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Vol. 50, No. 10
(Founded in 1972—Our 589th Consecutive Issue)
F E AT U R E S
OCTOBER 2021 A Hatton-Brown Publication
Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525
www.southernloggintimes.com Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor Managing Editor Senior Associate Editor Associate Editor
Rich Donnell Dan Shell David Abbott Jessica Johnson Patrick Dunning
Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight
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Usher Land & Timber Carries On Tradition
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Logger Survey Results Are In
Art Director Ad Production Coordinator Circulation Director Online Content/Marketing
Cindy Segrest Patti Campbell Rhonda Thomas Jacqlyn Kirkland
ADVERTISING CONTACTS DISPLAY SALES Eastern U.S. Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net
out front:
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
At GMD Logging and Dennis Trucking, brothers Mark (right) and Paul (left) Dennis are always open to trying new things in North Carolina, like getting into chipping last year. With help from their dad Rick and Mark’s son Mason (center), they’re always up for any challenge. Story begins on Page 8. (Photo by David Abbott)
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Mid-South Review September Starkville Show
Stumpin’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 From The Backwoods Pew . . . . . . . 34 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . 36 Machines-Supplies-Technology . . . 46 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . 48 Safety Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . . 54
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 ® 2021. 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
Best In Show fter having been postponed due to Covid last year, the rescheduled Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show returned to Starkville, Miss. just a week ago as I’m writing this, on September 17-18, 2021. This year’s event was muggy enough but not, in my opinion, as blazingly, soul-crushingly hot as I remember the 2018 version was. Instead, the threat of rain loomed over us both days, but held off for the most part. The ground was muddy and there were occasional light showers both days, but not the torrential downpours we feared, at least not till the show was about over. The sun even peaked out a few times. All in all I’d call this year’s Mid-South a success, with bigger crowds on Saturday than I think many people expected. More importantly, many quality connections were made, according to the exhibitors with whom I spoke. In fact, what I heard over and over from exhibitors: “We could sell five machines right now on site, and we have the orders…but we can’t fill those orders because parts are on a six-month backlog.” Some variation on that was repeated to me a dozen or so times last weekend. Business is good…maybe a little too good, because the supply and delivery chain is just so backed up and understaffed at every level, seemingly in every industry. There are housing shortages, car shortages, labor shortages. Hopefully this will all even out soon as supply and demand regain a sustainable equilibrium. Look for pictures of the Mid-South Show starting on page 24.
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Cas Winstead proposed...
Decent Proposal Mid-South 2021 will certainly stand out in the memories of at least a few who attended. Not least among them will undoubtedly be the members of the Winstead family. Larry and Samantha (Sam) Winstead own L&S Logging, based in Philadelphia, Miss. One of their three kids, Cassidy Winstead, 27, was asked to run the skidder at Tigercat dealer B&G Equipment’s demo site at Mid-South on Saturday, September 18. “Cas has loved logging all his life and has worked his summers driving a skidder for us since he was 12,” according to his mom Sam. “After high school, we encouraged him to at least give college a try. That lasted ONE semester and he decided it wasn’t for him. He wanted to log!” Cas has worked for his parents at L&S Logging full-time since he was 19. He started out on the skidder before graduating to the cutter, and he can run the loader and drive a truck when he needs to, too. Cas met Sara Aultman, 24, last October and they’ve been dating ever since. Sara, from Seminary, Miss., is a registered nurse in the NICU at 6
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... and Sara said yes.
the University Medical Center in Jackson. When Cas got the invitation from B&G to demo at the show, he decided this was the perfect opportunity to put into motion a plan he’d had for a few months. You know where this is going. He had already bought a ring back in July. He asked his parents to bring the ring to the show. Sara was taken completely by surprise; no doubt her first logging show will be one she won’t soon forget. And yes, she said yes; the date is set for February 2022. Congratulations, Cas and Sara!
and had extra lights installed along both sides. “We wanted to display it as an example to show people how easy it is to make a log trailer visible to the public,” according to Swamp Fox sales exec Jeremy Barclay. The total cost of adding the lights was $80, plus the cost of the paint job— pocket change next to the cost of paying out damages in the event of an accident. This trailer itself was in an accident. It belonged to a Swamp Fox client. Early one morning while the sky was still dark, another vehicle drove right into the side of the loaded log trailer. The trailer at the time was painted jet black, Barclay says, and in the low light, low visibility conditions of the early morning, the driver couldn’t see the trailer in time. “The side impact caused some severe bodily injury to the other driver,” Barclay reveals. “Needless to say there was a significant claim and there was no question of liability on our truck. But after analyzing the wreck, we started asking what could have been done to mitigate the severity of the accident.” The insurance company decided that making the trailer more visible with brighter color paint and additional lighting along the sides of the trailer could have prevented or at least reduced the severity of the accident. “DOT requirements for lights are pretty minimal and only on the back,” Barclay points out. “If the driver could have seen this trailer a little sooner, it would have helped. Instead of saying this is what should be done, we decided to just do it to show everyone how easy it is to do.” One concern some loggers voiced: if they add extra lights and those lights go out, can they be ticketed for it? Barclay says no. “We talked to FMCSA; any light added beyond DOT requirements, if it becomes inoperable, will not be an out of service violation.” So, adding the extra lights to reduce the risk of an accident does not increase the risk of a fine. Prevention is pretty much always better than cure, so it all sounds like a good idea to me. SLT Till next time…excelsior!
Bright Idea Among the things that caught my attention at Mid-South: Swamp Fox Agency, a logging insurance company based in Moncks Corner, SC, displayed what it has dubbed “the visible trailer.” The trailer was painted a high visibility orange
Extra lights and brighter paint should make this trailer safer.
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Triple Play ■ At GMD Logging/Dennis Trucking, Dennis boys Paul, Mark and Mason are three of a kind. By David Abbott ALBAMARLE, NC ruly a family business, ★ GMD Logging, Inc. is a three-man front in the woods. The company takes its name from the initials of owner Gregory Mark Dennis, who goes by his middle name. Mark, 48, logs with his brother Paul, 46, and his son Mason, 19. Meanwhile Mark and Paul’s dad, Rick, 67, helps with the hauling component under separate-but-related entity Dennis Trucking, Inc. Dennis Trucking is actually the older of the two companies. After many years of hauling for other loggers, including working with some other family members in the wood industry, Mark decided to start GMD six years ago. He at first planned to roll his trucks under the banner of the new incorporation, but ultimately opted to leave them under Dennis Trucking. It was easier to keep the two companies
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From left, Mark, Mason and Paul Dennis
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separate than to go through the rigmarole of obtaining new DOT numbers. It’s just the three of them in the woods, and there are no employees outside the Dennis family except for one driver on the trucking side, Ronnie Starnes. Though the brothers can swap out or fill in as needed, generally, Mark mans the loader and Paul operates the cutter. Mason, the youngest Dennis man, can run the skidder or the second loader. He also recently got his CDL and plans to start driving a truck for his dad and uncle.
Iron Mark figures GMD hauls an even split between roundwood and chips most of the time, but it varies from tract to tract. With a Morbark 3036 drum chipper, they started chipping a little over a year ago, mostly for tops and undergrowth that can’t be merchandized. “We bought the chipper because pulpwood has been hard to get rid of for the last five or six years,” Mark says. “It was getting so that we were sitting half a week because we couldn’t get rid of pulpwood. So we got hooked up with Enviva and started hauling chips, and that has been working out.” This spring, Mark purchased a 2021 Barko 595B loader with CSI delimber/ slasher 4400 classic package while his older loader was down for repairs. That machine, a 2007 Tigercat 234 loader, has accumulated right at 18,000 hours and is still working every day with its original engine. Mark reports that the knuckleboom has presented few problems beyond ordinary wear and tear: “It’s been a good one.” Since they’ve only had a two-loader setup for about six months, they’ve been trying different configurations to decide what works best. Sometimes one merchandizes or feeds the chipper while the other loads trailers, other times they both work side by side. Either way, they say the combination has been very effective for them so far. A ’19 John Deere 748L-II skidder normally follows a ’16 Tigercat 720G rubber tire feller-buncher, but when Southern Loggin’ Times visited in August, that machine was in the shop getting a new saw disc installed with dealer John Woodie Enterprises (JWE) in Statesville. JWE provided a loaner Barko 830 to keep GMD going in the meantime. “Some other dealers sell you something and they’re done with you, but if you’re down, John Woodie is helpful,” Mark says. “If you need something, he’s good to work with and his salespeople help you out.” JWE also took the opportunity to let their customers demo a TimberPro TN 725D tracked feller-buncher that day. The Dennis boys had been wondering if a track cutter might not be of some use to them when working on steep hardwood hills and muddy lowlands. “It’s just us three out here; we don’t use a topping man,” Mark points out. “We try to stay off the ground and the heads on the track machine might help us out with delimbing hardwoods.” The TimberPro impressed them, but they’ve decided to hold off on that for now. While JWE is their Barko dealer and
James River in Mt. Gilead is the John Deere dealer for the Dennis crew.
The Dennis brothers started chipping for Enviva last year.
John Woodie Enterprises loaned GMD this Barko while their Tigercat cutter was in the shop.
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Mark added a second loader earlier this year; the '21 Barko feeds the Morbark.
Mark bought the Tigercats used, the Dennis clan also enjoys a good relationship with John Deere dealer James River Equipment in Mt. Gilead. GMD Logging uses ECO-Tracks to keep their Deere skidding in muddy ground. Mark says it is easier to get those on and off than it is to dual tires up: “It takes a half a day to put outer dual tires off and on.” And, he adds, “We don’t need flotation; we need something to grab for traction.” Maintenance routine is to change oil and filters every 250 hours on every piece and to grease it all weekly. They track hours by writing it down on filters. Chipper blades are changed as frequently as needed according to the type of wood they’re processing, and the terrain; sandy ground dulls the knives quickly. Any major repairs go back to the dealer or to local mechanic Danny Harrington at Danny’s Truck Service in Norwood. “He’s done all our engine and transmission work for the last 20 or 25 years,” Mark reckons. The Dennis brothers also have a shop at their parents’ farm. “We take the chipper there more than anything else, to do maintenance where it’s dry and cool and out of the sun,” Mark says.
Markets On the transportation side, Dennis Trucking has four tractors, by Mack
Paul demoed a TimberPro in August.
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and Kenworth, pulling a mix of log and chip trailers from Evans, Kaufman, ITI and Pitts. Pinnacle Trailer Sales in Wilmington is their dealer. They haul an average 45 loads weekly to markets in both the Carolinas and sometimes a little bit to the edge of Virginia. Enviva Pellets in Hamlet, NC is their main chip market. When they haul treelength pulpwood, they generally send it to Domtar Paper in Bennettsville, SC. Pine logs go to H.W. Culp Lumber Co. in New London. GMD is versatile enough to tackle a variety of tract types, from first thinning pine plantations to hardwood swamps and hills. Most of the time they work on private land. For the last four years, timber buyer Tony Gathings of Midway Land and Timber in Laurinburg, NC has been keeping them busy. “He’s been very good to work for,” Mark says. “He was a logger before and that makes a big difference.” Insurance is through Southeastern Agency Group out of Greensboro. Safety concerns are discussed as they come up in real time.
Dairy Roots Mark and Paul grew up on a dairy farm with 250 Holsteins and row crops. “We grew up helping him as soon as we were old enough to milk a cow, and he taught us how to work,” Mark says. Their dad was a second-
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generation farmer, but after all his children had graduated high school, Rick sold the milk cow business in 1995. “He was about ready to get out of it and he told us, ‘Either y’all want this thing or you don’t,’” Paul recalls. “None of us wanted it because we grew up on it and we knew it was hard work.” The brothers laugh now at the idea that logging was easier than farming, but there was an advantage. “We can cut this off on weekends, but the cows are still there every day,” Paul says.
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Mason Dennis, left, with his grandad Rick Dennis, center, and dad Mark Dennis, right
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Paul went to the woods and Mark started driving a log truck, working for their uncle Jerry Flake, who was at the time one of the biggest loggers in North Carolina. Flake, brother-in-law to Rick’s wife Becky, was also featured in SLT about 20 years ago. After selling out the dairy business, Rick also started driving a log truck. After a couple of years, Mark bought a truck from Flake and started Dennis Trucking, and Paul bought his own fellerbuncher and started contract cutting. Mark and Rick hauled for Paul until he got out of the business in 2011. Paul went to work in a gun shop for a couple of years, and at Edwards Wood Products for about a year. Meanwhile his dad and brother kept trucking and logging, going into business with their cousin Jerry Lynn Flake (son of their uncle Jerry for whom they first worked). Eventually, Mark wanted to go on his own and by then Paul was ready to get back in the woods, so GMD was born. “We’ve kind of been all around it, but we keep coming back to logging, that’s for sure,” Paul says with a grin. Rick Dennis may have gotten out of the dairy business in ’95, but he still farmed until just last year. While also driving a log truck, he continued row cropping corn, soybeans and wheat. “I just farmed my place and kept most of my equipment till last year,” he says. “I got to where I didn’t have time for it, and I’m getting too old, too.” He had to have back surgery two years ago and started sub leasing his land to someone else. “I couldn’t do it all anymore.” Mason graduated in 2020 and followed his dad and uncle right to work in the woods. “I tried to get him to go to college,” Mark says. “He was a good golfer in school and made all conference in golf. They said he could have gotten a golf scholarship. I said boy you need to go do that but he insisted it wasn’t for him.” There is a third Dennis brother, the first of Rick’s three sons in fact, and the only one who did decide school was for him. “Our older brother was smart and went to college,” Paul says. Bill Dennis, 50, is a nurse anesthetist. Mark has a younger son, Reid, 14; there’s no verdict yet on what he plans to do. Paul is married to Allison Lowder Dennis, whose dad has been working for Culp Lumber Co. for more than 15 years. Mark and his wife Amanda have been married for 21 years, and she helps sometimes with running errands for the company. SLT
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Family Function ■ Usher Land & Timber has an activist spirit for cattle and forestry in the Sunshine State. By Patrick Dunning CHIEFLAND, Fla. ★ hey say life is what happens while you’re making other plans. Lynetta Usher Griner and her husband Ken Griner, both 65, didn’t plan on running Usher Land & Timber, Inc., a farming, cattle and logging operation that was in Lynetta’s family. Just over 30 years ago, Lynetta was a civil law attorney with her own private practice in Chiefland after graduating with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida, while Ken was running his family’s General Motors car dealership locally after graduating from Davidson College. Life had other plans in store for them, though. Though its current incarnation was established in 1992, the company’s
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roots go back more than a century. In the early 1900s, E. T. Usher, Sr. operated a turpentine business in rural north Florida. Under his son, Usher Jr., that business evolved into a small pulpwood operation in the 1940s. Usher, Jr. also bought a farm and raised a handful of cattle as a hobby. After graduating from Florida Southern College, E. T. Usher III, who went by Tommy, joined his father in managing the family business in 1984. By then they were operating under the name E. T. Usher Co., Inc. Tommy was Lynetta’s brother. Tragedy struck in 1989 when Tommy died in a boating accident; he was 29 years old. Their father, E.T., Jr., had turned the company over to his only son, and was no longer able to keep it going on his own. Lynetta knew she had a responsibility to her family; she
From left: Steve “John” Fisher, Vice President; Eric Handley, forester; Lynetta Griner, corporate secretary and treasurer; Ken Griner, President
couldn’t let their heritage die with Tommy. So Ken sold his dealership, Lynetta closed her practice and they got involved in the family business. “Another big driver in our decision was not just the busi-
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ness but the farm,” she says. “When Ken and I came back, he started growing that side of the business. We felt it was important to give back to our respective industries. He got more involved with cattle and I with forestry.”
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Responsibilities Timber harvesting is the foundation of the business and funds Usher Land & Timber’s cattle and farming operations, though the family’s focus on commercial cow-calf programs has become more sustainable of late. Lynetta, corporate secretary and treasurer, and forester Eric Handley, 35, oversee Usher’s timber harvesting division. Handley purchases standing timber from landowners through bid sales and private negotiations. Ken manages cattle and farming operations with their son, ranch manager Korey Griner, 34. The Usher family owns 7,000-plus acres with 2,500 acres under conservation. Among the company’s three logging crews, Usher employs 35 total, including 10 truck drivers, three full-time mechanics and four office employees. In the last few years Usher formed a site-prep business for raking pine needles, burning piles and roller chopping. Handley says it helps when buying wood from his area’s growing small landowner population. Florida tracts require more site-prep, Handley says, and growing season never ends, so competition is prevalent. “We do the site prep, clean it up, burn these nasty tops and may get
Usher hauls nearly 150 loads per week to eight mills in north Florida.
what it cost,” Handley explains. “Biggest reason is it helps me buy wood. We are cutting 35% chip-nsaw. Our mill specs are a lot smaller, which they should be.”
Operations When Southern Loggin’ Times found Usher Land & Timber this past spring, one crew was performing a fifth-row thinning prescription on 250 acres owned by a private landowner. The Levy County tract features a quarry and a handful of small lakes. Nearly 99% of the timber they harvested here was slash pine. While some logging operators trade tractors every three to five years, Usher runs its machines longer, sometimes replacing the original motor and running it again. Engine swaps occur less often with newer model machines. Their crews run Caterpillar loaders, Tigercat feller-bunchers, and Tigercat and John Deere skidders ranging years 2010-2020. In theory, Handley says, Usher purchases one tractor a year, on average. “We run all brands,” Handley says. “We chase the dollar; whichever one has the best deal, we buy it. From a construction standpoint, Tigercat’s motor issues have changed because they changed brands of motors. Emissions changed a lot of stuff but for a while there we bought John Deere because it was the last of the tier three, and Cat was a little bit further down the line. We bought two loaders before they transitioned to the full-fledged tier four.” Ken affirms, “It’s a dichotomy with Cat skidders and Deere skidders because their older motors were bullet proof. Then as everything became more complex and emissions started dictating, Tigercat had some advantages from a construction standpoint.” Usher Land & Timber looks to Beard Equipment in Perry for John
Deere machinery and Tidewater Equipment, Maxville, for Tigercat, while Ring Power Corp., Perry, provides service and sales for Caterpillar woods equipment. Two of Tommy Usher’s closest friends, brothers Steve “John” Fisher and Spencer Fisher, serve as the company’s shop mechanics. Usher Vice President, John, was a classmate and lifelong friend of Tommy and began working with the company when Tommy was head of Usher operations. The two Fisher men make engine swaps look easy, Handley says, and have over 62 years combined experience in general maintenance, radiator/air conditioning and injection pumps repair. Woods equipment is serviced every 250 hours and trucks every 12,000 miles using Delo 400. Routine maintenance includes changing oil and filters, complete lubrication application, checking transmission and rear end oil levels and all safety equipment, tires and brakes. “Our ability to accomplish so much mechanical work in house has a tremendous impact on our financial success,” Lynetta says. “By repairing equipment internally we are able to save money, not only on the cost of repair but also on down time for equipment. The equipment is repaired on our schedule and not dependent on someone else’s schedule. The quality of our internal repair work is superior to any work that could be performed by an outside source. That in itself is a savings for Usher Land & Timber.”
Hauling Usher runs 10 all-white CH-613 Macks ranging years 2003-2006, pulling a mix of McMillan, Big John and shop-built trailers. “Stevie John and Spencer’s uncle, who used to work here, built several trailers,” Handley says. “He was a great welder; they are all phenomenal mechanics.”
When Ken was purchasing the company’s timber, trailers were built to haul treelength material. With mills changing their specifications, Usher Land & Timber had to convert. Handley says, “Those trailers were built to haul whole tree and had cages and couldn’t haul double bunk so we were forced to update our trailer fleet.” Usher uses strobe lights, flashing cab lights and maintains scales at the company’s headquarters to ensure fully loaded trucks meet weight requirements and are safe for hauling. The company deals with Nextran Truck Centers, Lake City.
Markets Approximately 150 loads of various wood products are hauled to eight different mills in north Florida per week. Handley keeps a year’s worth of timber tracts purchased ahead for the company’s three crews and says markets have been strong in 2021. Georgia-Pacific, Foley, originally constructed by Proctor & Gamble in 1954 and previously Buckeye Technologies, Inc. until GP’s acquisition in 2013, is one of Usher Land & Timber’s go-to mills. Loads are also hauled to GP, Palatka; pulpwood logs to Southern Fuelwood, Newberry; Derby Gold Pine Shavings, Williston; WestRock, Maxville; Cross City Lumber, Cross City; Resolute Forest Products, Cross City; and Robbins Mfg., Lake City. Back in Ken’s days of cruising timber it was easy to merchandise wood several different ways. “I had a lot of tools in my toolbox that don’t exist for Eric,” he says. “When I was cruising we’d have to dot grid and manually walk the boundary. As independent loggers we had a good relationship with every mill we hauled to, (and) had a lot of different markets.” Ken adds that formerly, mills
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don’t know what to tell you on price, good luck. They’ll only give you a price for 90 days.”
Cattle Operations
From left: Willie Mack, (retired) fill-in loader operator; Donnie Cason, skidder operator; Eric Handley, forester; Dwayne Rains, truck driver; Johnny Kirkland, butcher/crew leader
were more supportive of the logging industry both financially and time wise. “Mills have changed from a people-oriented business to a commodity-type business,” he believes. “(They’ve) shifted all the risk to the logger. It’s unsustainable in my opinion. A lot of people from our industry from our era still come by today and ask about old employees because they know who worked
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for us. You don’t know who’s who anymore. No investment in relationship anymore. Not true of all mills, though.” With some sawmills’ pricing mechanisms becoming more short term, Handley is thankful to be a supplier for Derby Gold the past two years because of their consistent demand. Usher has gravitated from the big mills’ open market to smaller
niche operations to remain diverse. “People ask where we haul wood. We take it to whoever unloads it that day,” Handley says. “It’s nonstop moving; every week is different. It used to be I call them and say hey they’re selling this wood, I want a price for 12 months. Now their first question is ‘how much volume and when are you going to it?’ If I tell them I don’t know they’ll say well I
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Usher Land & Timber runs a commercial cow-calf operation, led by Ken and Korey Griner, at the Usher family’s 7,000-acre ranch in Levy County. They reserve 2,500 acres for conservation and lease it for hunting. Customers pay to have their calves reared on the farm and participate in a custom-feed operation with proven success. Usher’s cattle division has 750 heifers, 3,000 calves and 17 bulls participating in a seedstock program and stocker program, utilizing nearly 6,000 acres of pasture and timberland in Florida and 5,200 acres in Kansas. Ken currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Florida Cattlemen’s Assn. and served as President from 2017 to 2018. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn. Recently, Ken has transitioned his focus to artificial insemination, a cattle breeding method using frozen straws of a bull’s semen. “It’s a game changer for us. There’s a lot of science people don’t understand about the cattle business. That’s
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Handley keeps a year’s worth of timber tracts purchased ahead of his three logging crews.
become our focus.” Usher Land & Timber also participates in a seedstock program, “Profit Proven Genetics,” which is designed to grow animals that thrive in Florida’s climate. Usher’s latest venture, Florida Cattle Ranchers, is dedicated to producing beef sold in Florida to strengthen local farmer markets and reduce stress on cattle. Korey oversees day-to-day operations on the farm. He, along with two other full-time employees, manage calves from weening till ready for the grow yard, develop heifers and aggressively pursue artificial insemination. On average, Usher’s cattle turnover rate is 18-20 months depending on markets. Finishing cattle in Florida is a new thing, Korey says, but the company has gained enough experience on the commercial side to be sustainable. “We’ve done it long enough to cut out a lot of leg work as far as cross breeding,” Korey says. “These animals are designed to perform in a feed lot, while surviving in Florida.”
Activism, Awards The Griners are known for their involvement in Florida’s cattle and forestry associations. Their achievements, some listed below, only scratch the surface of Lynetta’s and Ken’s efforts to improve their respective industries in the Sunshine State. Lynetta served as President of the Florida Forestry Assn. from 2012 to 2014 and was the first woman elected President of the 90-year-old organization at that time. She has served as Agricultural Appointee to the Acquisition and Restoration Council since 2008. Lynetta currently serves on the Board of Directors of Drummond Community Bank and on the Board of Trustees of the Florida Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. She was named Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam in 2013. In 2018 Lynetta was selected as the Swisher Sweet International/Sun Belt Ag Expo Florida Farmer of the Year. In 2001, Usher Land & Timber was named Logger of the Year by the Florida Forestry Assn. and the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. In 2002, Usher was named Southeast Logger of the Year and in 2003, National Logger of the Year. Forest Resources Assn. (FRA) presented the regional and national logger awards. In 2016, Ken was named Outstanding Rancher & Leader by Farm Credit of Florida and the Florida CattleSLT men’s Assn. 18
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Logger Survey ■ Timber Harvesting’s 2021 survey results: labor, insurance, pandemic recovery and red-hot markets.
NOTE: This article originally appeared in the July/August 2021 issue of Timber Harvesting, another Hatton Brown publication.
By Dan Shell
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ogging contractors across America are continuing to work through pandemic effects that are still being felt by all businesses, against a backdrop of continually increasing insurance and other business costs and an exploding forest products market with the highest lumber and panel prices in history, a phenomenon that hasn’t trickled down much to the contractor base so far. The Timber Harvesting Logger Survey gauges the health and outlook of loggers across the country and gives the industry a snapshot of current conditions and insight into ongoing trends. Special thanks go to the almost 500 loggers who took the time to fill out the survey. Aging contractor base— One of the first questions the survey asked was the logger’s age, and the results in 2021 show a continued trend toward an aging logging force. Since early this century, the number of loggers over the age of 60 has doubled: 15 years ago, 15% were over 60. By 2016, after a major economic downturn and decent recovery, the number of loggers over age 60 was 22%. In Timber Harvesting’s most recent Logger Survey in 2019, the percentage of loggers over the age of 60 was 29%. As of 2021, just under one-third of all loggers (32%) are older than age 60. Meanwhile, 24% of contractors are age 50-60, 23% are between 41-50, 15% are age 31-40 and 5% are 30 or younger. The graying of the upper end of loggers’ ages is also reflected in the percentage of younger loggers age 40 and under that continues to fall: In 2006, 26% of loggers were 40 or younger, and in 2016 some 23% of loggers were 40 or younger. Yet in 2021, only 20% of loggers are 40 or younger. 20
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Trend toward larger companies—An industry that’s showing an aging contractor base and fewer young contractors stepping in to replace them will likely see a trend toward larger companies, and that’s happening in the woods right now. While the logging industry is dominated by smaller logging companies that run one (64%) or two (15%) crews, the percentage of loggers reporting they operate five or more crews has more than doubled in the past 15 years to just under 8% of all logging companies. In 2006 just 3.5% of loggers reported running five or more crews, a number that moved to 4% by 2016. This also reflects generally good markets for many loggers, with lumber markets on fire and an economy coming back from the COVID pandemic.
more than $11 million. Financial health—During the past two years that include market fluctuations, natural disasters, a presidential election and a historic pandemic that has rocked the economy and labor market, loggers’ self-reported financial health has stayed remarkably stable and even improved a bit as the percentages of those on the low end of the scale report their fortunes improved somewhat. In 2021, just over 51% of loggers reported their company’s financial health as “Good” (38%) to “Very Good” (13%). That’s virtually the same as 2019, when 50% of loggers reported the same thing. What’s changed is the percentage of loggers who reported their financial health as “Poor” to “Very Poor” has gone down, from 15% in 2019 to 12%
health as “Very Good” compared to 16% of Northern contractors, and 17% of Western contractors. Asked to estimate their pre-tax profit percentage for 2020, loggers reported a slight uptick in profitability since 2018, but not much. The relatively good news is that only 31% of loggers reported either breaking even (13%) or losing money (18%) the past two years, compared to 33% in 2019. The percentage of loggers reporting a 2020 pre-tax profit percentage of more than 10% was virtually unchanged from two years prior— 21% both years. Going down the scale, 20% of loggers report a 2020 pre-tax profit percentage of 7-10%, while 16% of loggers report a profit level of 4-6%, and 12% of loggers reported margins of 1%-3%.
Also in 2021, 8% of loggers reported running three crews, and 4% of loggers reported running four crews. The trend toward larger companies is also reflected in overall logging business investment levels. In 2021, 62% of loggers reported overall investment of $1 million or less; 29% of loggers reported total investment of $1-$2 million; 6% of loggers have investments of $2 million to $11 million; and 2.5% report investments of
today. It may not seem like much, but that’s a 20% decrease. Meanwhile, the percentage of loggers seeing their financial health as “Fair” has ticked up a bit in the past two years, rising to 36% today from 32% in 2019. Interestingly, despite a general consensus that the Southeast U.S. is the primary growth region for forest products as evidenced by major capital investment there the past few years, less than half of Southeast loggers (7%) rated their business
During the past two years, more loggers (22%) have downsized their operations than expanded (18%). Meanwhile, right at 60% of loggers say their businesses have remained the same the past two years. A whopping 78% report that operating a logging business today is more challenging than two years ago. Markets & Mills—Timber Harvesting asked loggers to look at three broad markets over the past two years: sawlogs, pulpwood and
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biomass-fiber. Only sawlogs had a net positive response, as 31% of loggers said their sawlog markets have improved compared to 17% who said their sawlog markets have been reduced. Meanwhile, 40% of loggers say their pulpwood-chip markets have been reduced in the past two year compared to 15% who say they expanded. Likewise, 35% of loggers say their biomassfuel wood markets have been reduced the past two years, and only 16% have seen expansion. Loggers were also asked to judge nine different log categories, and rate which three were the most profitable to produce since mid-2020, when forest lumber and plywoodOSB prices truly took off. The most profitable product since then is hardwood sawlogs, chosen by 47% of loggers. Softwood sawlogs are second-most profitable, said 42% of loggers, followed by hardwood veneer plylogs that are cited as most profitable by 38% of loggers. The remaining categories ranked by profitability are: pulpwood (paper mill) for 20% of loggers, softwood plylogs cited by 17% of loggers, and pulpwood (packaging plant) for 14%. The bottom three log profitability categories are OSB logs (13%), pellet mill logs (11%) and fiber-hog fuel logs (9%). Looking at the same time frame, which has seen lumber and panel prices skyrocket since mid-2020 to historic levels, Timber Harvesting asked loggers what they’ve seen from their consuming mills in terms of changes to cut and haul rates, quotas, etc. Almost half (46%) said they had seen no real change in their compensation or load volumes since mid 2020. For the other half it’s a mixed bag ranging from the 30% of loggers who said they have seen rate increases (10%), fewer quotas-more loads (10%) and more consistent work (10%), to the 24% of loggers who said they have seen tighter quotas (12%) and even rate reductions (12%). That almost one-fourth of loggers have seen reductions in rates or load volumes during a time that mills are making huge amounts of money brought some pithy comments from readers. “We’ve seen no real raise in logging rates….but a HUGE increase in demand for logs,” one logger said. Another summed it up: “We don’t know who’s getting (the money from) all this big increase in lumber prices, but it sure ain’t us!” Asked about the best way for loggers to increase their compensation and cut and haul rates, almost half, 48%, said better negotiation was the key. Another 20% of loggers said that the trend toward bigger loggers is the second-most likely way for loggers to see an increase. Nine per-
cent of loggers said third party certification such as the Master Logger Program is the best way to see an increase. Just under 4% of loggers said state licensing systems such as those for building contractors or plumbers is the way to see a compensation boost. “We’ve got to have either fewer loggers or more markets,” said one respondent. Even so, while lumber and panel markets are red hot for mills they are increasingly a sore spot for many loggers, who commented that wood-consuming mills should be sharing some of the windfall, either as a general principle or as a strategic investment in strengthening the supply chain. More than a few comments spoke of the need to form cooperatives or even unions to enable loggers to operate sustainable businesses. “Increased markets and competition are the only things that will drive up prices in our area,” said one logger. Another added, “Rates won’t go up until so many loggers have gone out of business that the mills can’t get the fiber they need.” One contractor who said he’d been in the business more than 30 years and never seen the use for a co-op until now has changed his tune. “Band together and demand more money. The wood industry is $33 billion dollars and 150,000 employees
and not a dime of it happens without loggers,” said one reader. Operations—Controlling costs is always a concern for loggers, and the impacts of the pandemic are still being felt for many. Asked what actions they had taken in the past two years to keep costs down, the top three actions have been selling equipment (34%), negotiating better terms with suppliers (32%) and the tried and true “owner’s pay cut” taken by 31% of loggers. Diversification was chosen by another 31% of loggers. Nine percent of loggers say they’ve bid out some of their suppliers to lower costs. While 21% of loggers say they laid off employees during the past two years to cut costs, only 12% said they eliminated one or more crews. Of those who dropped crews, more than 75% dropped only one. Asked for specific steps they take to attract and retain employees, 74% said they ensure competitive pay packages; 50% use production bonuses; 35% offer paid vacation; 25% offer health insurance; 24% provide regular raises; and 12% offer profit-sharing plans. The survey asked about how loggers are making use of the Internet and social media in their businesses. The top usage? Buying and selling equipment, cited by 51% of loggers. Learning how other loggers solve mechanical issues is next, say 37%
of loggers. Other uses: 20% use it to find employees; 19% to find timber; 17% to demonstrate professionalism and educate the public. To network with other loggers, 48% report they are a member of a Facebook loggers’ group of some type. One commenter urged caution, pointing out that it’s not just loggers who look at these groups. While many loggers or their employees like to share posts and videos of “wild and crazy” logging adventures, “The lack of PPE and posts of equipment tearing up the land in some of these groups is shocking,” the logger noted. Equipment—Many manufacturers are offering equipment with telematics that monitor everything from fuel usage to property lines and allow loggers to closely track production and costs. Asked about such technology, 52% of loggers say they don’t run equipment that has such features. Another 23% of loggers say they have equipment that does offer such features but they don’t use them. Meanwhile, 19% of loggers have it but only monitor certain reports. Only 6% of respondents say they try to take full advantage of all such technology can offer. Asked what equipment purchases they had planned this year, the largest category of responses— 35%—said “None!” Of those in a buying mode, the top purchase for 2021 is skidders (10% of loggers). Another 9% each cited the venerable chain saw, knuckleboom loader and feller-buncher for purchase this year. Six percent of loggers say they are planning to purchase a trailer this year, and 5% of loggers say they are looking to buy an excavator or cut-to-length harvester. A cable machine (tower, jammer, swing yarder), dozer, cut-to-length forwarder or processing head were each cited by 3% of loggers, and 2% are looking for a chippergrinder machine. Concerning loggers’ costs for maintenance-repair, tires and other parts and supplies (not fuel), 58% report they spend $100,000 or less, pointing up the many small producers in the industry. Another 28% of loggers spend between $100,000 and $300,000 annually on maintenance-supplies, while 10% report spending between $300,000 and $500,000. Just over 4% of loggers report spending $500,000 or more on maintenance-supplies. Piece of Your Mind—In conclusion, the Logger Survey has asked this question for years: In the next five years, do you plan to stay in the business and look to grow, just hang on or get out? This year, following the wild ride of the pandemic and ongoing high demand markets in some areas and faltering demand in others, only
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40% of loggers say they are in it and looking to expand, and now 39% say they are good for another five years but not looking to grow. Most ominously, 20% say they are looking to get out of the business within the next five years. That’s a 25% increase in the number of loggers looking to get out over five years ago. A big part of the Timber Harvesting Logger Survey is the general comments section where we ask loggers for their thoughts on the indus-
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try and its future. This year, 89 loggers gave us a piece of their mind. “Since we have to produce more to make more it’s a fast paced job. Logging should not be a hurryhurry job. To ensure the safety of others and us we need to get paid more so we don’t have to rush. Insurance, equipment, supplies, labor: All these things have gone up year after year, but guess what remains the same? What loggers get paid. This has not changed in the 25+ years that I have been in
logging. To be competitive you lose money on your trucking also. What you get paid for a long haul never adds up to what the mileage really is. Never thought I would have millions of dollars invested in a business and have someone else tell me what I am going to do the job for.” “Logging is an honest, satisfying, yet challenging occupation that is cyclical, volatile, and susceptible to many outside forces, the greatest of which is good markets. The other
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biggest reality is that the cost of equipment to both purchase and maintain is ever increasing, along with insurance costs. So, I would venture to guess that we are much like farming in that the biggest producers do well when markets are going good, but a significant portion of the logging capacity is still made up of medium to smaller size operations where long-term sustainability ends up being the question. Most loggers do what they do because they are born into it, love the woods environment they work in or maybe not smart enough to do something else (Ha!). But if they really considered the investment vs. return for the risk (markets/weather, etc.), they would be hard pressed to consider it truly viable/sustainable. However, many businesses (not just logging) are in the same boat, so I suppose that it ends up being ‘to each his own’ and people keep doing it because they don’t know what else they’d do—or until they can’t anymore or sell out or hit bankruptcy. Not really negative, just a hard reality.” “Logging is my life, I would probably never quit, but we are being forced out. We don’t get cost of living increases. We work in an industry that doesn’t consider or adjust our logging rates based on what it’s going to cost to log each tract. Mill expectations continue to grow, implementing new regulations and assessing penalties without an increase in logging rates. Equipment costs, insurance expenses, fuel, and payroll, just to name a few of the big ones, make it nearly impossible for the good ones to stay in business. As I see it the mill is its own worst enemy. We can’t work without a mill and they can’t operate without loggers. If things don’t change we will all suffer.” “I feel if the logging industry could form a company that could furnish health insurance for families, we wouldn’t have near the problem finding employees. Health insurance is the first question most future employees ask about. We furnish employee health insurance but most want family members to be involved.” “Logging today requires a degree in business, forestry, mechanical engineering and environmental and computer sciences from either a university or the school of hard knocks. That said, the logging profession is still compensated as if it is a career of just labor. Because of this, anyone with one of these degrees are choosing to take a job in another industry that does compensate for SLT their degree.”
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Back On Track ■ After Covid delays in 2020, Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show returned to Starkville, Miss. in September.
With college football season back, Rotobec gave the three most local fanbases--Alabama in Tuscaloosa, left; Ole Miss in Oxford, right; and the hometown team, Mississippi State in Starkville, center--something to cheer for.
ALC's Dane at MLA's meeting
Attendees lined up at registration to get into the show, which took place Friday and Saturday, September 17-18, at Mississippi State University's John W. Starr Memorial Forest and the Charles E. Burkhardt Pavilion and Site.
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Mississippi Loggers Assn.'s David Livingston, right, presented the logger of the year award to Timberline Trucking's Randy McInnis at the MLA banquet Friday night.
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The John W. Starr Memorial Forest is part of MSU's Bulldog Forest, which is used for teaching, research and demonstrations. Timber harvests here also fund student scholarships.
Despite forecasts, weather cooperated...for the most part.
There were skidder and loader competitions.
Barko/Bandit dealer TraxPlus was ready for fall to arrive at their impressive spread.
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Many loggers obtained their continuing education hours with a full schedule of classroom speakers, such as TEAM Safe Trucking's Miranda Gowell (at right).
Schwab Brothers Hydraulics' Richard Schwab (back, left) and Ryan Wood (right) discuss their CHAD hose assembly device with reps from Alabama's IndusTREE.
Tigercat dealer B&G drew quite a crowd, especially for their free catfish lunch on Saturday.
John Deere's Berry Johnson kept the crowd entertained and informed at Stribling Equipment's live demo. Trax Plus had a live demo with Bandit chippers.
MLA gave away some nice prizes at their annual meeting.
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Dealers Thompson and Puckett teamed up to represent Weiler.
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Though ongoing pandemic and related travel restrictions, especially across international borders, prevented some from attending, there was still a healthy crowd on hand.
Mid-South is a family friendly event.
DelFab/FSK Equipment's Tom Hirt talks shop.
Louisiana logger Don Tant enjoyed the show with his grandkids.
No official announcement has yet been made as to when, but the Mid-South Show will undoubtedly return.
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them are frozen, and I have no idea where the music is coming from. On the aluminum cap atop the Washington Monul People who wonder whether the glass is half ment in Washington, DC, are displayed two words: empty or half full are missing the point. The glass is Laus Deo. refillable. l They say every piece of chocolate eaten shortens No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to your life by two minutes. I’ve done the math. Seems I the monument are totally unaware they are even there, They had just died in 1537! and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less. These l My grandchildren got me a GPS for seniors. Not words have been there for many years. Perched atop liberated a nation. only does it tell me how to get to my destination, it the 555-foot high monument, facing skyward to the also tells me why I wanted to go there. Father of our nation, they overlook the 69 square miles that comprise the l Had I known four months ago that it was the last time I would be in a District of Columbia, our nation’s capital. restaurant, I would have ordered dessert. These two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words are out of sight and l Most people don’t think I’m as old as I am until they hear me stand up. from ground level, one might think out of mind as well, but they are very l Think you are old and you will be. Think you are young and you will meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful be delusional. city in the most successful nation in the world. l Due to my isolation, I finished three books yesterSo, what do these two Latin words, composed of just day. Believe me, that’s a lot of coloring. four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? “No society l If the current power grid can’t handle a night of 20Very simply, they mean Praise be to God! ever thrived because degree temperatures without rolling blackouts, how can Though construction of this giant obelisk began in it had a large and growing it handle multi millions of plugged in vehicles? 1848, when James Polk was President, it was not until l What did our parents do to ward off boredom 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to class of parasites living off before the Internet evolved? I asked my 18 brothers and the public. It took 25 years to finally cap the memorial those who produce.” sisters and they didn’t know either. with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo, Thomas Sowell l I run like the winded. “Praise be to God!” l On average, a panda feeds for about 12 hours a day. This is the same From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take as an adult at home under quarantine, which is why we call it a pandemic. in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major l Struggling to get your wife’s attention? Just sit down and look comsegments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of fortable. the designer, Pierre Charles L’Enfant—a perfect cross imposed upon the landl Some days the supply of available curse words is insufficient to meet scape, with the White House to the north, the Jefferson Memorial to the south, my demands. the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. l When I say ‘the other day,’ I could be referring to any time between A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and yesterday and 15 years ago. state? Yes, a cross. Separation of church and state was not, and is not, in l One minute you’re young and fun. The next you’re turning down the the Constitution. car stereo to see better. When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July l Remember how when you were little you could rip off your diaper and 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible run around naked and everyone thought it was so cute and funny? Anypresented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! way, I need bail money. Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given l Everything will kill you, so choose something fun. by the founder and first President of our unique democracy. l I had my patience tested. I’m negative. Here is George Washington’s prayer for America: l If your eyes hurt after you drink coffee, simply remove “Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou the spoon from the cup. wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou l When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I ask, wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of “Why, what did you hear?” subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a l I never wish death upon anybody who wrongs me. brotherly affection and love for one another and for their felInstead, I wish sudden, explosive diarrhea while on a date, low citizens of the United States at large. and with frequent sneezes. “And finally, that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to l If you’re paying $3 for a bottle of smart water, it isn’t dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean working. ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of l Folgers got it wrong. The best part of waking up is going mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of back to bed after you pee. our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of l I don’t mean to interrupt people. I just randomly rememwhose example in these things we can never hope to be a ber things and get really excited. happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, l Being cremated will be my last hope for a smoking hot through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” body. l No politician who supports gun control should get armed protection paid for by those he is trying to disarm. l Don’t let them take your temperature on your forehead l I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you as you enter the supermarket because it erases your memory. know. l Technically, Moses was the first person with a tablet I went for macaroni and cheese and came home with two While on a logger interview trip downloading data from the cloud. cases of beer. that took him near Albemarle, NC l It’s a five-minute walk from my house to the pub. It’s a l The older I get the earlier it gets late. a few weeks ago, SLT Managing l Dear Wine, we had a deal. You were to make me funnier, 35-minute walk from the pub to my house. The difference is Editor David Abbott couldn’t resist sexier, smarter and a better dancer. I saw the video. We need staggering. snapping photos of this unique, most appropriate structure. l My mind is like my Internet browser: 19 tabs open, 3 of to talk.
The Washington Monument
The men who wrote the 2nd Amendment hadn’t just finished a hunting trip.
Random Musings
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FROM THE BACKWOODS PEW
Watchtower It wasn’t the kind of news I wanted to hear. As much as I love watching eagles, getting a phone call that one had shown up on an active logging job sent shivers up my spine! (Or maybe it was because I had a hole in my Antill waders.) Either way, on this day my forestry degree was put aside, and my wildlife management hat was put on. We were wading across a flooded swamp, looking for a tree containing a nest for the birds that had been seen the previous day. The timber buyer had flagged a trail into the swamp and marked a giant cypress tree, in the top of which sat a giant collection of sticks and branches. Both members of the construction crew sat silently in the branches of the great tree, no doubt waiting to see which of us stepped in over our waders first. Amidst the surrounding trees, the cypress stood out like a sore thumb. It was over six feet in diameter, surrounded by towering knees, sticking up out of the murky water, forming a palisade-like fence around the base of the tree. The bole of the tree had long ago lost any resemblance of beauty. Its bark was flat and slick looking. It had an assortment of bumps and bulges, testimony to past scars and lost limbs. Even at the top, where it stood above the surrounding forest, the tree was still four feet in diameter. It had apparently lost its upper-
most part to many of the hurricanes that had crashed ashore not too far from there; and over the span of its life, it had no doubt seen many such storms. We figured the age of the tree to be at least one thousand years old, given that many such cypress trees had been discovered in southeast North Carolina over the years, and had been given life spans of well over that. Our task was to mark a buffer around the nest tree, to stay within the guidelines prescribed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We carried GPS devices to help us measure the correct distance we had to stay away from the tree. As the day progressed, we worked on encircling the tree with a painted line. It was cool to see how easily the tree stood out from even a great distance. Considering we were in a swamp, loaded with trees, it is usually hard to see any great distance, with 100 yards usually being the limit. The nest tree was so large, it dominated the swamp. Even from 200 yards away, the tree could still be seen. What a view the eagles had from that vantage point. All movement in the swamp was theirs to be seen, to observe, or to react to. This is exactly how an eagle operates. When it begins searching for a nesting site, it will search for a specific tree, one
that is tall, old, and large. It must be one that has survived some storms and not easily swayed by a strong blow. It is the tree that dominates the landscape. Like a watchtower, it captures a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Give the sharpeyed eagle a good watchtower and very little will escape its piercing glare. No food source is safe; no intruder enters undetected. In ancient Israel, it was common for a city to have a watchtower. It stood above the collected dwellings, above the fortified wall if the city had one. From there a designated watchman scanned the horizon, looking for danger. If the city was attacked, the watchman had to sound the alarm. After reminding Ezekiel of the importance of the watchman to the community (Ezekiel 33:1-3), God then declared in verse 7, that he, Ezekiel, was to be the spiritual watchman for his people: “…I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore, you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.” Failure of the watchman to call out the warning would result in devastation to the city. People would be caught unprepared, unarmed, and at the mercy of their enemies. Such failure was not tolerated. The blame and the shame were placed on the watchman if he failed to warn the city. You and I live in a sorry swamp of a world. The evening news is full of murder, rape, and exploitation. Men, women, and children seem to be slogging through a muddy, murky swamp surrounded by hos-
tiles that seek to trip, drown, or devour them. And yet there, towering above the swamp is a watchtower. Upon it sits the One who never slumbers or sleeps. His eyes see the next step in front of us; he knows where each hidden danger is as we wade through the swamp. And as the eagle will shriek from its perch a warning, and as Ezekiel shouted out warnings to God’s people, God desires to call a warning to us. A warning to heed his Word, to take his salvation, so freely offered. We are invited to accept the gift of grace that he desires to shower upon us, as the Apostle Paul declares in II Corinthians 6:2b: “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” There is a warning that we are not promised tomorrow, as declared by the watchman James in James 4:14: “…whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Another warning telling us that we are being stalked comes from the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” We will not survive the swamp if we ignore the One who sits guard in the watchtower. He speaks to us through our friends, our family, our pastors, our teachers, and directly to us through the Bible. Will you lisSLT ten? Excerpted from Trees, Traps, and Truth, Bradley Antill, author; available from onatreeforestry.com
Make A Statement! As Americans, our heritage is important to us, but for most Southerners, it’s a treasure. You have to be born and raised South of the Mason-Dixon line to know just what it means to have Southern heritage. While we’re all proud to be Americans, Southerners feel God went the extra step for them. Show your Southern pride with these highly visible 3-1⁄2 in. x 12 in. bumper stickers from the publisher of Southern Loggin’ Times. Only $5 each, including postage and handling. All stickers shipped unfolded. Order on-line: www.southernloggintimes.com; by phone (800-669-5613); or mail (Bumper Sticker, Hatton-Brown, P.O. Box 2268, Montgomery, AL 36102-2268). Make checks payable to Hatton-Brown Publishers.
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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It: What’s Happening? A Lot! By Scott Dane First and foremost is the American Loggers Council Annual Meeting on October 7-9 in Coeur d’Alene, Id. Aside from the Summer Board of Directors Meeting Dane that took place in Minneapolis, this will be the first time in two years that the American Loggers Council membership has gathered. The conference promises to be a great event in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, culminating with nationally renowned keynote speaker, retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills. Registrations have been strong, so if you haven’t registered do so now. Of course, American Loggers Council has been very involved in the $200 million Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program. The application period is now open. To date 3,000 applications have been
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submitted. Prior American Loggers Council surveys and estimates indicate that far more are eligible. The application is quite simple, only one and a half pages. The local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices are prepared to assist loggers and truckers with the application and process. There is probably not a simpler federal assistance program. The deadline to apply is October 15, 2021. “I’ve worked with federal grants before and this application was by far the simplest I have ever applied for. I don’t know how it could have been any simpler. On a scale of 110, with 10 being very difficult, this program and application is a 1. The application only takes 30 minutes to complete, and the FSA office was extremely responsive and helpful with any questions,” comments Nancy Glass, Office Manager, Rutar Logging. l American Loggers Council was
hosted by the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference and toured the aftermath of the California wildfires by helicopter. Video footage of that survey was professionally edited and compiled to give a real-life perspective of the impacts, challenges, salvage, and restoration opportunities created by the rampant wildfires. This video was incorporated into a press release advocating for a new national policy and strategy to reduce wildfires. A copy was shared with the White House and the Washington Office of the U.S. Forest Service. l American Loggers Council participated in a Congressional Hearing, with Government Relations Chair Henry Shienebeck testifying regarding the U.S. wood products industry: Facilitating the Post COVID-19 Recovery. American Loggers Council was also invited to represent the American logging industry in a White House Summit on the Homebuilding Supply Chain.
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Loggers Council has been traveling extensively over the past few months. A recent trip to Washington, DC to look at potential office space incorporated meetings with the White House, FSA and USFS. Additionally, American Loggers Council has visited members in Texas, Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Michigan, with trips to Mississippi, Maine, Alabama and Idaho this fall. The membership of the American Loggers Council, particularly Individual Logger Membership and Associate Membership, has been growing. Over the past three months approximately 10 new Individual Logger Members and eight new Associate Members have joined, increasing membership revenue by more than $20,000. American Loggers Council Communications Director Kevin Smith has upgraded the web site to allow for online Associate Member Application and payment. The communications plan has increased the American Loggers Council profile
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on the national level. So, what’s happening? A lot, and the American Loggers Council welcomes the opportunity to represent the members and industry whenever, wherever, and however we can. Scott Dane is the Executive Director of the American Loggers Council. ALC is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing the interests of timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses across the United States. For more information visit www.amloggers.com.
Construction Ongoing At Drax Pellet Plants Construction has started on Drax’s second satellite industrial
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wood pellet plant in Arkansas, this one in Russellville, Pope County, in northwestern Arkansas. Commercial operations are expected to begin at the plant in 2022. The move is part of a $40 million investment by Drax in the state. Earlier this year construction began at Drax’s first satellite pellet plant in Leola, Grant County, and commercial operations are expected to begin late this year. Progress is being made on selecting the third and final site. The three pellet plants are expected to produce a total of 120,000 metric tons of pellets a year from sawmill residues, supporting the renewable energy company’s plans to increase self supply to its power
station in the UK. Matt White, Drax Biomass Senior Vice President, comments, “Drax has made great progress in delivering our $40 million investment in Arkansas. The investments will bring jobs and opportunities to rural communities in Arkansas alongside supporting international efforts to tackle the climate emergency. These plants support Drax’s plans to develop bioenergy with carbon capture and storage—a vital negative emissions technology that will be needed around the world to meet net zero targets.” Drax has transformed its power station in the UK to become the largest decarbonization project in Europe by converting it to use sustainable biomass instead of coal.
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John Deere, Hitachi End Joint Venture John Deere announced it has agreed with Hitachi Construction Machinery to end the Deere-Hitachi joint venture manufacturing and marketing agreements. John Deere and Hitachi will enter into new license and supply agreements, which will enable John Deere to continue to source, manufacture and distribute the current lineup of Deere-branded excavators in the Americas. As a result of the new agreements, the following changes will go into effect on February 28, 2022: —John Deere will acquire the Deere-Hitachi joint-venture factories in Kernersville, NC; Indaiatuba, Brazil; and Langley, BC, Can. —John Deere will continue to manufacture Deere-branded construction and forestry excavators currently produced at the three Deere-Hitachi factories. These locations will discontinue production of Hitachi-branded excavators. John Deere will continue to offer a full portfolio of excavators through a supply agreement with Hitachi. —John Deere’s marketing arrangement for Hitachi-branded construction excavators and mining equipment in the Americas will end; Hitachi will assume distribution and support for these products. “For many years John Deere and Hitachi enjoyed a mutually successful partnership in the Americas,” comments John Stone, President, John Deere Construction & Forestry Div. and Power Systems. “As we turn the page to a new chapter of Deere-designed excavators, we remain committed to supporting our customers of today and tomorrow.” John Deere and Hitachi began a
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supply relationship in the early 1960s; then in 1988 the companies started the Deere-Hitachi manufacturing joint venture to produce excavators in Kernersville. In 1998, Deere-Hitachi expanded the relationship to include the production of forestry swing machines at Deere-Hitachi Specialty Products in Langley. In 2001, John Deere and Hitachi combined their marketing and distribution efforts in the Americas. In 2011, excavator manufacturing was expanded with the addition of the Deere-Hitachi Brazil factory in Indaiatuba.
Hyundai Purchases Doosan Infracore Following the sale completed in mid-August of Doosan Infracore to Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co. (HHIH), Doosan Infracore becomes a subsidiary of the newly created Hyundai Genuine (HG) group alongside Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) as two independent construction equipment companies under HHIH. HG will act as the intermediary company of HHIH Group’s construction equipment businesses and will be leading both DI
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Biewer Sawmill At Winona Coming Along Biewer Lumber’s second SYP sawmill in Mississippi is on pace to start up in the first quarter of next year. BID Group is performing turnkey construction, equipment delivery and installation at the site in Winona, which is in the north central section of Mississippi. The new sawmill will be similar to the one Biewer Lumber started up in Newton, Miss. in 2017. Biewer Lumber is based in St. Clair, Mich. and operates two sawmills in Michigan and two in Wisconsin. This photo was taken in midSeptember and is courtesy of Biewer Lumber.
and HCE to maximize the company’s efforts and focus on the construction equipment industry. The plan is to manage overlapping investments and invest heavily in future technologies and innovation. Doosan Infracore will be working to commercialize ConceptX and develop cutting-edge products such as electric excavators, battery packs, hybrid fuel cells and other next-generation products. By focusing on each company’s areas
of strength, HG will be able to advance the development of these types of products to gain a competitive edge in the global market. Doosan Infracore North America, LLC, headquartered in Suwanee, Ga., markets the Doosan brand of products that includes crawler excavators, wheel excavators, mini excavators, wheel loaders, articulated dump trucks, material handlers, log loaders and attachments. Doosan has more than 160 equipment dealer
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locations in North America.
Westervelt Strengthens Management Team The Westervelt Co., based in Tuscaloosa, Ala., announced new officers and leadership changes that position the company to build on and expand its decades long commitment to sustainability. Effective January 1, Cade Warer is
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appointed to the newly created position of Chief Sustainability Officer and will lead sustainability efforts across the corporation. “For generations the people of Westervelt understood the connections between the wise use of natural resources, service to our communities and enduring business success focused on the highest ethical standards,” comments President and CEO Brian Luoma. “For us, the term sustainability represents a cultural value,
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and a commitment to sustaining excellence in everything we do. Cade will ensure we continue to operate in a way that not only upholds that commitment, but takes it to a whole new level in the future.” Dave Donaldson is promoted to Vice President and General Manager, Forest Resources, effective January 1, 2022. He will be promoted into the role held by Jim King, who recently announced his retirement after a 40year career with the company.
“Jim’s career at Westervelt has been remarkable, and has shaped our Forest Resources business to be known as one of the best in the country,” Luoma comments. “Dave has been with Westervelt for 26 years, and has worked closely with Jim over the last several years as he’s managed our Woodlands division. We’re excited to welcome him to this new role.” Travis Hemmen is promoted to Director and General Manager, Westervelt Ecological Services, and Presi-
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dent of WES LLC, effective January 1, 2022. He will replace Greg Sutter as the business leader of WES, following Sutter’s retirement at the end of 2021. Hemmen and the Westervelt Ecological Services business will report to Cade Warner.
Martco Announces Corrigian “Two” Martco LLC (RoyOMartin) announced that its Texas subsidiary, Corrigan OSB, LLC, will invest $211 million and construct a standalone oriented strandboard (OSB) manufacturing facility near its current OSB plant located in Corrigan on U.S. Highway 287 between Lufkin and Livingston. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with startup anticipated in 2023. The new facility is expected to significantly increase production capacity at Corrigan, while focusing on existing and new value-added OSB products. RoyOMartin CEO Roy O. Martin III points to a population surge of more than 4 million residents in the state in the past decade, and more families and companies relocating to the Lone Star state. The increase in home prices and rising costs of building materials, appliances, and labor in the past year indicate a severe shortage of OSB supply, Martin notes. Corrigan OSB is stepping up to meet this increased demand with the addition of the new facility. RoyOMartin started up the first Corrigan OSB plant in 2018, and also operates an OSB plant in Oakdale, La., which started up in 2007. The company also operates a plywood mill and timbers mill in Chopin, La.
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Brandeis Machinery Expands Into West Va. Brandeis Machinery, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., has been named the authorized Komatsu distributor in eight counties in the western region of West Virginia. The counties of Wayne, Lincoln, Mingo, Logan, Boone, Wyoming, McDowell and Mercer will now be serviced by Brandeis Machinery out of the Stanville, Ky. branch location. Brandeis Machinery is a member of the Bramco family of companies, one of the largest equipment dealers in North America and Komatsu dealer for Kentucky and Indiana. This expansion allows Brandeis Machin-
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ery to bring their expertise and top level service to Komatsu customers in several West Virginia counties. Brandeis Machinery is pleased to have Jeremy Murry, sales representative, join the company and continue to service this region.
Shelton Appointed To Virginia BOF Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that Chad Shelton, Vice President of Virginia Loggers Assn., is appointed to the Board of Forestry (BOF). Shelton will serve as advisor on the BOF to the Virginia Dept. of Forestry and Governor’s office, representing the forest harvesting sector
of the forest products industry. Shelton grew up in a logging family. His parents, Howard and Lana Shelton, are owners of H. J. Shelton Logging, Inc. While Chad is active in the family business, he is also adding on a new specialty sawmill, and serving as an active leader in his community and VLA. He is an active board member who serves the industry at large with conviction and dedication for the industry.
Haygood’s Sales Career Covered Many Decades A graveside service for Jack Haygood, well known Georgia forest-
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sawmill equipment figure for decades, was held September 24 at Monroe Memory Gardens in Forsyth, Ga., his home town. Long retired, Haygood, 93, died on September 21. Known for his outgoing personality, generosity, encouraging nature and love for his family, Haygood was the son of a small sawmill owner who later became a pulpwood producer. In 1961 he joined a middle Georgia Jack Haygood sawmill machinery concern that sold Morbark portable pulpwood and log debarkers. The mechanically gifted Haygood not only sold his share of debarkers but also came up with a solution—a simple bracket—that kept the machines from throwing drive belts. Morbark owner Norval Morey traveled from Michigan to see the device and approved it for inclusion on all new units that Morbark built. Later, Haywood joined Morbark of Georgia, where he refined his sales ability. His contribution to Morbark’s early success gained him mention in the book My Way: The Norval Morey Story, published by the Donnell Group a few years ago. Other career stops for him were Alsobrook Lumber Co., Windham Mfg. Co., West Georgia Equipment Co., Pioneer Machinery and Pine Timber Co. He continued working well into his 80s.
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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Tigercat 880E Logger The 880 series logger is a multi-purpose forestry carrier that can be configured for loading, shovel logging, or processing applications. It introduces several features including an updated operator’s station and various grapple configurations to tailor the machine to your specific needs. The 880E is powered by the Tigercat FPT N67 engine, producing 308 HP. The F7-163 undercarriage is designed and built to withstand rigorous, full-time forest duty with exceptional stability for heavy timber applications. The spacious cabin has a new heated operator’s seat. Controls are integrated into both sides of the joystick pods, eliminating the need for any bolt-on control pods. The optimally positioned controls and large machine control system touchscreen interface improve ergonomics and machine monitoring. The quiet interior helps the operator enjoy the auxiliary audio input port, Bluetooth audio and hands-free calling. Additional new features include a standard equipped rearVIEW camera system, emergency
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stop button, and a key fob to turn on exterior lights remotely when entering the cab in the dark. The 880E can be configured as a loader equipped with various power clam, butt-n-top and log grapple options. Equipped with a live heel boom system, the 880E is a highly capable shovel logger with excellent stability, tractive effort and swing torque. The carrier can also be configured as a high-capacity processor capable of running large harvesting heads in demanding duty cycles. Some of the many advantages of the 880E over excavator conversions include better service access, higher cooling capacity, a better operating environment with superior sightlines, more robust undercarriage components and extremely efficient hydraulic circuits. The result is higher production, uptime and fuel efficiency. Visit tigercat.com.
John Deere Harvester Heads John Deere offers the new, small-size H423 harvester head and the largesize H425 and H425HD. These new attachments replace the previous H413, H415 and H415HD models. Like its predecessor, these heads have 4WD feed. The H423 harvester head works on the 1070G, 1170G and 1270G base
machines and is ideal for thinnings and other fellings, where the tree diameter at chest height (BHD) is 150-350 mm. With improved hose routing from boom to harvester head, and from valve block to feed motors, this attachment offers improved durability, easy hose replacement and improved hose protection with modifications to the frame. It has an operating range of minimum diameter at chest height (BHD) 40 mm to a maximum 500 mm. The H425 harvester head for the larger size class is available on the 1270G and 1470G base machines. This attachment is ideal for final fellings and other fellings where the tree diameter at chest height (BHD) is 250-500 mm. Also including improved hose routing from loader to harvester head and from valve block to feed motors, the hoses are routed through the frame and well protected within the structures, improving durability. Additionally, the H425HD harvester head added to the H425 model offers an HD tilt frame, expander pins in the upper end of the tilt cylinder, feed motor arms, and lower delimbing knives. A wide selection of saw motors and saw bars are also available for the H425 and H425HD harvester heads. Visit johndeere.com.
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PRINT CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Print advertising rates are $50 per inch. Space is available by column inch only, one inch minimum. DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 10th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 12th of month prior to month of publication.
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Choker Setter Struck in Head by Swinging Log BACKGROUND: On a fall day in the Pacific Northwest, a cable yarding crew was working on a new thinning unit. The crew consisted of the hook tender, rigging slinger (victim), and yarder engineer. They had just moved their yarder into the unit, rigged it up, and started logging the first corridor. The other support equipment, such as the shovel and processor, were still being transported when the crew started logging. The crew continued to log until the chute (area in front of the yarder) became full, and they could not fit any more logs on the landing without the assistance of the shovel. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The experience level of the victim is unknown. UNSAFE ACTS AND CONDITIONS: Each man had his own set of four chokers they were setting on opposite sides of the skyline. The hook tender sent his last turn to the landing and headed up to help on the landing. When the rigging came back again, the victim attempted to hook up his chokers to the end of the drop line, but he could not quite reach his last choker to get it onto the hook. The victim walked out ahead of the turn and gave the signal to the yarder to run it ahead so he could reach the last choker. Located near the turn that the victim had successfully attached to the skyline was a small log that was not choked. This small log was approximately 47 feet long and nine inches across the butt. This small log was laying cross lead (perpen-
dicular) of the turn that was being sent (moved towards the landing) and was located on the side of the skyline behind a large rotten stump. ACCIDENT: In the process of moving the turn forward towards the landing so the victim could attach his additional choker, the small log was scooped up by the turn, pressing it against the large rotten stump. The small log then jumped up over the stump and swung around towards the victim. There were several standing trees in the vicinity, and it was assumed that the victim felt he would be protected by the standing trees. The small log came around and struck the victim on the right side of his head with such force that it smashed in the side of his hard hat and slammed him to the ground, resulting in a severe head injury. Prior to the incident, the yarder engineer stated that he heard three whistles given by the victim, signaling him to go ahead on the skidding line. The yarder engineer stated that he started ahead on the skidding line then received one quick whistle indicating the victim wanted the rigging to stop. It is assumed that this stop was requested so that the victim could then hook the last one of his chokers to the skyline. After a while, the yarder engineer got no more commands and became worried about the victim. He called out to the victim on the handheld radio but got no response. The yarder engineer and hook tender became worried when the victim would not
answer and went down the hill to find him. The hook tender was the first person to get to the victim and found him unresponsive. The company's emergency medical plan was immediately put into action, and within 20-30 minutes, EMTs were on-site and immediately called Life Flight and had the victim airlifted to the hospital. INJURY: The victim was hospitalized with massive head trauma but was expected to survive. It is unknown if he was able to return to work. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTIONS: Choker setters must move to the side and behind all logs in the turn and be in the clear before the go-ahead signal is given. Originally published by Oregon OSHA. Supplied by Forest Resources Assn.
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COMING EVENTS October 5-7—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Rogers, Ark. Call 501-374-2441; visit arkforests.org.
29-30—Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; visit bioenergyshow.com.
April 2022
6—TEAM Safe Trucking annual meeting, The Coeur d' Alene Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Call 207-8410250; visit teamsafetrucking.com.
29-30—Mid-Atlantic Logging-Biomass-Landworks Expo, near Laurinburg, NC. Call 919-271-9050; visit loggingexpo.com.
7-9—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Call 409-625-0206; visit amloggers.com.
May 2022
19-21—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, The Fredonia Hotel & Conference Center, Nacogdoches, Tex. Call 936-632-8733; visit texas forestry.org.
November 10-12—Forestry Assn. of South Carolina annual meeting, Hyatt Regency, Greenville, SC. Call 803798-4170; visit scforestry.org.
March 2022 3-6—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, The Diplomat Beach Resort, Hollywood, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org. 16-18—2022 SLMA & SFPA Spring Meeting & Expo, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La. Call 504-4434464; visit slma.org.
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20-21—Expo Richmond 2022, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com.
July 2022 25-27—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.
August 2022 23-26—IWF 2022, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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