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Vol. 47, No. 8
(Founded in 1972—Our 551st Consecutive Issue)
F E AT U R E S
AUGUST 2018 A Hatton-Brown Publication
Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525
www.southernloggintimes.com
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Stott Wood Family Business Thrives
24
Two Rivers Lumber Logger Owns Sawmill
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
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TDK Logging/cotontop3 Logger YouTube Celebrity
out front:
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Plains Logging Uses Caribou Software
Southern Stumpin’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Husband and wife team Clay and Lisa Blizzard run two companies, one in logging/trucking (Clay Blizzard Trucking) and one in land clearing (CBT Contracting) from their home office in Freeport. Fla. Story begins on Page 8. (Photo by David Abbott)
Tigercat Turbocharger Tips. . . . . . 30 Bulletin Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Industry News Roundup. . . . . . . . . 46 Machines-Supplies-Technology. . . 52 ForesTree Equipment Trader. . . . . 55 Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . 62
Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook Tel: 604-619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 58 Aldea de las Cuevas • Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Bridget DeVane
Tel: 1-800-669-5613 • Tel 334-699-7837 Email: bdevane7@hotmail.com
Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $65 annually; $75 in Canada; $120 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.southernloggintimes.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Southern Loggin’ Times magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Southern Loggin’ Times. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2018. 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
Plugged In W
ho remembers that George Jones song from 1994, “High Tech Redneck”? “He’s a high-tech redneck/Mayberry meets Star Trek/He’s a bumpkin/But he’s plugged in/He’s a high-tech redneck.” Much of what was then considered high-tech mentioned in song lyrics 25 years ago…VCRs, for instance…is certainly dated now, but the concept of the song was prophetic: country boys readily using devices that, a few decades ago, would have seemed like something from a far-out sci-fi movie. Hatton-Brown Publishers, which produces Southern Loggin’ Times and other similar magazines, certainly has a presence on the internet: on our own web sites, YouTube and the various social media platforms. Just about every company and most individuals do, but especially since we are a publishing and media company, of course we would. None of that is new or surprising. But if you had told me a few years ago that, of all the readerships from our various publications, the ones who would be most engaged with us online would be the loggers, I would have asked what you were smoking. When the topic would come up in discussions a little more than a decade ago, my argument was simple: loggers get up and leave for work before the sun comes up and don’t get home till after it’s gone back down again. When they get home, they’re tired, and if they don’t have other chores to do, or phone calls to make about parts or the next timber tract, then most of them will want to eat dinner and spend time with their families before hitting the sack. What they aren’t going to do when they get home, I reasoned, is go sit at a computer scrolling through Facebook (or probably MySpace, at the time I was saying this) pages or checking various websites. Maybe some of the readers of our other magazines might do it. Some of the sawmill guys spend at least a portion of their days in an office, at a desk, on a computer, and they might look at what we have to offer online. Maybe the guys in outdoor power equipment stores might do that. But not loggers. They won’t have the time or the interest, I thought. Never let it be said I can’t admit when I’m wrong. Heck, I’ll go out of my way to tell you I’m wrong, and I might even wrote a whole column public proclaiming said wrongness. The fact today is that our logging readers are among the most active and responsive on our social media accounts…Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. We publish six magazines, each with its own social media: SLT and Timber Harvesting (our two logging magazines), Timber Processing, Panel World, Wood Bioenergy and Power Equipment Trade. Jordan Anderson, our full-time social media guru and part-time editor, worked this chart up for me showing each magazine’s total number of followers. 6
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PET PW TP WB TH SLT
Facebook 1,228 443 1,022 682 8,147 8,193
Twitter Google+ LinkedIn 312 20 92 88 9 157 294 23 N/A 149 21 N/A 551 28 178 420 37 78
As you can see, the two logging magazines both have a significantly higher number of followers than any of our other magazines. Here’s where I missed it: I was limiting my scenario to technology as I understood it at the time rather than thinking ahead to where it was already rapidly going. I failed to take into account the advent of smart phone and portable tablets with mobile data offering access to the internet and from just about anywhere at just about any time. During lunch breaks, or while waiting for a truck, or in any number of times when a worker might have a minute free throughout the day, loggers would be able to do like everyone else these days and check their Facebook, or Instagram, or whatever. Given that accessibility, I’m not surprised that loggers would be the most active group on social media. Generally, the loggers make up a friendly community who are proud of what they do and like to share their stories. It also provides them an opportunity to ask for advice on R&M jobs, to connect with potential new hires and timberland owners, or to buy and sell new equipment (such as on our own ForesTree Equipment Trader site, forestreetrader.com). Of course, there is also a potential downside: operators wasting time scrolling the SLT page on Facebook when they should be working. Don’t be that guy. The loggers featured in this issue are representative of the trend. Our cover story subject, Clay Blizzard, has a video of his operation on YouTube. Georgia’s Plains Logging (p. 42) and Mississppi’s TDK Logging (p.34) have both been featured in years past, both in articles by Jessica Johnson early in her career as Hatton-Brown’s most prolific editor. This month, both companies are featured again, this time in articles highlighting their use of modern tech (Plains uses an app and TDK is on YouTube). As pointed out in the TDK article, former “Swamp Logger” TV star Bobby Goodson is also on YouTube these days.
Good Examples Hatton-Brown marketing/media coordinator Jordan Anderson, who wrote the TDK article this month, had this to add: The article on Tim O’Bryant and his cotontop3 YouTube channel in this issue spotlights what I believe to be a good example of opening a window
to the often-unseen world of logging. Someone once told me, “You can either be a good example of a good example or you can be a good example of a bad example.” As far as I can tell, Tim is a good example of a good example. However, I’m sure that somewhere out there in the world of social media, there are plenty of bad examples when it comes to shaping the public perception of loggers. If you’re a logger or you work for a logger, and you’re going to post photos or videos on social media or anywhere else online for that matter, you have a responsibility to be a good example of a good example. If the mediasphere today shows us anything, it’s that public perception holds the power to make or break, to build or destroy. People need to know that logging is a safe, sustainable, environmentally friendly key economic driver and that good loggers are conservators of our natural resources and forestland. The only way that people will know this is if the logging community shares good examples of good examples through their photos, videos and the words they write. People who work in the woods giving the outside world an inside look at logging is a great thing and can be extremely helpful at building a positive image for the industry, but only if it’s a good example of a good example. Even though there are many good examples out there, the bad examples are the ones who get noticed. I encourage you to be a good example of a good example in what you expose the public to with your images and words on social media.
Phloem Correction We had an error in the July issue. In the column on page 6 I talked about the new Phloem app (more online tech for loggers). The company also had an advertisement on page 10 and an entry in the hauling spotlight section on page 32. In all three instances, we had the wrong contact information for the company and its CEO, Dean McCraw. The app sounds like it could be pretty useful for loggers, so I’d hate for anyone to miss out because of bad info. The correct web site is www.phloem.app and McCraw can be reached by email at dean.mccraw@phloem.app or by phone at 912-925-5007. You can also search on YouTube for “Phloem Dean McCraw” to find a video of McCraw making his pitch for the app. Or, if you want to just skip straight to installing the free app on your device, go to the app or play store, simply search for Phloem and hit install. McCraw is busily developing new features for the app that should become available in coming months that I think will be very beneficial to loggers using it, so I recSLT ommend you check it out.
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Positive Outlook ■ Florida’s Clay Blizzard is optimistic and has a growth-oriented mindset.
By David Abbott ★ FREEPORT, Fla. he forecast is clear and bright for Clay Blizzard, 56, who runs Clay Blizzard Trucking, LLC. The company started 13 years ago, though originally as a dump truck business, not a logging outfit. Although Blizzard had grown up in logging with his dad and had run that company since he was a young man, a mill closure forced him out of it in 2000. He started driving a dump truck in 2005 under the new company name, and thanks to the robust housing market of those years, that business was thriving until 2010. The housing market collapse, luckily, coincided with an opportunity for Blizzard to return to his first love—the woods. Clay Blizzard Trucking shifted gears, first to a contract log hauling service before returning in 2011 to full-throttle timber harvesting. For Blizzard, there’s been no looking back and no slowing down since. The company is financially healthy and has grown, with plans for
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continued growth. For instance, after dumping the dump trucks in 2010, Blizzard and his wife Lisa added dump trucks back to the Clay Blizzard Trucking mix in 2015, again responding to new opportunities. Recently, they split the business into two companies; logging operations remain under Clay Blizzard Trucking, while the dump trucks are now under CBT Contracting, Inc., with Lisa at the helm. A land clearing and hauling company, CBT has 15 Kenworth dump trucks (five ’16 and ’18 models and 10 ’19 models). The split was necessitated by insurance requirements. BITCO Insurance, which covers Clay Blizzard Trucking’s machines, wouldn’t let them add any more than eight dump trucks to the fleet because they are not a construction insurer. So the Blizzards started a new company and expanded it, with insurance from Progressive (BITCO still insures logging and log trucking). The outlook for the foreseeable future is, for the Blizzards, optimistic. “We are growing,” Clay acknowledges. They are currently working on plans to build a new 12,000 sq. ft.
facility on six acres. This will house office and shop space from which both companies will have plenty of room to operate, more so than they currently do sharing space at the existing, smaller place. They expect the project to be completed around this time next year.
In The Woods The company has two logging crews, each using a Tigercat 620E skidder (2017 and ’18 models) and Tigercat 720G feller-buncher (’17 and ’18 models). The setup differs only at the loader: one crew has a ’17 Tigercat 234B loader with R Squared 5628 pullthrough delimber and the other uses a ’15 John Deere 437D with CSI 264 delimber. Two more Deere machines, a ’14 437D loader and ’14 748H skidder, remain at the shop, available to either crew as spares. Also, Blizzard has a ’13 model Chambers Delimbinator ready to go on either crew as needed (he employs it on sand pine tracts; more on that later). Equipment dealers are Beard Equipment in nearby Panama City
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for Deere, while for Tigercat sales/support, Blizzard turns to Tidewater Equipment in Thomasville, Ga., some 130 miles away. His experience with both dealers has been excellent, he reports. Even so, he admits, “We are leaning more towards Tigercat now, due to higher resale value.” The logger typically rotates equipment every three years in order to keep everything under the 6,000 hour/three-year manufacturer warranty. In addition, he usually doesn’t trade older machines back in to the dealer. Instead, he sells his used pieces at the J.M. Wood Auction in Montgomery, Ala., where he says he can get as much as $30,000 more than trade-in value in some cases, money he can then apply toward the purchase of a new machine. He sold five trailers, a skidder and two cutters at the most recent auction in June. J.M. Wood gives him a pre-sale evaluation on what they expect a piece to bring, and this last time the auction brought more than they anticipated on some pieces. Because he keeps most machines newer and under warranty, Blizzard
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lets the dealers handle the majority of repair jobs on in-woods machines (his drivers service and repair trucks at the company shop in Freeport). The crews handle routine maintenance (daily greasing, oil changes every 500 hours and sending oil samples to the dealers) and minor repairs, things like hose repairs and repacking cylinders. Each crew has a Ford 550 service truck with crew cab, 4WD, diesel tank, air compressor, greaser, and air impact tools for changing tires and servicing equipment in the woods.
On The Road On the trucking side, Blizzard has 11 log truck/trailer combos, including nine Kenworth W900s and two Peterbilt rigs, all from 2014-18, pulling Magnolia and Pitts plantation trailers. Blizzard buys Kenworths from salesman Robbie Jaye at dealer Truckworx in Mobile, Ala. Drivers have to sign a statement that they will abide by company policies on cell phone use and safety equipment (steel-toed boots, hardhats, safety vests and seat belts required). Signs in the shop remind drivers to buckle up (seems obvious, but many don’t) and not to drive distracted (all have blue tooth in trucks, no hand held devices). They run Fleetmatics GPS in all the trucks. Dump trucks are governed at 63 MPH and log trucks at 72 MPH, and it is set up so the owners’ smart phones receive an alert if any driver goes more than 3 MPH over the posted limit. They are also considering adding dash cams in the near future. Trucking insurance rates haven’t really gone up tremendously, Blizzard says, but the driver pool has shrunk because insurance companies are requiring better drivers than in the past. “We try to run newer trucks to focus on driver retention,” he says.
The company rotates machines every three years, selling the old ones at J.M. Wood Auction in Montgomery, Ala.
“We have a group of drivers in this area who do what I call riding the merry go round. They work here for three months and then somewhere else and then back again. So we decided not to let them ride with us anymore.” Some of the Blizzard drivers have been with the company for as long as 10 years. The crews handle R&M on trucks, brakes, tires and trailers, conducting routine preventative maintenance at every 15,000 miles at the company shop adjacent to the office. Blizzard uses Grote rechargeable strobe lights attached to the butt end of a log on some loads, along with two flags and a strobe light on the rear of all trailers. The Grote lights can be recharged in the cab while the truck is driving empty. Along with a straight neck Pitts lowboy, Blizzard recently added a detachable neck lowboy to compensate for the 35.5 tires he’s started put-
Left to right: Randy Riley, Jr., Clay Blizzard, Tim Morrison, Chip Spence
SLT SNAPSHOT Clay Blizzard Trucking, LLC Freeport, Fla. Email: clayblizzardtrucking@centurylink.net Founded: 2005 Owners: Clay and Lisa Blizzard No. Crews: 2 Employees: 17 in logging and log trucking; 15 in land clearing Equipment: 3 loaders, 3 skidders, 2 cutters, 1 Chambers Delimbinator, 2 delimbers Trucks/Trailers: 11 trucks and trailers Average Production: 150 loads (both crews combined) Average Haul Distance: 50 miles Tidbit: The Blizzards also run a land clearing business, CBT Contracting, Inc., with 15 dump trucks.
Left to right: Clay Blizzard, Chase Blizzard, Richard Coate, Merrill Foxworth
Truck drivers, left to right: Randy Riley, Sr., Kevin Collins, Billy Forehand, Jr.
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ting on skidders. “We didn’t realize until recently, no one measured, but the bigger tire adds 11 in. to the height of the machine,” he explains. “We had to get a detach because if not we would have to have an escort, if the load is over 14.5 feet.” Salesman Ryan Dennis at Road Mart in Midland City, Ala., supplies all of Blizzard’s tire needs. They run Bridgestones on trucks, capping them twice and running on trailers before discharge, and Firestone on skidders and cutters. Blizzard buys filters in bulk online from supplier Filter One, a Wix filter dealer based in New York. Oil, grease and DEF supplier is Home Oil in Graceville. Almost all the machines and trucks are Tier 4 and Blizzard reports that everything is running smoothly. In fact, he adds, “I’m glad they finally went to Tier 4 because Tier 3 just about made us pull our hair out. Back then we had to have eight trucks just to keep six running at any given time. I am pretty sure White’s Wrecker Service had to lay some tow truck drivers off after Tier 4 came out, because before that we were always having to be towed somewhere,” he jokes.
The Blizzards field a lot of Tigercat iron.
Background Blizzard’s father, Donald Blizzard, was a forester and land manager with a degree from North Carolina State. He relocated to the Florida panhandle to work for Armstrong Cork Co., and on the side ran his own logging crew, Panhandle Pulpwood. The younger Blizzard worked on his dad’s crew in a skidder or on a loader in the late ’70s and early ’80s. At age 23, he took over logging operations for the family business upon his dad’s retirement in 1984, though Donald contin-
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They also run a few John Deere pieces in the mix.
ued buying timber for him for a few years. The son continued running Panhandle Pulpwood, later logging for Louisiana Pacific and Canal Wood, till the Florida Coast Paper mill in Port St. Joe shut down its operations there in 2000. The closure put many loggers in the area out of business, Panhandle Pulpwood among them.
Blizzard kept one Freightliner and started hauling lumber over the road on a flatbed for Georgia-Pacific. He was often gone for a week or two at a time, and that got old after a few years. “My son Chase turned 13 and he thought he was the man of the house, so I had to come home and be a dad again,” Blizzard laughs. In 2005 he
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bought one dump truck and started Clay Blizzard Trucking, right at the beginning of the housing boom. The company grew from one to six dump trucks in 18 months. When the housing bubble burst in 2010, he got back into logging, with five trucks contract hauling for loggers in the area. In 2011 he had a chance to put a crew on with Nature Coast Timber in Panama City, about an hour south of Freeport. Blizzard says he was able to get back into logging because there was a shortage of loggers at the time. “It was a good opportunity for someone with the financial savvy and knowhow to get back in it,” he explains. “People these days have to have real strong credit and payment history to be successful in logging because equipment is so expensive. It isn’t like logging in the late ’70s when you could get in business for $100 thousand; that won’t even buy a truck anymore.” Indeed; the Blizzards now have $1.9 million invested in log trucking, $2 million in logging equipment and $2.5 million in dump trucks and other machines on the land clearing side. In late 2015 he started cutting for a different dealer, Cedar Creek Timber in Southport, and soon saw an opportunity to grow, resulting in the expansion to the second crew. By then his son Chase had graduated from college with a degree in business, so Blizzard put him over one crew, while he ran the other. This year, when they started CBT, the elder Blizzard turned his crew over to a foreman so he could stay in the office and help the new business get off the ground. It isn’t his preference. “This is a lot of headache,” he admits. He would rather be out on the job site running a loader. Once this new busi-
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ness is established, he plans to get back to the woods.
Crew Clay and Lisa have 32 full-time employees in all, 17 on the logging side and 15 at CBT. Crew one has Chase Blizzard as supervisor and loader man, Merrill Foxworth on the cutter and Richard Coate in the skidder. Truck drivers here are Bobby Pleas, Glenn Perkins, Chris Williamson, Cecil Taylor and Kenneth Jones. Crew two features Tim Morrison, the foreman who runs the cutter, Chip Spence on the loader, and Randall Riley, Jr., on the skidder. Second crew truck drivers are Randall Riley, Sr., Thomas Haddock, Kevin Collins, Billy Forehand, Jr., and Chris Isaacs. Tony Gibson has been the Blizzard log truck foreman since 2010, and he bounces between both crews. Lisa’s foreman at CBT, Rick Smith, has been with the Blizzards since 2006. Blizzard, Chase and Foxworth are all master logger certified. To his employees Blizzard offers Christmas and safety bonuses. David Johnson, CPA, a bookkeeper with Safety First Payroll, does payroll for both companies. Insurance is through BITCO for insurance and inland marine is through EPG Insurance. Ryan Pavlik of Stoutamire-Pavlik & Associates is the Blizzards’ insurance agent for BITCO. On the topic of safety, Blizzard says, “We have to renew our first aid soon but most everyone is certified on the crews and we do weekly safety meetings at the tailgate to discuss recent situations in the woods, to make people aware.” They also go over topics supplied by the insurance companies. The Blizzards are members of the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn., and the Florida Forestry Assn. They have been financially supporting TEAM Safe trucking and using materials from the TST web site for truck driver training and topics for safety meetings. Chase’s wife Tiffany is working as a registered nurse and is studying to become a nurse practitioner.
The couple split their land clearing business off as CBT Contracting not long ago.
been running wide open since the shutdown began the first week of June. They had been working two and a half weeks on this 200-acre tract, leaving a 70 basal area with 5th row thinning. Shane Messick, owner of Cedar Creek Timber, takes care of Chase’s crew, while forester Clay Shannon with Cedar Creek buys wood for the other crew. Most of it is pulpwood, and they work in a mix of planted and natural growth pine, leaning more to plantations (75% of the
Production Each crew produces 15 loads a day typically, and 75% of production (pine pulpwood) goes to WestRock’s paper mill in Panama City, with logs bound for Rex Lumber in Graceville or North Florida Lumber in Bristol, about 70 miles away. The average haul is 50 miles. The mills are buying wood now, but they just came off of a major shut down. The week Southern Loggin’ Times visited in early July was the first time the crews had Southern Loggin’ Times
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The crews work mostly in planted pine.
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time). The crews do everything from first thinnings to final harvests. “You have to figure out some kind of niche, because everyone can produce on planted pine,” Blizzard says. “Our niche in this area is that we are able to produce sand pine. Lots of people don’t like to tackle it.” Blizzard bought a Chambers Delimbinator last year specifically for sand pine jobs. “I had an idea on how to run it and it seems to work out perfect for us,” he says. With two loaders, one dedicated to the Delimbinator while the other merchandizes for the mill and loads trucks, the crew can haul 30 loads of sand pine a day. “We tried it
with just one loader but adding the second loader doubled production on the tracts,” Blizzard says. Any time they are in sand pine they bring out the spare loader and Delimbinator; they cut 60,000 tons of sand pine a year. Blizzard posted a video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= lSvfovkSEu8), shot with a drone, demonstrating their technique. In the video, Blizzard is on the second loader while Chase operates the loader pulling through the Delimbinator. Chambers said the Delimbinator chains would run 150-200 loads based on the common experience elsewhere. But in the sandy land he often works,
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Blizzard says, “We are lucky if we get 90 loads out of a set here, and with two loaders we get 30 loads a day so we have to change the chains out every three days.” A set of chains costs $500, so at about two sets a week when in use, it’s another cost of doing business. The Delimbinator sits parked at the shop when the crews are not on sand pine tracts, such as was the case when SLT visited the week of July 4. Likewise, when they are working south of Highway 20, Blizzard says there is so much sand in the woods that it wears the saw teeth on the feller-buncher heads out every 200 SLT hours.
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Building Blocks ■ Randy and Ricky Stott have been growing Stott Wood Co. since 2000.
By Jay Donnell OLLA, La. ★ rothers Randy and Ricky Stott took over Stott Wood Co. in 2000 and they haven’t looked back since. The two men succeeded their father, B.R., upon his retirement, and have since grown the company into a large operation with 30 employees. Stott Wood Co. began in the 1930s with B.R.’s father, N.E. Stott, using horses and crosscut saws to log for Urania Lumber Co. in Urania, La., which later became Georgia-Pacific and then Louisiana-Pacific. Stott Wood even cleared the plant site and hauled in the first logs when GP built a plywood mill there in 1969 (shortly before LP took it over), and Stott brought in the last load when the mill closed many years later. When the Stott brothers stepped up, they were running one crew and owned three log trucks, but it’s grown to three crews and 10 log trucks. Things began to pick up when GP closed its plant in Urania and the Stott brothers started producing for West Fraser in Joyce, La.
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West Fraser was looking for more production so the Stotts initially added a second pull-thru delimber, and then bought another skidder, loader and dozer and started a second job. After West Fraser closed its procurement department in 2006 the Stott brothers decided to go out on their own and start buying their own timber.
Later, Hunt Forest Products, based in Ruston, La., needed a logger for their hardwood mill in Olla so they asked the Stott brothers to add a third crew to cut hardwood exclusively for the mill. At first Randy and Ricky were hesitant to bring on another crew because they thought they were getting too big, but Hunt made the company an
offer they couldn’t turn down. This turned out to be a great decision by the Stotts as the business continues to thrive in the northern part of Louisiana. Today, Stott Wood Co. buys all the timber for two of its crews while the third crew follows Hunt’s leads in hardwood. Other markets include Winn Lumber in Winnfield,
With a legacy that goes back about 80 years, the family business now fields three logging crews and a flatbed trucking business.
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The Stotts often cut tracts owned by the government.
From left, Omar Talavera, Charles ‘Bo’ Jones, Randy Stott, Bryce Stott and Raegan Stott
RoyOMartin at Chopin, Weyerhaeuser in Dodson, Drax in Urania, Hanna Manufacturing in Winnfield, WestRock at Jonesboro, Graphic Packaging in Monroe. “You name it, we haul there,” Randy says. Randy, 58, oversees the three crews while still doing a number of things for the business including handling timber sales, running parts,
operating equipment and even driving trucks when necessary. Unrelated to the logging side, Ricky, 57, now operates Stott Transport, which he began with just one Kenworth truck hauling plywood, oriented strandboard, lumber and cores for LP mills in east Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas. Now his business includes 10 flatbed trucks that
haul for mills all over the Southeast and beyond.
Government Land Stott Wood was working a 250-300 acre Forest Service sale when Southern Loggin’ Times visited. They buy a lot of government timber, which represents about 40% of their business,
while 60% comes on private land. Often when Stott Wood Co. is working on government land it’s a thinning job, but lately they have been asked to do more clear-cuts, or restoration projects as the government refers to it, leaving the longleaf and some hardwood, while taking out all of the loblolly, slash and shortleaf pine. This particular tract was divided into six individual sales. Stott had already finished two units and was working on a third while making up to 10 sorts including plywood logs, sawlogs, pine pulpwood, hardwood pulpwood, treelength logs, and pole logs. The two crews will produce between 15-20 loads per day when working together on a job. The government advertises the sale in the paper and elsewhere and sends out a prospectus with a bid date on it. They usually allow about four weeks to give potential buyers time to cruise it and work up the numbers. Randy makes sure to look at each tract very carefully before placing a bid on a government sale. “We look at haul distances and what kind of ground it’s on as well as what the timber markets are like at the time,”
SLT SNAPSHOT Stott Wood Company Olla, La. Email: Stottwoodco@centurytel.net Founded: 1930s Owners: Randy and Ricky Stott No. Crews: 3 Employees: 30 Trucks: 10 Production: Over 100 loads per week Average Haul Distance: 60 miles Tidbit: Olla, Louisiana has a population of 1,393. Big fans of the Waratah processor head, the Stotts are adding another.
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Stott explains. “We put everything together and then bid on it.” Bidding is usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Pineville. Bids are opened and the high man wins.
Iron Lineup Stott Wood Co. has an extensive list of equipment. Crew 1 runs a 2009 Cat 329D track machine with a Waratah processing head, 2006 Cat 545 skidder, 2012 Cat 545C skidder, 2005 John Deere 535 knuckleboom loader with a CSI pull-thru delimber, 2010 Cat 573C wheel feller-buncher and a 2015 Cat 320DL track loader. Crew 2 operates a 2006 Cat 545 skidder, 2010 Cat 563 wheel Ricky Stott has Stott Transport rolling. feller-buncher, 2010 Prentice 559 knuckleboom loader eled to Oregon to watch the new with a CSI 264 ultra delimber and a model in action. 2008 Precision Husky loader. Stott’s main equipment dealer is Crew 3 operates the newest Louisiana Cat at the Alexandria and equipment including a 2017 Cat Monroe locations. Louisiana Cat 573C wheel feller-buncher, 2017 and the Stott family have a great Cat 545D grapple skidder, 2005 relationship that has lasted for John Deere 335 knuckleboom decades. loader, 2012 Cat 525C grapple skidMachines are greased every Frider and a 2013 559B loader with a day and oil is changed every 250 CTR 426 delimber. hours. At least twice a year the A 2017 Cat 330F track machine equipment is brought into the shop with a Waratah HTH624C 4x4 harand cleaned. “A couple times per vester-delimber danglehead is year we’ll drop the belly pans and expected to arrive on the job soon. wash everything out to keep things The new four-roller head with 360° clean,” Stott says. “It makes it easicontinuous rotation has big produc- er when we have to perform maintetion and big timber flexibility, along nance on them and of course creates with excellent agility and log hanless of a fire hazard.” dling. “The 4x4 has an extra drive motor on it and we wanted a bigger Trucking machine to handle the bigger stuff,” When the Stott brothers took over Stott says. “We’ve been very the business in 2000 they only had pleased with Waratah.” Randy, Ricky and Ricky’s son, Bryce, trav- three trucks, but now they’ve built
The newest pieces, both '17 model Cats, are on the newest crew.
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their fleet up to 10, which are mostly Kenworth that pull several different brands of trailers including Magnolia, Pitts and Viking. Maintenance on the trucks is done every Saturday so that they’re ready to go on Monday morning. Oil is changed every 15,000 miles on the newer trucks and every 10,000 miles on the older models. One of the drivers is also the in-house mechanic and it’s his responsibility to look after the trucks. Stott Transport meanwhile runs
10 flatbed trucks, about half Kenworth and half Peterbilt. All of the trucks are equipped with GPS tracking systems. “I can tell you where all of our trucks are at any given time,” Stott says. While the trucks don’t have dash cams currently, that’s something the Stott brothers have talked about and plan on addressing for both the log trucks and the flatbeds. Drivers on the logging side are paid by the day and the “flatbedders” are paid by percentage of the
load they haul. Drivers are drug tested and background checks are performed before they’re hired. The company doesn’t have a lot of turnover with its drivers. Ricky’s transport business kicked in when Hunt needed a flatbed hauler for its lumber. Today with 10 flatbeds Ricky stays busy and has people calling him all the time wanting their loads hauled. Stott Transport hauls all over the South. They also use contract trucks, so on any given day there might be 30
trucks working for the Stotts. Employees arrive on site each morning at 6 and shut down at 4 depending on the location of the tract. They’re granted time off for sickness and family emergencies and they take all major holidays off. Safety is very important and the Stotts and their crews make sure to address safety issues regularly. Employees undergo a preemployment drug screening before they can begin working for the company. It’s still very much a family affair at Stott Wood Co. Ricky’s sons, Bryce and Raegan, both run equipment in the woods. At the shop and office in Olla, Randy’s wife Dawn, Bryce’s wife Amanda and Ricky’s niece Kelsey Rogers take care of the paper work and do all the bookkeeping for the logging side and transport business. Gray Insurance Co. of Metairie, La. handles all of the company’s insurance needs including workers’ comp, trucking and general liability for the business. Stott Wood Co. has experienced a few minor equipment vandalism issues over the years. They’ve had batteries stolen and even a window shot out of a loader, but luckily they haven’t had any major issues to stop them from working.
Future Fuel prices have continued to rise this summer, which adds to the long list of concerns facing logging business owners around the country. Insurance, fuel and labor are the biggest issues facing Stott Wood Co. “They swap back and forth year to year, but they’re always the big three,” Stott explains. “Fuel has been down for a while, but it’s inching back up now and insurance on the trucking end is unreal.” While these issues will always be at the forefront, Stott remains positive that his business is heading in the right direction as the forest products industry continues to thrive. “The forest products industry as a whole is doing really well right now,” Stott says. “Everybody tells me that all of the products are selling so that’s definitely a positive sign. A lot of the mills are full and people are more efficient in the woods.” If the Stotts are going to continue the family business for many years to come it will be through Ricky’s two sons who are learning and gaining experience in the family business. Stott Wood Co. is a member of the Louisiana Forestry Assn. and Randy and Ricky are both certiSLT fied master loggers. 20
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From Logging To Lumber ■ Logging and trucking concerns join forces to build a sawmill. By David Abbott DEMOPOLIS, Ala. wo Rivers Lumber Co. was conceived ★ directly in response to the need loggers in the area have had for more outlets for their small sawlogs. Named for its proximity to the Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers, Two Rivers Lumber is a stateof-the-art southern yellow pine dimension sawmill that has a production capacity of 200 million board feet per year, making it one of the larger mills in the Southeast.
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As various market factors shuttered a number of mills in the area, some loggers were left without enough mills to consume their products. Rather than cry about it or wait for someone else to address the problem, one group of forward-thinking individuals decided to take action. If they didn’t have a mill, they’d build their own. It was just an idea at first, one that started in 2015, according to Roy Geiger, one of the owners of Two Rivers as well as of Sumter Timber Co., a well-known logging operation also headquartered in Demopolis. Sumter Timber has three company
logging crews and 13 contract crews. Geiger started Sumter in 1984 in partnership with J.C. McElroy, Jr. McElroy had started his own pulpwood hauling business back in the ’60s, which by the ’80s had evolved into a much larger operation. In 1985, shortly after the formation of Sumter Timber, the hauling side broke off into a separate company, McElroy Truck Lines, Inc. Geiger’s partners at Two Rivers Lumber include Jay McElroy and Sean McElroy, J.C.’s sons who now run McElroy Trucking Lines. (J.C. passed away early this year. See related story.) The sons grew up around logging and trucking before heading off to college and earning business degrees. Jay returned home to Cuba, Ala. to
work in the family trucking business, where he has remained ever since. Sean worked a couple of years in the insurance industry before making his return to McElroy Truck Lines. With many mills shutting down or reducing production from 2007-2013, something had to give. “The end result was that timber was not cut due to the fact that landowners were unwilling to harvest trees for little or no return,” Geiger says. “This helped open the door for Two Rivers to locate a mill in an area with substantial timber supply within reasonable haul distances.” After several months of discussion, Geiger and the McElroys took the idea to Ken Muehlenfeld, director of the Forest Products Development Center for the State of Ala-
Two DeShazo monorail cranes unload log trucks at the sawmill, which came online a year ago. Inset, from left: mill manager Randell Robinson, owners Jay McElroy and Roy Geiger
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bama. With his cooperation and some raw material research, the partners felt like this was a good area to develop a chip-n-saw mill. They were ready to make a move, but neither of them knew much about operating, let alone building from scratch, a modern sawmill. A mutual friend introduced them to Randell Robinson, who had many years of management experience with southern pine sawmills, including Rocky Creek Lumber in Mexia, Ala. and Scotch Gulf Lumber in Fulton, Ala. He was clearly the man they needed for the job. Geiger and Robinson started looking at potential sites in the area, and settled on one. Geiger was already familiar with the land where Two Rivers would soon be constructed—a little farther down the same road as the WestRock paper mill just outside Demopolis. A vacant manufacturing facility was already there—a 200x500 ft. building, which had housed production of barges and later dumpsters.
Building A Sawmill The next step was to settle on a builder. Robinson contacted BID Group, which is composed of a
BID Group, which had just completed a similar turnkey project at Mississippi's Biewer Lumber, finished the Two Rivers construction in under nine months.
McElroy Connection T
Production line is all Comact.
The mill provides jobs to almost 100 in the Demopolis area.
he late J.C. McElroy, Jr., was a founder of both Sumter Timber and McElroy Trucking Lines, but logging and trucking were not his only or even his original career. He was chairman of the board and administrator of Rush Health Systems in Meridian, Miss., a healthcare group and hospital. McElroy grew up on a farm in Cuba, Ala., where his trucking compa- J.C. McElroy, Jr., lived just long ny is still based today. His grandfather enough to see the mill completed. logged so he had a connection to the woods as well. When he finished college he took an entry-level insurance claims job at a hospital, which eventually led to his positon at Rush Health Systems. But he had a business degree and knew he wanted to start a business on the side. Since farming and logging were the things he knew growing up, it was natural for him to start there. “He told me that one of his biggest decisions was whether to buy a tractor or mules when he got started,” Jay recalls. “He bought a tractor and he said he sure was glad he did.” That was 1964 when J.C. started his small pulpwood trucking business. It grew over the next 20 years into a hardwood logging operation, eventually becoming Sumter Timber when J.C. and Geiger got together. The trucking side continued to expand, not only hauling logs and chips into mills but hauling lumber from mills into markets in Alabama and neighboring states. By 1985, the flatbed trucking side split off and was incorporated as McElroy Truck Lines. Today the trucking business is all over-the-road flatbed trucking, heavily weighted toward building materials, and operating throughout the eastern half of the U.S. It has a fleet of 650 Navistar and Freightliner company-owned trucks, and 1,200 flatbed trailers. J.C. died on January 7 this year, only a few months after Two Rivers started production. He was 79 years old. Despite declining health, he was involved in seeing the mill idea get off the ground. As far as his sons Sean and Jay are concerned, the sawmill is simply a continuation of the family legacy. “Our family has been in this area for many generations and has always had a connection to the woods, and it SLT just carries that on going forward.” Southern Loggin’ Times
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number of sawmill machinery companies (Comact, PHL, DelTech, McGehee, MoCo and Miller Mfg.), based in British Columbia that has come on strong as a turnkey supplier of sawmills, beginning with design and construction. BID was then completing a similar project at Biewer Lumber’s new southern yellow pine mill in Newton, Miss., 90 miles west of the Two Rivers location. “I told him we had a site and a building and needed a sawmill layout that would fit that building,” Robinson recalls. “After several meetings and hashing over the details, we settled on a mill layout and equipment that suited our needs and what we wanted to accomplish. We had what I felt like were some very solid guarantees from BID as far as what they would do, the cost estimate, the timeline they would meet, and everything that was associated with it.” Jay McElroy adds, “They could make it fit in the building; no one else had told us they could do that. Their timeline to complete was a third of what others said. Their price was significantly less; this is your price, guaranteed, we will not exceed it.” Two Rivers placed the order to BID Group on September 20, 2016. Initial grubbing on the site started in
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McElroy Truck Lines hauls some of the finished product.
December, prep work began on January 1, 2017. New construction started on January 9. “Having the building allowed us to begin some fabrication work under roof even during rainy weather,” Robinson relates. “BID Group put in an all-out blitz on the site work from one end to the other at a frantic pace.” Robinson says they started testing various machines as they were completed, and tested the complete sawmill line during the week of August 21. The sawing line started up four weeks ahead of schedule, beginning production on August 28, 2017. The lumber dry kilns fired up on September 5 and the planer mill came on September 18, which was also the day the first load of lumber shipped. “It would have been an amazing feat
to even be on time, but they built it in 246 days,” McElroy notes. Although they had both been around sawmills throughout their careers in logging and trucking, building and running one has been a whole new experience for Geiger and the McElroys. “What surprised me was the level of automation and the speed, just how high-tech it is,” Jay says. In addition to the investments made by Geiger and the McElroy family, the only lender for the project was Alabama Ag Credit. Biewer Lumber allowed Two Rivers personnel to visit their site numerous times during the planning and construction phase. With the help of AIDT (Alabama Industrial Development Training), Two Rivers even produced a training video for new
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hires, filmed at the Biewer mill. The two mills have since shared spare parts for machines. Robinson adds, “Sawmill people generally have an unwritten rule that we will help anyone in a jam if we possibly can.” Employees were recruited from the local area with help from AIDT. “We received a great deal of support from the state of Alabama and the city of Demopolis,” Geiger says. “The city helped us with a favorable lease on the land, and from the state we received the various incentives they offer for new businesses.” Two Rivers directly provides 97 jobs in the community, and another 150 jobs indirectly with loggers, truck drivers and so on. “Our management group has a great deal of experience, but as far as operators, we had to start from scratch with most all of them, so since we started up they have gained a great deal of experience,” Robinson says.
High-Tech Sawmill The experience that Geiger and the McElroys brought with them in logging and hauling to mills was beneficial to the layout of the mill, especially in terms of designing for trucks getting in and out quickly and efficiently. “Site traffic flow was a priori-
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ty from the start, not only from a efficiency of operation standpoint but for safety as well,” Robinson says. “Having the two cranes as well as inbound and outbound scales helps us handle truck traffic and unloading in a timely manner.” Log trucks come over Toledo scales, and are sent to two DeShazo monorail cranes for unloading. The cranes can store the logs or put them on the infeed deck. Logs run through a 22 in. ring debarker and a metal detector, and proceed through a scanning system that determines how a
multi-saw merchandising system cuts up the logs. From there they transfer to accumulation decks to feed the primary breakdown line. Log pieces enter a Comact OLI (optimized length infeed) system, which scans each piece again before chip heads take off the sides. As pieces flow out the back end they get scanned again on the way to a dual profiler which has the capability to profile up to two boards on each side of the log. From there the piece enters a set of quad saws that will remove either one
or two boards before laying the piece on its side for further scanning before entering a Comact TBL3 double arbor curve-saw. From there, boards come out the back and go onto an accumulation deck that feeds an unscrambler, which singulates the boards and sends them up to a Comact lug loader, and from there through a Comact optimizer, Comact trimmer and into a 50-bin Comact sorter. When the sorting bins are full, boards transfer to a Comact stick laying stacker. Taylor 350 forklifts move stacks
either to storage or to one of two DelTech continuous feed dry kilns. Dried lumber is stored under sheds to wait for a turn in the planer mill. There, a Comact tilt hoist infeed drops pieces off onto the planer accumulation chains to a Miller Mfg. planer. At the planer exit, pieces move onto an accumulation chain, through an unscrambler to a Comact lug loader, which leads to a Comact GradExpert automated grader. From there lumber flows to another Comact trimmer and then to a 48 bin Comact sorter, which empties to a dual fork stacker. The stacker in turn leads to two Signode strapper lines. The finished, banded packages are picked up by Taylor 160 forklifts to be loaded onto trucks. Two Rivers manufactures primarily dimension products: 2x4 through 2x10, in 8-20 ft. lengths, with a very few 1x4s in the mix. They’ll take 130 loads of logs daily at capacity. All of its sales are wholesale and domestic, with customers throughout the Southeast and into the Midwest.
Perfect Timing With their successful realization of the sawmill, Geiger and McElroy are still able to run their other businesses, both of which intersect with Two Rivers, which was the goal in the first place. Sumter Timber is a big supplier to the mill, along with a myriad of area loggers, mostly from within a 65-mile radius. McElroy Truck Lines provides some of the trucks that haul finished products to market. McElroy says he spends most of his time at the truck company, while Geiger is able to run back and forth between Two Rivers and Sumter Timber (their offices are only eight miles apart). Both of them count on Robinson to run the daily operations, and they all meet every morning at 8 o’clock. As it has turned out, it looks like Two Rivers Lumber came on the scene at the perfect time, with SYP prices booming and building markets soaring. “We would like to take credit for the impeccable timing of this project,” Robinson says. “However, if we are fully honest I believe that we have been blessed by God. From the initial idea that a mill should be built to the selection of the site to the assembly of an excellent team and finally, the lumber market booming at startup, it has all been divinely blessed.” Though they have no concrete plans as yet, the team is unified in its desire to expand the lumber operation in the future. Robinson stresses, “We’re not done yet.” SLT An earlier version of this article appeared in Timber Processing, an affiliate magazine of Southern Loggin’ Times.
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Turbo Tips ■ Tigercat engineer offers insight and suggestions about turbochargers.
By Jean-Marc (JM) Labelle, service engineer NOTE: This article originally appeared in the April 2018 edition of Between the Branches, the official publication of Tigercat Industries, Inc.
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urbochargers have been around for many years and have become an industry standard on most forestry machines. The amount of exhaust on the hot side of the engine controls the speed of the turbo exhaust turbine. As the speed increases, a greater amount of air is forced into the engine and more horsepower is produced. A steel shaft mechanically links the turbine to the compressor wheel and effectively controls the volume of air going into the cool side of the engine. Turbocharger speeds can reach well over 100,000 RPM. With faster rotational speeds, there is little room for error. Proper maintenance and operating practices can prevent damage or premature wear.
Air Filtration, Restriction Just as it is difficult to breathe when wearing a plugged dust mask, a turbocharger also relies on the cleanliness of the air intake system to work efficiently. Air filtration is the first line of defense for the turbo from dirty atmospheric air, as it prevents contaminants from coming into direct contact with the compressor inlet. The outside air enters the pre-cleaner then circulates through the primary (outer) filter element. Then it passes through the safety (inner) filter and finally toward the turbo inlet. To keep this system working efficiently, any debris accumulation around the precleaner, such as branches, snow, dirt, mud or leaves, must be removed at least every eight hours, and more often if working in challenging conditions. This will help keep the turbo vacuum pressure within limits and lower the longitudinal strain on the shaft at high speeds, preserving the life of the seals and internal parts of the turbo. A plugged filter will cause the turbo speeds to increase because there is 30
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Proper maintenance and inspection will extend the life of the turbo charger.
no load on the compressor and this in turn can cause the turbo to fail. The air cleaner element should only be replaced when indicated by the filter restriction indicator, as opposed to proactive replacement. Over-servicing may render the system less efficient, as it relies on some filter dust buildup to maximize the filtration capabilities. It is not recommended to clean the filter. There is a risk of contaminants reaching the clean side of the filter and risk of filter damage from high pressure compressed air. Any type of cleaning is only as good as the people, methods, tools and inspections used in the process. The secondary (safety) element should never be cleaned, only replaced. If you decide to clean the filter, first do a visual inspection. If there is any damage to the filter body, gaskets or end plates, the filter should be discarded. Always clean the filter in a clean environment and repackage the filter immediately after the cleaning process. Limit cleaning to a maximum of three intervals and always refer to the filter manufacturer’s recommended cleaning practices to safely execute the task. Some key points to remember: l Pressure should not exceed 30 psi when using air l Direct the air from the clean side pointing out l Do not allow the nozzle to contact the filter media Keep the filter replacement procedure brief to prevent any contami-
nants from entering the intake system. A clean rag can be used temporarily to block the intake port but it is crucial that it is removed before reassembly. The finest of dust, sand and dirt particles can have a severe impact on the turbo, causing pitting, scoring or even total fracture of the compressor wheel fins that could result in catastrophic failure. Turbos are finely balanced. The smallest of cracks to the assembly can unbalance the system and accelerate failures.
Cooling, Lubrication A warm up is important before exercising and it would only make sense to seek shade with a nice cold glass of water after running in hot weather. The same goes for your machine. The oil must be warmed before working the machine and the turbo must be allowed to cool before shutdown. Proper lubrication is essential to cool the turbo. Remember, it can spin over 100,000 RPM. Turning off the engine right after working the machine hard means the lubricating oil flow by the pump will be turned off while the turbo is still spinning at high RPMs for several minutes. With no oil, there is no way to quickly remove the heat. This can cause premature wear to the shaft, bearings and seals and shorten the life of the turbo. The same can happen by not allowing enough time for the oil to warm on startup. Cold oil moves more slowly, delivering inadequate lubrication to the bearing.
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As mentioned, proper maintenance procedures will help extend the life of the turbo. The tolerances within the rotating parts of the turbo are very small and rely on good quality oil to keep all parts moving flawlessly. Always remember to replace the oil at the recommended service intervals or even sooner if there is a risk of contamination. Dirty engine oil can quickly reduce overall life as it permanently scores the bearings and shaft. These imperfections in the surface of the material then leave room for further contaminants to settle and accelerate wear on the parts. A rough surface also restricts oil flow and its ability to remove the heat.
Crankcase Ventilation – CCV During the combustion process of the engine, there are combustion vapors (blow-by gas) that escape past the piston rings into the engine crankcase and mix with the oil vapors. To prevent over-pressuring the sump, these vapors are filtered from the oil and returned to the turbo inlet pipe, while returning the condensed oil to the sump. On Tigercat FPT 6.7 and 4.5 liter engines, the CCV upper case filter is located directly above the engine flywheel housing and is specifically designed to match the engine. For this reason, only Tigercat branded filters should be used. A filter that looks the same does not necessarily mean it is the same. CCV filters have a specific oil separation media to control the blow-by gasses and have been designed and manufactured specifically for the application with proprietary materials to work in unison with the rest of the system. Filters with specifications unfit for the applications can have a negative impact on the overall performance. Some of these include blow-by gas flow rate, crankcase pressures, filter porosity and reduced service life.
“I See Oil At The Turbo” Seeing some oil at the turbo is normal – the combustion vapors directed to the intake can be mixed with some residual oil that is usually burned during engine combustion. Some of this
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oil can settle in the pipe just before the turbo inlet and as such, it is normal to see oil in small quantities. What is important to remember is to replace the CCV filter at the recommended service interval with a Tigercat branded filter. This often neglected filter plays a very important role. Incorrectly servicing this component can result in filter saturation and allow oil to build up at the turbo compressor inlet and outlet. This reduces engine performance and turbo boost pressure due to the restriction on the compressor wheel caused by coking and can negatively affect components downstream of the turbo exhaust. Left too long, this can lead to turbo failure or even engine failure.
Tricks, Awareness Just as monitoring the fuel, engine speed and oil gauges is second nature when driving your car, keeping an eye on the machine’s boost pressure can help catch any concern in the early stages. Should the boost pressure appear to be low or drop suddenly, the operator should be proactive and adjust/ investigate accordingly. Since it is easily accessible and fastened with only four bolts, the turbo is often replaced prematurely in a low boost
Always use the OEM-recomended filters to protect the engine and components.
pressure event. Some factors to review and consider beforehand are loose or worn charge air connections, restricted air filters, blocked precleaners, saturated CCV filters and worn gaskets between the turbo and intake/exhaust manifold. In an event where the shaft or compressor wheel breaks, the turbo boost pressure will decrease significantly. At this time, stopping the engine immediately is crucial as continuous operation can allow a large amount of oil to reach the engine intake and enter the cylinder chambers. The significant amount of power generated from the oil mixing with the fuel and the air during the combustion process can cause severe damage and has the potential to bend the connecting rods resulting in an engine replacement. The oil can also contaminate exhaust catalysts, resulting in extensive repairs. Education is the key to success. Make sure that everyone on the crew knows how and why the system works. It can positively influence and motivate the team to use best operating practices, perform correct maintenance procedures at the required intervals and to have an awareness of potential issues. This will go a long way in keeping the engine and turbo SLT system working flawlessly.
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Gone Viral ■ Mississippi’s Tim O’Bryant brings logging into the public eye on YouTube.
By Jordan Anderson COLUMBUS, Miss. im O’Bryant, 46, ★ has worked for his father’s company, TDK Logging, for almost 30 years. The business got its start in 1975 when Edwin (Sam) O’Bryant, now 72, started logging on the side because of his love of the outdoors. If the O’Bryant name and TDK Logging sound familiar to you, it might be because the company was featured on the cover of Southern Loggin’ Times in August 2012. While that story provided a great profile of the company’s history, operations and style of logging, this one is going to be a little different. When SLT went looking for an out-of-the-ordinary story, our search led us to the popular video sharing website YouTube, where we found the channel of cotontop3. O’Bryant, known by the handle cotontop3 on YouTube, is what’s known as a “vlogger.” Vlogging, a shortened name for video blogging (a word that is itself shortened from web logging), involves filming, editing and uploading videos to YouTube or other video sharing platforms on a regular basis. Many vloggers produce videos daily, some weekly and some several times a week. O’Bryant mostly keeps to a schedule of posting a video every day to his cotontop3 channel. O’Bryant’s channel has more than 45,000 subscribers and his videos have been watched over 14 million times. His videos showcase everything from him loading trucks with a 2008 Deere 2154D tracked loader to other pieces of equipment working on their operation, to equipment and truck maintenance and repairs, to the crew moving everything from one tract to another. When he’s not at work, O’Bryant also posts videos of his hunting, fishing, biking and kayaking adventures, road trips that he takes with his family, his interactions with friends and fans of his channel, and reviews of products and technology he uses personally and on the job. He even does giveaways in which he’ll hold a drawing and send free
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Tim O’Bryant is known as cotontop3 on YouTube.
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The TDK Logging crew (from left to right): Tim O’Bryant, Sam O’Bryant, Kevin O’Bryant, Derrick O’Bryant and Chad McCool
products to his viewers. Since logging isn’t something that is often open to public viewing, many people really don’t know what it looks like, how it works and how challenging it can be. The public perception of loggers leans toward the negative rather than the positive. O’Bryant’s intention with his YouTube channel is to change that perception. He views it as an
opportunity to educate the public and open a window into what life is really like down long dirt roads. “Logging is a closed arena,” he says. “You can buy a ticket to a baseball game, a football game, a concert and you can sit there and watch it. People don’t see logging. The Swamp Loggers show back in the day gave people a window into what it’s really like. I allow people
every day to look over my shoulder in the woods, but not just in the woods, also in my life to see what a logger faces every day.”
Logger To Vlogger O’Bryant began posting videos to his channel periodically between 2009 and 2014. It was in November of 2014 that he decided to start
filming and posting daily videos. When he started vlogging, O’Bryant shared all of his videos on his personal Facebook profile to promote and grow his channel. After rapidly gaining popularity, he eventually created a cotontop3 Facebook fan page to share his videos and photos. In October 2016, at the suggestion of his growing fan base,
SLT SNAPSHOT Tim O’Bryant AKA cotontop3 TDK Logging Columbus, Miss. YouTube: YouTube.com/user/cotontop3 Website: cotontop3.com Camera Equipment: Canon EOS 80D w/ 10-22mm lens, Sony HDR CX455, two GoPro Hero 5’s, iPhone 6+ Computers & Editing Software: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and iPad Pro equipped with Adobe Premiere Pro CC Other: Rode shotgun and wireless VideoMic’s, DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ drone, custom homemade camera mounts Tidbit: Where did the name cotontop3 come from? Growing up Tim’s grandfather called him “cotton top” because of his blonde hair, and Tim is a fan of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr., who sported the number “3” on his car. So why only one “t” in the name? When Tim went to set up his email address, the name cottontop3 was already taken, so he dropped one of the t’s and cotontop3 was born. Tim’s family (from left to right): Emma, Tim, Jill and Anna Kate
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O’Bryant partnered with DogPound Printing in Starkville, Miss. to create an official cotontop3 logo for his channel and began selling hats and apparel with his logo in February 2017 through his YouTube channel. In October 2017 he, along with Lookout IT based in Gadsden, Ala., designed and launched a website—cotontop3.com—to promote his videos and sell his custom branded merchandise. So how does O’Bryant balance being a logger and a vlogger?
“Working for TDK Logging and filming and editing videos is like having two full-time jobs,” he says. It wouldn’t be possible without the encouragement of his family and crew, he adds. His father and brothers, Kevin, 42, and Derrick, 38, who also work for TDK Logging, are supportive of his video efforts, but do occasionally give him a hard time about “always fooling with those cameras.” His wife, Jill, and daughters, Anna Kate and Emma, help him often with his video
efforts and love being part of it, O’Bryant assures. Through his channel, O’Bryant has contacts in places like Tasmania, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Canada and all over the UK. He also gets invited to logging industry events to make appearances and meet fans. In 2016 he was put in contact with Misty Booth, manager of the biennial Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show held in Starkville, and was invited to attend the show, film and
meet fans. He even brought along 200 of his cotontop3 t-shirts that he gave away while walking the show grounds. He was contacted last year by the Paul Bunyan Show, held annually in Cambridge, Oh., to set up a booth, meet and greet fans and sell merchandise. With his video content, O’Bryant strives to keep it family-friendly. “A kindergarten class or a church group could watch my videos,” he asserts. He also makes safety a top priority when anyone comes onto a job site. He has fans visit often and always makes sure they’re in a safe place, at a safe distance and wearing a hardhat and PPE.
TDK Today Not a whole lot has changed at TDK Logging since SLT visited in 2012. There are some new faces and new pieces of equipment, but the company still operates in rough, steep ground, using tracked machines to cut timber and utilizing a processor-oriented CTL system, and they still cut primarily for Weyerhaeuser. Between 2008 and 2013 TDK transitioned its equipment in order to adapt to this style of logging. “There is no textbook on logging that says you have to do it like this or do it like that,” O’Bryant says. “You have to figure out what works for you and go with it. Whatever will make you productive and profitable is what you have to do.” When SLT visited recently, the crew was cutting a 200-acre Weyerhaeuser tract in Pickens County, Ala., a mixed stand of pine and hardwood that was yielding pulpwood, chip-n-saw and saw logs. Timber was being hauled to Westervelt in Moundville, Weyerhaeuser in Millport, Georgia-Pacific in Belk, International Paper in Columbus, hardwood pulpwood to GP in Aliceville and hardwood logs to Lewis Bros. Lumber Co. in Aliceville. When they’re not cutting for Weyerhaeuser, TDK does first thinning on a family pine plantation, also in Pickens County. O’Bryant mentions that TDK is currently averaging 70 loads a week and that their markets the past few years have been “very challenging.” The TDK crew today is made up of the O’Bryant men—Tim on the loader, Kevin on the processor, Derrick on the cutter and Sam doing a little bit of everything—and Chad McCool on the skidder. The O’Bryant brothers’ only sister, Samantha Smith, works in the company’s office and handles all administrative duties. Truck drivers are Scott Boone, Danny Boone and Frank Harris. TDK’s equipment lineup includes a 2008 Deere 2154D loader with Rotobec 4552HD grapple saw, ’08 36
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TDK’s Deere harvester processes cut trees at the landing.
Deere 2554 harvester with a Waratah 624C processor, ’12 Tigercat L830C tracked feller-buncher with Tigercat sawhead, ’13 Tigercat 635D skidder, ’14 Tigercat 630E skidder, ’01 John Deere 772CH motor grader and a ’98 Deere 850C dozer. Deere equipment and parts come from Stribling Equipment in Columbus and Tigercat from B&G Equipment in Philadelphia, Miss. The company currently runs three trucks, Peterbilts that come from Fitzgerald Peterbilt of Birmigham. Trailers come from Better Built Trailers, equipped with SI scales, out of Double Springs, Ala. The company utilizes Avenza Systems maps, a state of the art GPS app that Weyerhaeuser offers, which allows Derrick to get both an aerial and a topographical view of tracts they’re working on that allows him to see where skid trails need to be and where SMZs and roads are. All three of their trucks are equipped with GPS trackers, which are used to locate trucks and keep up with maintenance schedules. TDK is also strongly considering installing dash cams in their trucks. “Technology will play a huge part in where the industry goes from here,” O’Bryant comments.
Looking Ahead
The Tigercat tracked cutter and bogey skidder can tackle steep terrain.
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When asked what turns a hardworking logger into a successful YouTube vlogger with an ever-growing audience, O’Bryant says, “You have to be willing to be creative. That’s the key to creating something people want to see. And you have to be consistent with your content and your posting schedule, and you have to listen to your fans. They’ll guide you into what comes next.”
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The Goodsons Return
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acksonville, NC-based logger Bobby Goodson of Swamp Loggers fame recently unveiled a new series on YouTube. Goodson and his company, Goodson’s All Terrain Logging, Inc., were featured on Discovery Channel’s Swamp Loggers for four seasons from 2009 until 2012. Since then, Goodson has continued to make appearances and speak at various logging industry shows and events. In the first full episode on their YouTube channel that launched on May 15, Bobby, along with wife Lori and son Justin, provide an update on what has happened in his company since filming stopped for the TV show seven years ago. “We always had people asking us if we were coming back on TV and this opportunity came along, everything seemed right, so we decided to start filming again,” Goodson says. “I like the idea of being able to highlight things that I like about logging and being able to show people what we really do and who we really are.” YouTube.com/user/GoodsonsAllTer SLT rain is the address. The SLT drone provides an aerial shot of the steep tract in Pickens County, Ala.
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The Deere tracked loader’s mobility allows Tim to keep up with the processor.
O’Bryant says he doesn’t plan on slowing down in the woods or with his videos anytime soon, adding that “really hard work” is what makes people successful at whatever they put their mind or their hands to doing. He even mentioned that in the future he’d like to create videos where he visits other reputable loggers to interview them and film their operations, à la Southern Loggin’ Times. (In case you didn’t already know, SLT has its very own YouTube channel too. You can find it at YouTube.com/user/SLT SLT Magazine225.)
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Mutual Benefits ■ Symbiotic relationships abound in and out of the forest.
By Teresa Hannah, Caribou Software
of things from there. As James says, “We’ve got it working to a T!”
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he forest is full of mutually symbiotic relationships, like In Woods lichens in the forest helping In recent years, Plains has with soil formation, or bees even extended their use of softhelping to pollinate flowers, just ware right on out to the woods, to pick two simple and wellreplacing their daily paper log known examples. But it turns out sheets and hand-written trip tickthat such mutually beneficial et/sticker system with Caribou’s relationships can also happen Suzie Logger app for one of the outside the woods, as the folks company crews, the one that from Plains Logging (based in Grant Coleman heads. Plains Washington, Ga.) and Caribou had developed a meticulous Software can attest. manual tracking system for Their relationship dates back accounting for each and every more than a decade, when Plains first adopted Caribou’s Logger’s Caribou’s lead developer and part owner, Bob Lucke, at the Southeastern Wood Producer's Annual Meet- load in the woods, using a sticking in Waycross, Ga, in March 2018. er system to match each load Edge software. Both companies with the corresponding mill ticket to have been instrumental in each themselves to make the program brothers who are taking over the ensure all loads were accounted for. other’s expansion, both have encourappealing,” Amy says. “Plus, the ease business from their father, William. The Suzie Logger Android tablet app aged the other to try new things, and of entering information one time and “I don’t know why we didn’t get it has essentially allowed them to elimiboth continue to rely on each other’s being able to get multiple reports all set up in the beginning. It has nate their sticker system and has also support and input. streamlines our process tremendousbeen a great asset, and makes it so allowed them to eliminate all the prePlains was a relatively early cusly. Having to key information multimuch easier to keep up with the printed authorization sheets that they tomer in Caribou’s Southeast U.S. ple times, copy formulas over from machine hours and what services history, and has been very instrumen- one spreadsheet to another, etc., are coming due. Plus, we don’t have used to print for use in the woods for tal in helping Caribou to expand its allows much room for errors across to look back anymore at old invoic- those mills that required them. The cutter man or loader man customer base in Georgia from eight the board. The software program es and paper files to figure out what enters each load into Suzie, using in 2006, when Plains first adopted eliminates such errors.” was done on a particular unit.” pre-populated drop downs and pick Caribou’s Logger’s Edge, to nearly And it’s not just the office staff that To his credit, James put a great 50 now. And according to Amy Cole- relies on Caribou’s systems. About a deal of time and effort into building lists that have been synchronized from the Logger’s Edge. The Suzie man, the office manager at Plains year after Plains came on board with out his service schedules and getsystem is smart enough to autofill the Logging, Caribou’s various systems the Logger’s Edge, they adopted ting all the current machine hours authorization numbers assigned by have been instrumental in their Caribou’s Mechanic’s Edge system as and truck miles logged in the softexpansion as well. “With our operawell. Their initial motivation was the ware. But once the main setup work the various mills depending on the tion being so large now, there is no need for a point-of-sales system for was done, it was easy to stay on top setup information entered back in the office. Suzie Logger can then way we could be functioning without their company store to help print out a small trip ticket for this type of software in place,” she manage the sale of equipment the driver to carry to the mill. In asserts. “We had outgrown all our parts and services, but they cases where the mill requires the previous software systems, which is intended eventually to use it to authorization numbers to be barthe reason we changed over to Carimanage the scheduled maintecoded, Suzie can accommodate bou in 2006. There is so much room nance on their own equipment that as well. Plus, those loads are for continued growth and functions fleet. Their store manager, sent up electronically to the Logwithin the program that we are learn- Kenny Stewart, was pretty hesiger’s Edge database to avoid the ing yearly and implementing, even tant about learning a new softneed for rekeying tickets. now after 10 years with Caribou.” ware system, but he was comAlthough Plains has, to date, The Logger’s Edge has become an mitted to the process. Now he only implemented it with one integral part of the work lives for the knows the Mechanic’s Edge like crew, they have plans to introoffice staff at Plains Logging. It is the back of his hand. duce it to their other crews over used every single day of the week for As it often goes, other parts time. “It’s taken some getting everything from generating payments of the business took priority for used to, but we feel that we are to landowners, contractors, and a number of years, but Plains on the right path to really get the employees to reconciling revenue did, in fact, accomplish its goal full benefit of Suzie now,” Amy each week and tracking unpaid tickof implementing the maintesays. “I have to work with the ets to generating Georgia Timber tax nance tracking functionality guys much more closely on the forms and 1099 forms at year-end. about two years ago. “We’ve timing. They need to give me “Being able to process timber tax really enjoyed working with enough notice of moving onto a forms and 1099S forms at year-end the Mechanic’s Edge,” says Plains Logging loader operator Eric Leslie, using Carinew tract so that I can get trip are enough of a cost/benefit within James Coleman, one of three bou's Suzie app for handheld devices 42
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mileages and authorization numbers into the Logger’s Edge, so that Grant can download the data into Suzie before they start loading the trucks.” But the benefits are there if they can stay on top of the information sharing. “It speeds up the process by not having to enter all the information for each load like we do for all the others crews. It’s also helped out with managing our quotas better because we can easily see on a day-by-day basis how many of that crew’s loads have gone to each mill.”
Innovative Input The folks at Plains Logging are an innovative group of business people, always thinking about ways to improve their business and never afraid of introducing new technology—and even conceiving of new tools, if they think it can enhance efficiency. About two years ago, on one of Caribou’s visits to the old U.S. Post Office in White Plains, Ga. that now serves as Plains Logging’s head office, the three brothers, James, Grant and Allen, along with family patriarch William Coleman, met with Caribou. The Colemans proceeded to describe their vision of a tool that
would be integrated with the the cost-benefit ratio was Logger’s Edge, and that would sound. Their vision pushed let them keep track visually on Caribou to learn new technoloa map of all the various tracts gy tools that allowed for the of timber they have purchased. integration of a Google maps They wanted to be able to interface to sit on top of the query the tool in various ways Logger’s Edge database where to make decisions about which the longitude and latitude data tracts to harvest when, dependwere entered for each tract. By ing on the needs of the mills. combining the physical tract And they wanted it integrated location information with the with Georgia’s “QPublic” webproduct cruise and other tract site so that detailed tract maps information, the “Tract Map-It” and parcel numbers were only software tool was born. a click away. Amy summed it up nicely: “The guys at Plains really “We have worked with Caribou had a clear vision of what they on multiple customized reports wanted, and the business reaand other changes that not just sons why they wanted it,” says any software company would Bob Lucke, one of the owners be willing to do for their cusat Caribou who met with the tomers. We feel that our feedColemans. “Given the number back on changes we would like of tracts of timber they purto see are truly appreciated and chase, and the challenge of tested for future versions optimizing harvest decisions released.” based on multiple factors like And that is what makes this the mills’ fiber requirements, relationship between Caribou the distance to the mills and and Plains such a mutually the expiry dates on the conLoader operators enter their loads on the Suzie app using beneficial one: they both keep tracts, it was clear that keeping a tablet or phone to replace paper load sheets. They can encouraging the other to print trip tickets for the trucker, complete with bar codes track of it all in their heads evolve, to adapt, and to try new for select mills. was no longer feasible.” things as the market environEngaging Caribou to build a cusinvestment, but with the volume of ment and technological landscape SLT tom system for them was no small timber they purchase, they decided changes.
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Conclusions On Aging
weeks for only $23.07 and expected it to be there when I returned?”
—I talk to myself because there are times when I need expert advice. —I consider “in style” to be the clothes that still fit. —I don’t need anger management. I need people to stop ticking me off. —My people skills are just fine. It’s my tolerance for idiots that needs work. —The biggest lie I tell myself is, “I don’t need to write that down. I’ll remember it.” —I have days when my life is just a tent away from a circus. —These days “on time” is when I get there. —Even duct tape can’t fix stupid, but it certainly muffles the sound. —Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could put ourselves in the dryer for 10 minutes, then come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller? —Lately, I’ve noticed people my age are so much older than me. —“Getting lucky” means walking into a room and remembering why I’m there. —When I was a child, I thought nap time was punishment. Now it feels like a mini vacation. —I’m old enough to remember when a wild night out meant skating around in circles while a DJ played music. —You know you’re getting old when you can’t walk past a restroom without thinking, “I might as well pee while I’m here.” —Some days I have no idea what I’m doing out of bed. —At my age, rolling out of bed in the morning is the easy part. Getting off the floor is a whole other story. —I thought growing old would take longer. —Sometimes I laugh so hard the tears run down my leg!
His Name Was Bubba
Random One-Liners The closest I ever got to a 4.0 in college was my blood alcohol content. I live in my own little world, but it’s OK. Everyone knows me here. I saw a very large woman wearing a sweatshirt with “Guess” on it. I said, “left tackle?” I don’t do drugs. I find I get the same effect just by standing up really fast. I don’t like political jokes. I’ve seen too many get elected. The most precious thing we have is life, yet it has absolutely no trade-in value. If life deals you lemons, make lemonade. If life deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys. Shopping tip: You can get shoes for a buck at bowling alleys. Every day I beat my previous record of consecutive days I’ve stayed alive. No one ever says, “It’s only a game!” when their team’s winning. Why is it that most nudists are people you don’t want to see naked? Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled. Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can’t even get into my own pants. I signed up for an exercise class My mouth is like and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I had any loose-fitting a magician’s hat. clothing, I wouldn’t need the freakYou never know what’s ing class! Don’t argue with an idiot; people gonna come out of it! watching may not be able to tell the difference. Brains are awesome. I wish everybody had one. Wouldn’t you know it! Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever. Some days I amaze myself. Other days, I look for my phone while I’m holding it. Mr. Rogers did not adequately prepare me for the people in my neighborhood.
The story goes that his name was Bubba, he was from far south Alabama, and he needed a loan. So, he walked into a bank in New York City and asked for a loan officer. He told the loan officer he was going to Paris for an international redneck festival for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000, and that he was not a customer of the bank. The officer told him the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so Bubba handed over the keys to a new Ferrari. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank. He produced the title and everything checked out. The officer agreed to hold the car as collateral for the loan Abraham Lincoln after being called ‘two-faced’: “If I had two faces do and apologized for having to charge 12% interest. you think I’d be wearing this one?” Later, the bank’s president and its officers enjoyed a good laugh at the Mark Twain: “I’ve never killed a man, but I’ve read many an obituary redneck for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan. Later, with a great deal of satisfaction.” an employee of the bank drove the Ferrari into the bank’s private underReporter: “How many people work at The Vatican?” Pope John XXIII: ground garage and safely parked it. “About half.” Two weeks later, Bubba returned, repaid the Rev. Edward Everett Hale when asked if he prayed $5,000 and the small amount of interest. for Senators: “No, I look at Senators and pray for the The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy to country.” have had your business, and this transaction has Bessie Braddock to Winston Churchill: “Winston, worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. you are drunk, and what’s more you are disgustingly While you were away, we checked you out on Dunn That one will be dropping me drunk.” Churchill: “Bessie my dear, you are ugly, and & Bradstreet and found that you are a Distinguished curbside at the nursing home. what’s more, you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorAlumni from the University of Alabama, a highly row I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly sophisticated investor and multi-millionaire with That one will be paying for it. real estate and financial interests all over the world. That one will visit me the most. ugly.” A House member, after rubbing Speaker Nicholas What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borAnd THAT ONE? He’ll be sneaking Longworth’s bald head: “Nice and smooth…feels just row $5,000?” The good ole boy replied, “Where else in New In the good tequila and Twinkies. like my wife’s bottom.” Longworth, running his hand over his head: “Indeed, it does!” York City could I have parked my Ferrari for two
Some Historic Comebacks
DO YOU EVER LOOK AT YOUR KIDS AND THINK…
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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP
As We See It: Loggers Working For Loggers By Danny Dructor About once a year we like to remind loggers and log haulers why they should, if not already, be involved with a state and/or regional association Dructor representing loggers and log haulers. Perhaps the biggest reason can be found in the question, “If loggers are not representing the best interests of the timber harvesting profession, then who is?” When you step back and look at some of the benefits that state and regional associations have worked on with regard to the political and working landscapes, you can’t help but wonder where our industry might be if you did not have these organizations working for you. Let’s start with an issue that brought many of our associations together, workers’ compensation
insurance. Many state associations have successfully petitioned their state insurance boards to create a tiered structure for logging insurance rates based on mechanized versus non-mechanized operations. Let’s talk about truck weights. Many state and regional associations have experienced an increase in gross truck weights on state and county roads as a direct result of having their associations lobby their respective legislative bodies to allow tolerances above the 80,000 lbs. gross weight limit found on Interstates. Why? Simply because raw forest products are an agriculture commodity subject to many variances in weight, both physical and weather related. Let’s talk about taxes. There are many states that have exempted timber harvesting equipment from ad valorem taxes and either reduced or completely eliminated the sales tax on logging equipment and parts. These are just a few examples, and there are other ideas that have been
brought to the table in state and regional logger organizations, saving millions of dollars for the logging sector through greater efficiencies and cost-cutting measures. With all the regulations currently burdening the industry, it is good to know that you have an association working for you that can keep you up to date on changes that can save your business from unwanted fines and penalties for non-compliance. If you are reading this and not supporting your local state and/or regional organization, then you need to realize the efforts of those supporters are probably one of the reasons you are still in business. While it is preferable to be an active member of an organization, your donation through membership dues will go a long way in supporting the organization supporting you and your livelihood. The American Loggers Council is the national association of state and regional logging associations. We will continue to bring the logger’s voice to Washington, DC, but we need healthy state and regional logging associations participating with us to make that happen. Please consider supporting your state associations, for it is an investment in your future, and ours. We are “Loggers Working for Loggers.” Dructor is Executive Vice President for the American Loggers Council, a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states. Visit amloggers.com or phone 409-625-0206.
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Waratah Announces NA Leadership Changes Waratah Forestry Equipment has appointed Elliott Little as manager of North American Waratah distribution. Little becomes responsible for managing the North American Waratah business and leading distribution teams in the U.S. and Canada. “Elliott is an industry veteran who has extensive experience in the forestry industry,” says Heather Robinson, general manager of worldwide distribution for Waratah. “His previous roles will allow him to transition seamlessly into his new position, ensuring that Waratah customers will continue to receive the same quality products and high level of service and support they have come to expect from the Waratah team.” Little’s most recent position was division manager of customer support for John Deere Construction and Forestry’s Southeastern U.S. division. Little started his career working for a Canadian forest products company in its woodlands division in northern Ontario and Quebec. He joined John Deere and moved through various forestry sales and customer support assignments in Eastern Canada. He was product marketing manager for Forestry Products before broadening his skill base in assignments as manager of the Commercial Development for the Western U.S. & Hitachi and manager of Discount & Incentive Programs for John Deere Construction & Forestry. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the rest of the Waratah team in North America to continue to
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deliver industry leading service and support and high-quality, innovative, and proven products developed with customer-driven focus,” Little says.
Carolina Loggers Board Hires Ewell Smith As ED Ewell Smith has been hired by the Carolina Loggers Assn. (CLA) as the new executive director of the group, effective July 30. He
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replaces Jack Swanner, tained partnerships. Our who has retired after servassociation has seen ing in the role for several growth in the last year and years. the board feels that he will Smith has been an assobe able to carry our association executive for more ciation to great accomthan 20 years and is expeplishments.” rienced in marketing and Most recently Smith communications. Accordwas an independent conEwell Smith ing to a spokesperson for sultant working with nonthe CLA board, “Smith has experiprofits and small businesses to ence in expanding and building pro- achieve enhanced organizational grams through creative and suseffectiveness. An example of his
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consultant work included the establishment of the Gulf Seafood Institute and the Gulf Seafood Foundation in Louisiana. He also served as executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.
FS Chief Will Speak At ALC Annual Meeting The lovely village of Seaside, Ore. is the setting for the 24th annual meeting of the American Loggers Council and it will include a luncheon speech by new Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen. The meeting begins with a reception on Thursday evening, October 11, at the Shiloh Inn & Suites Hotel. ALC President Mark Turner and wife Claire, along with Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc., are hosts. A logging tour and a visit to Camp 18 (rustic restaurant and antique logging equipment displays) and separate ladies activities take up part of the day on Friday. Meetings of the board and full membership, an awards luncheon, and president’s farewell banquet, will take place on Saturday. FS Chief Christiansen will speak during the awards luncheon on Saturday. Previously she was deputy chief for state and private forestry. She joined the Forest Service in 2010. A tie-in semi-annual meeting of TEAM Safe Trucking will take place at the same hotel beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Hosted by Forestry Mutual Ins. Co., the meeting is open to all who are interested and includes lunch. There is no charge. Visit teamsafetrucking.com.
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Hardwood Lumbermen Express Optimism Eighty-one percent of the U.S. hardwood lumbermen who responded to an annual sawmill operations and capital expenditure survey forecast their lumber business situation for the remainder of 2018 and looking ahead to 2019 as excellent or good. Despite the optimism, hardwood
lumbermen voiced concerns about their markets. “A disruption in our lumber exports would cause severe reaction to our markets. China is our largest customer,” one lumberman said. Another lumberman expressed concern with “Chinese log buyers,” referring to China’s intake of U.S. hardwood logs, which affects hardwood log supply for U.S. mills and U.S. hardwood lumber markets in China.
Lumbermen expressed other concerns as well, such as price stability, moving low grade material and log supply. Owners, presidents, VPs, general managers, corporate executives, regional managers, plant managers and other supervisory personnel completed the survey conducted by Timber Processing magazine in April. They represented approximately 100 U.S. hardwood sawmills. The survey asked several questions
about capital expenditure projects. One was how much expenditure in machinery and systems had they committed to since the beginning of 2017. Fourteen percent said at least $1 million, another 15% said $500,000 to $1 million, 16% said from $300,000 to $500,000, and 22% said from $100,000 to $300,000.
Biorefinery Project Taps Jordan For Biomass Attis Industries, a technology holding company, has executed a letter of intent with Jordan Forest Products, LLC for Jordan to provide raw material feedstock and procurement services for a biorefinery in Barnesville, Ga. recently announced by Attis. Jordan operates a sawmill in Barnesville, and is a division of Jordan Lumber & Supply Inc., which operates multiple sawmill lines at its home base in Mt. Gilead, NC. The new Attis Barnesville facility will be built on an adjacent property to Jordan’s sawmill in Barnesville, and allow Attis to leverage Jordan’s existing procurement relationships and infrastructure to reduce operating costs. The biomass sourced by Jordan will be processed and converted by Attis’ biomass processing technologies into a portfolio of biobased products, including specialty pulp fibers, cellulosic fuel, lignin-based polymers, and specialty chemicals. Attis said its facility will be designed to process and convert 200 dry tons per day of biomass. The company plans to build more than 50 biorefineries across the U.S. over the next 10 years.
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Mountain Top Timber Plans Virginia Sawmill Mountain Top Timber Products will invest $3.76 million into a long-abandoned industrial building in the Town of Dungannon, Va., expanding the company’s wood chipping operations and adding a sawmill and dry kiln capacity. Over the next three years Mountain Top Timber Products expects to create 50 jobs and will commit to purchase more than $14 million of Virginia-grown timber from area loggers and forestland owners. “Mountain Top Timber Products is a locally grown company, and we are excited about the opportunity to revive the facility in the Dungannon area,” says Neal Stidham, managing member, Mountain Top Timber Products, LLC. “These will be good forestry-related jobs for this area. We appreciate the Commonwealth, the region, and Scott County in their partnership with us on this project.”
Leadership Shakeup At Forest Service Vicki Christiansen has been named the interim Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Her promotion comes on the heels of the resignation of the previous Forest Service Chief, Tony Tooke, who resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment within the Forest Service, possibly involving himself. The U.S. Agriculture Dept. is apparently investigating sexual misconduct complaints against Tooke and the agency. In an email to employees, Tooke wrote, “In some of these news reports, you may have seen references to my own behavior in the past. This naturally raised questions about my record and prompted an investigation, which I requested and fully support, and with which I have cooperated. I have been forthright during the review, but I cannot combat every inaccuracy that is reported in the news media. “What I can control, however, are decisions I make today and the choice of a path for the future that is best for our employees, the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I must also think about what is best for my family. Therefore, I have decided that what is needed right now is for me to step down as Forest Service Chief and make way for a new leader that can ensure future success for all employees and the agency.” USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue in a letter to Forest Service employees said the Forest Service has taken concrete steps to improve the working environment and that the
Office of Inspector General is issuing a report on new processes to combat sexual harassment and protect victims from retaliation. Perdue also announced the
appointment of Christiansen as interim chief, adding, “With seven years at the Forest Service and 30 with the states of Arizona and Washington, Vicki knows what is needed to
restore our forests and put them back to work for the taxpayers.” Tooke stepped down less than seven months after he was named to the post.
LOGGING LIFE AT HOME Importance of Being A Steadfast Encourager By Deborah Smith There is something in common with all 10 of our very different children, who are ages 32-13, biological and adopted, sons and daughters, Caucasian and AfricanAmerican, and living in three states. It is this: they are each pursuing a life that allows them to use their Godgiven gifts. Our fourth daughter and I talked over coffee this morning before she headed out to take care of her daddy’s 97-year-old mother. She pointed out that growing up with a daddy in the logging business, she and her siblings were raised with the confidence that if you want to step out on your own and pursue something, then work hard and go build that dream. The kids have watched how a business operates—the ups and downs, growth, and the decisions and rewards of doing something that you love to do in an environment that you love to be in. Travis enjoys what he does so much that I honestly think that when he retires, if he retires, he will show up in the woods on a regular basis and work for free. To love what you do in life is a gift, and it is hard work to do what you love when you have to start from scratch, so to speak. But the rewards are worth all the work. One of his daughters once asked, “Daddy, why did you want to be a logger?” His simple answer made her laugh, but it was so true: “Because I didn’t want anybody telling me what to do all day!” Having a logger for a daddy makes it hard to feel sorry for yourself about working hard when your daddy comes home with hydraulic fluid on his jeans and a dirty lunch box in his hand, tired from working all day, and
then heads out the door to feed the livestock and do chores til dark. There is no question of, “Can I work hard enough to make this work?” when hard work has been modeled for you all your life. There is no feeling sorry for yourself when you’ve had a discouraging day because you’ve watched your daddy successfully go through lots of stressful days with persistence and determination. Our kids don’t wonder if their daddy will support them in their efforts. Once he finds out what they would like to do or become, he is their biggest fan and encourager. Not to brag, but to give God all the glory, here is a brief look at Travis’ kids: church planter and mother; artist blacksmith and financial teacher; communications specialist and writer; potter, caregiver and poet; honors college student and community volunteer; logger and hay farmer; furniture maker and machinist; caregiver and knitter; dog groomer and runner; and football player and goat farmer. As their mama and their teacher, I can promise you that our children’s backbone and good stubborn spirit come from watching their daddy, day after logging day, come home to love them and be daddy, no matter what. His life work as a logger and business owner is a lesson better than anything I could have taught them. So, to all the men out there who are loggers, daddies, granddaddies or uncles, you are teaching your kids and/or relatives valuable life lessons. What you do matters… a whole lot. You never know who is watching you, being influenced by you, or depending on you to be the steadfast encourager to their dreams and life SLT work. Keep the faith and keep up the great work.
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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Titan/Goodyear Titan International (Titan) offers 30-ply and 32-ply tires in the Goodyear Logger Lug line. The new higher-ply tires were developed to help address the higher torque and load capacity requirements on today’s heavier machines. “Forestry equipment is 25 to 30 percent larger than a decade ago,
and attachments are getting bigger, too,” says Johni Francis, global OTR product manager for Titan.
Titan partnered with Alexandria, La., tire dealer Despino Tire and their forestry customers to test the higher-ply tires on forestry equipment. The new 30-ply and 32-ply Goodyear Logger Lugs quickly proved themselves in the field and made a huge difference. “Prior to making the switch, many of my customers were running 26-ply tires and having prob-
lems with sidewall separation and cracking. They were getting about 500 hours out of them and replacing the tires about every 10 weeks,” says Randy Despino, owner, Despino Tire. “We started out testing the new higher-ply Logger Lugs with six customers, and all six have been running them for nearly a year and well over 2,400 hours without a single problem.” Visit titaninitl.com/forestry.
Morbark Drum Chipper
Morbark’s 50/48X whole tree drum chipper sports a similar design layout as Morbark’s other industrial drum chippers with a sloped infeed, reverse-pivot top feed wheel, bottom feedwheel, externally adjustable anvil and Advantage 3 drum assembly that can come as 10 knives for fuel chip or 20 knives for microchip applications. The powerful top feedwheel was enlarged more than 15% to 40" (101.6 cm), and the enhanced hydraulic system now includes a direct drive Poclain motor for the top and bottom feedwheel that eliminates previous chain and sprocket drives and provides more torque. The 50/48X can be equipped with a Caterpillar C27, 1,050 HP (783 kW) engine or Caterpillar C32, 1200 HP (895 kW) engine, both Tier 4 Final. Visit morbark.com.
CBI Horizontal Grinder
CBI’s newest horizontal grinder, the Magnum Force 6800CT is an improvement on the design of the 6800BT, including a 190° screening area that enables production rates to surge beyond 200 tons an hour. The efficient design of CBI’s offset helix rotor minimizes kinetic energy loss from each strike, requiring less power to rotate while evenly distributing wear. Visit cbi-inc.com.
Log Truck Insurance New insurance company Forestry Insurance Company of the South East (FICoSE) offers a solution to the problem of log truck insurance by deviating from traditional insurance to an Alternative Risk Technique. FICoSE is locally managed in 52
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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY South Carolina and exclusively represented by the Swamp Fox Agency. It provides Auto Liability and General Liability to the forestry industry
with benefits, products and services proven to help reduce operating costs by up to 30%. The focus of FICoSE is on truck-
ing issues and solving them. Hauling timber accounts for 25-45% of overall timber harvesting costs, so trucks need to be pulling wood efficiently
to make money. FICoSE and its partners at the Swamp Fox Agency have developed the Swamp Fox Solutions service program. More than just servicing phone calls and issuing certificates of insurance, services include establishing a loss control program specific to each company’s needs and operating history; mitigating claims and accidents before they happen; fleet management best practices; aggressive legal defense; and DOT compliance. Owned by loggers, FICoSE offers competitive rates, earned benefits, profit sharing through dividends, participation in annual owners conference and access to a new pool of drivers. Contact the Swamp Fox Agency and ask for Jeremy to learn how to participate: 888-442-5647. How To Submit Products Electronic images and copy (please be brief) are required. Images should be scanned as 300 dpi and saved as either tiff or eps files. E-mail to rich@hattonbrown.com. Ship disks to Rich Donnell, P.O. Box 2268, Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 or to 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104-3317. Ph. 334-834-1170.
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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.
Click. Connect. Trade.
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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3939
FOR SALE
2015- Tigercat 620E dual arch skidder with winch, 30.5's, 5100 HRS, VERY NICE & READY TO WORK!........................................... $150,000
Call or Text Zane • 334-518-9937 Located in central Alabama
IF YOU NEED
To buy or sell forestry, construction, utility or truck equipment, or if you just need an appraisal, contact me, Johnny Pynes with JM Wood Auction. Over 25 years experience. 770
Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net
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13189
2013 Deere 643K Feller Buncher STK# LT655128; 7717 hrs $52,000
2013 Deere 753J Track Feller Buncher STK# LU240593; 4954 hrs $169,000
2013 Deere 643K Feller Buncher STK# LT651519; 6262 hrs $52,000
2015 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LT272830; 8989 hrs $89,000
2015 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LT278774; 7135 hrs $116,500
2014 Deere 848H Skidder STK# LT655633; 9365 hrs $98,000
2015 Deere 748L Skidder STK# LT667210; 6216 hrs $165,000
2015 Deere 948L Skidder STK# LT668850; 3387 hrs $190,000
2015 Deere 648H Skidder STK# LU664092; 5638 hrs $159,000
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Feller Buncher saw disks usually will not vibrate after being BENT until some time goes by. What follows is the disk will begin to vibrate due to uneven wear. Cracks can occur due to stress within a bent disk. I can handle repairs of even severely bent disks including cracks. All repairs balanced. TIG welding used exclusively.
252-945-2358
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Carver Saw Disk Repair Washington, North Carolina
FOR SALE 99 D6R Cat Dozer.......$37,500 10 643K John Deere cutter $75,000 479-665-2944 4935
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APPROACHING RETIREMENT LIQUIDATING INVENTORY Call: Ted Smith
5840 Hwy 36, Russellville, AL Home: 256-766-8179 • Office: 256-766-6491 Fax: 256-766-6962 • Cell: 256-810-3190
RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!! In addition to new machines, CHAMBERS DELIMBINATOR, INC. now has factory reconditioned DeLimbinators. These units have been inspected, repaired, and updated as needed. Call us and we will help you select a DeLimbinator for your need.
WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS Call: 662-285-2777 day, 662-285-6832 eves Email: info@chambersdelimbinator.com 1123 6209
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FOR SALE
2010 Chambers Delimbinator, C-series Cummins power, Top drum 90%, bottom 75%, Idle option for fuel savings.....Asking $30,000 (neg)
Call Dave: 678-603-3321 3711
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2016 Caterpillar HF201B sawhead. Full rotation wrist. Approximately 400 hours. Like new $60,000 obo 2008 Tigercat 630C. Good 30.5 tires. SWEDA axles. Dual arch. Less than 1000 hours on totally rebuilt engine and Tigercat reman hydrastats .................................................$55,000 obo Parting out: Tigercat 720B w/5400 head, 240B, 635 and 845B. Deere 437D, 648G, 748G, and 843. Prentice 310E, Cat 522B, Timberking 360, and Timberjack 735. 945
South AL 251-513-7001
WANTED TO BUY
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Cat 518 & Cat 518C skidders in TX, LA area Call Kent 936-699-4700 r_kentjones@yahoo.com
FOR SALE
Hose, Fittings & Crimpers
2002 Barko 225 CSI delimber, rebuilt engine,injection pump,hyd pump, and accumulator, new radiator, cold ac working everyday, 15,988 hrs $29,500
Helping Loggers Save Money For Over 20 Years Contact: Chris Alligood 1-252-531-8812 email: chrisa.cavalierhose@gmail.com
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2004 Tigercat 640C Clambunk. 8200 actual hours, 30.5 front with 24.5 duals, 28Lx26 on rear including duals, bogies in excellent condition, runs great, just don’t need anymore........................................... $140,000 obo
2002 535B CAT skidder, 16,722hrs., rebuilt engine and new center pins 2500 HRs ago, working everyday........................................ $24,500
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EUREKA SAW TOOTH CO., INC.
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A D L I N K ●
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ADVERTISER American Logger’s Council American Truck Parts B & G Equipment Bandit Industries Big John Trailers BITCO Insurance Caribou Software Caterpillar Dealer Promotion Continental Biomass Industries John Deere Forestry Delfab Doggett Machinery Service Eastern Surplus Employer’s Underwriters Flint Equipment FMI Trailers Forest Chain Forestry First Forestry Mutual Insurance G & W Equipment Harrell Ag Products Hawkins & Rawlinson Industrial Cleaning Equipment Interstate Tire Service Iron Horse Auction Ironmart Kaufman Trailers Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Log Max Magnolia Trailers Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show Mississippi 811 Moore Logging Supply Morbark Peterson Pacific Pewag Chain Phloem Pitts Trailers Puckett Machinery Quadco Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment Southern Loggers Cooperative Stribling Equipment Team Safe Trucking Thompson Tractor/Yancey Brothers Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries Timberland TraxPlus Trelan Manufacturing Vermeer Manufacturing W & W Truck & Tractor Wallingford’s Waratah Forestry Attachments J M Wood Auction
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409.625.0206 888.383.8884 601.656.7011 800.952.0178 800.771.4140 800.475.4477 850.532.6206 919.550.1201 603.382.0556 800.503.3373 906.428.9570 225.368.2224 855.332.0500 256.341.0600 404.859.5790 601.947.8088 800.288.0887 803.708.0624 800.849.7788 800.284.9032 229.246.0350 888.822.1173 910.231.4043 864.947.9208 800.997.2248 888.561.1115 866.497.7803 800.766.8349 800.467.0944 360.699.7300 800.738.2123 877.265.1486 662.325.2191 601.362.4322 888.754.5613 800.831.0042 800.269.6520 800.445.2895 912.925.5007 800.321.8073 601.969.6000 800.668.3340 386.754.6186 855.325.6465 318.445.0750 800.682.6409 910.733.3300 800.547.0760 912.638.7726 519.753.2000 912.283.1060 601.635.5543 877.487.3526 641.628.3141 800.845.6648 800.323.3708 770.692.0380 334.264.3265
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COMING EVENTS August 23-26—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Colonial Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va. Call 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org. 24-25—Arkansas Timber Producers Assn. annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501224-2232; visit arkloggers.com. 28-30—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Sam's Town Hotel & Casino, Shreveport, La. Call 318443-2558; visit laforestry.com.
September 6-8—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, Sunnyview Expo Center, Oshkosh, Wis. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org. 7-8—Virginia Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel, Virginia Beach, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit vfpa.net. 9-11—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org. 21-22—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org. 28-30—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni Amelia
Island, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850222-5646; visit floridaforest.org.
October 2-4—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501-374-2441; visit arkforests.org. 3-5—Southern Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, The Greenbriar, White Shulpher Springs, W.Va. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpa.org. 10-12—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Sheraton Hotel, Raleigh, NC. Call 800-2317723; visit ncforestry.org. 11-13—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Shilo Inn, Seaside, Ore. Call 409-625-0206. visit amloggers.com. 16-18—Mississippi Forestry Assn. annual meeting, BancorpSouth Arena, Tupelo Miss. Call 601-3544936; visit msforestry.net. 17-19—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Moody Gardens, Galveston, Tex. Call 936-632-8733; visit texas forestry.org.
November 7-9—Forestry Association of South Carolina annual meeting, The Westin, Hilton Head Island, SC. Call 803798-4170; visit scforestry.org.
January 2019 8-9—Missouri Forest Products Assn. winter meeting, Capitol Plaza, Jefferson City, Mo. Call 573634-3252; visit moforest.org.
February 2019 20-24—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, W Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Call 336885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.
June 2019 26-28—Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpaexpo.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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