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Vol. 46, No. 8

(Founded in 1972—Our 539th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S

AUGUST 2017 A Hatton-Brown Publication

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

www.southernloggintimes.com

Mills Timber Harvesting Father Sons Teamup

Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment Decade Of Growth

out front:

Tigercat Event Marks 25 Years

After getting laid off from his job in the coal mines 20 years ago, Kentucky’s Wayland Martin switched to a career in logging. Now 57, the highland hardwood harvester continues to build on an established reputation for professionalism. Story begins on Page 8. (Jay Donnell photo)

D E PA RT M E N T S Southern Stumpin’................................................................................................. 6 Bulletin Board....................................................................................................... 28 Where Are They Now?......................................................................................... 30 Industry News Roundup......................................................................................32 Machines-Supplies-Technology.......................................................................... 48 ForesTree Equipment Trader..............................................................................55 Safety Focus.......................................................................................................... 61 Coming Events/Ad Index..................................................................................... 62

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

Tree Huggers, Rock Lickers hile listening to Birmingham-based morning radio program “The Rick and Bubba Show” on my way to work one day in late June, the “two sexiest fat men alive” managed to capture my attention. They played excerpts from a speech by Utah State Representative Michael Noel. Speaking at a press conference about the Brian Head Fire in southwest Utah on June 27, Rep. Noel blamed the fire on environmental policies that restrict logging. “When we turned the Forest Service over to the bird and bunny lovers and the tree-huggers and the rock-lickers, we turned our history over,” the politician said. “We’re going to lose our watershed and we’re going to lose our soils and we’re going to lose our wildlife and we’re going to lose our scenery—the very things you people wanted to protect. It’s just plain stupidity.” My curiosity aroused, I arrived at my desk and started to research more about it. Later I tried unsuccessfully to contact Rep. Noel’s office. But I think I can sum up for you what I found. According to Noel, environmental activists have prevented logging operations from removing dead trees killed by bark beetle infestation. The lack of a proper forest management plan in Utah and other western states, he believes, has created fuel for such fires to spread and cause the devastation they do. Of course, the environmental groups in question, such as the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), beg to differ, citing climate change, drought and simple nature as the true culprits. Steve Bloch, the legal director for SUWA, has accused Noel of misleading the public and exploiting the fire for political reasons. Some reports I read indicated that there was no money to be made logging this particular area, and that there was no information of requests to log it. According to Bloch, the SUWA hasn’t made any efforts to stop logging in the area since the ’90s, and that Noel is oversimplifying a complex issue that has no easy solutions and that is nobody’s fault. Some reports support Noel’s claim that bug-infested wood burns faster, while a 2009 study by John Muir Project founder Chad Hanson challenges that assertion. Hanson himself dismisses it as “logging industry propaganda.” Hanson adds, “This is a direct outgrowth of the rhetoric of fear and hate coming out of the Trump administration. It has emboldened some very anti-environmental voices.” Now, I’ve only been to Utah once, briefly, and don’t know much about it. The situation may be more complicated than it appears, and there could be many factors at play. But, Noel’s words I think will definitely hit home for a lot of loggers. Here are some more excerpts of what he said (you can watch the entire speech on YouTube): “We’ve had people from environmental organizations actually say, ‘I’d rather see the whole forest

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other times over the years at various such shows and events, and was always impressed both with his ability as a journalist and his affable nature as a human being. He was always friendly and warm. It was at another John Deere product rollout, the L and M series in 2015, when I learned of Eric’s battle with colon cancer. Perhaps fittingly, what turned out to be the last time I saw Eric was in Sweden again, in June this year. We were both there for the Elmia Wood show, and quite by coincidence were staying at the same hotel. I was getting breakfast at the hotel on the first day of the fair when a gentleman approached me at the buffet, asking where I was from; he had overheard me and gathered that I was American, like him. He said he was here with a few boys from New York, and gestured toward their table. I confess that at first I didn’t recognize Eric; it was evident the disease had started taking a more visible toll on his body. His personality, though, shined through his eyes as soon as he spoke. He seemed in really good spirits, smiling and upbeat and energetic. We ran into each other several more times at the hotel and at the show throughout the week. We talked, but only a little. There was so much to do. I really wish now that I had spent a little more time talking with him then. Eric was born in Wisconsin in June, 1958. Although his family home was in Wisconsin, he grew up travelling. His father’s work with the Peace Corps and in nuclear power plants took the family around the world. Taiwan, Bangladesh and Japan were among the places he spent a significant amount of time in his formative years. According to Joseph Phaneuf, Executive Director and Publisher of the Northeastern Loggers’ Assn. and Northern Logger, Eric died at his family’s tree farm in Coloma, Wisc. on Tuesday, Sad News July 18. He was with his wife Patti, his adult Just as this issue was getting ready to go to children Jason and Sarah, and his mother and sisprint, I was saddened to hear of the passing of my ter. “I can’t imagine a better situation for Eric to friend and colleague Eric Johnson. Eric had been have spent his final days and I know, based on the executive editor of New my most recent communications York-based Northern Logger with him, that he was really happy,” & Timber Processor magaPhaneuf wrote in an email. “Eric had zine, a publication of the been dealing with his cancer for 6-7 Northeastern Loggers’ Assn. years and his mental outlook and He had been there just shy of attitude have always been positive 35 years. Northern Logger & and upbeat—it’s been simply amazTimber is, somewhat similar ing, really—but he was also realistic to Southern Loggin’ Times, a Me with Eric Johnson, Sweden, ’08 and very aware that this day was monthly trade journal focused coming near. Eric was a great friend on loggers and sawmills in the Northeast and Lake to me, and…he was a fine human being. We’ll States region, with its subscription base mostly miss him terribly.” between Maine and Minnesota in the north and A tribute to Eric is planned for the August issue Missouri to Maryland in the south. of Northern Logger. Visit northernlogger.com. I first met Eric in Sweden in June 2008. We Speaking to me by phone, Phaneuf described Eric were both there as part of a media tour for John simply: “He was a great guy to work with.” That Deere, which I believe was debuting its E-series pretty well sums up how I will remember him as SLT machines at the time. I ran into him several well: a great guy.

burned than to see a stump.’ This is what you get when you make stupid statements like that. This is how you destroy an area. We had bark beetles here in 1993. Our manager…tried, with the forest service, tried to take those bark beetles out, cut those trees and stop the progression of bark beetles. He was stopped by, quote, the Friends of Dixie. Where are the Friends of Dixie now? They’re not here when this disaster happens. This is what you end up with. I saw people crying because their cabins were lost. They lost all their history. When you get buildup like this…this is what the fire guys said, 28 years on the fire, never seen a run like what happened here. Eight miles in one day, 60,000 acres burned, four or five miles the next day. Fuel that built up like we had here, when you have 70 million board feet of timber grown every single year and you are allowed to harvest six million board feet, that’s 66 million board feet of fire. When you allow trees to die from bark beetles and you build them up, you’re gonna get a catastrophic fire. They haven’t seen this in 28 years because we haven’t done stupid stuff like this. When we turned the Forest Service over to the bird and bunny lovers and the tree huggers and the rock lickers, we turned our history over. And the fire is going to do more damage, because we are going to lose our water shed, we’re going to lose our soils, we’re going to lose our wildlife, and we’re going to lose our scenery. The very thing you people wanted to try to protect. It’s just plain stupidity. Sorry I had to say that, but I hope we get a national audience on this. Because I think we have a President who can make a difference and a secretary of interior and a secretary of agriculture, and they’re going to fix this problem.”

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The Hills Have Eyes ■ Wayland Partin navigates the hills of southeastern Kentucky with a watchful eye. By Jay Donnell PINEVILLE, Ky. hen Wayland ★ Partin made the transition from mining to logging more than 20 years ago, he knew his life would be different, but not totally unfamiliar. Partin had become accustomed to operating heavy equipment on mining jobs so when he and several other employees were laid off from Arch Coal, Inc. he knew he had to look elsewhere. His father and grandfather had spent many years logging, so Partin looked that way, and bought a used Cat D3 dozer, Stihl 066 chain saw and hired a man to haul timber.

Partin’s logging business quickly grew into a formidable operation and though still relatively new to the business, in 2004 Partin was named the Kentucky Logger of the Year by the Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. (KFIA). He won because of his outstanding BMP work, including water barring, water control and revegetation. Since then, Partin’s reputation in the southeastern Kentucky area for leaving his job sites as clean as possible and for his professional approach to every job has only gained greater traction. Now seasoned logging veterans with two decades under their belts, Partin and company have learned a lot and have built on their experiences in order to keep the business thriving in the Bluegrass state.

Equipment Partin, 57, runs one crew and has nine employees. He has run two crews in the past, but feels like one crew can be more productive than two crews at times. Plus it’s easier for him to keep an eye on things. Equipment includes a 2016 Komatsu XT 460L-3 track feller-buncher with a Quadco 2900 felling head, ’12 John Deere 648H skidder, ’09 John Deere 648G skidder, two John Deere 335 knuckleboom loaders, ’16 John Deere 650K dozer and a ’14 John Deere 700K dozer. A ’16 Komatsu feller-buncher has been a very nice addition to Partin’s operation. He purchased the machine from Power Equipment in Knoxville, where he has a longstanding relation-

Partin has years of experience running tracked cutters in steep ground; this '16 Komatsu, he says, is a step up in strength and reliability.

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ship with salesman Larry Prater. The machine boasts a state-of-the-art control system, super ergonomics, high lift capacity and a powerful swing torque. “It’s very reliable and quite a bit stronger than the old Timbco we used to run,” Partin says. “It’s a heavier machine and we can work a lot steeper ground with it.” (Partin’s experience with track feller-bunchers goes back to a Prentice 620 he ran years ago.) The Komatsu features the IQANMD4 digital control system in the cab, which Komatsu refers to as “Command Central.” The machine runs on a six cylinder, Cummins 300 HP engine. Power Equipment in Knoxville and Brandeis Machinery in Corbin, Ky. are Partin’s Komatsu dealers.

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Partin also works with Meade Equipment for John Deere equipment. Machines are greased at the end of each day and oil is changed every 250 hours. Delo 15W40 oil is used. Partin prefers to trade in his equipment after roughly 10,000 hours of use if the timing is right. Firestone tires are preferred. Partin runs four trucks, including a 2000 Western Star, ’02 Peterbilt, ’00 International and a ’07 Kenworth. Two Pitts trailers and three shop built trailers get the job done. A ’98 Peterbilt will be hitting the road again soon as it’s undergone a makeover compliments of Travis Hubbard, who worked on the engine. The 19-yearold truck has more than 1.5 million miles on it, but it’s ready to roll again, a testament to the quality of the Peterbilt truck and the ability of Partin’s man to work on it. J.R. Partin Logging hasn’t experienced any problems with equipment vandalism since they’ve been in business, but it’s not because they’ve been lucky, it’s because they’ve been proactive. Partin hires a night watchman to stay on the jobsite on nearly every tract his company works. Partin provides an air conditioned trailer for the watchman. “I’ve done that ever since I’ve been in business,” Partin explains. “I like sleeping at night and I don’t want to have to worry about my equipment. I want to make sure we have something to work with the next morning.” Partin’s equipment and trucks are insured by Energy Insurance in Barbourville, Ky.

Meade Equipment is Partin's John Deere dealer.

Employees Partin hasn’t had to hire an employee in over two years. His current employees are reliable and hard working due to the strict guidelines he puts in place. Several years ago

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Partin hauls with four trucks and five trailers.

J.R. Partin Logging Pineville, KY Email: JRpartinlogging@hotmail.com Founded: 2000 Owner: Wayland Partin No. Crews: 1 Employees: 9 Equipment: 1 cutter, 2 skidders, 2 loaders, 4 trucks Production: Roughly 35 loads a week Average Haul Distance: 60 miles Tidbit: Partin was named the 2004 Kentucky Logger of the Year.

The crew has multiple sorts bound for several mills.

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AUGUST 2017 ● 9

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The single crew runs two 335 loaders and two 648 skidders.

The crew cuts hardwood the vast majority of the time.

Partin decided to hire a private company to conduct random drug tests. “I think that might be one of the reasons we have such good employees,” Partin says. “They know before they come to me that they’re going to have to pass a drug test and that stops a lot of people from asking.” Rodney Miracle does many different things for the business. He’s a foreman, log yard supervisor, loader operator and a mechanic. He’s been with the business for 10 years. Jerry Fusom has been with the company for five years and operates a dozer. Lee Terry runs a dozer and skidder and has been with the company for 13 years. Tyler Fusom has run a skidder for Partin for two years and Anthony Collet has run a feller-buncher for five. Truck drivers are Bart Cobb, who has been on the team for 14 years, Lester (Tater) Partin, who has been behind the wheel for 17 years, and Josh Punkin who has driven a truck and run skidder for the company for 15 years. Matt Belcher is a part time driver for the business. Partin’s bookkeeping is done by Larry Brooks of Hillsboro, but Partin also does some of the bookkeeping himself. Employees begin working around 7 a.m. and finish up around 5 p.m. They receive a safety bonus each Christmas if everything has gone smoothly during the year. Safety gets addressed regularly on Partin’s job site, so much so that workers sometimes get tired of hearing about it over and over again, but that doesn’t bother Partin.

Operations Back Row, left to right: Rodney Miracle, Jerry Fuson, Lee Terry, and Tyler Fuson; front row, from left: Wayland Partin, Anthony Collett, and Josh "Punkin" Partin

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J.R. Partin Logging cuts hardwood 90% of the time and when Southern

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MONTH 2016 ● 11

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Loggin’ Times came to visit they were thinning on a 150-acre tract on hilly ground. This particular tract wasn’t nearly as steep as some of the tracts the company finds itself on. Partin remembers one tract in particular. “We were on Black Mountain in Harlan County and we definitely had some issues with it. The steepness of the terrain was really hard to manage so we just had to plan ahead and keep our roads built. It was a full time job just keeping the roads built.” Black Mountain is the highest mountain peak in the Common-

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wealth of Kentucky with a summit elevation of 4,145 ft. above mean sea level and a top to to bottom height of over 2,500 ft. Partin buys a lot of his own timber and also cuts timber on Kentucky State Forest land on occasion. Sorts in a variety of hardwood species include peelers, grade sawlogs, pulpwood and stave logs. They’re hauling to J&P Lumber tie mill, B&E Forest Products, Lakeside Wood Products, Evergreen, Patterson Chip and Columbia Forest Products. Partin reports that his company

produces around 500 tons of hardwood pulpwood per week and 2030,000 ft. of sawlogs and tie logs. This equates to roughly 35 loads per week. The mills in the area have been wide open since the beginning of July which is good news for the business. They were on quota for the early part of summer, but Partin hopes things keep trending in the right direction. “It could definitely come back when we don’t expect it,” he says. “But we hope it doesn’t come back anytime soon.” When Partin moves on to a new

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tract he will dispatch a dozer a few days early to get the roads and landing in place so that when his crew moves on to a new job they don’t have to waste any time. When Partin leaves a tract he does all the BMP requirements necessary to meet Kentucky state regulations. Partin and company are currently building a new shop and log yard in Pineville. It is expected to be ready by 2018 at the latest. The new shop will be 60x100 ft. The log yard will mainly be used as a satellite yard. Partin will buy logs from other companies and haul them to the new yard. As with most loggers these days, Partin’s biggest concern is trucking and the brutally high insurance rates that come with it. He’s seriously considering putting dash cams in all of his trucks because of all the risks associated with driving a log truck in today’s lawyer-driven climate. “I see a lot of these lawyers advertising for truck wrecks and things like that,” Partin says. “It makes you weary of what’s going on and sometimes it’s hard to prove that a wreck wasn’t your fault.” The company experienced a minor fender bender in early June, but other than that all of the drivers have had a clean record for many years. Drivers are paid by the load, which makes being off quota a very big deal. Drivers have had to wait as long as three hours at some mills during times when the mills start getting full. Partin has over $2 million invested in his operation. He attributes his success to the Lord and his amazing employees, among other things. “I think I’m pretty financially stable which helps,” Partin says. “We stay in good timber and I have the best crew around. They’re a super crew.” Partin offers some advice for young logging business owners trying to make it in the industry. “Be willing to work hard and invest in new equipment,” he says. “Make sure you keep your equipment up because it’s much easier to make payments than it is to make repairs in my opinion.” Partin’s wife is Terri, and they have three daughters. When the children were young, his work at the coal mines forced him to spend a lot of time away from his family. Today, he likes where his business is and doesn’t want to change a thing. Born and raised in the Bluegrass state, Partin is a member of the Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. When he’s not in the woods he enjoys deer hunting and fishing. He has been involved in the Log A Load For Kids program, which provides donations to the University of Kentucky Children’s HosSLT pital.

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Close To Home n Alabama logger Robert Mills works so close to his house, he can sometimes hear the engines.

This 2015 John Deere loader with CSI delimber is the only newer piece on the Mills crew equipment lineup.

By Jessica Johnson ABBEVILLE, Ala. obert S. (G-Man) Mills is a first generation logger who got ★ his start in pulpwood more than 55 years ago with a pick up truck and a chain saw. But, as he says, when you find something you love that can provide a good living for your family, you stick with it. “I went from that,” he says, “to this.” He gestures toward a 2015 John Deere 437D loader being operated by his son, Robert (Teeter), while his other son Homer talks with forester Charles Brasington with Panhandle Forestry about the tract Mills Timber Harvesting, Inc.’s crew is finishing up. Mills is the kind of older logger who has seen it all and done most of it. So now, as son Homer takes more and more control of the logging crew, he is able to relax a bit. Often, as contractors for Panhandle Forestry located in the rich wood basket of extreme southeast Alabama, the crew is working no more than a handful of miles from Mills’ home. That proximity is something that has greatly helped the family after Mills received a quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2016. At that time Mills also suffered a stroke. An affable businessman, Mills says

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of the ordeal, “The bad thing about it was I couldn’t count money.” The clan’s patriarch thinks about the business all the time, Homer says, even during his recovery in the hospital following surgery. Following the surgery, Mills received lots of medicine to let him heal and keep comfortable; Homer remembers that kept him pretty sleepy—but he didn’t lose his sense of humor. “He woke up when he heard me walk in, and the first thing he asked me when he opened his eyes was, ‘How many loads you get this week?’ and then he went right back to sleep.” Homer says after that conversation, he knew

his dad was going to be all right. And all right he was. Mills says it took him six months of rehabilitation, but he’s pretty much back with everything in working order. “I’m doing well,” he says, though he does note that he isn’t out in the woods as much as he used to be. Homer says he and Teeter stay pretty busy all the time, no matter if their father is out on the landing or not: “He keeps us pretty stretched out.” The crew has come a long way from when Mills first got his start. Now, Homer and Teeter, with two others, can push out anywhere from 30 to 40 loads a week, limited mainly

by quotas. Homer, who usually operates the cutter, says he prefers to clear-cut, citing the ease with which the crew can produce on those types of tracts. “Quotas are slowing everyone down,” Homer says in frustration. “It is starting to pick up but it was a slow few months.” Mills is a major supplier of M.C. Dixon in Eufaula, Ala., Rex Lumber in Graceville, Fla., and Georgia-Pacific in Cedar Springs, Ga. The crew also supplies WestRock in Abbeville—though lately, quota there has been so tight, they don’t even consider it a main market anymore. “We try not to get too far from 50

Sons Homer, left, and Robert C. (Teeter), right, work closely with their father, Robert S. Mills, center.

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miles,” Panhandle’s Brasington says. Homer estimates the haul radius is can range anywhere from 15-70 miles. Occasionally, the crew will cut wood too big for Rex Lumber to take, and it will be hauled elsewhere. Lately, though, while the crew focuses on a 284-acre salvage job of buginfested wood, Rex has been able to take even some of the bigger saw timber. On the current tract, a mixture of natural regenerated and planted trees, Homer is clear-cutting the pine, leaving the hardwood in order to wipe out the bugs. “The bugs really did some work in here last summer,” he laughs.

Iron Registry Mills Timber Harvesting uses a mix of old and new equipment. The logger doesn’t like having too many pieces with payments on them, especially in a time when quotas have the crew under a pinch. The crew operates one skidder, one cutter and one loader, with two company trucks. Homer acts as the fill-in man, running the cutter mostly, but also the loader and one of the trucks. Teeter usually drives the other truck, but also is very comfortable on the loader. Mills has some pieces with some age, like his cutter, a 1998 Timberjack 840 cutter, as well as a 2005 Tigercat 620C skidder. Homer says between him and his father, the old equipment doesn’t cause any trouble, as they are both mechanically inclined and can fix pretty much any issue that arises. The newest piece the crew has is a 2015 John Deere 437D loader with a CSI PTD-264 Ultra four-knife pull through delimber, purchased from Flint Equipment in Dothan, Ala. Homer says the key to keeping forestry equipment working is constantly staying on top of maintenance. “If you don’t, you’re going to run into more problems,” he warns, and problems mean downtime— something the small but mighty crew works hard to avoid. Their routine: oil is changed in the machines every three months, filters are blown out weekly in the summer and machines are greased daily. Mills has a shop located at his home where he and Homer will perform most major maintenance tasks, and sometimes preventative maintenance as well. Since the crew usually is working within a close radius to the Abbeville home base, it can be convenient to haul machines into the shop for maintenance, but not always. “Sometimes you just have to work on it where you work on it,” he adds. Homer and Robert prefer to work on everything themselves, handling most, if not all mechanical problems to save money and time. If it is

Routine maintenance has kept this '98 Timberjack 840 cutter in regular running order.

something they can’t handle, they call on Flint to help. Mills leans heavily on Flint for support products (parts, filters, the occasional maintenance job) for both the new loader and the Timberjack. “They do well by us,” he says, noting that one technician lives in Abbeville and will often run parts on his way from the dealership back home at night. “It saves us a trip to Dothan in the middle of the day or at night, (so) it definitely helps,” Homer adds. Home Oil Co. in Dothan, provides all oil and grease via twice a month delivery. On his property near the shop, Mills keeps an old school bus he’s converted into a storehouse, which houses parts, filters, grease and oil drums. Home Oil delivers to the bus. Georgia’s Whatley Oil in Cuthbert delivers fuel for the inwoods equipment.

Trucking Mills uses a mixture of company and contract drivers, depending on the week and haul distance. Both Teeter and Homer can drive over the

SLT SNAPSHOT Mills Timber Harvesting Inc. Abbeville, Ala. Founded: 1994 Owner(s): Robert S. Mills No. Crews: One Employees: Six Equipment: One skidder, one cutter, one loader Trucks/Trailers: Four trucks, six trailers Production: 30-40 loads per week Average Haul Distance: no more than 70 miles, usually between 15-30 miles Tidbit: Robert Mills has eight children; his son Homer, who acts as crew foreman, lives less than 400 yards from his parents in Abbeville.

Lately the crew has been working on a large salvage job of mixed pine and hardwood.

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road, and the company does keep a dedicated truck driver, who in a pinch can also load. Teeter says, “We do what needs to be done to get it done.” Mills owns four trucks, but only keeps two moving at a time. The fleet includes two Internationals, a Kenworth and a Freightliner, and six trailers, five Pitts and one shop built. Brasington will tell Homer and Robert what each mills quota is, and then between Homer and Robert the contract and company haulers will get it done. Homer says right now the biggest

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challenge with trucking is the wood itself. “The thing about it, with this dead wood, you load the truck and you think you have a good load and you get to the mill and you’ve got half a load. It looks like a load, but it doesn’t weigh anything.” One week the crew lost a load and a half out of 20 loads because of the deceptive weight, and then another week on 11 loads, they lost a load and a half because of it. The mills get frustrated by the lack of weight, and it’s extremely frustrating for whoever is loading the trailers, because the

dead wood looks and feels so similar to live wood. But with a predominately dead stand, it’s difficult to get enough live wood mixed in. All truck maintenance is handled at the shop on Mills’ property by the father/son duo, usually at night and on the weekend. Truck parts are sourced from NAPA and kept on the school bus. Over the road fuel is purchased at one of three truck stops within the 50-mile haul radius, but predominately, the trucks fuel up at JP’s General Store and AW Herndon Oil Co. both in Abbeville.

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Safety, Bookwork “Most of them have harder heads than these hats,” Mills quips of the crew, knocking on his hardhat. Even so, he maintains that safety meetings are formally held monthly and the crew pays close attention to daily goings on in order to stay as safe as possible. Homer says he takes safety a bit further than some might, holding safety meetings “all the time.” He explains, “When we see something stupid we shut it down and talk about it immediately.” The most important thing about Mills Timber Harvesting is that everyone goes home how they came to work, he reiterates. “Safety is critical,” he asserts, then laughs as he adds, “The second most important thing is making sure the boss man has some money. You don’t want to catch him when we have a bad week.” Mills’ daughter, Mamie R. Kincey, runs the office for Mills Timber Harvesting, which was incorporated in 1994. Conscious about the budding business, Mills decided to incorporate in 1994 after wrestling with trying to get money for the business separate from personal money under the same accounting. He explains, “The money was coming in like it was all mine, but most of the money belongs to the equipment and maintenance.” Now, Mills does not have to worry about that. Mamie runs a tight ship when it comes to the Mills Timber Harvesting office work. Mills has been cutting with one of Pandhandle Forestry’s principals, Barry McGaughey, for over 20 years, and enjoys a comfortable relationship with Panhandle Forestry as a strong producer in the southeast Alabama area. Mamie, who works full time at WestRock in Cottonton running a Kamyr digester, as crew leader, does all tickets by herself, though her father says he’s been trying to get someone to assist her. “She doesn’t want that, she likes to handle it herself,” he explains. Her brother Homer teases, “She’s always driving around with a phone mashed up to her ear.” Mamie keeps a watchful eye on her father and brothers, so she laughs off the tease. The family definitely enjoys being together, and it’s obvious the camaraderie keeps them going. They enjoy each other, and their jobs. Homer, who says he’s been unofficially on the crew since he was able to pick up a saw and start working, loves being outside. “I love what I am doing. I can do what I want. This is it for me. I am not going anywhere or doing anySLT thing else.”

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Wide Reach ■ Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment has established itself as an important presence in its region. By David Abbott SHERIDAN, Ark. he past decade has been one of change and ★ growth for Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment Co., Inc. Located down a winding wooded path off of Highway 167 in Grant County, the repair shop opened for business in 1984, founded by Buddy and Dianne Crouse. It originated as the company shop for Crouse Logging, Buddy’s day job since 1966. He had the shop for handling repairs and maintenance on his own trucks. By the mid ’80s he had started a side business taking on truck/trailer repair jobs for other loggers. He already had two mechanics, so it was a way to make some money back from the shop instead of using it only to support his logging crew. The shop began its evolution into something more soon enough, seizing opportunities as they emerged. “We ran Mack trucks and I knew that Mack was looking for a parts dealer in this area,” Buddy, now 71, recalls. So, starting in ’84, Crouse Truck Parts took on that role for many years. In the early ’90s Crouse started selling Magnolia trailers, later switching to Pitts trailers and adding Vulcan onboard scales to the offerings. After that growth, for a while, it seemed there wasn’t much of anywhere else for it to go. All the big manufacturers already had dealer reps in the territory. “There for a few years we were pretty flat,” according to Buddy’s son Dean, 47, who now co-owns and runs the company with his dad. “The truck parts business wasn’t really growing.” That plateau status changed in May 2006 when Wilson Equipment, the previous Barko dealer in the area, went out of business. “Dad had enough forethought to say hey, we need to look into that, so we pursued it,” Dean says. Soon, Crouse took over the territory for Barko. “I think Barko was out of business in Arkansas for about three days, from the time Wilson went out till we picked it up.” Along with Barko, Crouse picked up CSI pullthrough delimbers and Rotobec grapples. In 2015, Crouse starting selling South-

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Buddy Crouse and his wife Dianne started the company as a Mack Truck parts dealer in 1984.

star harvester/processor heads, debuting the line at the In Woods Expo in Hot Springs that summer.

Business From its single location in Sheridan, Crouse’s territory covers all of

Arkansas and seven parishes in northern Louisiana. The shop and adjacent office serve as home base for the dealership as well as for several other businesses the Crouse family owns. “We run it all out of here,” Dean says. Buddy says that Dean pretty well

The company covers its territory in Arkansas and Louisiana from a single shop/office in Sheridan.

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runs the business these days. “I never was one for the paper end of things,” the senior Crouse admits. “My wife took care of it until Dean came along.” Helping him run the office is Nita Camp, who is such an integral part of the operation that Dean refers to her as “our right and left hand woman.” In terms of new equipment sales, over the course of a year the dealer averages two loaders a month. Despite being a Barko dealer, Crouse does not sell Barko-owned Conehead chippers. Dean says there is simply not enough market for the products in Arkansas these days. According to the owners, flexibility is key to the success and stability of the business. When logging gets slow, Dean and Buddy instruct the Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment salesmen to look in other directions.

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For instance, Crouse has sold a handful of Barko industrial mulchers to customers in Louisiana. And Barko’s material handling line has brought in some non-forestry business. These larger, self-propelled loaders have magnets and longer booms than log loaders—up to a 51 ft. boom as opposed to a standard 32 ft. forestry boom. At one time, Dean says, the material handling side represented 15% of Crouse’s business, although that has diminished some in recent years. Crouse also sells some electric loaders to a local company, which in turn exports the machines to customers abroad.

Service Eddie Funderburg is the primary parts/service man, with Shannon Fetcher helping behind the parts counter. Funderburg came over from Wilson in ’06, and has 35 years of experience working on Barko machines. “He knows what it takes for the customer to get back up and going,” Dean says. Incidentally, Eddie is the brother of Doug Funderburg, a truck driver with Sheridanbased logging company Pulpwood Producers; that company was featured in the June 2017 issue of Southern Loggin’ Times. Three other mechanics work alongside Funderburg, each with his own service truck to tackle repair jobs in the field for Crouse customers. Dean says they do more repair jobs in the woods than in the shop. Dean admits that the long distance from Sheridan to Louisiana and some parts of Arkansas has been a concern for some newer customers and potential customers. He credits his service team with making it possible for Crouse to cover such a large territory. “If we didn’t have the mechanics that would step up to the plate, we couldn’t do it. I have some guys who don’t mind working late evenings and will do whatever it takes to get our cus-

Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment became Barko's Arkansas dealer in 2006.

The shop has a fleet of service trucks to handle customer repair jobs in the woods.

tomers going,” Dean says. “I have had them leave at 4 in the afternoon to go to Louisiana to get a guy going, over 100 miles one way. They are dedicated. They don’t mind going the extra mile when you call on them.” He points out that

those customers have come back to buy more machines, so the mechanics must be getting the job done. The shop also employs another mechanic who works exclusively on Crouse’s company logging machines (the family still fields two

crews of its own, separate from the dealership).

Financing Challenge One of the biggest challenges for Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment,

SLT SNAPSHOT Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment Co. Inc. Sheridan, Ark. Email: dean@crousetruckparts.com Founded: 1984 Owner(s): Buddy and Dean Crouse Brands Carried: Barko loaders, CSI delimbers, Rotobec grapples, Pitts trailers, Vulcan scales, Southstar heads Tidbit: Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment grew out of the family logging business, which started in 1966.

Buddy Crouse, left, and his son Dean, right, have a hands-on approach.

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Mechanic David Camp has been with Crouse for 20 years.

Dean Crouse, left, talks to a potential customer.

according to Dean, is the financing that some of his competitors can offer. In terms of performance, he believes the machines he sells stack up well against any other brands. “Our machines can perform right along with them. I tell my two salesmen that we can sell the machine, but it isn’t sold until you get it financed.” Crouse has worked with a local bank as well as some outside sources to obtain financing for customers. Dean says the situation has improved in recent years. “It used to be that you had to be an A+ customer, but we have found some banks that are more open to taking the questionable ones.” Roughly half of Crouse’s customers have their own established line of credit with their own banks and can get financed on their own. A few customers, Dean says, have found banks that allow them to make payments based on their production month to month. “They have to supply their bank with how many tons they haul that month so if they’re not working, then they don’t owe,” he explains. “You owe more if you haul more, but if you haul none you owe none that month. You pay more for a good month than if it was a regular note, but the bank takes a risk on making it up when things are roll-

sion of a machine, voluntarily, but he does not repossess; if it comes to that, it falls to the bank or financing company. “I truly believe that there are some equipment dealers who are taking on some recourse, but we will never do it,” Dean says. “Some

The Crouse clan also runs a nearby specialty sawmill, Chapel Creek Lumber.

ing.” He stresses that to his knowledge, these arrangements have only been made available to individuals who already have an established relationship with the bank. On occasion he has had customers ask him to take back posses-

The mill uses a Morbark to handle hardwood residuals.

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of the big (dealers) are, especially,” Buddy agrees.

Stronger Markets Like most others, Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment experienced a

Working in the office, Nita Camp is a vital member of the team.

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recession starting in 2008, but had enjoyed a recovery over the last several 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 in 2016, and 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.” And of course everything is connected; if mills aren’t selling as much then

they aren’t buying as much fiber, so loggers aren’t hauling as much, so they aren’t buying as much equipment. Sawmills, he says, have been adding second shifts again. That’s good for loggers on 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 material significantly cheaper than they can buy roundwood to chip at the mill. Also, he points out, two mills in El Dorado and Glen-

wood are expected to come online soon, meaning even more volume of pulp chips on the market. Dean is optimistic for a turnaround, 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 help loggers when it becomes fully operational later this year. He also points to Chinese company Sun Paper in Arkadelphia, though he acknowledges it is a few years from opening.

Two Hats Because the Crouse family function as both loggers and equipment dealers, they understand firsthand the experiences and needs of their customers. Not all of the customers, however, necessarily view that as a positive; some see it as buying machines from a competitor. “As a logger and equipment dealer, I get the feeling that some of them appreciate the fact that when you go the extra mile to get them up and going, you know what it takes,” Dean says. “But some resent it. As a dealer, they think we might know more about their business, their financial information, than maybe we should. Some of them will fax through their financial information, so they look at it both ways.” He does what he can to minimize this concern and assures all his customers that he only gets what information he needs to help them secure financing and when the deal is done he shreds it all. Crouse Logging runs two crews, kept totally separate from the dealership. The logging company even has to get financed when buying machines from Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment, just like any other customer. The Crouse family also owns a third business: Chapel Creek Lumber Co., Inc., a specialty cut mill in Sheridan, about two miles from the company office. It cuts railroad ties, timbers, trusses and mats. Supply comes from the two Crouse logging crews as well as other local loggers. The mill employs 8. Of the three businesses, Dean and Buddy agree that the dealership is the most profitable, if only because of its flexibility when wood markets are on a down swing. However, when it comes to purely enjoying the work, father and son also agree they prefer logging over anything else. “I think I would rather work in the woods, if times were like they were 15 years ago,” Dean says. “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.” Likewise, Buddy admits that he likes working in the woods better than in the office, but that even logging isn’t what it used to be. “You better be looking way down the road all the time,” he SLT cautions. Note: a separate article focused on Crouse Logging and Chapel Creek Lumber Co. ran in the July 2017 issue of Southern Loggin’ Times.

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Tigercat Turns 25

The big crowd was corralled in front of the Tigercat machines on display.

tarting as a small company with a single prototype and no distribution, Tigercat has come a long way since the Canadian corporation was officially incorporated in January of 1992. This year is the silver anniversary of the Brantford, Ontario-based entity. The design of the first prototype machine, known as the 726 drive-totree feller-buncher, started in 1991. “We began designing the 726 in the fall of 1991 with a goal to have it completed and ready to exhibit at a live, in-woods show in Quitman, Georgia in April 1992. Although lacking some finishing touches, such as finding a location for the batteries, which we had temporarily secured with bungee cords under the engine, we loaded it on a truck and set out for the southeast USA,” recalls Tigercat President Tony Iarocci. Don Snively, now district manag-

er for the southern U.S., toured the prototype machine around the country for 40 days until a logger took a leap of faith and it found a home at Williston Timber in north Florida. “The 726 established a foundation for the company to develop from and allowed Tigercat to gain respect in the marketplace,” Iarocci adds. To commemorate its silver anniversary, Tigercat took in trade the prototype machine from Williston Timber so it could return home, be restored and live on for decades to come.

The Celebration The unveiling of the rebuilt prototype 726 took place on June 17 at Tigercat’s 25-year party at Bingemans Conference Center in Kitchener, Ontario, where more than 1,500 people—most of them

The 726 prototype in action at 1992 Georgia demo.

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employees and their families— attended to help celebrate the special milestone. Attending were customers and dealers from all over of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Brazil, Chile and the U.S. and Canada. The evening started out with guests taking group photos in front of the rebuilt prototype and with Eddie Hodge of Williston Timber giving the original 726 keys over to CEO Ken MacDonald and Iarocci. “I am happy to see the machine returning home where it belongs,” stated Hodge. There was an entire room dedicated as the “Tigercat Gallery,” which showcased a slide show of archived photos of the first machines, the first field visits, and the first trade shows. The gallery displayed framed articles that rep-

resented milestone events throughout the 25-year history. Photos of the first cut-to-length machine, a 1018 forwarder, and the first track machine, an 853 track fellerbuncher, were suspended from the ceiling to showcase how far the product line has come from the original 726 model. The gallery was the perfect spot for many to share memories and laugh about the good old days. After guests mingled and reminisced, dinner started with customer Bobby Goodson of South Carolina blessing the meal. Dinner included a delicious, well-organized buffet with tables decorated Tigercat-style with die cast machine models, decorative wood slices and ferns. Iarocci started off the speeches for the night, touching on how the company came to be and some key memories from the early days. He

The Williston Timber clan with the prototype 726 on its way back home

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Communications manager Paul Iarocci introduced the 25th anniversary movie, 25, a Film by Tigercat. The film brought laughter and tears, and finished with the crowd standing and applauding approval. MacDonald closed the night with a very emotional speech in which he thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication. A special thank you was given to his family, while his proud father watched from the front row. “It was a first-class event, nothing less than expected from Tigercat,” was a common remark from the crowd. Tigercat’s first customers, Eddie Hodge, left, and Robert Clary with family members

thanked dealers and employees for all their support and hard work, followed by a big thank you to customers. He singled out the first two customers that took the leap of faith on Tigercat: Williston Timber of north Florida and Clary Logging of Cordele, Georgia, and giving an honorable mention to the late Johnny Hodge and Tougy Clary. Swamp Loggers star Goodson brought his wife Lori. Goodson’s brother, Mike, and wife Cathy were in attendance, along with Bobby’s son Justin and his wife Bethany. Goodson shared his

experiences as a logger, talking about his first Tigercat machine and how Tigercat played a role in his life over the years. Yuriy and Yana Torokhov, owners of Russian dealer Forestry Machines, surprised Tigercat with a traditional Russian group that played songs over video to honor Tigercat’s milestone. International product support representative Gary Olsen, along with Iarocci and MacDonald, were brought on stage and each was given a traditional Russian instrument, the balalaika, as a thoughtful and humorous gift.

CEO Ken MacDonald

Growth, Success MacDonald and Iarocci stressed that design and manufacturing excellence, dedication to the customer, vision, perseverance and teamwork have advanced Tigercat to where it is today. “I am overjoyed that the world record holders for harvesting and extraction, and almost all of the top loggers and forestry companies, already use our equipment. I find the greatest pleasure in working with them to create the optimal harvesting solutions and seeing them succeed,” MacDonald said.

President Tony Iarocci

Now offering over 50 different machine models, and having produced 19,000 machines and counting, Tigercat has grown into a global success story by helping its customers to succeed. With an employee count of 1,400 and over 150 independent dealer locations worldwide, Tigercat has accomplished what many thought to be unimaginSLT able in just 25 years.

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The Arab & The Jew

French President Charles DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. A fleeing Taliban terrorist, desperate for water, DeGaulle said he wanted all U.S. military out was plodding through the Afghan desert when he of France as soon as possible. thought he saw a oasis far off in the distance. Rusk responded, “Does that include those who Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the are buried here?” oasis-looking mirage, only to find a very frail, litDeGaulle did not respond. tle, old Jewish man standing at a small makeshift You could have heard a pin drop. l When in England, at a fairly large conferdisplay rack, selling neckties. ence, Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked The Taliban terrorist asked, “Do you have by the Archbishop of Canterbury if the U.S. water?” plans for Iraq were just an example of ‘empire The Jewish man replied, “I have no water. building’ by President George W. Bush. Would you like to buy a tie? They are only $5.” He answered, “Over the years, the United The Taliban shouted hysterically, “Idiot infiStates has sent many of its fine young men and del! I do not need such an overpriced western women into great peril to fight for freedom adornment. I spit on your ties. I need water!” beyond our borders. The only amount of land we “Sorry, I have none; just ties, pure silk, and have ever asked for in return is enough to bury only $5,” said the merchant. those that did not return.” “Pahh! A curse on your ties,” shouted the You could have heard a pin drop. Arab. “I should wrap one around your scrawny l There was a conference in France at which a little neck and choke the life out of you, but I When short pulpwood was king back in the ’50s and ’60s, along number of international engineers were taking must conserve my energy and find water!” the South Atlantic Coast barge landings were established in part, including French and American. During a “Okay,” said the little old Jewish man. “It does some places along the Intercoastal Waterway to hasten the fiber break, one of the French engineers came back not matter that you do not want to buy a tie from flow from outlying locations to certain pulp and paper mills. into the room saying, “Have you heard the latest me or that you hate me, threaten my life and call Bundles were banded for easier handling by a gantry crane. dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an airme infidel. I will show you that I am bigger than craft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to any of that. If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you do, bomb them?” will find a wonderful restaurant. It has the finest food and all the ice-cold A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: “Our carriers have three water you need. Go in peace!” hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear Cursing him again, the desperate Taliban staggered away over the hill. powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they Several hours later, he crawled back, almost dead and gasped, “They won’t let have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day; me in without a tie!” they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day; and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have 11 such ships. How many A father walks into a restaurant with his young son. He gives the young does France have?” boy three nickels to play with to keep him occupied. You could have heard a pin drop. l A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Suddenly, the boy starts choking and turns blue in the face. The father realAdmirals from the navies of the U.S. , England, Canada, Australia and izes the boy has swallowed the nickels and starts slapping him on the back. France. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group The boy coughs up two coins but keeps choking. The father panics and shouts of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. for help. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks, but a A well-dressed, attractive, and serious looking woman in a blue business French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many suit is sitting at the coffee bar reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coflanguages, Americans typically learn only English. He then asked, “Why is it fee. that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speakAt the sound of the commotion, she looks up, puts her coffee cup down, ing French?” neatly folds the newspaper and places it on the counter, gets up from her seat Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, “Maybe it’s because the and makes her way, unhurried, across the restaurant. Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to Reaching the boy, the woman carefully drops his pants; takes hold of the speak German.” boy’s testicles and starts to squeeze and twist, gently at first and then ever so You could have heard a pin drop. firmly. l Years ago, Robert Whiting, 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French cusAfter a few seconds, the boy convulses violently and coughs up the last toms he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carryon. nickel, which the woman deftly catches in her free hand. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked Releasing her grip, the woman hands the nickel to the father and walks sarcastically. back to her seat at the coffee bar without saying a word. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. As soon as he is sure that his son has suffered no ill effects, the father rush“Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” es over to the woman and starts thanking her, saying, “I’ve never seen anyThe American said, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” body do anything like that before. Are you a doctor?” “Impossible,” the officer snorted. “Americans always have to show their “No,” the woman replied, “I’m with the IRS.” passports on arrival in France!” The old American gave the Frenchman a long, hard look. Then, he quietly explained, ‘Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to Here is a refresher on how some of our former patriots handled negative help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchman to show a passcomments about our great country. port to.” l JFK’s Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the ’60s when You could have heard a pin drop.

Shortwood Barge Landing

Woman Comes To Child’s Aid

Classic Comebacks

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Rowland Remains Mat Logging Specialist By Dan Shell eveloping a “reputation as a specialist” as the headline on page 8 said back in April 1997, Jim Rowland and his company Rowland Timber Co. had worked for years in and around the Louisiana lowlands from his base in Columbia, La. Twenty years ago, SLT was in town to cover Rowland’s wet ground operation that relied heavily on two Rolligon 6x6 RA-30 treelength forwarders—each sporting 10(!) 72 in. tall by 68 in. wide specialized soft ground Rolligon tires. Powered by 250 HP Cat diesels and featuring 60,000 lb. load capacity and load length up to 60 ft., with Funk 8 forward-4 reverse transmission, the Rolligons were “definitely

not lacking in power,” Rowland said in a massive understatement. After making the big equipment configuration change in 1995, Rowland was using the huge forwarders along with a Timbco T445 cutter with extra-wide Cat undercarriage and a Prentice 410 tracked loader along with a tracked Timberline delimber. Cat 525 skidders would move logs to the main skid mat built by the Timbco followed by the Timberline, which delimbed in front of itself and walked on the limbs. The 410 would build the massive payloads on the Rolligon machines, which routinely travelled a mile or more—efficiently—to the landing. The Timberline purchase also qualified Rowland’s company as fully

mechanized, which allowed a 50% drop in insurance and liability costs. The article noted that daughter Alicia was a stickler on equipment costs and overall operating costs.

Update When SLT called 20 years later to ask where he was now, Rowland answered his cell phone from the cab of a loader, where he was filling in, still operating Rowland Timber Co. much the same as 20 years ago. He said it was interesting that SLT had called, considering he had recently been thinking about his logging “anniversary” of June 2: “I realized I had been in logging 46 years as of the second day of June,”

Rowland on the cover in April 1997

Rowland says, remembering when he started out in 1971 as a contract log trucker before buying his first set of equipment several years later. The logging company itself is similar to what it had been two decades ago, but the Rolligons are gone. Rowland says he had to get rid of the massive machines because while he still believes they are the most productive and efficient way to log soft and wet ground, the system wasn’t ➤ 54

Big payload, light footprint Rolligon forwarders drew SLT to Jim Rowland’s operation 20 years ago. While the crew has changed, wife Diana and daughter Alicia remain involved.

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LOGGING LIFE AT HOME Light, Loggers, And Caretakers 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 home-schooling 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

ou are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid-

“Y den. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”(Matthew 5:14-15) Right next to her lift chair is the “center table” of her childhood. The table was literally put in the center of the room at night, and when the kerosene lantern was placed there, all in the house could see the light. That was about nine decades ago. Today, Travis’ mother is 96, and while she still lives in her house, she needs quite a bit of help. Sweet Thelma had four children. Lary and Carol were born first, and 13 years later came Travis and Keith, who operate and own Smith Brothers Logging. This month I just wanted to share a bit of real life, and let the light of compassion warm your heart and encourage you, because just judging from the average age of loggers across America today, I figure lots of you are in the same place that we are. One evening Carol’s husband invited all her siblings and their spouses to supper. Brother-in-law wanted us all together when he told us that Carol had stage four bile duct cancer. We were speechless, and full of compassion. It was as if the words were not really sinking in. Carol is the strong one. She is Travis and Keith’s second mother and all our kids’ second grandmother. Her place in our family is definitely one of respect and leadership. She has cared for her mother in some way every day, and coordinated her round the clock care. We never even thought of her getting sick. After a moment or two of heavy-hearted silence, we all assured Carol and Junior that we would take care of Mama. It was Junior’s job to take

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care of Carol and Carol only. And it was Carol’s job to rest, drink lots of fluids, and fight. Keith’s wife, and my sister, Jenny, stepped up and devised a revamped schedule with the three brothers and designed a meal-serving plan. As a BSN, her help was invaluable on the medical side. She has been there for Carol and for grandmother in many ways and never mentions it. She wanted someone to be with grandmother a few hours every day. Carol’s presence can never be replaced. Someone needed to be the one who was consistently there day in and day out, for conversation and companionship and safety. Nothing is a coincidence with God, right? Our daughter, Leah-Joy, has been visiting her grandmother once a week for years. She knows her and her ways very well. Leah-Joy has just graduated from Shorter University and is opening Sparrow Pottery, her own pottery studio, next to our house. When Jenny and Keith said they were looking for someone to sit with grandmother in the mornings, Leah-Joy wanted that job. After a conference with Travis that lasted about five seconds, Keith said that Smith Brothers Logging would pay Leah-Joy’s wages. Like so many other folks, Travis and Kieth work around nine or more hours a day, come home to fuel up, get on the phone, pay bills, fix things, get parts, and on and on...and two or three nights a week, head to their mama’s house to talk with her through the evening hours and then sleep there for her safety and well-being. She keeps up the best she can with where they are cutting and when she is well she loves to keep track of the weather and talk about how many loads they got. She’s still their mama, and they respect and love her, saying “yes ma’am,” even when she can’t remember their name. They leave her house and head to the job, like it’s no big deal. It’s just life. They play with grandchildren every chance they get, help their kids all they can, and keep up their own houses. Keith and Travis are loved, dearly, by each of their kids. There may not be all the time in the world for dates and vacations these days, but these loggers try hard to keep life together and show Jenny and me that they love us and care for us. I think they are doing one great job at it. Our family pulled together when a storm came. We didn’t want to fall apart. We are determined to face the uncertain future together, doing whatever needs to be done for those we love who need our help. That’s the silver lining to all this pain—the beauty of imperfect people loving each other the best way we know how, and working for the good of those who need us, and trusting God for tomorrow. So, when fear wants to take my peace of mind, when worry wants to take control of my thoughts, I remember, “Let your light shine” and the SLT darkness goes away.

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It: Safety Or More Railroad Profits? By Danny Dructor We value the opinion of professionals who harvest and haul the wood fiber necessary to accommodate the daily needs of the public, but Dructor sometimes we need to vent the frustrations we encounter when trying to help provide a safer working environment for the men and women in our industry. For the past 20 years—that’s right, 20 years—members of the American Loggers Council have been seeking Congressional support for allowing state legal weight tolerances on Interstate highways for safety reasons. This would often allow log trucks to avoid small towns and communities where stop signs, right and left turns, pedestrians, and even railroad crossings could be circumvented if those trucks, as well as other agricultural commodity haulers, were allowed

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on Interstates with state-legal weights. There are no windfall profits expected from such a move, nor would all routes to mills include the Interstate system. Here’s another thing: on half the miles on these short hauls the trucks would be empty, and data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) show there are fewer fatalities involving log trucks on Interstates than on all other roads. Yet railroad lobbyists continue to oppose the ALC proposal. A recent request to meet with some railroad representatives was turned down, and they are already lining up to try to prevent the proposed amendment to make exemptions that would allow these trucks to access the Interstate system. I hope their reasons are not based on suppressing competition for freight to maximize their profits. I expect to hear from them on just how unsafe it would be to allow these trucks on Interstate highways, even

though they are subject to all DOT inspections and CSA regulations that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Dept. of Transportation administer. What is their real motive, safety or profits? You decide. Dructor is Executive Vice President for the American Loggers Council, a 501 (c)(6) non- profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states. Visit amlog gers.com or phone 409-625-0206.

Exhibitor Interest High For Mid-Atlantic Event

Thirty and counting. As of midJuly, that’s the number of exhibitors that had signed up for the fourth biennial Mid-Atlantic Logging &

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Biomass Expo, set for September 15-16 near Laurinburg, NC. The companies included American Loggers Insurance, Bandit Industries, Big John Trailers, Carolina Freightliner, Gregory Poole, Carolina CAT, Caterpillar, Cutting Systems, CTR/ CRTS, CTS Cleaning Systems, Fecon, Forestry Mutual Insurance, Hatton-Brown Publishers, James River Equipment, John Deere, Morbark, John Woodie Enterprises, Barko, Olofsfors-EcoTracks, Pinnacle Trailers, Powerscreen Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern Agency Group, Bullock Bros. Equipment, Tigercat, Trelan Southeast, Diesel Laptops and Royal Oil Co. This number is expected to double by the time the family-friendly event begins. To download an exhibitor guide, visit malbexpo.com. To determine space availability, contact Jack Swanner, Show Manager, at 828421-8444. The show, founded in 2011 and held every other year, always draws more than 3,000, according to Swanner. It is sponsored by the Carolina Loggers Assn., North Carolina Forestry Assn., and Hatton-Brown Publishers.

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American Loggers Council To Meet In Natchez, Miss. A logging tour, educational sessions, auction, business meeting, ladies’ activities, awards presenta-

tions and more are on tap at the annual meeting of the American Loggers Council September 28-30

in Natchez, Miss. The logging tour on the 28th will be a visit to an island (accessed by barge) in the Mississippi River. Learning opportunities begin on

Friday with presentations by Wendy Farrand, who will address the hiring and retention of employees; and Jeremiah O’Donovan and Jimmie Locklear, who will update TEAM Safe Trucking’s progress and discuss its driver training template. Attorney Trey Wimbley will talk about what to do immediately following a truck accident; Joe Clark, affiliated with Forest2Market, will discuss the domestic and global outlook for timber products; and Mike Beardsley will discuss and demo an on-board equipment fire suppression system. Saturday will be given over to meetings of the ALC board and full membership, sponsor recognition, and awards. Ladies activities are planned for both Friday and Saturday. Prior to the ALC meeting, a semi-annual meeting of TEAM Safe Trucking will take place at the Grand Hotel. It will begin at 1 p.m. at the Grand Hotel in Natchez. The meeting is open to all interested parties. Visit teamsafetrucking.com. For ALC hotel and registration information, visit amloggers.com or call 409-625-0206.

First Southern Pine CLT Plant Announced The governor of Alabama and a diverse group of business and civic leaders gathered in Dothan, Ala. on June 28 to welcome International Beams (IB) and announce the construction of a state-of-theart facility to manufacture crosslaminated timber (CLT) and glue laminated beams (glulam) using southern pine lumber. The facility will be home to the company’s IB X-LAM USA label and the first site for CLT manufacturing in the Eastern U.S. Scheduled to begin production next spring, the facility will be constructed in an existing building south of Dothan in Houston County. Anticipated capital investment for the project will be $19.6 million and could create 60 full-time jobs on a two-shift operation. The company expects to expand to three shifts within a five-year period, potentially creating another 25 full-time positions. “IB’s decision to locate this innovative, technologically advanced manufacturing facility in Dothan sends a clear message to the world that Alabama is an ideal destination for investment and job creation,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “We look forward to helping IB find a sweet home in Alabama.” CLT consists of large engineered panels composed of multiple layers of softwood lumber. These panels 36

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are used in multi-story construction for both light commercial and multifamily residential applications. There are currently only two CLT manufacturers in the U.S., both in the Northwest (Oregon and Montana). The operation would be the first of its kind in the Eastern U.S. and the first to utilize southern pine lumber as its primary raw material. International Beams has been producing engineered wood products since 1995 and currently produces

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prefabricated I-joists and supplies laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and rimboard. IB is headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. with mills in Quebec and Ontario, Canada.

It’s Strike Two Against Canada A second U.S. Commerce Dept. ruling has gone against Canada this summer concerning softwood lum-

ber that Canada exports to the U.S. U.S. Commerce announced an affirmative preliminary determination in its antidumping duty (AD) investigation of softwood lumber from Canada. Commerce Dept. determined that exporters from Canada have sold softwood lumber into the U.S. at 4.59% to 7.72% less than fair value. These preliminary AD rates are in addition to the preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) rates that the Commerce Dept. recently assessed

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on softwood lumber from Canada. When combined, the applicable duty rates assessed range from 17% to 31%. Commerce Dept. has instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits on these assessments from the Canadian exporters; meanwhile Commerce Dept. will make final determinations later this year. The two Commerce Dept. investigations have stemmed from petitions filed on behalf of the Committee Overseeing Action for Lumber International Trade Investigations or Negotiations (COALITION), composed of U.S. companies. The petitioning U.S. companies include Collum’s Lumber Products, L.L.C. (SC); Hankins, Inc. (MS); Potlatch Corp. (WA); Rex Lumber Company (FL); Seneca Sawmill Company (OR); Sierra Pacific Industries (CA); Stimson Lumber Company (OR); Swanson Group (OR); Weyerhaeuser Company (WA); Carpenters Industrial Council (OR); Giustina Land and Timber Company (OR); and Sullivan Forestry Consultants, Inc. (GA). The countervailing duty investigation was in response to charges by the U.S. group that Canadian softwood lumber coming into the U.S. is subsidized, and that a penalty duty or fee is essential to offset it, otherwise differences between the U.S. (mostly private) and Canadian (mostly public) timber sales systems give Canadian producers an unfair cost advantage. The U.S. group alleged that Canadian provincial governments, which own the vast bulk of Canada’s timberlands, provide standing trees to Canadian producers for an administered fee that is far below

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the market value of the timber, as well as a number of other subsidies. West Fraser, Canfor and Tolko are the Canadian companies hardest hit by the duties.

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About half of total Canadian softwood lumber production is shipped to the U.S. market, and it accounts for approximately onethird of total softwood lumber con-

sumption in the U.S. In 2016, imports of softwood lumber from Canada were valued at an estimated $5.66 billion. “We applaud the Dept. of Commerce’s decision to take further action against Canada’s unfair trading practices and restore fair trade for U.S. lumber producers,” says U.S. Lumber Coalition spokesperson, Zoltan van Heyningen. “The 350,000 hard-working men and women in the U.S. lumber industry deserve a level playing field.” Unless the final determination is postponed, Commerce is scheduled to announce its final CVD determination in September. This final determination will be based on the verification of the information provided to the department for the preliminary ruling, comments by the parties and further analysis. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination of subsidization and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue a CVD order. In the immediate aftermath of the expiration of the 2006-2015 U.S.Canada Softwood Lumber Trade Agreement, Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S. surged. The previous agreement went into effect in 2006, when the Commerce Dept. dropped the collection of countervailing and dumping duties (as much as 27%) that had been ongoing for more than four years. The agreement allowed the Canadian government to charge an export tax on softwood lumber bound for the U.S. The agreement was established to last seven years and then allowed for a two-year renewal, which is what happened in 2015.

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Following the expiration of that agreement, as part of that agreement, a 12-month standstill period kicked in when no trade actions could be taken. That period expired late last year, and the U.S. COALITION eventually petitioned the Commerce Dept. The U.S.-Canada softwood lumber dispute goes back to at least the Great Depression, and really took off in the early 1980s, resulting in a series of petitions, rulings and agreements, the course of which in recent disputes has brought in the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Blount Extends Reach Of Carlton Products Blount International, Inc. announced new agreements with Hayward, Wallingford’s, Ahlborn Equipment, and Gardner-Dixie Sales to distribute Carlton saw chain. The agreements expand the reach of the Carlton brand deeper into the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeastern regions in addition to the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Ontario. Carlton Co. began in Milwaukie, Ore. in 1963, and was purchased by Blount International Inc. in 2008.

Roseburg To Build LVL Mill In SC Oregon-based Roseburg Forest Products will expand its operations in the Southeastern U.S. with construction of a new engineered wood products plant in Chester, SC. “This is an exciting strategic growth opportunity in a business that has done well for us,” Roseburg President and CEO Grady Mulbery says. “With the continued increase in housing starts in the Southeastern U.S., we see ongoing demand growth for engineered wood products in the region and elsewhere. We are grateful to state and local officials in Chester for their hard work and collaborative efforts to facilitate this project.” Groundbreaking on the manufacturing facility is expected in early 2018, with anticipated operation startup in mid-2019. Once completed, the plant could create 148 full-time jobs. “This new plant will be the most technologically advanced manufacturing facility of its kind in the world with the highest capacity continuous LVL (laminated veneer lumber) press in the world,” says Steve Killgore, Roseburg’s Senior Vice President of Solid Wood Business. “Expanding our manufacturing capacity in this way allows us to meet growing

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customer demand for a versatile product that combines the best of modern processing technology and structural capability.” Roseburg first established its engineered wood products business in 2001 and currently manufactures RFPI joists, RigidLam LVL and RigidRim rimboard at its plant in Riddle, Ore. A significant percentage of Roseburg’s engineered wood customers are located in the Southeastern por-

tion of the country. Roseburg did extensive research prior to choosing a location for the plant, with criteria including market demand, raw materials availability and cost, and business climate.

Enviva Looks Hard At Danville Site The Danville-Pittsylvania (Virginia) Regional Industrial Facility

Authority (RIFA) approved a purchase agreement with Enviva Development Holdings, LLC for a project of “regional significance,” most likely a wood pellet plant, in the Berry Hill Industrial Park in Pittsylvania County. The agreement is for a 168-acre tract of land. “As power producers increasingly turn to sustainable, renewable processed biomass fuel to reduce their carbon footprint, Enviva Development Holdings, LLC will

continue to look to great communities like the Danville / Pittsylvania County, Virginia area to become a part of the long-term critical supply chain infrastructure to fill those fuel supply needs,” comments K.C. Tripp, vice president of communications and public affairs, Enviva Development Holdings. “The action taken by the RIFA board is an important milestone that enables us to begin our due diligence process on the site and the opportunity.” Danville is located just above the North Carolina border, due west of two Enviva pellet plants. Enviva has also recently shown interest in sites in Lucedale, Miss. and Abbeville, Ala. Enviva is the largest producer of industrial wood pellets in the world, and ships its pellets to markets overseas (primarily Europe) that integrate the pellets into biomass power plants for the production of electricity.

Wallingford’s Is New Carlton Distributor Wallingford’s Inc. has been appointed as a Carlton harvester and slasher chain distributor to serve customers across North America. With its headquarters in Oakland, Me., Wallingford’s has distribution facilities in New Hampshire and Washington, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Ontario. Founded in 1975, Wallingford’s is one of the largest wholesale distributors of logging supplies in North America, serving nearly 3,000 OEM, distributors and dealers. John Wallingford, President of Wallingford’s Inc., states, “We are very excited with this new cooper-

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ation, as it unites two great brands, thus offering our customers one stop purchasing with incredible choices.” Carlton harvester saw chain has a Chamfer Chisel cutter for .404 pitch chain that features a threeedge cutting surface design for excellent performance and higher cutting speeds. This chain also boasts an advanced chrome-plating process, which yields maximum cutter sharpness that holds an edge in the most brutal conditions.

Visit wallingfords.com or call 800-323-3708

Crosby Equipment Is New Barko Dealer Barko Hydraulics, LLC has named Crosby Equipment Co. as its new dealer for logging and land clearing equipment in Georgia. “Crosby Equipment Co. is a great addition to our dealer network,” says Alecia McKay- Jones, dealer

development manager for Barko. “They have strong knowledge of the forest products industry and are well positioned to serve loggers in Georgia.” With locations in Douglas, Swainsboro and Macon, Crosby Equipment will handle sales and service of Barko loaders, industrial wheeled tractors, harvesters and feller-bunchers. The dealership was established in 2012 with a compact equipment focus and then expanded into construction and forestry.

“We’re happy to have an opportunity to bring Barko equipment to the forestry community in Georgia,” says Jerome Crosby, owner of Crosby Equipment. “Barko has a name with history and a good product. Our sales team also has many years of experience in the industry and plans to bring the best support to the product line.”

Doosan Adds Dealer In Mississippi Doosan Construction Equipment has expanded its dealer network with the addition of Bobcat of Jackson, a division of Equipment Inc. In addition to offering a full lineup of Bobcat compact equipment and attachments, Bobcat of Jackson now provides its customers in the Jackson area a range of Doosan equipment, including crawler excavators, wheel excavators, material handlers and wheel loaders. Equipment Inc. was established in 1951 and now has seven locations in four states—Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama. After a successful introduction of Doosan equipment at its Shreveport location, Equipment Inc. decided to also offer Doosan at Bobcat of Jackson. The dealership is located at 620 Highway 49 South, Richland, Mississippi, 39218; 601-948-3272; visit equipmentinc.com.

John King Chains Eyes North America John King Chains, based in the United Kingdom, is increasing its focus in the Northern America market. Although the company’s origins are in production of cast link chains in irons and steels, it has progressively expanded the product range to encompass chains of other constructions including welded steel chains, engineering class chains, forged fork link chains and engineering plastic (polymer) chains. Oliver Wadsworth will be leading the effort into the U.S., along with the assistance of his brother, William Wadsworth. Contact Oliver Wadsworth, ow@johnkingchains.com; visit johnkingchains.com.

USDA Supporting Longleaf Pines The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released a twoyear implementation strategy to 44

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help private landowners restore and protect 400,000 acres of longleaf pine forests in the Southeast “Together with the help of private landowners and conservation partners, we’ve made significant progress in reversing the decline of longleaf pine forests since 2010,” says NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan. “But we still have much more work to do, and this strategy serves as a roadmap for our work with landowners to keep accelerating the restoration of this critical ecosystem.” Longleaf pine forests once encompassed more than 90 million acres across the Southeast, but over the past two centuries, development, timbering and fire suppression have reduced the forested area by almost 97%. Because of the work of public-private partnerships, the amount of longleaf pine forests has grown from 3 million acres to nearly 5 million acres, reversing a century-long decline across the region. NRCS offers technical and financial assistance to landowners and is focusing on four main conservation actions: managing the over-growth of vegetation competing with longleaf pine; using prescribed fire to mimic natural processes that help longleaf pine thrive; planting new forests; and protecting existing forests through easements. The decline of longleaf pine forests has negatively impacted wildlife populations, including the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker and black pine snake. More than 30 animal species that are federally listed as endangered or threatened depend on these forests, and more species are considered to be at-risk.

they’re operating at 90-100%. Just two years ago, only 63% of mills operated at least at 80% capacity. Production among respondents is dominated by 1 in. lumber (51%) and furniture grade lumber (27%). A range of products account for the remainder: 2 in. lumber (6%), timbers (4%), pallets (4%) and other (8%). As to finding markets for mill byproducts, such as shavings, chips, and sawdust, it hasn’t been easy. Thirty-two percent say it’s very dif-

ficult right now, and 41% say it may be a little more difficult than normal. One explains, “With our byproducts going into wood pellets, having three consecutive warm winters and lower than normal heating oil prices, moving our byproducts has been difficult.” Another lumberman says, “Waste markets are tight, but we are fortunate to be in a location where chips and sawdust are not too difficult to sell.” While forecasts for lumber mar-

kets holds steady, 39% percent say they will have less downtime this year. Notes one whose mill is experiencing less downtime: “Product markets are generally better and log supply is constant.” Several respondents gave nods to improved maintenance programs helping reduce downtime. However, 18% expect more downtime this year. Many lumbermen point to pulpwood quotas and rain hurting their log supply, causing downtime unrelated to the actual mill machinery. ➤ 46

Hardwood Lumbermen Are Feeling Good The majority of U.S. hardwood lumber producer respondents to Timber Processing’s annual sawmill operations and capital expenditure survey still report things are looking up, though not as many are as exuberant about it as they were a year ago. Sixty percent of respondents forecast their lumber business situation for the remainder of 2017 and looking into 2018 as “good,” up from 39% in 2016, while 7% of respondents expect it to be “excellent,” down from 14% a year ago. One lumberman comments, “Business is steady, but very cautious.” This cautious but steady outlook is evident in projected production versus capacity. Seventy-two percent of those surveyed are projecting operations to be at 80% capacity or better for 2017, of which an impressive 41% say Southern Loggin’ Times

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FRA Honors C.K. Greene Earlier this year Virginia’s C.K. Greene, center, was recognized as the Forest Resources Assn.’s (FRA) 2017 Southeastern Region Outstanding Logger. FRA region chairman Barry Parrish, left, and Stihl’s Kent Hall, right, presented Greene with a plaque, chain saw gift certificate and $250 check. Greene, of Dolphin, owns Virginia Custom Thinning & Chipping LLC, which he founded in 2007. Very safety conscious, Greene is known for quality work, professionalism, high production and activism on behalf of the forest industry and his community.

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45 ➤ A central focus of the survey revolves around capital expenditure projects. One question asked how much they had invested since the beginning of 2016. Keeping in mind that a third of the responses are from small production mills, 31% of respondents are spending under $50,000. Broken down further: 7% are at $50,000-$100,000; 6% are at $100,000-$200,000; 10% are at $200,000-$300,000, and 3% are committing $300,000-$400,000 to capital projects. However, a combined 32% of lumbermen committed to $500,000 or more in capital projects. This represents a jump over 2016, which had only 26% of responding lumbermen spending $500,000 or more. Broken down further: 7% are at $500,000-$750,000; 10% are at $750,000- $1 million, another 7% at $1 million to $2 million and 6% are committing $2 million to $3 million to capital expenditure. Three percent of those responding say they have committed $8 to $10 million in capital projects since 2016. The survey provides a list of 42 machinery/systems categories and asks lumbermen to check all that have seen capital investment since the beginning of 2016. Log yard handling led the way with 26% of mills, followed closely by wheel loaders at 24%, maintenance and trucking both commanding 21% of mill investment. In addition to capital investment, the survey asked questions regarding the labor force within sawmills. Regarding, “hourly” labor, 51% of hardwood sawmillers say they are now experiencing a labor shortage. Many point to the lack of young people’s interest in working on the floor of a sawmill. Says one, “It seems like the younger generation doesn’t want responsibility.” The overwhelming majority of lumbermen, 71%, say it is more difficult than ever to fill hourly positions with quality workers.

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Deere L-Series Skidder Upgrade

Precision Husky Latest Chipper

John Deere has updated its full line of LSeries skidders. The L-Series now boasts bestin-class horsepower, a more impressive power-to-weight ratio, an improved engine after-treatment system, and new grapple and boom options. Most notable are the upgrades to the engines to increase horsepower. The 648L, 748L, 848L and 948L models offer the maximum horsepower for each size class, with the 300 HP 948L skidder boasting highest horsepower on the market. Enhancements to the 648L and 748L improve pulling power during skidding activities, and the 848L and 948L have better multifunctioning capabilities for increased handling performance. “Our L-Series machines were originally designed to set the bar for power and productivity—and in many ways they have,” says Brandon O’Neal, Global Product Marketing Manager, John Deere. “With this latest round of upgrades, we’re taking it even further with increases to power, reliability, efficiency and overall productivity of the machines.” The L-Series skidders now feature a simplified engine after-treatment system. Redundant temperature sensors have been removed, reducing harness complexity. The updated models now feature a single temperature module, simplifying troubleshooting. Harnesses have been rerouted, improving access and reliability, and have more secured points to reduce rubs. Additionally, the Diesel Particulate Filters regeneration interval levels have been increased from 50 to 100 hours, reducing fuel consumption. Another key improvement is an extended boom reach option. Designed for steep or uneven terrain, the longer booms increase lift height and improve rearward and downward reach. The new booms also reduce interference with the arch and fenders during turning and contact of tongs on tires and fenders when rotating the grapple. The L-Series skidders now offer 17.5 sq. ft. (1.63 square meter) grapple option for all dual function models. Ideal for a variety of skidding applications, the new grapple increases productivity in thinning or heavy load applications. Visit deere.com.

The latest Precision-built chippers include a 66 in., five-knife option, which allows the chipper disc to operate at a slower rate. This saves wear and tear and produces the most valuable chip quality. Through the message-based CAN bus platform, a remote operator can monitor infeed through the HD color control panel, monitor and adjust in real time. That’s like having an extra man in the crew. Precision Husky’s new 2366 chipper offers 25% more anvil contact area to prevent slapping and turning. This results in smoother slicing and more uniform chips, with less horsepower. The unit comes with a fully adjustable hydraulic system, which provides limitless control of the feed rate. The patented PT Tech HPTO (Hydraulic Power Take-Off) is a totally enclosed wet hydraulic clutch that requires no adjustment through its wear life. Precision Husky’s industry-leading XL-175 knuckleboom loader comes standard in the 2366 Precision whole tree chipper. These balanced, heavy-duty workhorses have central hydraulic pressure checks and are the largest available. With its 3-axle spring suspension, the Precision chipper is available in strengths of up to 1,200 HP. A new radio remote controlled track-driven chipper goes where the big rigs can’t. Visit precisionhusky.com.

Peterson New Drum Chipper

Barko B Series Loader Update Barko’s BSeries merchandising loader product line has been updated to offer several new service and safety features. New enhancements include relocated fuel filters, simplified electrical accessibility and component replacement, and better wire protection and routing. Additionally, a more robust hydraulic cylinder design adds durability. All B-Series loaders feature a pilot-operated hydraulic control system, in conjunction with IQAN electronic controls to provide a more natural feel for the operator. The system can be configured as necessary, and maintenance can be performed simply without a specialist. To conserve fuel, Barko’s efficient load sensing hydraulic system delivers power only when needed. Load sensing valves and pump deliver excellent metering by matching pressure and flow. Each loader is powered by a 173 HP Cummins Tier 4 Final diesel engine. Maximum lift capacities range from 38,820 lbs. for the 595B model to 22,820 lbs. for the 295B. The loaders’ wider, all-welded boom construction has a fabricated box type design that includes sweeping curves for added strength and increased fatigue resistance. Standard boom length is 32' for the 495B and 595B, and 30' for the 295B. Visit barko.com.

New Prentice Feller-Buncher

Peterson’s new 3310 Drum Chipper is powered by a 540 HP Caterpillar engine and has the capacity to handle logs up to 24" in diameter. The fully enclosed engine compartment keeps things clean, but is easily serviced with large access doors on both sides of the machine. The 3310’s transverse design allows for a much smaller operations deck, and the rotatable end load or top load spout design allows for machines to be loaded in a variety of positions, depending on the demands of the job site. Using the proven drum and knife design used on the larger 4300-series drum chippers, the 3310’s main components are robust and offer long life. The 3310 is available with a four-pocket drum for typical biomass chips, or an eight-pocket drum for microchipping applications. The chips exit the machine from an innovative auger system which feeds an accelerator to increase payloads. Visit petersoncorp.com. 48

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AUGUST 2017 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

Caterpillar Forest Products now offers the Prentice D Series wheel feller-buncher with two models, the 2570D and 2670D. The new machines, which meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emission standards, replace the C Series and are manufactured in LaGrange, Ga. “We have made key improvements to the electrical and hydraulic systems and drivetrain to provide greater durability and reliability,” says Matt McDonald, Caterpillar Wheel Feller Buncher Product Application Specialist. The Prentice 2570D is powered by a Cat 203 HP C7.1 ACERT engine

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY while the Prentice 2670D features a 241 HP version and a longer wheelbase. The D Series feller-buncher features the PowerDirect Plus system, which optimizes machine efficiency, performance and productivity. It monitors operator and attachment demand and delivers power where and when it is needed, allowing the operator to focus on performing timber harvesting tasks and controlling the machine. Caterpillar has enhanced PowerDirect Plus. The second generation system provides greater travel power and saw recovery, and advanced hydraulics provide fast multi-functioning and cycle times to further increase productivity. Other upgrades enhance the operator’s work station, including a new premium seat that is wider with more legroom for greater comfort. Adjustments to controls that can be made by the operator, such as steer speed and lift and tilt speed, are simplified to make them easier and more intuitive. The D Series can be equipped with any of three Prentice sawheads, the SC-57, SS-56, or the new SH-58. Visit caterpillar.com.

Logset Euca Harvester Head Logset offers the TH65 Euca harvester head for harvesting and debarking medium sized eucalyptus trees. It’s the third harvester head designed for eucalyptus in the TH series. The TH65 Euca weighs 1100 kg (2400 lbs) and can be mounted on a Logset 8H GT harvester or on track-based machines weighing 20-35 tons. Its feeding wheels and delimbing knives are equipped with parallel feed, which means that the eucalyptus stems are well centered in the harvester head. The stem maintains this position even moving through the harvester during debarking. During the development process one of the most important steps was producing an optimal debarking result during the first feeding. Another important quality was to make sure the harvester head is kept clean of bark so the work is not interrupted due to cleaning. Visit logset.com.

Tigercat Offers Track Mulcher Tigercat offers the 480B track mulcher and 4061 mulching head. The Tigercat 480B tackles the toughest terrain with ease and offers superior durability and high uptime for large-scale, time-sensitive right-of-way and site preparation projects. With a power rating of 411 kW (550 HP) at 1,800 RPM, the Tigercat FPT C13 Tier 4f engine offers quick load response, low operating costs and high power density, combined with excellent fuel economy. The new 4061 mulching head offers excellent durability and reliability in a package suited to the capabilities of the Tigercat 480 and M726 series mulchers. The 4061 is manufactured for robustness and quality. The housing features reinforced side covers and abrasion resistant skis. The housing is optimized with debris door cylinders mounted internally for protection and contains position references to aid in ski alignment. 50

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AUGUST 2017 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

The Tigercat designed tooth and holder system uses a taper lock interface that requires no torque wrenches, greatly reducing changeover time. The teeth are extremely durable with carbide tips and carbide inserts for increased life. Visit tigercat.com.

Bandit Compact Beast Grinder Bandit Industries Beast Model 2460XP is a compact, economical horizontal grinder for anyone looking to convert green waste, urban wood waste, sawmill residues, pallet waste and more into valuable products.This compact machine has all the advantages of its larger brothers, but in a more compact package. The 2460XP is easy to tow without any permits.Tree companies, sawmills, wood waste processors, and municipalities will love feeding the 2460XP and producing a high quality, value-added mulch, or a uniform fuel wood product. The Model 2640XP features an impressive cuttermill opening of 60 in. wide by 24 in. diameter. The 30-tooth configuration features Bandit’s patented saw-tooth style cutterbodies that will regulate the size of the bite that the tooth can take, so material is correctly sized on the first bite. And the larger screening area provides more room for material to exit the grinding chamber, improving production. The track-type infeed conveyor efficiently feeds material to the 60 in. wide by 24 in. diameter feed wheel yoke, the same size as the 3680XP. The downward-turning mill and powerful feed system ensure a smooth, controlled flow of material to the mill, maximizing production while adding to the uniformity of the finished product. Visit banditchippers.com.

Morbark Wood Hog Horizontal Grinder

Morbark has revealed its 3400XT Wood Hog horizontal grinder. “Morbark listened closely to customer feedback while developing the design for the 3400XT,” says Michael Stanton, Morbark Director of Industrial Sales. “The result is that we were able to provide the features our customers want and the versatility they need, while staying true to our proven technology.” One of the most important features of the 3400XT is its standard width of 8 ft. 4 in. (2.53 m), making it within the legal transport width in any country, no matter what engine is used. This model accommodates engines from 540 to 800 HP (402 to 596 kW), so it is ideal for a broad range of applications in a variety of markets worldwide. Like all of Morbark Wood Hog models, the 3400XT also is available with electric power. Customer feedback steered Morbark toward creating more operator-friendly features on the Wood Hog. Key among these are the design of the infeed bed and the maintenance platform. The infeed bed is an additional 24 in. (60.96 cm) longer with sloped sides. This configuration improves operator sight lines for more efficient loading of material. Standard on the 3400XT is a removable infeed chain return floor, which allows excess material to fall away to minimize the wear on the floor, bed chain and inserts, particularly useful in landclearing or other applications with dirty material. When maintenance is required, it’ll be quicker and easier to perform on the extended platform. The area between the hood and the engine has been reconfigured to provide an additional 12 in. (30.48 cm) of working space for better access to components for general maintenance or to change screens. The 3400X is available tracked (3400XT) or with tires (3400X). Visit morbark.com.

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Johnson Always Put It In Writing Eric A. Johnson, longtime executive editor of The Northern Logger and Timber Processor magazine, and a devout spokesman for the wood products industry and its participants, died July 18 surrounded by family at the homestead in Coloma, Wis. He was 59. Following a brief career as a logger, Johnson was hired in 1982 as the editor of The Northern Logger and Timber Processor magazine, published in Old Forge, NY. He worked for the magazine and for Northeastern Loggers’ Assn. for almost 35 years and was highly regarded for his ability to communicate the benefits of responsible forest management and keep his regional readership abreast of news and developments in an ever-changing industry. Johnson was born in San Francisco, Calif., the son of David and Marcia (Caudle) Johnson. He married Patricia Bove on May 5, 1978 in Madison, Wis. He had graduated high school in Taipei, Taiwan. Later, he attended UW-Stevens

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tion and I’m proud to have my Point and graduated with a degree employees represent it.’” in Journalism from UW-Madison. l “You’d be wrong to conclude Johnson worked until the end, that the same forces driving agriculwriting his monthly column and ture into the arms of corporations continuing to travel. His last colare having a similar umn addressed his June effect on independent trip to the Elmia Wood loggers. In fact, the show in Sweden. opposite appears to be “Eric was always a happening. Logging pleasure to be around,” companies are employcomments DK Knight, ing fewer people as executive editor of Timmechanization makes ber Harvesting magathose employees more zine. “He was gracious productive. Thanks to and honorable. He had this new-found ability a lot of followers out to produce large volthere. I always enjoyed umes of wood on short reading his editorials Eric Johnson in his notice, family owned and he was good at element logging firms continue what he did. He really to thrive in this environment since loved the industry. We need more they can, literally, keep their busilike him.” In his monthly columns Johnson nesses in the family.” Johnson recommended that logdelivered thoughtful insight and gers in states without a logging advice. Here are a few excerpts: l “I’ve noticed that the really group or organization come togethgood, successful logging contracer and form one and further affiliators outfit themselves and their tion with the national group, Amercrew with monogrammed work ican Loggers Council. shirts usually also displaying the Johnson also brought his family company logo. This is one way of into his columns. Last winter he saying, ‘I run a professional opera- wrote about walking through the

AUGUST 2017 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

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woods on the family tree farm in Wisconsin and admiring a few dozen hard maples that his late grandfather, Fred Caudle, had planted. “If we can get together every spring and produce enough maple syrup to keep everyone supplied, it will be a sweet gift from the past to future generations, thanks to the foresight of my grandfather.” Northeastern Loggers’ Assn. recently presented Johnson with the 2016 Outstanding Service to the Industry award at the annual loggers’ banquet in Brewer, Me. In addition to writing, Johnson enjoyed back-country skiing, biking, gardening, and producing prodigious stacks of firewood for personal heating. Johnson is survived by his wife Patti of Clinton, NY, his mother Marcia of Coloma, Wis., his two children Jason Johnson of Duluth, Minn. and Sarah Schulman of San Francisco, his nephew Ryan Devine of Baraboo, Wis. and his sister Julie Klenko of Coloma. He was preceded in death by his father and an infant brother. Private famiSLT ly services were held.

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30 ➤ flexible enough—especially on dry ground. Now, Rowland Timber Co. is doing similar kind of work— mat logging—using tracked feller-bunchers and loaders to handle “extremely wet or extremely steep logging conditions,” Rowland says. He had gotten rid of the Rolligons in 2007 and switched to mat logging using equipment that’s better suited to a wider range of ground conditions. Rowland says it had to be extra wet to get paid a premium for using the Rolligon machines, plus the tracked loaders can also be used to make sorts and load trucks as well as work in the brush moving logs. “We buy all our own timber, so we make as many sorts as we can to merchandise tracts Rowland, 66, got rid of the Rolligon forwarders and added more flexibility to the operation. out,” Rowland says. Wife Diana still keeps the logging eral having more than 10 years on the back from the Houston area, Rowcompany’s books, and daughter Alijob. Rowland spends his days buying land says. cia, an accountant with her own timber, chasing parts and “trying to “He retired just last week and painting business, also helps out keep everything together,” he says. already he’s called me and offered when needed. Brother-in-law and mechanic Rus- to do some work now that he’s None of the crew members who sell Scribner, photographed working back,” Rowland says. posed at the landing back in 1997 are on a machine 20 years ago, moved on Family is a big part of Rowland’s still with Rowland, though he says he to the oil patch, did real well for him- life, from son Tommy, who Rowhas a good core group now, with sev- self and recently retired and moved land helped put into business right

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AUGUST 2017 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

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around the time the article ran in ’97, to the four grandsons, one granddaughter and one great grandson that he’s constantly talking about, proud of athletics and grades. “Tommy is doing real well, running two crews, and I nominated him to be logger of the year earlier this year,” Rowland says. He adds that several of his grandkids are starting to express an interest in logging, though it’s still early. At the age of 66, Rowland still has more than a few loads ahead of him—but not nearly as many as when SLT visited 20 years ago. He’d like to spend more time watching his grandkids play ball, and he’d like to identify his exit ramp from the business, even though he has no plans to take it just yet. “I kind of hope one takes a real interest in logging; wouldn’t that be something,” Rowland says of his grandkids and the future. If not, he has the same plan many loggers have as they near the sunset of their careers: “Just keep on going till they throw dirt on my face, I SLT guess,” he says with a laugh.

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PRINT CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Print advertising rates are $50 per inch. Space is available by column inch only, one inch minimum.

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DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 10th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 12th of month prior to month of publication.

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

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WANTED NOW

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1993 John Deere 648D grapple skidder, good condition, engine was completely rebuilt around 11,000 hours. Currently showing 13,897 hours, 28L26 tires, 80%. $16,000

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Office : 903-238-8700 • Jason Bruner: 903-452-5290 Bill Bruner: 903-235-2805 H REDUCED PRICES H

SKIDDERS

2011 John Deere 648H Skidder – 10,600 hours, Good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work!...$89,500

2008 John Deere 648H Skidder – 9,300 hours, Good 30.5 x 32 tires Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work!................ $78,000

2013 Deere 753J Feller Buncher STK# LU240593; 4,657 hrs $195,000

2015 Deere 853MH Feller Buncher STK# LU287968; 1,975 hrs $445,000

2014 Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# LU662756; 3,160 hrs $130,000

2013 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LT242657; 8,366 hrs $87,000

2015 Morbark 40/36 NCL Drum Chipper STK# LU781158; 939 hrs $370,000

2015 Deere 648L Skidder STK# LT669244; 3,348 hrs $185,000

2015 Deere 848L Skidder STK# LT669812; 4,314 hrs $188,000

2013 Deere 748H Skidder STK# LU650196; 8,638 hrs $92,000

2012 Deere 648H Skidder STK# LU641386; 8,569 hrs $110,000

2004 John Deere 843H Feller Buncher – Wartah FD22 Saw Head, Good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Ready to work! .............................. Reduced to $52,500

MULCHERS

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 195,000

LOADERS

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 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 2015 Cat 573C Feller Buncher – 3,126 hours, SC-57 Saw Head, 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Ready to work!....$139,500

2012 CTR 426 Delimber – Mounted on 48 ft trailer, Good 11R22.5 tires, New accumulator bladder, Knives are good, Everything works like it should. Previously mounted on a 2012 Prentice 2384....................... $17,000

2012 John Deere 643K Feller Buncher – 5,410 hours, Good 28L tires, Waratah FD22B saw head, Cab with air, Ready to work! .................... Reduced to $99,500

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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.

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2008 Prentice 2384B Log Loader w/Kodiak trailer, a/c, CTR delimber, good condition ..............................$42,500

2007 Prentice 2670 w/Single tower head, 30.5% tires @ 40%, ................... $75,000 We now have Babac single ring chains in stock

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Sawmill & Logging Company Looking for

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Logger Killed Working Under Setback Tree BACKGROUND: On a breezy and cold early winter weekend day in the Northeast, a conventional logger was felling hardwood trees.

reported the logger was last seen working Saturday noon.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The logger was 38 years old. The extent of his training is unknown. He had previously been employed in the construction industry. He was wearing personal protective equipment, although his hard hat may have been repaired with tape. UNSAFE ACT OR CONDITION: The logger was working alone. It appears that he backed the skidder into position to cut a hitch of wood. He felled and limbed three hardwood trees first. He cut a fourth tree, and it apparently set back and was left standing on the stump. He then proceeded to fell a fifth tree and was in the process of limbing that hardwood.

ACCIDENT: As the logger was topping that fifth tree, the setback tree, which was notched and directed to fall in the area where he was working, came down and struck him. INJURY: The incident was not witnessed. The logger, apparently in a state of disorientation, walked

down a skid trail and died of his injuries. The exact day and time is unclear. A co-worker came onto the job Sunday evening and noticed the skidder was not out at the yard and proceeded into the woods to look for the worker. He then came upon the deceased. It is unknown if the logger died of trauma or exposure. It was

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: Working around setback trees must be avoided. Danger trees should be removed mechanically, or otherwise, before work within two tree lengths continues. Directional felling techniques, such as the use of a wedge to tip the tree over, could have avoided this incident. Hard hats should be inspected daily for cracks, and replaced immediately if needed. Safety equipment is usually your last line of defense against injury. Never work alone in the woods. OSHA specifies, “Each employee performing a logging operation at a logging work site shall work in a position or location that is within visual or audible contact with another employee.” Supplied by Forest Resources Assn.

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ADVERTISER Accu-Ways American Logger’s Council American Truck Parts Bandit Industries Barko Hydraulics Big John Trailers BKT USA Carter Enterprises Caterpillar Dealer Promotion Chambers Delimbinator Crouse Truck Parts & Equipment 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 Kentucky Wood Expo Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Lonestar Truck Group l Texarkana Magnolia Trailers Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Moore Logging Supply Morbark Peterson Pacific Pitts Trailers Prolenc Manufacturing Puckett Machinery Quadco Equipment Quadco-Southstar Equipment Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment Southern Loggers Cooperative Stribling Equipment Team Safe Trucking Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries Todd Dossett Chipping TraxPlus Trelan Manufacturing Vermeer Manufacturing W & W Truck & Tractor Wallingford’s Waratah Forestry Attachments J M Wood Auction

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August 17-20—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, The Inn at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. Call 804677-4290; visit valoggers.org. 25-26—Southwest Forest Products Expo 2017, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501224-2232; visit arkloggers.com. 29-31—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hilton Riverside New Orleans, New Orleans, La. Call 318-443-2558; visit laforestry.com.

September 10-12—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org. 15-16—Kentucky Wood Expo, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org. 15-16—Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, Laurinburg, NC. Call 919-271-9050; visit malbexpo.com. 28-30—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Natchez Grand Hotel, Natchez Convention Center, Natchez, Miss. Call 409-625-0206. visit amloggers.com. 29-31—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Sandestin Grand at Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin, Fla.

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Call 850-222-5646; visit floridaforest.org.

October 3-5—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Holiday Inn Airport, Little Rock, Ark. Call 501374-2441; visit arkforests.org. 4-6—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hilton Riverside, Wilmington, NC. Visit ncforestry.org. 10-12—Mississippi Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget, Biloxi, Miss. Call 601-354-4936; visit msforestry.net. 18-20—Southern Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort, Bonita Springs, Fla. Call 504-4434464; visit sfpa.org. 25-27—Tennessee Forestry Assn. annual meeting, DoubleTree by Hilton, Memphis, Tenn. Call 615883-3832; visit tnforestry.com. 25-27—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Fredonia, Nacogdoches, Tex. Call 936-632-8733; visit texasforestry.org. 25-27—National Hardwood Lumber Assn. Annual Conv. & Exhibit Showcase, Omni Downtown Nashville, Nashville, Tenn. Call 901-377-1818; visit nhla.com.

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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