the only other person from Sweden I know! Both of them were exchange students with me about 12 years ago. (After): It was a fantastic show. The daily drizzle was easily tolerable, but unavoidable. My Swedish friend, Dennis Johansson, said their saying is, “There’s no such thing as ➤ 45
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The Right Touch ■ Wilkerson Logging keeps rolling along after 50 years of business.
William Wilkerson (inset, right) started his company in 1966.
By Jay Donnell HICKORY GROVE, SC illiam Wilkerson and ★ his company, Wilkerson Logging, established in 1966, have been a staple in South Carolina for over half a century. Wilkerson and his two crews are known for leaving jobsites in better shape than they found them and because of that they’re constantly receiving phone calls from landowners around the Palmetto State. When Wilkerson was in high school his family owned a farm five miles outside Hickory Grove and when he was in 11th grade he started hauling short wood to a nearby log yard. On many occasions he would cut short wood before school and bring it with him. When the school day was over he would get it unloaded. By his senior year he had his own crew and started hauling more and more. Today, Wilkerson Logging, Inc., includes a crew that specializes in
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pine while the other stays in hardwood most of the time. Occasionally, the two crews will come together on a tract when the situation calls for it. In 1972, Wilkerson paid $18,500 for a John Deere 440B skidder and he’s stayed with the
equipment giant ever since.
Operations Wilkerson Logging’s two crews combine to produce around 70 loads per week. Wilkerson buys
Wilkerson Logging fields two crews, both using primarily John Deere machines.
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almost all of the timber himself. When Southern Loggin’ Times visited the two crews were working on the same tract, which was more than 400 acres. One crew was thinning pine while the other was clearcutting hardwood. The tract was pretty flat compared to some of the rougher areas the company works. After finishing up on this tract they will move to a very sandy tract in Lockhart, which is very unusual for the area. The business is hauling timber to WM Deal Sawmill, McFarland Cascade, IP, Boise Cascade and Resolute Forest Products (Bowater). “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to get out and try to find timber,” Wilkerson reports. “We’ve got a lot of wood to cut and I don’t know how many different tracts we have right now.” A South Carolina state forester, Roy Boyd, helps the business work with landowners for replanting and land management purposes. While the company hasn’t had any issues finding timber, they have had issues with quota. This has been a problem for many loggers in the area for the past year. When SLT visited, the quotas had been lifted a little bit because of heavy rain during the prior week. Being able to stay in hardwood has been good for business. “It’s been really tight for a year now, but we’ve been able to work just about every day,” Wilkerson says. “If you’re just cutting straight pine I don’t see how you could work a full week with the way quotas are right now.” Employees generally leave their houses around 6 a.m. and carpool to the jobsite. They don’t travel much farther than 25 miles from Hickory Grove, where the business has an office inside Wilkerson’s home and a shop next to the house. All major
The two crews cut hardwood and pine equally.
Both crews use CSI delimbers at the loader.
maintenance work gets done at the shop while minor work is done in the woods. Wilkerson notes that it doesn’t matter how big you build your shop, it will get filled up quickly. Workers begin to wind down their day around 4:30 depending on truck-
ing situation. If the business hasn’t had a very good week they will work on Saturday and get paid extra for their weekend work. Workers receive a bonus every week if their crew gets more than 40 loads. They also receive a bonus at the end of each year. The compa-
ny takes time off for major holidays and is very accommodating when it comes to employees having to miss time for personal reasons. When the company is moving on to a new tract they build the roads with a D5H Caterpillar dozer. When they leave, everything on the job site gets cleaned up, including the roads. They do all the BMP work that is required and install bridges whenever it’s necessary. Wilkerson Logging does not experience much turnover. In fact, their newest employee has been with the operation for three years. “We don’t have much trouble with turnover,” Wilkerson says. “Once they come they don’t usually leave.” It’s a family affair at Wilkerson Logging, with three of Wilkerson’s sons working for the business. Billy Wilkerson and Tommy Wilkerson run loaders while Robbie runs a feller-buncher. Wilkerson’s grandson, Thomas, works for the business during the summers and operates a skidder. Todd Johnson runs a feller-
SLT SNAPSHOT Wilkerson Logging Hickory Grove, SC Email: Wilkersonlogging3@yahoo.com Founded: 1966 Owner: William Wilkerson No. Crews: 2 Employees: 10 Equipment: 2 cutters, 4 skidders, 2 loaders, 2 trucks Production: Roughly 80 loads/week Average Haul Distance: 30 miles Tidbit: Winner of the 2016 Gene Collins Logger Activist Award
Front row: left to right, Thomas Wilkerson, Billy Wilkerson and Will Wilkerson; back row: left to right, Robert White, Tyler Rhodes, Todd Johnson, Tommy Wilkerson and Robbie Wilkerson
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buncher while Robert White and Tyler Rhodes operate skidders. Donnie Reid is the company’s truck driver. Contract trucks are provided by Corey Belton and Melvin Martin. Lee Blanton has been the company’s heavy machine mechanic for
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about 20 years. He’s in charge of hydraulics, welding and engine repairs. Wilkerson, 69, handles most of the company’s paperwork himself while his wife, Linda, is in charge of payroll.
Equipment Lineup Wilkerson Logging operates a large fleet of equipment including two 2015 John Deere 437D loaders, 2014 JD 748H skidder, 2015 JD 648L skidder, two early 2000’s JD
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648G3 skidders, 2008 JD 643J feller-buncher and a 2009 JD 843J feller-buncher. Stihl chainsaws and Stihl pole saws are also used on the job. Each loader is equipped with a CSI 264 Ultra delimber with an electric topping system. The company’s main equipment dealer is James River Equipment in Rock Hill and they work with equipment salesman Ted Doran. Their certified service advisor, Preston Willis, will frequently call on the business to make sure everything is in working order. Machines are greased daily and oil is changed every 500 hours using John Deere Plus-50 oil. Primex tires are preferred on the logging equipment. “Primex tires just seem to hold up a lot better and we’ve never really had any trouble with them,” Wilkerson explains. “The price of the tire is a big deal and we’ve found that Primex does really well for us.” The business hasn’t experienced any problems with equipment vandalism lately, but they’ve had their share of troubles in the past. The last major incident involved someone draining all of the oil out of a hydraulic tank in a loader which resulted in 50 gallons of oil spilled on the ground. ➤ 12
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10 ➤ Wilkerson has three trucks, but only keeps one of them running at once. All three trucks are ’90s model Macks with Evans trailers. The rest of the trucking is contracted out. Wilkerson has never owned more than three trucks since he started the business. He doesn’t like the headache that comes along with trucking. “I like using contract haulers pretty well,” Wilkerson says. “Drivers are hard to keep and there’s always something wrong with the truck, like tire repairs and
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things of that nature.” Wilkerson reports that he hasn’t had many problems with DOT except during the winter if the road gets dirty. Safety is of the utmost importance to Wilkerson Logging. They’ve never experienced an accident and they try to address safety every week. Wilkerson notes that having everybody off the ground and in equipment has really helped with logging safety, unlike when he was first starting out and many workers were on the ground.
Big Picture While quotas are still tight in the area, Wilkerson Logging is still going strong with plenty of timber in their arsenal. They don’t have much downtime like a lot of logging companies are having in the area right now. The price of fuel in South Carolina has dropped pretty significantly and that has given the company a break. They are currently paying $1.80 per gallon which is extremely helpful to the company’s bottom line.
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Wilkerson does have some advice for those loggers who are currently struggling to make ends meet. “If you have older equipment and you’re trying to keep it up, I suggest trying to buy one new piece at a time if you can,” Wilkerson says. “We’ve tried to run older stuff in the past and it didn’t work out.” He adds, “It’s easier to make a payment than it is to have down time while you work on stuff, but you’ve got to get that production in order to make those payments.” Wilkerson Logging isn’t looking to expand right now, but if the quota situation gets better Wilkerson would be willing to entertain the idea, especially considering the fact that he has one grandson in high school, Will, and another in college, Thomas. Thomas goes to Clemson and works for the company during the summers. Will and Thomas will most likely start working for the business full time one day and Wilkerson wants to make sure they are in a good position. Wilkerson wants his grandsons to understand the responsibilities and importance associated with how professional loggers contribute to their local and state economies. “I’d tell them to do the best job for every customer you serve and treat the timber and forest owner right,” he says. “You need to be sure you know the background of the mills and what all they expect.” Last May, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary, which was a major milestone for the family and everyone involved with the company. Wilkerson hopes that his business will stay strong for another 50 years so that his grandsons can be there for the 100th anniversary. Wilkerson overcame prostate cancer in 2008 and a heart attack in 2012, so he is grateful to see what a great job his kids are doing for the business. “Without my sons carrying on the family business, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he says. Wilkerson Logging, Inc. was chosen by South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. as winner of the 2016 Gene Collins Logger Activist Award, which was announced at the SCTPA convention in Myrtle Beach in February. Wilkerson has served on numerous committees at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church and has been involved with Log a Load For Kids and Relay for Life. Wilkerson is also an active member of the Hickory Grove Fire Department and sponsors numerous sports teams and other community events. Every November he holds an annual hay ride for people in the community to come and enjoy everything the area has SLT to offer.
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Can Do Attitude ■ From one generation to the next, the Crouse family business has grown in the last 50 years. By David Abbott SHERIDAN, Ark. half a century can go by in the blink of an eye. ★ Just ask Buddy Crouse, 71. He has spent the past 50+ years working in and around the logging industry. His career began in 1966 when he joined his father, Raymond G. Crouse, in the woods to form what would become the cornerstone and flagship of the family business: Crouse Logging Co., Inc. Time would eventually tell that Crouse Logging was just the start. Prior to going full time in ’66, Buddy had already worked with his dad when he was a teenager, in the summers and after school. Instead of going directly into logging after finishing high school, he studied to be a mechanic and worked as one for a few years before deciding that wasn’t the profession he wanted. Working together as equal partners for 20 years, Buddy and Raymond cut hickory billets, short cants of 40 in. “He used a wheel tractor
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Dean, left, and his dad Buddy Crouse, right, run the business together.
and I thought I’d never talk him into buying a loader,” he recalls of his father. He eventually did, though. Buddy still has the invoice for that first loader he bought, hanging on the wall at the company office in Sheridan. It was a brand new A-frame Barko 60 knuckleboom, purchased in 1968 for $4,857. They added their first skidder, a John Deere 440A, maybe six months after the loader. They eventually quit cutting billets and started hauling ply logs for
Georgia-Pacific. Raymond retired in the early 1980s when he was 76. Having already been an equal partner for some time, Buddy then ran the company on his own for the next few years. Dean Crouse, Buddy’s son, joined the family business right after graduating high school in 1988. He had already been working in the woods during the summers and on weekends, earning a handson education in every aspect of the business. In time he learned to oper-
ate every machine except the trucks. After graduating he became more involved in the management side of things. Now 47, Dean and Buddy work together as equal partners, just as Buddy did with his dad. They run Crouse Logging and its several affiliated companies from their home base in Sheridan. According to Buddy, Dean pretty well runs the office side. “I never was one for the paper end of things,” he admits. “My wife took care of it until Dean came along.” Nita Camp, who works in the office, is also a vital part of the operation. Dean calls her “our right and left hand woman.” Her son is also a logger who calls his company Milk Money Timber. Buddy’s wife and Dean’s mother, Dianne Crouse, was instrumental in the growth of the company, but sadly she passed away about 10 years ago. Dean and his wife Susanne have one daughter, Liberty, 14. “We have a great girl,” the proud dad says, but a little warily. “She’s getting to the age that we have boys hanging around,” he frowns.
Crouse Logging has a special relationship with Barko loaders. The first loader Buddy bought, in 1968, was a Barko; in 2006, Crouse became the Barko dealer for Arkansas.
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Operations These days Crouse Logging fields two crews and buys its own timber. It was Buddy’s idea to stop relying on GP and start buying their own tracts. He foresaw it becoming a necessity for continued success. “Look where GP is at now,” he says. “We saw it coming and I told Dean we have to find someone to go buy timber.” Lead procurement forester Mike Gill came onboard here in 2003, when Crouse decided to leave GP and buy 100% of its own production. “We went out on our own buying and marketing our own wood and we haven’t looked back since,” Dean says. Gill also coordinates BMP and safety programs for the crews. Recently Crouse hired another forester, Chris Burford, to help. `While harvesting operations fall under the umbrella of Crouse Logging, hauling is technically under a separate corporation, Crouse Trucking Co., Inc. They are kept separate for liability purposes, but in practical effect it functions as a singular entity. “I include them on payroll like a sister corporation,” Camp says. “They feed off each other.” The company has 11 employees on the logging side and 7 in trucking, plus one full-time mechanic on staff.
Both Crouse crews run John Deere 748H skidders along with Deere cutters and Barko loaders.
Woods The logging crews are set up with nearly identical equipment lineups. Each has a John Deere 748H skidder, Deere 643K feller-buncher and Barko 495 loader (495B on one crew and ML Magnum on the other), mounted on Kodiak trailers with CSI delimbers. Crouse keeps a spare of each to fill in when breakdowns occur. The company runs three Mack and two Peterbilt trucks pulling Pitts Load Payin’ series plantation
Left to right: Buddy Crouse, Dean Crouse, Jeff Hughes, Sammy Hughes, Billy Kester, Chris Burford
SLT SNAPSHOT Crouse Logging Co. Inc. Sheridan, Ark. Email: dean@crousetruckparts.com Founded: 1966 Owner: Buddy and Dean Crouse No. Crews: 2 Equipment: 3 skidders, 3 loaders, 3 feller-bunchers, 5 trucks, 6 trailers Average Haul Distance: 50 miles Tidbit: The state of Arkansas recently recognized Crouse for having worked a million man hours without any lost time accidents.
The Barkos pair with CSI 264 Ultra delimbers.
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trailers. “It helps maximize the load weight,” Dean says of the trailers. They use Vulcan onboard scales. “They save you on overweight tickets, but really the true savings is on underloads, what you could have
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hauled and didn’t,” he believes. “They guarantee the load to within 1%, but we can get it a lot closer.” At present the company does not use GPS or dash cams on its trucks, but Dean says he has considered it.
In all, Crouse figures its equipment investment at $2.6 million. All the skidders and cutters are 2012 or newer models, so they do not have a lot of down time for repairs. The only Tier 4 machine in the bunch is the 495B Barko loader. On that machine, Dean says, the fuel consumption is actually more efficient than on the other machines. “Cummins stated it should get two gallons better, but in reality I think it is probably a gallon better. But, you do have to factor in DEF cost.” He says they fill up the 10-gallon DEF tank every three days. “It just depends on the operator; the harder he works it, the more diesel and DEF are burned. We have had good luck with the Barko Tier 4 but I know some out there haven’t been as successful.” Crouse Logging buys its Barko loaders, CSI delimbers, Vulcan scales and Pitts trailers from familyowned Crouse Truck Parts. John Deere machines come from Stribling Equipment in Mabelvale, Ark. The Macks come from Tucker’s Truck, Inc., in El Dorado and Peterbilts from Peterbilt of Little Rock. Crouse handles 100% of its own maintenance and repairs in the Crouse Truck Parts shop at company headquarters in Sheridan. “We do not
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rely on anybody,” Dean says. “My mechanics are all certified for Cummins engines in trucks and we can work on those Deere machines.”
Markets The logging crews haul about 100,000 tons a year. The biggest current challenge for loggers in the area, Dean says, is getting rid of the wood. Demand from mills just isn’t sufficient. Crouse sends its pine logs to Anthony Timberlands in Malvern and, to a lesser degree, in Bearden (Bearden Lumber Co.), and to West Fraser and H.G. Toler & Son Lumber Co., both in Leola. Some of the bigger pine logs also head to Crouseowned Chapel Creek Lumber Co. Chip-n-saw also goes to West Fraser in Leola. Pine pulpwood goes to Evergreen Packaging and Mondi Packaging, both in Pine Bluff. Hardwood pulp also goes to Evergreen and to Clearwater Paper Corp. in Warren. Crouse Logging just recently became FSC certified, in August 2016. The certification process was pretty lengthy, Dean laughs. “It entails lots of paperwork, but I think it is something you have to have if
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you are buying and delivering your own product, and I see more and more landowners get on board, so that’s a plus.” Like nearly everyone else in the industry, Crouse suffered through a downturn starting in 2008, but experienced a recovery over the last five years. “Things really picked up after 2012, and we had been rolling pretty good up until the second half of last year,” Dean says. Things started slowing down again in 2016, he laments. “In December it really got rough. We had what we consider a dry winter; it’s wet but not as wet as we have seen it, so mills had a lot of inventory they didn’t use up.” Sawmills, he says, have been picking up and adding second shifts again. That’s good for loggers on the one hand but it has a downside. It also means there is a more abundant supply of residual chips available. Pulp mills can buy that significantly cheaper than they can buy roundwood from loggers to chip at the mill. Also, he points out, two mills in El Dorado and Glenwood are coming online soon, meaning even more volume. Dean is optimistic for a turnaround in the market, but he doesn’t expect it immediately. “I do think it is a year away.” He believes the new Highland Pellets facility in Pine Bluff will also help loggers when it becomes fully operational later this year. He also points to Chinese company Sun Paper in Arkadelphia, which will be making fluff pulp, but he says that is probably four years away from opening.
Stripling Equipment in Mablevale is the source for Crouse's Deere machines.
Though trucking insurance is a growing problem, Crouse Trucking hauls to several mills...
Teamwork Crouse relies on word of mouth and sometimes runs ads in local newspapers when it needs to hire new workers. Most Crouse employees have been on the team for 10 years or more, some even more than 25 years. “All of our success goes back to our people,” Dean states firmly. “If you don’t surround yourself with good people and take care of them, you won’t have anything.” Buddy nods agreement. “You are no better than your employees,” he adds. With that in mind, the company is careful to take care of its employees. “That’s why some of them have been here 25 years,” Buddy believes. After a year everyone receives a week annual paid vacation. After 60 days of employment Crouse offers group health insurance for its employees. Crouse pays the deductible. The company also offers 401(k) profit sharing. They started offering health insurance 10 years ago, and the 401(k) eight years ago. The company holds safety meetings on the third Friday of every month. Camp notes that each quar-
...including nearby Chapel Creek Lumber, another Crouse business that makes ties, timbers and trusses.
ter, if the crews have gone the entire quarter without any safety violations, then the entire crew receives a reward such as a fish fry. On February 6, 2017, the Arkansas Dept. of Labor Workers’ Comp Commission and Arkansas Insurance Dept. honored Crouse Logging with a Million Work Hours Safety Award. The company received the award in recognition for having worked a mil-
lion man hours with no lost time accidents. “It wasn’t just me, it was all of us,” Dean told those who attended the presentation ceremony and fish fry, including all Crouse employees. “As far as they know we are the only logging company in the state who has ever received this,” he says. “I am sure other loggers have done it but it wasn’t reported or tracked.” The company turns to Merchant
and Planters in Warren for its trucking, logging and workers’ comp insurance, while equipment is covered through EPG Insurance in Memphis, Tenn. Like most logging companies in the South, Crouse has found trucking insurance increasingly a difficult aspect of the business in recent years. “My insurance agent actually told me last year that he struggled finding us truck coverage, and we
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haven’t even had any claims,” Dean notes. “We renew in August so I am expecting a rate increase.” It can also be difficult, Dean adds, to find the right drivers. “It is not just hiring a guy who has a CDL,” he stresses. “We are a drug-free company, so I screen workers pre-employment.” He says there is a workers’ comp discount for businesses in the drug testing program. Drug use is more common in rural areas than it used to be, Buddy admits, but notes that few applicants fail the test. Those who know they won’t pass generally
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don’t bother. Still, he says, it makes it hard to find workers because there are relatively few willing to take the drug test. There is another challenge in hiring people, Dean says. It comes from the fact that the Crouse family also owns Crouse Truck Parts, selling equipment to many other loggers in the area. Competitors on one side can be customers on the other. “I am trying to build this customer base and it is hard to hire a guy who is working for a potential customer,” Dean says. “I don’t want to poach, even though
some of them sure don’t mind poaching from me!” he laughs. “If a guy comes to me looking for a job, I’ll talk to him, but not if I know he is working for someone else. And I definitely won’t go after someone who works for another logger. I think that crosses a line.”
Other Businesses Along with the logging and trucking companies, the Crouse family owns Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment Co., Inc. Buddy and his wife
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Dianne started it in 1984. Crouse Logging already had a shop and two full-time mechanics to work on its own trucks at that time, and the company gradually started taking in repair jobs for other area loggers. The shop later became a servicing dealer for Mack Truck parts, and by the early ’90s had started selling Magnolia and then Pitts trailers and Vulcan onboard scales. In 2006, Crouse took over the Arkansas territory for Barko loaders when previous dealer Wilson Equipment went down. With Barko, Crouse also started selling CSI delimbers and Rotobec grapples. Another Crouse business is Chapel Creek Lumber Co., Inc., a specialty cut mill in Sheridan, about two miles from the company office. It cuts railroad ties and timbers, trusses for bridges, and especially mats for oil companies. Supply comes from the two Crouse logging crews as well as other local loggers. Chapel Creek has two sawmills: a thin kerf band mill with a grade runaround system for railroad trusses, and a HMC circle saw mill to cut mats. A Mellott Manufacturing Co. debarker feeds both mills. The mill employs 8. “You want to talk about hard to get insurance?” Camp asks. “You cannot get liability insurance for sawmills.” Of the three businesses—logging, equipment sales and the sawmill— which is most profitable? “It ain’t the sawmill,” Buddy says succinctly. “It has more overhead due to prices going up on logs,” Dean explains. “I think if you sit down and look at it, the equipment business probably makes more clear money.” Buddy agrees, but, he says, “Only because you have more flexibility to find alternative markets. You have different markets in logging, too, but usually when the pulp markets fill up they’ve already filled up the log market too. It’s all in the same boat. We chipped for five years until last year, so you had a little advantage there, but now we don’t have that luxury because they can buy the residuals from sawmills cheaper. So I think the truck parts business does better.” Given the choice between working in the woods and running the equipment dealership, Dean says, “I think I would rather work in the woods, if times were like they were 15 years ago. You went out there and cut and hauled. Now you have to be more than just a logger. You have to think outside the box and come up with more creative ways to cut costs and make things happen in a different manner.” Buddy agrees that he likes working in the woods more than in the office but that it isn’t what it used to be. “You better be looking way SLT down the road all the time.”
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Tough Haul ■ Trucking survey reveals a deeply troubled transportation sector. By DK Knight
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nsurance issues, compensation rates, unloading delays, driver challenges and fleet expenses are having a heavy impact on the vital trucking component of the U.S. logging industry. Other significant burdens include management time demands, dwindling contract trucking availability and quality, weight restrictions on Interstate highways, state DOT enforcement, federal safety regulations, attitude of the motoring public, local regulations/requirements/restrictions and, to a lesser extent, Tier 4f engine emissions fallout. To one degree or another, all these factors are curbing productivity, blunting profit and elevating frustration and stress among truck owners, leading some observers to conclude that the trucking side of the wood fiber supply chain is in serious trouble and others to suggest it could reach crisis level, particularly across the South. A Georgia logger, noting he was
two drivers short, commented: “I truly believe the trucking aspect of our business is about to get real ugly.” These and much more are the findings of a nationwide snapshot survey recently completed via email by Timber Harvesting magazine, a companion publication to Southern Loggin’ Times. The 29-part 2017 Trucking Survey attracted 419 participants, a 10% response. Logging business owners accounted for 80% of responses and trucking contractors 11%, with the balance made up of timber dealers, wood yard operations, sawmills and land clearing entities. Businesses from 35 states participated but were dominated by those located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Texas and Virginia. Seventy-one percent of responses came from the southern pine belt (Virginia to Oklahoma), reflecting the region’s logging business density and the depth of its log trucking difficulties. U.S. Forest Service data reveal this region consistently accounts for at least 62%
of the nation’s total annual timber harvest. The study asked loggers and truckers to rank 11 categories as to how they affected trucking in heavy, moderate or mild terms. Not surprisingly, insurance costs and attendant requirements were ranked as having the greatest impact by 65% of respondents. Pay rates and unloading delays tied for second place at 54% each while driver issues and fleet costs tied for third place at 50% apiece. The rest of the order: Interstate highway weight restrictions, 40%; state DOT enforcement, 39%; federal safety regulations, 37%; attitude of motoring public, 36%; and local road-bridge restrictions and EPAmandated engine emissions problems (Tier 4f), 28% each. On the overall combined heavy/moderate/mild impact scale, insurance and truck-trailer-upkeep were at the top, closely followed by state DOT enforcement, compensation, attitude of the motoring public, and federal safety regulations. Next in line were mill turn times, weight
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restrictions on Interstate highways, local road-bridge restrictions, driver availability and quality, and engine emissions problems.
Insurance Weight Conventional wisdom has it that as far as the log truck insurance situation goes, anxiety began building a couple of years ago and has accelerated to a near-crisis level, most notably in the South. Citing ramped up claims and losses, most insurance providers still in the market— several are said to have departed in recent years—have increased rates and overall are very particular about the businesses/drivers they will insure. In several states rates have soared, penalizing all log trucking entities, including those with a clean claims history and whose drivers are first-rate. Asked what changes they had encountered in their insurance situation since 2015, a question 344 answered, 26% indicated they had experienced a significant rate
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increase, 20% a moderate increase, 20% a slight increase, and 7% no increase. Just over 17% indicated they had noticed fewer insurance carriers in the market; 6% indicated they found it more difficult to get drivers insured. The question ‘How many truckrelated claims have you filed in the last five years?’ was answered by 349 participants. Fifty-three percent checked none, 26% checked 1, 11% checked 2, and 5% checked 3. In an open-ended question, answered by 206, several participants cited insurance costs, federal regulations/DOT enforcement, along with truck-trailer costs and expenses for maintenance and repairs, as major operational potholes. Lamented an Alabama logger: “My insurance premiums went up 350% in March of 2016. We have an aging fleet and are scared to update with the current market problems. We have downsized from five crews to three and are drowning. I know it sounds overly dramatic, but we started in 1996 and it’s the worst situation I’ve seen.” A comment from Louisiana: “Insurance in Louisiana is a really big problem. Only two companies are left that will write log trucks.” From Mississippi: “Insurance and workers’ comp are extremely expensive and a burden to our trucking company. Underwriters write WC as if we are loggers. If companies wrote the policy as a general freight policy, it would be considerably cheaper. My drivers drive trucks, bind/unbind, and occasionally trim loads. They do not operate machinery; they do not fell trees; yet we are charged as if they do.” A Texan wrote: “It’s not worth buying new trucks because of the insurance rates. We’re being forced to run older, less safe trucks so we can afford insurance.” From a North Carolinian: “Our insurance company recommends we pay for smaller claims ourselves.”
Compensation Matters One question dealt with compensation, and it was answered by 322. Just over one-fifth indicated they were paid enough to sustain their trucking operations; 26% indicated they were not paid enough to sustain them. Among loggers, 52% denoted they subsidized trucking with revenue from the logging side. In answering a separate but related question (347 responses), 27% claimed trucking to be profitable, 17% claimed it not to be profitable; 46% indicated they broke even at best; and 29% signaled they would get out of it if they could. Noted a Georgia logger: “Rates stay the same but fuel, insurance, and truck costs go up every year. You
cannot make money trucking if you keep your equipment up properly.” A peer in Mississippi wrote: “It is really bad. Solution: Higher rates.” Another comment from the Magnolia State: “It is really hard for drivers to get a decent paycheck because they spend so much time in line at the mill. Contract trucks are few and far between. Until there is something done to help turnaround time, along with year ’round quotas, it will be almost impossible to keep experienced drivers.” An Alabaman noted: “Our low pay almost forces us to run heavy loads just to break even at best.” A perspective from Maine: “Rates are low, partly because mill prices have plummeted, and partly because other trucking contractors apparently haven’t changed the batteries in their calculators in a long time and are working for rates that are not even close to sustainable.” From Texas: “No money in it. Will have to shut them down soon if nothing changes.” Not all respondents called for higher rates. “At the moment we are OK,” wrote a Florida operator. A Michigan trucker put it this way: “I run two trucks and do most of my own trucking. I drive one and my brother drives the other. I’ve been in trucking since 1975 and have a good handle on it.” A South Carolina respondent went into more detail: “Trucking needs increased investment—dash cameras, GPS tracking, formal dispatching, etc.—to bring it into the 21st century. Drivers are available if compensation competes with OTR. Higher truck rates should be pushed for to bring industry up to speed. The largest problem is there are too many loggers at small scale, all operating independent fleets. This causes an increased number of trucks relative to actual production, increasing costs and diluting labor. If the logging force was right-sized or trucking was more consolidated and integrated, rates would be sufficient to invest, and only the strongest part of the labor pool would be retained. Higher trucking rates will not solve this problem. Consolidation and enforced minimum standards at mills will.”
Prolonged unloading delays at some mills cut into productivity, blunt profits and add to stress. (Map data: Google, DigitalGlobe)
Driver Dilemma While the majority of the study’s participants deal with the reality of trucking’s non-profit or break-even condition as best they can, many maintained that better pay, greater production, and faster turnaround time at the mill would help in attracting and retaining qualified drivers. The survey asked several driverrelated questions, one having to do with their availability. Forty-six percent of respondents indicated they are experiencing a driver shortage; Southern Loggin’ Times
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Many report a shortage of quality drivers.
31% indicated they are not facing a shortage but expect to within 3-5 years; and 24% signaled they are satisfied with drivers and do not expect a shortage in 3-5 years. A total of 408 answered the question. “My trucking situation is terrible,” wrote a respondent from Mississippi. “I have new trucks and trailers but can’t find dependable drivers. I have
to pay them by the day because they don’t want to get paid by percentage because of (slow) mill turn time.” “I am two drivers short right now,” a Georgia logger wrote. “Rates need to increase so I can upgrade trucks and trailers and pay higher wages, which would attract more and better qualified drivers.” A Floridian emphasized: “I can’t
compete with Walmart’s pay scale or benefits package. This problem will, without a doubt, force me to downsize.” Another comment from the Sunshine State: “If mills would unload faster I could do a lot more with the drivers I have.” “Good, dependable drivers are hard to find and with quotas in place people are looking for other jobs,” related a Louisiana respondent. A Virginia logger lamented: “I have a hard time keeping qualified drivers. Most are lazy about inspections. All my drivers are safe on the road but only a few understand the importance of all the paperwork and inspections, and actually do it daily. The rest just don’t care enough to complete the paperwork properly.” Others were more positive. One example from Alabama: “I have two extra drivers with excellent records. No problems whatsoever.” Two more from Texas: 1) “We have a good team of drivers”; 2) “The trucking part is good so far. I wouldn’t change a thing.” A logging business owner in Michigan wrote: “We have had great success in hiring young drivers but have to spend the time and money to train.”
Production Ramification One consequence of the existing driver shortfall is related opportunity costs in terms of production and revenue. Of those 239 who reported a driver shortage, 41% said they estimated losing 1-5 loads a week as a result; 25% estimated losing 610 loads; 17% 11-15 loads; 8% 1620 loads; 4% 21-25 loads; and 5% 26 or more loads. The study shed light on how truck drivers are paid, and it should be noted that only 341 responded to the question. Contrary to conventional wisdom (read South), only 23% reported paying by the load. On the other hand, 40% said they paid by the hour or day; 13% by a formula based on a given truck’s revenue; and 12% by loaded miles. Less than 2% reported offering a safety/performance bonus. Just under 3% indicated they were able
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to compete with other industries on driver wages-benefits. The study also documented that older drivers are exiting faster than younger ones are entering. As to driver age brackets, the survey found 39% between 40-49; 38% between 50-59; 12% between 3039; and 8% between 60-69. Those in their 20s represented only 1%. A total of 348 answered the question.
Practices/Policies A multi-part question addressed driver hiring, policies and expectations. Fifty-two percent of participants claimed to offer some type of driver safety training at least once a year and 57% indicated they conduct-document regular periodic driver safety meetings. This finding does not appear to square with the contention by some insurance providers/agents that ongoing driver training and safety awareness are gravely inadequate in forest products trucking. Other findings from the question were as follows: —46% of participants perform a background check that goes beyond MVR reviews prior to hiring; —73% require an initial drug test; —70% conduct subsequent random drug tests; —76% evaluate applicants’ ability to drive a log/chip truck; —30% use FMCSA’s PSP program to check driver accident and rig inspection history; —21% sometimes hire an inexperienced log truck driver; —60% never hire an inexperienced log truck driver; —46% require new hires (experienced or not) to initially ride with an experienced driver; —80% require drivers perform daily pre-trip and post-trip inspections of truck/trailer/van; —72% require drivers to adjust speed to load/road/light/weather conditions; —66% require drivers to check/tighten tension of load binders on way to mill; —42% require drivers to drive with lights on day and night; —39% have a formal driver behavior policy in place and enforce it; —3% have a mandatory retirement age policy in place and enforce it; —64% keep driver qualification files current; —54% comply with federal hours of service requirements. The question ‘How often do you perform an online review of your FMCSA/SMS information?’ (349 participated) drew these responses: 3% weekly; 1% every other week; 14% monthly; 3% every other month; 15% quarterly; 6% twice a year; 23% once a year; 34% never.
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The question ‘What do your drivers say is their biggest challenge right now?’ was answered by 260 participants, who cited mill unloading hang-ups or poor turnaround time as the overwhelming negative. Quotas, DOT inspections, and the motoring public’s unsafe habits behind the wheel also placed high. Other concerns were overall traffic congestion, hours of service restrictions, low pay, and mechanical breakdowns. Another question (answered by 288) was this: ‘If turnaround time at mills is a problem for you, estimate the number of loads this now costs you per week. Forty-five percent estimated 1-5 loads; 32% estimated 6-10 loads; 12% 11-15 loads; 6% 16-20 loads; 2% 21-25 loads; and 3% 26 or more loads. Other revealing findings from 351 respondents: —53% indicated they received fair treatment from state DOT officers most of the time but 15% signaled this was not the case. —40% signaled they perform all trucking from within with their own trucks-trailers; —46% indicated using a blend of trucks they own and the services of trucking contractors; —44% checked they are financially able to maintain-upgrade their fleets as needed, but 22% said they were not; —27% reported using portable or on-board scales; —50% acknowledged using extra reflective tape or lights on trailers or vans; —6% indicated they use automatic tensioning devices to keep binders tight.
Contract Trucking Loggers who confirmed they rely on trucking contractors to handle some of their transportation needs were quizzed about the methods used to pre-qualify such contractors, and 296 responded. Sixty-five percent indicated they used insurance documentation; 44% background checks; 41% MRV review; 17% FMCSA/SMS review; and 15% mill recommendations; 19% on other criteria. Loggers were asked about trucking contractor performance, 270 responded, and their answers were varied. Half indicated their service is not as readily available as 3-5 years ago while 20% signaled it is as readily available. Forty-seven percent denoted their service is often erratic while 34% indicated it is dependable most of the time. As to contract driver quality, 36% denoted it is not as good as 3-5 years ago and 25% indicated it is. As to truck/trailer/van mechanical condition, 39% equated it to the level of 3-5 years ago and 27% did not.
Interstate Blues One question, answered by 299, dealt with the federal Interstate highway system: ‘If you could legally haul your state’s allowable log truck GVW on Interstate highways, estimate the percentage of non-Interstate highway trucking exposure you could eliminate.’ Forty-two percent indicated up to 15%; 18% up to 20%; 12% up to 25%; 11% up to 30%; 7% up to 40%; and 9% 40% or more. The Interstate weight issue was brought up by several participants, one of which addressed it this way: “To restrict loaded log trucks from running Interstates because of the socalled bridge law is one of the most stupid laws I’ve heard of. Interstates are so much safer than state and county roads.”
More Sticking Points Some replying to the survey also addressed other issues, among them mill policies, costly engine emissions matters, and the high cost of fleet maintenance to meet DOT regulations, which are seen by some as government overreach. Several called for laws to help control frivolous lawsuits; a few lobbied for laws allowing for heavier weights. A response from Alabama: “We use mostly new trucks and are having a lot of trouble with the new exhaust systems, and are trying to deal with this by buying glider kits. We have spent a fortune on downtime and repair-maintenance because of things like sensors, wiring harnesses, clogging DEF filters and DEF itself…(and) skyrocketing costs associated with maintaining trucks to DOT standards.” From Georgia: “We try to run safely from equipment and driver standpoints but the mills in our area allow anyone who can limp a truck across the scales to deliver. We see trucks we would not use as setout trucks delivering logs daily!” From Idaho: “One thing I see in my area are drivers working crazy long hours…” A Michigan comment: “We spent a lot of money to update trucks and trailers, and pour a lot into maintenance, tires, etc., yet there are still quite a few people driving junk around that don’t seem to be affected by any of these rules. They simply drive on weekends or sneak around on back roads.” A similar one from Mississippi: “The mills let in any driver/truck (with or without insurance) that can roll downhill and timber brokers/pimps are carrying logging crews/trucks general liability andworkers’ comp policies—often one policy for multiple crews/trucks— leaving a playing field that’s not level for those of us who work hard every
The survey indicates that few use GPS or dash cams.
day to do business professionally, above board, buy our own timber and pay our own way.” From Arkansas: “I would like to see an increase in legal weight (at the state level), which would therefore reduce overloading and number of trips required.” From Ohio: “Costs for parts and service are getting out of control. It was cheaper for us to hire a mechanic than use local shops. Since we just do clearing we started hauling our smaller equipment on gooseneck trailers with pickup trucks.” A question about mill policies regarding truck/trailer safety issues was answered by 339. The findings: 44% indicated the mills they serve do not monitor such safety aspects while 35% indicated they do; 38% signaled mills routinely accept overweight loads and 33% signaled they do not, and 54% denoted that those delivering overweight loads may be penalized by mills. Asked if mills promoted safety with signage, stickers, posters, etc., 58% answered yes. The survey asked loggers to estimate the percentage of their work time spent dealing with trucking. The answers from 347 participants: 20%
acknowledged up to 20%; 28% up to 30%; 21% up to 40%; 18% up to 50%, and 14% more than 50%. Regarding internal inspections of trucks-trailers (answered by 353), 75% of respondents denoted daily; 5% twice a week; 14% once a week; 2% every other week; 1% once a month. Load weights typically targeted— 342 responded—were as follows: 2426 tons, 25%; 27-29 tons, 53%; 3032 tons, 14%; 33-35 tons, 2%; 36-38 tons, 2%; and more than 38 tons, 5%. Almost two-thirds of loggers and log truckers own five trucks (all types except pickups) or less; 19% own 6-10; 7% own 11-15; 4% own 16-20; and 5% own 21 or more. Regarding log trailers, chip vans and lowboys, 53% own 1-5; 23% own 610; 11% own 11-15; 5% own 16-20; and 8% own 21 or more. Use of information technology evidently is not a priority among respondents. Only 19% checked they use GPS and only 5% use dash cameras SLT (298 answers). This article originally ran in the May/June 2017 issue of Timber Harvesting magazine.
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On Target ■ Highland Pellets is on line, under budget and ahead of schedule.
Highland Pellets has started two of its lines; all four will be on-line this year.
By David Abbott PINE BLUFF, Ark. n April this year, the first train load ★ of product from Highland Pellets, LLC left the facility in Pine Bluff, Ark., bound for the port of Baton Rouge, La., there delivered to a Drax Biomass loading facility and shipped to the United Kingdom. With two of its four lines currently completed and in production, Highland principals predict the plant will be fully operational by the fourth quarter this year, well under budget and ahead of schedule. That’s always a plus. Highland started as an idea to enter the wood pellet market in 2011, when investor and entrepreneur Tom Reilley teamed with fellow company founders Rob McKenzie and Alex Adome. Reilley and McKenzie had both worked for years in the UK, including in developing energy companies, and McKenzie and Adome had worked together at Cargill, Inc., a global corporation based in Minnesota. They got together with representatives from Wagner Construction, Inc., another Minnesota-based company that specializes in underground utili-
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ties and heavy civil construction. These included company founder Dennis Wagner, President Kalan Wagner, and chief financial officer Marty Goulet. The group brought Highland into existence as a legal entity in 2012. Reilley serves as chairman of the board, McKenzie as managing director and Adome as director of finance. From Wagner, Goulet also sits on the Highland board/management team, and Dennis Wagner is on the Highland board of advisors. According to Jody Doak, plant manager, “They spent quite a bit of time and did their due diligence on
identifying the proper path to pursue.” With Pine Bluff selected as the location for what is intended to be only the first of several operations, the company broke ground here in November 2015. Wagner Construction has served as the civil contractor for the still-ongoing project. Doak says that the second pellet line started operating in early May and that all four lines will be fully operational by November. “When we built this plant our initial thought was that we were going to ship by barge down the nearby
The pellet plant procures log supply through an agreement with Weyerhaeuser.
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Arkansas River to port,” Doak explains. Instead, they ultimately negotiated an agreement with Union Pacific railroad to transport all of Highland’s production by rail, though the river barge alternative is still a backup plan. Highland’s customer is Drax Biomass, which takes ownership of the product at Port Allen in Baton Rouge, where they have a loading station. The end product will end up in Great Britain. Drax has agreed to a longterm deal with Highland Pellets to supply 600,000 metric tons a year to the Drax power plant several hours north of London. With that agreement in place, Highland was also able to secure long-term contracts for railroad access, power and wood supply. Having all that helped secure financing. Along with investment from the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, Highland obtained financing from a well known credit fund to finance the project. That was in place
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by late March 2016, barely a year ago. In what Highland says is a record for the industry, all of the equipment for the plant was manufactured by the end of the year.
Project Astec Industries, Inc., a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based engineering firm that has focused on infrastructure equipment and asphalt plants in the past, manufactured the lion’s share of the equipment at Highland, as well as serving as the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractor for the project. Astec, which had been expanding into the renewable fuel industry for some time, had already built a prototype facility at its factory in Tennessee to test its designs. Taking lessons learned there, Astec built its first pellet plant for Fram Renewable Fuels in Hazlehurst, Ga., last year (see article in February 2017 Wood Bioenergy). Dubbed Hazlehurst Wood Pellets LLC, that plant is built to produce 400,000 metric tons on three lines. Highland principals wanted a 600,000 metric ton plant, so Astec built four lines here. Andritz and Progress Industries have provided the pellet mill and wood yard equipment. Highland held a ribbon cutting ceremony last November, and the first test pellets from Line 1 were produced on December 31, 2016. “We came into service in December 2016, and then started back up at the end of January,” Doak says. By April, Line One was running, only 13 months after financing was officially secured. Once fully operational, the facility will provide 68 full-time jobs to the local community (at a reported average salary of $60,000, including the value of benefits), not to mention 450+ indirect jobs in transportation and harvesting. Highland estimates the direct annual economic benefit to the Pine Bluff area at $77 million annually. Looking beyond the completion of the Pine Bluff facility later this year, company owners are already plan-
Airoflex truck dump starts the process.
A Peterson chipper supplies Line One until a Progress chip line is completed.
ning to build three more similar plants. Areas currently under consideration include another location in Arkansas, one in Enterprise, Miss. and one in Maine. Doak adds that the two biggest factors that deter-
Each line includes five Andritz pellet mills—four for production, one for backup.
mine the choice of location are the fiber supply and the logistics of getting the product to port. Secondary considerations include things like the availability of a skilled labor work force in the area and existing infra-
structure to support manufacturing. In Pine Bluff, Doak says, “We are situated on a 209-acre plot of land where we have a good wood fiber basket and good logistics to port.” The source material is mostly from
Highland uses 100% of the tree, either for pellets or to heat the furnace.
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southern yellow pine plantations. “These are typically 8-10 in. butts and that is what we use here,” the plant manager continues. Wood comes in tree length. Source material is currently 80% forest thinning and 20% tops. In the near future, Highland will also use mill residuals. “We strip the bark off and utilize it in our furnace to generate our heat source. The whitewood we process into a chip form and that is what goes into our pellets. We use a microchip, target size of ½ in. or less.”
Process Due to sustainability requirements, Highland does not buy any gatewood. Instead, the company has developed a partnership with Weyerhaeuser, which serves as a broker to provide a legal and sustainable log supply through the proper channels. Doak explains, “It is a track and trace program, so I can track from where each load was harvested to where I provide the pellet to the customer.” A Progress Industries chipping operation is currently under construction and should be finished in June. Until then the Pine Bluff facility is using a portable Peterson microchipper on site to generate its chip supply. For now, Cat 988 loaders unload trucks and a Prentice knuckleboom machine feeds the Peterson chipper. Once fully operational, the mill is
Wheel loader dumps material into feed bin.
expected to consume 160 log truck loads daily. The mill has capacity for around 50,000 tons of roundwood storage, an inventory that the plant will cycle through every three weeks. One Progress Industries 180 ft. radial crane is already in place, and a second 125 ft. crane will soon be installed. When finished, the two cranes will feed a 120 ft. Progress Industries debarker, which in turn will lead to the Progress Industries chipper. From there the Astec system conveys material to various storage areas to await processing in one of the four pellet lines. From the storage silos, fiber runs
through Astec’s Hot Oil Tube Dryer system. Two dryers on each line, a pre-dryer followed by a primary dryer, utilize hot oil flowing through the tube as a medium to dry chips. Doak calls the dryer system “one of the beauties of the Astec design. In a conventional heating system, the air stream carries fiber through a rotary dryer. Once removed you have to separate particulate matter from the air stream using cyclones. The air stream is dirty with VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and dust particulate. So typically in this industry we have to send air stream through a scrubber or WESP (wet electrostatic
precipitator) to remove particulate, then to RTOs (regenerative thermal oxidizer) to disintegrate any remaining VOCs,” the plant manager explains. With this Astec system, he continues, the fiber never touches any air stream. “We pull heat off our Sigma Thermal furnace and that heat goes across a heat exchanger. The hot air off the furnace blows across the radiator or heat exchanger. Thermal oil pumps circulate the heated oil through the pipes and the wet green fiber never touches the air. Particulate is only off the furnace, so there is less ash and lower VOC content than in a
Plant manager Jody Doak, left, with chip mill manager Thomas Duncan, right
Pellet loadout silos
Highland will produce 600,000 metric tons a year.
Tom Reilley cut the ribbon, flanked by Marty Goulet, left, and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, right.
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normal drying system.” What emissions do remain are sent through a hot bag house to consume that particulate before it is sent out into the atmosphere. As such, Highland Pellets does not require ESPs or RTOs to meet its environmental standards. The dried chips then flow through a hammermill system before ending up in one of four Andritz PM 30 pellet mills on each line. Pellets drop out to one of five Chief bins per line, each capable of holding 1,500 metric tons of pellets. After cooling, pellets load directly to rail cars on a spur
Highland built. Union Pacific picks up an 80-car train unit every four-five days. From start to finish, the entire process from green chips to pellets takes about two hours. Highland is slated to produce more than 600,000 metric tons annually, based on 7,500 hour-operating year. The mill will operate 24/7, 365 days a year on three shifts. Each of the four lines can produce 20 tons of pellets an hour, so with all four lines in operation the facility is designed to produce 80 tons per hour. In order to ensure a consistent 20-
ton per hour production pace, each line actually has five pellet mills: four running with one backup. Whenever one pellet machine has to be shut down for repairs or maintenance, the extra one will start up. “Inherent to the process we have dies and roller heads that wear out, so every 1,500 hours or so you have to change those out,” Doak says. It takes five or six hours. “Instead of taking one mill out of production for six hours, I shut one down and start another, and we only lose about 30 minutes.” The redundancy of having five pel-
let machines promotes higher uptime but there are a lot more moving parts, so a top-notch preventative maintenance program is a critical and neverending process. Besides routine die and roller head replacement, there are a number of high-wear replacement areas, Doak says: hammers and screens and tooling that constantly have to be replaced. Aside from that there is power transmission upkeep, bearings, belts, pumps. The job doesn’t fall only on the shoulders of the maintenance department, Doak stresses. Operators are responsible for much of it.
Team Highland currently employs 58, just 10 shy of the number it will employ when in full operation. Most come from Pine Bluff and surrounding counties. Doak estimates 95% of the work force commutes under 30 miles. Of course, few of them—five, to be precise—had ever previously worked in a pellet mill. “I was very lucky that I was able to pull a handful of employees, maybe a dozen, with some experience in wood manufacturing or biomass,” Doak says. Upon hiring, employees underwent a month-long orientation that included OSHA training and an education in the wood pellet manufacturing process. Representatives from Astec, Andritz and furnace maker Sigma Thermal helped explain the concepts. “The beauty of it was that we did it during construction, so they were able to get a mix of classroom training and hands-on training,” Doak notes. Developing a culture of safety was paramount from day one, he adds. “We have a full-time EHS (environmental health and safety) officer and she is responsible for ensuring we stay within the regulations,” the manager says. New employee orientation includes extensive safety training on lockout/tagout procedures, use of proper personal protective equipment and so on. Supervisors in each area guide new hires in the proper use of equipment and conduct weekly safety meetings. Topics vary for each crew on each shift each week, ranging from reviews of the hot work policy to fall protection to OSHA guidelines, proper use of harness and ties and everything in between. “It is very important to our culture,” Doak asserts. “From the owners on down, it is not just about meeting what’s required by law but truly doing everything we can to make sure everyone goes home with all their fingers and toes SLT intact.” This article originally ran in the June 2017 issue of Wood Bioenergy.
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Church Bulletin Bloopers
Why We’ll Always Need Doctors
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. Don’t let worry kill you off; let the church help. Let us join David and Lisa in the celebration of their wedding and bring their happiness to a conclusion. The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church. The Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door. The 1991 Spring Council Retreat will be hell July 10 and 11. The audience is asked to remain seated until the end of the recession. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community. The choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir. Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. Women’s Luncheon: Each member should bring a sandwich. Polly Phillips will give the medication. The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.
A Lawyer To Love A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply. “Upon review of your letter adjoining your client’s loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin.” Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows (actual response): “Your letter regarding title in Case No.189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 206 years covered by the present application. I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased by the United States from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Queen Isabella. The good Queen Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus’s expedition. Now the Pope, as I’m sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And God, it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana. God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it, and the FHA. I hope you find God’s original claim to be 32
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satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?” The loan was immediately approved. And some politicians want the federal government running health care?
Monkey Behavior You start with a cage containing four monkeys, and inside the cage you hang a banana on a string, and then you place a set of stairs under the banana. Before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana. You then spray all the monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt for the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the monkeys with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new monkey. The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs. To his shock, all the other monkeys beat the crap out of him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original four monkeys, replacing it with a new monkey. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. With enthusiasm, the previous newcomer takes part in the punishment because he is now part of the “team.” Then, replace a third original monkey with a new monkey, followed by the fourth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Now, the monkeys beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs. Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. Since all original monkeys have been replaced, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, not one of the monkeys will try to climb the stairway for the banana. Why, you ask? Because in their minds, that is the way it has always been! This is how today’s House and Senate operates, and this is why from time to time, all of the monkeys need to be replaced at the same time. Disclaimer: This is meant as no disrespect to monkeys.
Losing His Way An irritated golfer, whacking his way through some high weeds, complained to his caddie: “This is a terrible course.” The caddie replied: “No, it isn’t. We left the course two miles back.”
Secrets To Inner Peace If you can start the day without caffeine; If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles; If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it; If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time; If you can take criticism and blame without resentment; If you can conquer tension without medical help; If you can relax without alcohol; If you can sleep without the aid of drugs…then you are probably the family dog! Takeaway: Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can’t eat it or play with it, urinate on it and walk away.
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LOGGING LIFE AT HOME The Family Retreat At Jekyll Island Deborah Smith has been married to Rome, Ga. logger Travis Smith for 34 years. They have 10 children: seven by birth, three adopted from Africa, and two granddaughters. A college English major, she began homeschooling their children in 1991. Says Smith: “I love my family; I am passionate about encouraging others to keep the faith, to keep taking the next right step, no matter how hard life gets.” Visit her blog: buttercupsbloom here.blogspot.com
Travis and Deborah Smith
on’t ask me why I hesitated when Travis asked me about taking the whole
Dfamily to Jekyll Island. The Southeastern Wood Producers Assn.’s
(SWPA) annual meeting was being held there, and his logging company, Smith Brothers Logging, Inc., would pick up the tab. This man can make going to pick up a tire on Saturday morning a memorable and sweet day. He can turn fueling up the tool truck into a coffee date. I don’t know why I was thinking so negatively about Jekyll. Maybe it was about the cost; or that our son, TL, needed to be home and in the hay fields; or that not all the girls could attend; or that our clothes wouldn’t be nice enough for the banquet. My mind wandered in a downward spiral and my response to this sweet man was vague and negative. Travis, on his own, made the ocean view reservation anyway. Weeks later, the subject came up again. We needed to decide if we were or weren’t going. As God would have it, Hope, one of our older and on-herown daughters, was visiting. I asked her, “If we decide to go, would you like to come?” Her face lit up. She immediately thanked me for inviting her, and
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said she would check her work schedule. Then she said she would come, even if it meant she had to drive home alone early Sunday morning to get back to work. Her heartfelt response woke me up. In the next few moments, a weird but good thing happened. I was looking at my kids’ faces around the Sunday table, and simultaneously a slide show of all the reasons we needed to be together somewhere having fun started playing in my head. The darkness in this world has hurt our family, too. There have been trials and setbacks these past two years. Yes, we needed to go. I imagined that the ocean and sunshine and beach walks would be just the thing to draw us together and help us rest and just be a family. Listening to the ocean at night was delightful. The beach walks made me wonder if there will be a beach in heaven. The kids’ joy was out the roof, and made my mama heart happy. But do you know what was absolutely wonderful? Seeing so many hearts of gold, salt-of-the-earth kind of people, all in one place. Loggers and their families, insurance agents, parts store owners, equipment salesmen, tire store guys, the safety lady, forestry folks...they were all there to help each logger be the best logger he could be. They were there to encourage and give advice and help. And one logger reached out and helped me. He will never know how much. About the time the kids lined up for a mama photo after the banquet in what I thought was an empty hallway, about 20 people started walking our way. I took photos in a hurry, but not quick enough to really get out of the way. It didn’t matter. There were lots of friendly words spoken as if they all understood. Then one guy stepped right up to Mercy-Brian, the child we adopted from Africa at age 15, and smiled and pointed at her. “You’ve come a long way! The last time I saw you, you said two words and didn’t smile. Now look at you! You’re talking and smiling! Look at you!” He was wearing a green shirt and his name is Philip, and that’s all I know. I thought Travis knew him and must have been talking to ➤ 44
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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It: Making Biomass Viable For The Future By Danny Dructor As professional timber harvesters, we understand the importance of biomass energy to the future of our industry. Not only does it help open and expand mar-
Dructor
kets for our businesses, it also helps makes operations more economical. Yet the future of the biomass industry is uncertain, given the current regulatory environment and the fluctuating costs of natural gas
and other energies. As companies consider making large investments in new or existing biomass facilities, they need stability and certainty to ensure those investments pencil out. Earlier this year Congress took the first step toward providing that needed stability and certainty. The 2017
Omnibus Appropriations bill included language clarifying federal regulatory policy to reflect the carbon-neutrality of forest-based biomass, a policy that ensures biomass plays a part in government energy standards. But that is probably not enough. The Biomass Power Assn. (BPA) wants to go further to make this renewable energy more viable, as well as promote and protect the development of facilities throughout the country. At the recent ALC Spring Fly-In, BPA’s Bob Cleaves asked us to support the reintroduction of legislation to extend the Renewable Electricity Production Credit (PCT) for existing “open loop” biomass facilities for the 10-year period that was originally granted for new facilities. The legislation is expected to be brought by Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey with bipartisan co- sponsors. The PTC works as an income tax credit, allowing for the production of electricity from qualified energy resources at qualified facilities, which can be used by the facility or the power purchaser. Those that commenced construction prior to December 31, 2016 were eligible to claim the PTC for 10 years after the qualifying facility is placed in service, but that provision has now expired with no extension. The PTC also offered different benefits for certain open and closed loop facilities, which only served to favor some industries over others. A multi-year deal would help correct the policies that have awarded some renewable technologies billions of dollars and others a small fraction of the PTC. Many biomass facilities began production decades before the PTC began, meaning that they haven’t had the opportunity to qualify for the full 10-year credit received by newer technologies. Additionally, low natural gas prices are making it difficult for utilities to sign new contracts with biomass facilities. The extension of the PTC to biomass facilities would help offset the cost of fuel, keeping the supply chain operating. It would also help keep loggers employed by preserving an important revenue stream. Stay tuned for more updates on this proposed legislation. Here at ALC, we are looking forward to seeing the language of the bill, and we will keep you informed of the bill’s status and other opportunities to support the biomass sector. Dructor is Executive Vice President of the American Loggers Council, is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states. Visit amloggers.com or phone 409-625-0206.
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From Logs To Plywood The New Wood Resources Winston Plywood & Veneer facility is running strong in Louisville, Miss. It stands in place of a plywood facility that was wiped out on April 28, 2014 when an F4 tornado plowed a 34mile track through Winston County and Louisville, killing 11 people and injuring 80. The plywood mill was destroyed along with more than 700 other structures and homes in the community. Immediately afterward, company personnel were on the ground supporting work to clear debris and aiding community relief efforts. A fund-raising
campaign through the Atlas Foundation leveraged Atlas Holdings’ (the parent company) worldwide employee base and resulted in a $72,000 check for the Winston County Relief Fund. In addition, more than $20,000 of scrap material proceeds removed from the site were donated to the Winston Strong Foundation to support the community. Government groups as varied as the city of Louisville, Mississippi Development Authority, Winston County Economic Development District Partnership and the Tennessee Valley Authority
also contributed to the rebuild project in a variety of ways, including site prep, workforce training and infrastructure needs. Aiding the rebuilding effort at Winston Plywood & Veneer was the construction of one of the largest clear-span buildings in the North American forest products industry: a 287,000 sq. ft. building that’s 765 ft. long on one side, has 58 ft. high ceilings, and is big enough to cover five football fields. A key to the Winston Plywood plant’s success is a stable wood basket and logging force, with plenty of plantation timber in the 30year range. The plant can process logs up to 30 in., with average log size around 11 in. Logs are handled with three Taylor Machine Works log handlers. Additional capacity and future expansions could position Winston Plywood & Veneer as the third-largest single site plywood production facility in the U.S.
Exhibitors Preparing For Mid-Atlantic Expo Exhibitors have begun selecting lot and booth locations for the fourth version of Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo in North Carolina, according to Jack Swanner, manager of the biennial event, which runs September 15-16. Swanner also announced the 2017 show will take place in a mature pine stand located adjacent to U.S. highway 74 some six miles northwest of Laurinburg, NC near the South Carolina line. Other nearby towns include Rockingham, Southern Pines and Lumberton. “Live exhibitors will be pleased to know that this is a clear-cut site and their lots will be three to four times larger than they have been in our past expos,” Swanner reports. “We are indebted to Clay Creed with Shoeheel Land Management and to
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Springs, Ala., were honored earlier this year by the Forest Resources Assn. (FRA) and Stihl Inc. as FRA’s Southcentral Region 2017 Outstanding Logger. FRA Regional Chairman Gary Beacher, right, presented the couple with a wooden crosscut saw plaque and a MS 461 chain saw gift certificate and $250 check, both compliments of Stihl. Tidwell is a third generation logger who began on his own in 1993 and today operates and manages two logging crews and a trucking company. Two of his primary customers, Molpus Timberlands and LP, give Tidwell high praise for his strong commitment for doing the right thing in all situations and for his attention to a safe and quality timber harvesting operation, combined with a strong environmental ethic and exceptional business management.
Boyd McLaurin with Canal Wood for their work in securing this premium site.” For exhibit space and rate information, visit malbexpo.com or contact Swanner at 828-421-8444.
FRA Recognizes F&C Logging Freddy Tidwell, center, and wife Cyndi, owners of F&C Logging LLC, Double
Barko Names TraxPlus As New Dealer Barko Hydraulics, LLC announced TraxPlus as its new dealer for logging and land clearing equipment in Mississippi. “TraxPlus is a wonderful addition to our dealer network,” says Alecia McKay-Jones, dealer development manager for Barko. “They have a strong background in forestry equipment and a reputation of striving for excellent customer service.” Based in Hickory, Miss., TraxPlus will handle sales and service of Barko loaders, industrial wheeled tractors, harvesters and feller-bunchers. The dealership was established in 2013 after several years of part-time equipment sales and a family history of logging came together. “We’re excited to represent the Barko brand,” says Micah Harmon, vice president of TraxPlus. “Anyone that knows forestry knows Barko. It’s a name we’re proud to put our
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name behind with the company’s history, reputation, and tradition.”
Domain Timber Buys Large Timber Fund Domain Timber Advisors, LLC, headquartered in Atlanta, announced the purchase of Timbervest, LLC’s fund management business. Domain Timber is focused on investment management of timberland and tim-
berland-related investments for public and private pension plans, corporations, foundations, endowments, and high net worth individuals. The purchase was completed on May 30 and included the acquisition of the Timbervest infrastructure and personnel responsible for managing a 530,000 acre timberland portfolio with a market value of approximately $1 billion across the timber producing regions of the U.S. In addition, the portfolio is
composed of environmental restoration projects including mitigation and conservation banks across the U.S., with a market value of $200 million.
Rayonier Purchases Canada’s Tembec Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. (NYSE: RYAM) and Tembec Inc. (TSX: TMB) today announced
a definitive agreement under which Rayonier Advanced Materials is acquiring Tembec for $807 million, providing the combined company with complementary positions in key high purity cellulose end-uses and diversified earning streams from packaging, paper, high-yield pulp and forest products businesses. Tembec’s headquarters in Montreal will remain in operation, while Rayonier’s corporate headquarters stays in Jacksonville, Fla. Rayonier Advanced Materials is a leading global supplier of high purity cellulose, a natural polymer commonly found in cell phones, computer screens, filters and pharmaceuticals. The company engineers dozens of customized products at its plants in Florida and Georgia, where it produces approximately 485,000 tons of high purity cellulose and 245,000 tons of commodity products.
Progress At RoyOMartin’s OSB PLant
Construction continues at RoyOMartin’s new oriented strandboard plant in Corrigan, Tex. The facility complements the company’s OSB plant in Oakdale, La. and plywood mill in Chopin, La. Shown here is the wood yard for the facility as of mid-June. The mill is expected to start up late this year.
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34 ➤ him. Nope. Travis had no clue who he was. But God knows. God knew that her little heart needed to hear those words of affirmation and admiration. God knew this tired mama needed to hear those words, too. The whole weekend was like that. Grandparents were playing at the beach with grandchildren. Daddies were walking around with their sons, speaking with the vendors. The Bistro at Villas by the Sea was filled with families being families and birthday balloons and businessmen encouraging each other. The event was more than just a meeting. Because loggers are more than just loggers. They are hearts of gold, salt-of-the-earth kind of men. And when you put a whole lot of them together on an island, to help and better each other, it makes for one great weekend. My logger held my hand and walked to dinner with me. He got up in the middle of the night to open the sliding glass door so I could hear the ocean for real, and not just on my play list. He woke me up early in the morning so I could see the sun rise over the water. He hates sand, but waited on the boardwalk while we took pictures and played in the waves and had foot races the first hour we were there. I think loggers are one of the world’s most misunderstood people groups. What I saw that weekend was a lot of good people working together and being there for each other. What I felt was a lot of encouragement and hope. What I walked away with was another huge example of how much a man can love his wife, and give her the best possible life that he can give...and then that love multiplies, and makes the world a stronger, better place to live. Yep. The man who makes going to the tire store a date made the SWPA annual meeting a family retreat. I love you, Travis.
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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothing."
A skidder made in Romania
6 ➤ bad weather, only bad clothing.” He had rain suits and umbrellas for my wife and I with his company’s name on them. The rain showed how the operating machines function in soft soils. Some better than others. Really amazed at the number of small forwarders. I guess they’re popular with small landowners there like the small John Deere or Kubota tractors are popular here with hobby farmers. Surprised that CAT had no presence in forestry in Scandinavia. Only CATs were processor manufacturer using CAT track hoe/shovel for a carrier. Surprised that the only road building or maintenance equipment was ➤ 46
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Model of Ecoforst's T-Winch traction assistant
I got to try out Hiab's HiVision (that's me, upper right); it allows you to control the crane from inside the truck cab; camera (inset, upper left) sends a full range live image to the headset.
Husqvarna put on an entertaining demo.
45 ➤ dump trailers and tractor pulled small levelers. No dozers (other than the old Oliver, which I got correct as being made in USA in 1950’s) or graders. Impressed with the large portable chippers. The green self-propelled chipper that runs the highway up to 50 mph! That makes mobilization pretty quick. Thanks, Jeff!
Miscellaneous By coincidence, both of our logger features this month—William Wilkerson of South Carolina and the Crouse family of Arkansas—started in the same year, 1966. l The Crouse article (page 14) references Highland Pellets in nearby Pine Bluff. I visited Highland in late April, on the same day I interviewed Buddy and Dean Crouse, and wrote a cover story on Highland for the June issue of Wood Bioenergy, yet another Hatton-Brown periodical. I decided to reprint the article in this issue (page 26). l Just yesterday I watched a movie with my kids, the 2016 remake of the 1977 Disney classic Pete’s Dragon. The film is a fine piece of family entertainment that stars Robert Redford and Bryce Dallas Howard, the daughter of Ron Howard, who played Opie on the Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. The reason I thought it might interest some readers, though, is that parts of the movie take place on a logging job and a sawmill in Oregon in the 1970s. I can’t say for certain but in the background of a few scenes I though I saw some orange SLT Timberjack skidders. l
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2010 Cat 525C Dual Arch Skidder – 8,000 hours, 2 New, 2 good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work!..................... Reduced to $79,500
FELLER BUNCHERS
2012 Cat 573C Mulcher – New FAE 200/U225 Tx Smooth Drum, 2 Speed Mulching Head, New high pressure pump and hoses, 240 Hp Cat 7.1 Engine, Cab with air, Ready to work! 200 hours since conversion from a Feller Buncher. Rent to own W.A.C. ....................................... Reduced to 215,000
LOADERS
2012 John Deere 643K Feller Buncher – 5,410 hours, Good 28L tires, Waratah FD22B saw head, Cab with air, Ready to work!................... Reduced to $115,000
2010 Prentice 2670 Feller Buncher – 6,900 hours, SC-57 saw head, Very good 34;00 tires, Cab with air, 6.7 Cummins engine, Ready to work! .... $89,500
2012 Tigercat 234 Log Loader - 8,000 hours, Mounted on hydraulic leg trailer with Riley Delimber, Cab with cold air, Tight pins, No leaks, Serviced and ready to work! .....................................$97,500
2007 Cat 559 Log Loader - Trailer mounted with CTR 426 delimber, Cab with air, Good running machine and ready to work! ...... Reduced to $59,500
Visa and Mastercard accepted
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Helping Loggers Save Money For Over 20 Years Contact: Chris Alligood 1-252-531-8812 email: chrisa.cavalierhose@gmail.com
EUREKA! EUREKA! EUREKA! OWNERS HAVE OVER 30 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE!
N
We can save you money on Saw Teeth. Hundreds of satisfied ACC OW EP customers. Rebuilt Exchange or New. We specialize in rebuild- CRE TING DIT ing Koehring 2000, Hurricana, Hydro Ax split teeth and all CARDS other brands. Call Jimmy or Niel Mitchell. Quantity Discounts!
EUREKA SAW TOOTH CO., INC.
7180
770
Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net
Hose, Fittings & Crimpers 8309
IF YOU NEED
To buy or sell forestry, construction, utility or truck equipment, or if you just need an appraisal, contact me, Johnny Pynes with JM Wood Auction. Over 25 years experience.
4275 Moores Ferry Rd. • Skippers, Virginia 23879 PH./FAX (day) 1-434-634-9836 or Night/Weekends • 1-434-634-9185
6209
4433
13267
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2008 Prentice 2384 Log Loader 14,486 hrs., good condition ..............................$42,500
2006 Hydro-Ax 570 Feller-Buncher 11,858 hrs., 40% tires............ $45,000
TED SMITH
5840 Hwy 36, Russellville, AL Home: 256-766-8179 • Office: 256-766-6491 Fax: 256-766-6962 • Cell: 256-810-3190
KEVIN MONTGOMERY 256-366-1425
RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!!
7393
WANTED TO BUY
280
Cat 518 & Cat 518C skidders in TX, LA area Call Kent 936-699-4700 r_kentjones@yahoo.com
3723
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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
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WANTED NOW
SKIDDERS, LOG LOADERS, BUNCHERS AND BUCK SAWS WILL PAY FAIR PRICE
352-239-1549
3214
USED FORESTRY EQUIPMENT ALSO AVAILABLE FOR SALE
NOTICE The time to straighten a bent sawdisk is soon after it is bent or the disk will rapidly over time be out of balance due to uneven metal loss. Such a disk may require extraordinary means to establish balance. A dial indicator will not give a true reading of a disk's sraightness if that disk has been operated bent for a period of time. Straightening service for all types of feller buncher sawdisks. I use TIG welding exclusively to repair cracks. MIG wire welding is not advised for repairing sawdisks.
252-945-2358
566
Carver Sawdisk Repair
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A D L I N K ●
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ADVERTISER Accu-Ways American Logger’s Council American Truck Parts Bandit Industries BKT USA Carter Enterprises Caterpillar Dealer Promotion Continental Biomass Industries Crisp & Crisp John Deere Forestry Doggett Machinery Service Employer’s Underwriters Equipment & Parts Flint Equipment Forest Chain Forestry First Forestry Mutual Insurance G & W Equipment Global Import & Export Services Hawkins & Rawlinson Hydraulic & Pneumatic Services Industrial Cleaning Equipment Interstate Tire Service Ironmart John Woodie Enterprises Kaufman Trailers Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Louisiana Machinery Magnolia Trailers Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Moore Logging Supply Morbark Peterson Pacific Pitts Trailers Puckett Machinery Quadco Equipment Quadco-Southstar Equipment Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment S E C O Parts & Equipment Southern Loggers Cooperative Southwest Forest Products Expo Stribling Equipment Team Safe Trucking Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries TraxPlus W & W Truck & Tractor J M Wood Auction
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July 21-23—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 912635-6400; visit gfagrow.org. 21-23—Missouri Forest Products Assn./Missouri Loggers Council annual meeting, Lake of the Ozarks, Camdenton, Mo. Call 816-6305500; visit moforest.org. 23-25—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.
August 17-20—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, The Inn at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. Call 804677-4290; visit valoggers.org.
25-27—Texas Forestry Assn. Annual Meeting, Hotel Fredonia, Nacogdoches, Tex. Call 936-632-8733.
10-12—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.
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AA—Logging Firm or Contractor
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4-6—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hilton Riverside, Wilmington, NC. Visit ncforestry.org.
September
Home Address
3-5—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Holiday Inn Airport, Little Rock, Ark. Call 501374-2441; visit arkforests.org.
25-27—Tennessee Forestry Assn. annual meeting, DoubleTree by Hilton, Memphis, Tenn. Call 615883-3832; visit tnforestry.com.
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29-31—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hilton Riverside New Orleans, New Orleans, La. Call 318-443-2558; visit laforestry.com.
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28-30—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Natchez Grand Hotel, Natchez Convention Center, Natchez, Miss. Call 409-625-0206. visit amloggers.com.
10-12—Mississippi Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget, Biloxi, Miss. Call 601-354-4936; visit msforestry.net.
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15-16—Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, Selma/Smithfield, NC. Call 919-271-9050; visit malbexpo.com.
25-26—Southwest Forest Products Expo 2017, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501224-2232; visit arkloggers.com.
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15-16—Kentucky Wood Expo, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.
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November 1-3—Forestry Association of South Carolina annual meeting, Hyatt Regency, Greenville, SC. Call 803798-4170; visit scforestry.org.
January 2018 17-20—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, JW Marriott, Marco Island, Fla. Call 336885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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