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Southern Loggin’ Times

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DECEMBER 2019 ● 3

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Vol. 48, No. 12

(Founded in 1972—Our 567th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S

December 2019 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

Flint Equipment Valdosta Open House

Neuse River Forest Products Forester Starts Crew

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

Alabama Loggers Council Hosts Annual Meeting

Southern Stumpin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Jonathan Rasberry, left, and David Rees, right, grew up a few miles apart but didn’t meet till they joined the same hunting club the summer after graduating from different high schools. After 10 years working together for another logger, they eventually partnered in their own company, J&D Timber, which now fields three crews. Story begins on Page 8. (Photo by David Abbott)

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . 28 Special Safety Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 2019 Editorial Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . 39 Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . . 46

Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook Tel: 604-619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 58 Aldea de las Cuevas • Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Bridget DeVane

Tel: 1-800-669-5613 • Tel 334-699-7837 Email: bdevane7@hotmail.com

Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $65 annually; $75 in Canada; $120 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.southernloggintimes.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Southern Loggin’ Times magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Southern Loggin’ Times. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2019. 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

End Quotes H

ere they are: my annual selections for my favorite quotes from Southern Loggin’ Times stories from throughout 2019. Enjoy, and while you’re at it, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2020.

“When you buy your equipment you have to watch what you buy because you can’t get too far in debt, but the most important thing is that God has to be in it. If a young man starts in the logging business and thinks he’s doing everything by himself then he’s fooling himself. I believe that with all my heart.”—Don Hamaker, Junction City, Ark., p. 11, January issue “It hasn’t really changed that much. He brings in a load and I smack him on the butt and send him back to get more.”—Donna Martin, speaking of her husband Tracy, after he related a story of his grandfather smacking a horse on the butt to bring in another load of logs; Millboro, Va., p. 12, January issue “We get in no hurry; we just try to get two big loads a day. That way we have more time to take care of the landowner and treat the land like it’s our own. We’ve been at it too long to get in a hurry now.”—Greg Head, Marble, Ark., p. 18, January issue “I ask a lot of questions, but it’s for a good reason. I just try to learn and then I don’t say much. I watch everything that everybody does to see where the best moves are.”—Jonathan Dotson, Dover, Ark., p. 18, February issue “I figured out you still have the new equipment payments, you just don’t have the new equipment. It’s a whole lot easier to just crank it up and work, and you have warranty. It is easier to run equipment than work on it. With old equipment, it put me working nearly every weekend, from daylight to dark, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and you’re wondering if you’ll be able to get back in the woods to work by Monday morning. It impedes your quality of life.”—Ray Cobb, Brundidge, Ala., p. 23, February issue “It takes a whole lot of grit and a whole lot of not wanting to give up.”—Mackenzie Brown, Cochran, Ga., p. 14, March issue “It is hard with running a business, but if we don’t have some voice we are going to get regulated out of business. For a long time I figured there are good men handling it. But then I realized, they’re good men but they might not be thinking the same thing I am, so maybe I should add my voice in there too.”—Darell Passinault, speaking about industry associations and political involvement, Elko, Ga., p. 26, March issue “All those horror stories (about logging) are true. But if you enjoy doing it, then you make a way through it.”—Charles Greenleaf, Call, Tex., p. 9, April issue “We had a lady drive up to the job one time and say, ‘I can’t believe you’re destroying these trees and all the wildlife,’ and she lived in phase one of the development that we had cleared two years ago.”—Howard Lovell, Jr., Ooltewah, Tenn., pp.17-18, April issue “In many respects, I believe logging will follow the farming model, meaning fewer but larger entities.”—DK Knight, p. 39, April issue

lose is the load you’ll never get back.”—Byron Baggett, Chatsworth, Ga., pp. 28 and 29, May issue “A lot of times we take for granted working and going home every evening, but in this environment, if you can go home without limping and with all your fingers and toes, then it’s been a successful day.”—Ronny Prewitt, Ackerman, Miss., p. 12, July issue “Ever heard the saying, the grass is always greener on the other side? Well I was color blind.”—Robbie Stange, White City, Ala., p. 18, July issue “Our whole industry has changed to where you can’t work on your stuff with a big hammer. You can’t afford to send stuff to a truck dealership anymore. It’s going to cost $3,000 just to get in the door and then it’s whenever they can get to it, because everyone is having problems with trucks. Exhaust emission standards are changing our whole truck operating paradigm. With every piece of equipment costing $250,000 you can’t afford to run it and trade it every two years like you could when it was $100,000. Things have to run beyond warranty.”—Chip Capps, Macon, NC, p. 12, September issue “They (our fathers) taught us that if you do things the right way you don’t have to worry about going to sleep at night.”—Linc Carswell, Lake City, Fla., p. 15, September issue “It doesn’t matter how much wood you cut if you can’t get it to the mill. A lot of guys separate the two but those truck drivers are just as big a part of this company as anybody. You’ve got to see through the troubles of today to find the bliss of tomorrow.”—Trevor Haywood, Huntingdon, Ten., pp. 24, 28, September issue “We get up every morning and work to pay the insurance companies.”— R.J. Nathe, Dade City, Fla., p. 12, October issue “Lawyers advertise that the insurance companies have got all the money. No. It’s the people they’re insuring who pay the bill. Everything you buy comes on a truck, and it is costing you more because of the insurance and the lawsuits.”—Robert Nathe, Jr., Dade City, Fla., p. 12, October issue “I will take my chances in Vietnam.”—Linwood Johnson, Charles City, Va., when he turned down an offer to spend his military enlistment in Georgia in 1967 after a run-in with the Ku Klux Klan, p. 12, November issue “I’ve won quite a few races, and lost a lot, too. In 2004 I won $20,000 and a brand new Corvette. But the next morning, well, logging wasn’t going good, so I auctioned the Corvette off to a millionaire from New Mexico, who gave it to his wife.”—J.T. Johnson, Charles City, Va., on his drag racing hobby, p. 19, November issue “I got out because of the kids. I decided to get out for my family’s sake, but to this day I say that if they asked me to come back, now that the kids are grown, I would do it.”—Danny Johnson, Mechanicsville, Md., on his time in the Marine Reserves, p. 22, November issue

“We’re loggers. We work till they throw dirt in our faces.”—Tommy Johnson, De Ridder, La., p. 16, May issue

“I never got completely back. It’s hard to explain; you just have to experience it. You can make a good thing out of a bad thing. We had a pretty good time over there.”—Hulet Moore, Bruce, Miss., on his time serving in Iraq, p. 28, November issue

“If you’re working on it you’re not working with it, so don’t buy equipment you have to work on every day. My dad always told me, the load you

“This (2019) has not been our best year. It’s been rough. We’re hoping for a SLT better 2020.”—David Rees, Flora, Miss., p. 12, December issue

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Double Coverage ■ Hunting led to friendship, then to business partnership for Jonathan Rasberry and David Rees.

By David Abbott FLORA, Miss. mere eight miles separated the child★ hood homes of David Rees, 43, and Jonathan Rasberry, 42, when they were growing up, but they didn’t know each other then. It wasn’t until the summer after they both graduated, from different high schools in 1995, when they met after joining the same hunting camp. A friendship grew from their mutual passion for wild game. Rasberry had already started his career in the woods, working on a logging outfit, while Rees spent the next five years as a mechanic at a Ford tractor dealership. Later they both went to work for logger Scott Penn of Canton, Miss., Rasberry in the woods and Rees in the shop. Neither man inherited the saw-

dust in his veins directly from his father. Rasberry did have an uncle who logged, and spent the summers of his teen years running a chain saw at the loading ramp. Rees grew up working on tractors around a

small cattle farm, and went to vocational mechanic school for it. By 2005, after five years working together for Penn, Rees and Rasberry were ready to step out on their own. “Scott knew we wanted to do

more,” Rasberry says. “He was willing to sell one of his crews, so we bought it.” They chose to name their company J&D Timber, LLC, from the initials of their first names, Jonathan and David. For the first couple of years, they continued more or less filling the same roles they’d had on Penn’s job, with Rees working as the mechanic and Rasberry in the woods. In 2007 they split J&D into two crews, with each man supervising one job. A third crew followed in 2012. That was almost eight years ago when they last expanded the operation; would they consider adding a fourth crew now? “No, sir,” Rees says. “Not in today’s markets and labor pool.”

Labor Jonathan Rasberry, left, and David Rees

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care to take up at this point, but Rasberry and Rees have no need to complain about the quality of labor on their existing crews. “We have pretty decent help right now,” Rasberry acknowledges. “Finding a full crew of good truck drivers is the hardest part, and hard to keep.” On the first crew, which works privately-owned land, Milton Martin, Jr., runs the cutter, Trent Torrence mans the loader and Jimmy Fleming drives the skidder. Private crew two has backup operator/jackof-all-trades Bobby Tripp III, Chris Wallace on loader, Bobby May on skidder and Tyler Parkman on cutter, with Brandon King swapping out on cutter and skidder. The third crew, which works for RMS (Resource Management Services, Flowood, Miss.), has Justin Latham on the cutter, Taylor Trest on the loader, Ricky Bynum on the skidder and Kenneth Parkman on the dozer. Truck drivers are Mike Kitchens, Toby Holmes, Jesse Biggart and Joseph Leavy. They also hire contract haulers, sometimes as many as 10 or 15, to round out production. J&D gets insurance through Southern Insurance Agency in Jackson; Neil Simpson is their agent. They hire consultant Don Chennault’s Southern Safety Solutions to conduct safety meetings with each crew. Rasberry and Rees handle the weekly paperwork themselves, sending their books to a CPA each month.

Operations The J&D crews each have a cutter, skidder, loader and dozer. Col-

Rees and Rasberry prefer new machines to minimize downtime.

lectively, the operation includes two 2019 John Deere 643L feller-bunchers and a 2017 Tigercat 720G cutter; for skidders, a ’17 Tigercat 620E, ’16 John Deere 648L and ’18 Deere 648L; for loaders, two ’18 Deere 437Es and a ’16 437D; and, for dozers, a ’14 Deere 700K and two J700s, 2009 and 2010 models. They

SLT SNAPSHOT J&D Timber, LLC Flora, Miss. Email: drees911@gmail.com (Rees); J-DTIMBER@hotmail.com (Rasberry) B&G Equipment is their Tigercat dealer.

Founded: 2005 Owners: David Rees and Jonathan Rasberry No. Crews: 3 Employees: 12 in woods, 4 truck drivers (plus contractors) Equipment: 3 skidders, 3 loaders, 3 cutters, 3 dozers, 4 Delimbinators, 5 trucks, 11 trailers Average Production: 120-150 loads per week (40-50 per crew) Average Haul Distance: 90 miles Tidbit: When it’s time for R&R, J&D still like to spend their free time in the great outdoors. Rees, who grew up on a small cattle farm, raises 30 head of beef cows to sell to local cattle buyers, as a hobby. And of course, both men fish and hunt; Rasberry says they hunt whatever is in season, especially deer and turkey but some small game as well. In fact it was their shared love of hunting that brought them together as friends in the first place.

All three crews use Chambers Delimbinators on first thinning jobs.

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Conditions were dusty this summer on some tracts.

The crews are versatile enough to work in everything from first thins to clear-cuts.

use Stihl and Husqvarna pole saws for trimming trucks. “We like newer equipment so we can stay under warranty and minimize down time,” Rasberry says. Dealers are B&G Equipment in Philadelphia for Tigercat and Stribling Equipment in Jackson for Deere. Everything was bought new except two dozers and the delimbers; Rees and Rasberry figure their investment to be at least $2 million. And, they add, if you throw the trucks and trailers in, it would be

Warranty requires that they send oil samples back to the dealers, which helps diagnose the health of the machine. They also use JDLink on the John Deere machines. Except the dozers and delimbers, all their machines use DEF, which Rees calls “aggravating at times, but other times no trouble.” Along with CSI 264 pullthrough delimbers mounted with all three loaders, each crew also has its own Chambers Delimbinator, used especially in first thinning applications. Maintenance is mostly changing chains every three or four months. “With the Delimbinators, you get higher production in 12-13 year-old wood,” Rasberry says. For its first several years, J&D’s bread and butter was first thinning. Gradually, quotas and market changes forced them to become more versatile, so now they do a little of everything. At one point this year, they had a crew on a first thinning job, one in second thinning and one in a hardwood clear-cut, all at the same time. “It changes from tract to tract,” Rees says. Tract sizes vary; they work from 40 acres up to the 350-acre tract they were on in mid-November. Most fall in the100-acre range. As far as production, the goal is

well over that—all in all, around $1 million per job. The guys handle routine maintenance and minor repairs in the woods for themselves. When it comes to changing filters and fluids, they don’t like to push it. Rees says, “We go toward the lower end, around 250 hours.” They especially like to play it safe when the machines are working in dusty conditions, as was often the case late this summer. When it gets that dusty, they blow air filters out just once, then replace.

150 loads a week, or 50 loads a week per crew, and often enough they hit that mark or even beyond it; but between weather and quotas, it’s sometimes closer to 120 loads a week, or 40 loads per crew. J&D hauls with 11 Magnolia trailers, purchased from Magnolia Trailer in Lucedale. Truck fleet is mixed: Western Star and Freightliner come from Empire Truck Sales in Jackson, a couple of Macks from Tri State Truck Center in Jackson, and they bought one International from a private individual. Two J&D crews work mostly through dealer Kelly Pevey’s company Southeast Timber in Clinton, Miss. The third crew works on RMS land 100% of the time. Tracts are lined up well in advance. “They put a logging plan together every year,” Rees says. “When you need to move, you let them know and they go back to the book and get a tract.” This was a very wet year, one that offered the challenge of finding tracts dry enough to log. Then, Rasberry says, two weeks of dry weather puts everyone right back on quota. As 2019 draws nears its end, the partners agree it has not been their best year by any means. “It has been a tough one,” Rees admits. “We’re SLT hoping for a better 2020.”

Crews work in all kinds of timber tracts, from young planted pine to natural mixed hardwood.

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New, Improved ■ Flint Equipment holds open house at its newest location.

The Valdosta branch, Flint's 28th, opened a year ago in November.

Customers checked out John Deere's L-II machines, which debuted in September 2018.

By Patrick Dunning VALDOSTA, Ga. lint Construction and Forestry Division hosted an open house at its ★ newest location, in Valdosta, Ga., on November 8, 2019. The open-house drew nearly 100 people throughout the day. Potential customers strolled the staging area and viewed John Deere’s newest offerings. Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. partnered with Flint and offered two credit hours of continuing education courses at 10 a.m. The event coincided with the store’s first anniversary. Flint’s 28th full-service branch opened in Valdosta in November 2018 to meet the demands of the area. The facility spreads 7,500 sq. ft. and includes sales offices, six service bays and a

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warehousing area. Flint has plans to expand its service department at Valdosta after being open a little over a year. The dealer hosts open-houses at least once a year at all its locations to meet customers and let them tour the parts and service facilities. Among the machines on display at the event were skidders and fellerbunchers from John Deere’s LSeries II, which debuted in September 2018, just two months before the Valdosta branch’s opening. Deere launched the L-Series in 2015 and incorporated continuous improvements based on customer feedback, gradually evolving to the point that the “II” designation was warranted. “We made so many reliability-driven improvements, it began looking like a different machine,” John Deere Forestry Sales Manager Justin McDermott says. “We needed to recognize that.” The L-II series skidders and

wheeled feller-bunchers were beefed up internally to compensate for debris getting into interior compartments. Exposed hydraulic hoses were eliminated and the concept is cleaner, keeping the operator in mind. John Deere’s TimberMatic Map technology is compatible with all

JDLink-enabled forestry machines. TimberMatic Maps allows you to create maps/routes and track how many logs have been cut and where they are located on the work site. “Some people think electronics in the woods is a bad thing,” Vice President of Forestry Patrick Andres says. “But in the end, it helps the logger become more efficient. It eliminates the skidder having to drive around, losing time, looking for logs.” In a single bunch of logs, the software is capable of recognizing exactly how many stems are in the bunch by taking production information from the processing heads. “The idea is to keep it simple and intuitive for the operator,” McDermott says. “If you can operate an iPhone you can operate this. They’ve done really good with the user interface.” Flint also showcased at the event Hitachi ZX210F log loaders and 2154G swing machines alongside 331G and 333G model compact SLT track loaders.

Members of the Flint Equipment and John Deere team

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Branching Out ■ From solely using contract crews to adding his own company crew, Jason Tew has had a big few years.

By Jessica Johnson PRINCETON, NC orester Jason ★ Tew, 45, has been in the timber business since 1994. A graduate of Wayne Community College’s Forest Management Technology program, Tew has always been interested in the equipment and logging aspect of the timber industry. After years of being a timber buyer for others, Tew struck out on his own five years ago, creating Neuse River Forest Products, a one-man timber buying entity with wood supply contracts throughout the timber rich North Carolina coastal plain region— including Enviva Biomass. After a few years working with contract logging crews, Tew says he Jason Tew was getting somewhat frustrated with his logging capacity, and how other crews handled jobs. For example, Tew really hates having trash on the ground in the woods, preferring instead to invest in trash cans/bags and emptying them each week. “That’s not something you can force someone else to do,” he says. “There were just some things I wanted to do differently, so I decided to do it on my own.” But, for many years, Neuse River FP continued because Tew has one contractor that works well. “He does a great job,” Tew says of the man. “But we outgrew his logging capacity. And finding another one was almost impossible.” Ultimately Tew took matters into his own hands and started his own logging crew, NRFP Logging, in 2018 when the business was financially able to take the chance. “I’ve always wanted to start one,” he shares. Adding his own crew caused some to give opinions on if it was or was not a good idea, but overall Tew is thrilled with the outcome—more

A 2010 4300 Petersen Pacific chipper, the only piece bought used when the crew started, helps supply Enviva and Craven.

consistency and overall growth. “Now markets are calling saying ‘hey, can you produce this?’ and we can say ‘yes!’ instead of ‘ahhh, maybe?’” Tew explains. After one year in business, steadily supplying roundwood to Enviva, Tew was approached about putting a chipper into this equipment mix as Enviva Sampson transitions from microchips to in-woods, 5⁄8 in., chips. Tew says he was interested in

adding the chipper because market conditions in Carolina were changing—hardwood pulpwood is hard to get rid of as roundwood, but chips are not. Considering the amount invested just a year ago, NRFP couldn’t really justify adding a brand new chipper to the lineup. Tew estimates that in order to make that profitable, the crew would have to ramp up production from an average of 65 loads per week to 100

Tew keeps trash cans at the ramp, preferring a clean job site.

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loads, and add at least two more trucks to haul the chips.

Markets Of the 65 loads per week that NRFP averages, 30% goes to Enviva depending on tract size and composition. Hardwood-heavy tracts will produce more than the three to four loads per day of chips that pine tracts do. The crew is split fairly 50/50 in terms of pine plantation thinning and clearcutting, Tew says, with average tract size of at least 50 loads for a week. Three company trucks and one contractor handle all hauling consistently, with a few contractors floating in as needed. Neuse River FP’s main markets are International Paper, Georgia-Pacific, Domtar, local sawmills and, of course, Enviva. International Paper’s Riegelwood mill is, on average, over 115 miles away from any given tract—a long haul by all accounts. Tew says the distance doesn’t bother him; instead turnaround time at the mills is why he will add extra contract truckers. “If we’re hauling everything to Riegelwood or (Domtar) Plymouth we will bring on more contract truckers, because about two loads is all they can get,” he says. Thankfully, the crew is usually never working more than about 30 miles from an Enviva plant, which allows those

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trucks to get five loads per day. Enviva’s Sampson plant is Neuse River FP’s main chip market, but also takes a lion’s share of hardwood pulpwood roundwood. Hardwood chips are also hauled to Craven Wood Energy, because Tew is a believer in not having all his eggs in a single basket. “We haul a handful of loads there just to keep another outlet,” he explains, “I don’t want to overstretch myself.” NRFP uses two John Deere skidders to keep wood flowing quickly to the deck. The method takes pressure off a single skidder: one stages piles in the woods, while one brings piles out for processing, depending on what trucks need and what mills have asked for. A self-proclaimed technologyfriendly person, Tew has Samsara GPS tracking and cameras on each of the company owned trucks. Initially, the GPS system was purchased to protect the company in the event of an accident, not to watch drivers. But, because the system is cloud based, any device can access it. Tew and foreman Ed Daniel use the tracking system to tell where trucks are and help plan loads that need to be prepared. “I didn’t think about that when we bought the system but that’s been great,” Tew emphasizes.

The crew uses two skidders, one to prepare piles in the woods, and one to handle the flow of wood to the landing.

Equipment The crew operates with John Deere equipment purchased from James River Equipment in Garner, NC. Tew says when he got started he didn’t have a preference on logging iron, but instead focused on which dealership would offer strong service and was willing to deal with him. “I had X amount of dollars, laid out the deal and some said they could do it and some said they couldn’t. James River stepped up and they’ve helped us a lot. So, I’m fairly loyal to the green,” he details. On a daily basis, Tew still focuses on timber buying for the company and contract crews. He leans on foreman (and loader/chipper operator) Daniel for operational support, coordinating trucks and overseeing maintenance. ➤ 20

SLT SNAPSHOT Neuse River Forest Products Princeton, NC Email: neuseriverfp@gmail.com Founded: 2017 Owner: Jason Tew Employees: 7 Average Production: 65 loads a week Average Haul Distance: 115 miles Equipment: 2 skidders, 1 cutter, 1 chipper, 1 loader, 3 trucks, 3 chip vans and 3 log trailers Tidbit: Jason Tew and his crew highly value cleanliness, not just with trash cans on site, but taking it as far as voluntarily cleaning the inside of the skidder cabs. It’s not unusual to see Henry Staton with a can of Armor All wiping out his machine.

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19 ➤ The crew uses a 2018 643L feller-buncher, 2018 648L skidder, 2019 748LII skidder, 2018 437E loader with CSI 4400 classic slasher saw and CSI delimber and the 2010 Petersen Pacific 4300 chipper. Tew was confident in purchasing the used machine. “We wanted to get into the game, but didn’t want to break the budget,” he says. The three company trucks are a 2015 Peterbilt, 2018 Western Star and 2019 International, pulling three Pitts log trailers and three ITI chip vans. On days when the mills are backed

up, the crew will load chip vans and drop them, so trucks can come back later in the evenings and get them unloaded. As to the mixed bag of trucks, Tew says he was driven by price, but likes the look of the Peterbilt the best, though he believes the Western Star and International trucks are better to handle the woods.

Maintenance Rick Staton, left, with Lened Jones

Ed Daniel, left, with Henry Staton

One of the benefits of purchasing new equipment: Tew is able to take advantage of a PM agreement with James River where the dealer, according to John Deere specs, services all equipment. After conferring with Daniel, Tew ran the numbers and decided to go with the extra cost of the PM agreement. “For what they were doing at the cost they were doing it at, let them have at it,” he says. “It also helps with the warranty; everything is done by exactly John Deere spec; if something goes wrong they know it. We’ve been very happy with that and it’s saved us a lot of Saturdays being out here changing oil.” Truck maintenance is handled by a variety of local shops, depending on where the crew is working and where the drivers are going. Oil is changed religiously because of the dust. Daniel services the chipper every 250 hours; knives are changed every 25 loads, depending on material. “Chippers love to be tinkered with,” Tew laughs about the machine in general. “They tend to shake themselves apart.” For now, chipper maintenance is done in the woods—Neuse River FP does not have a shop, though Tew has future plans to build one to help take care of trucks, trailers and chip vans. “We just got started, and have a huge investment,” he says. “We’re trying to recoup some of that before we throw out some more money.” Tew’s wife Valerie, an HR professional, helps with bookkeeping and payroll. “She understands the taxes, and that scares me a little bit,” Tew admits with a smile. He handles everything else for the logging and timber buying operation. When not busy with the operation, Tew serves on the Carolina Loggers Assn. board—saying it is important to be involved in an industry association. “It’s my industry. I love it. It’s what we do. I don’t want to do anything else. But if I am going to complain about it, I should at least be able to go help fix what I SLT am complaining about.” A version of this story was previously published in Wood Bioenergy, a sister publication of Southern Loggin’ Times.

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Double Vision ■ Alabama names Reid its logger of 2019 at annual meeting. By David Abbott PRATTVILLE, Ala. labama Loggers Council Chairman Chris Potts has had ★ to pull double duty this fall. The owner of Potts Logging just completed his year-long term as President of that other ALC, the American Loggers Council. It was thus his final responsibility in that position to help plan and host that group’s annual meeting in his home state. After serving behind the podium at the national body’s annual event in Orange Beach, Ala., on September 28, Potts handed his gavel over to his successor, Missouri’s Shannon Jarvis. Just five week later, Potts was again master of ceremonies, this time for the Alabama Loggers Council’s annual meeting on Saturday, November 2. Potts and Alabama Loggers Council Executive Director Joel Moon arranged an exceptional program for the full house packed into the Marriot Prattville Hotel and Conference Center. First on the morning’s agenda, Potts and Moon invited northern Californian Tristan Allen, owner of CLT Logging, to speak to the assemblage of Alabama loggers about the challenges of harvesting in a state with extensive regulations. Allen advised his audience not to fear environmental regulations: “You are environmentalists, born and bred. You make a living with a renewable resource.” He advocated working to change the public narrative of loggers as antienvironment, and to have a seat at the table influencing policy when California-style rules make their way east. At lunch, ALC presented Alabama’s Outstanding Logger of the Year award to Reid Logging Co. of Georgiana. Started in 1940, the third-generation family business is today in the able hands of brothers Stacy and David Reid, who accepted the honor along with their father, Shelton, son of the company’s founder, Judson Reid. Among the day’s impressive lineup of speakers, Captain Brent McElvaine and Jason Guthrie of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit explained

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ALC Executive Director Joel Moon, far left, presented this custom saw to Chairman Chris Potts, center, in appreciation for his service. Holding the saw are Logger of the Year honorees Stacy Reid, left, and David Reid.

Georgiana's Reid Logging Co. is the 2019 Alabama Logger of the Year. Brothers Stacy and David Reid, holding plaques, accepted the award with their family, including their dad Shelton, third from right, son of company founder Judson Reid.

new highway rules soon to go into effect. Benefits consultants Matt Cate and Patrick Pittman described a new group health insurance plan offered by the Alabama Forestry Assn. Alabama Forestry Commission’s Ryan Peek and Carey Potter discussed BMP compliance. Deb Schneider and Emily Hornak, representatives from Children’s Hospital, spoke of the importance of contribu-

tions from the Log a Load program. Ray Clifton, Ashley Rowe and Stephanie Fuller from Alabama’s Forest Workforce Training Institute presented on the recently formed non-profit’s expanded labor development initiative. Finally, in an unexpected but enlightening conclusion, ALC brought in social worker Renae Carpenter to speak on the growing

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problem of human trafficking. Along with raising awareness for warning signs log truck drivers might see on the highway, Carpenter advised how and how not to help. If you think you see a victim, for instance at a truck stop, she said not to try to pick them up, but to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888, or text SLT “HELP” to 2333733.

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Short Inspirational Christmas Stories The Gold Wrapping Paper Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family’s only roll of expensive gold-colored wrapping paper. As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all the expensive gold paper to decorate a shoebox she had put under the tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox. Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, “This is for you, Daddy!” As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her. But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty, and again his anger flared. “Don’t you know, young lady,” he said harshly, “when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside the package!” The little girl looked up at him with tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: “Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full.” The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger. Unfortunately, an accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this package by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

On Santa’s Team My grandma taught me everything about Christmas. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” jeered my sister. “Even dummies know that!” My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me.

“No Santa Claus!” she snorted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.” “Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second cinnamon bun. “Where” turned out to be Kirby’s General Store, the one place in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kirby’s. I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s second grade class. Bobbie Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough; but all we kids knew that Bobbie Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I fingered that ten dollars with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a corduroy one that had a hood. It looked real warm, and he would like that. I didn’t see a price tag, but figured that ten dollars ought to buy anything. I put the coat and my ten-dollar bill on the counter and pushed them toward the lady behind it. She looked at the coat, the money, and me. “Is this a Christmas present for someone?” she asked kindly. “Yes,” I replied shyly. “It’s ... for Bobbie. He’s in my class, and he doesn’t have a coat.” The nice lady smiled at me. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, “To Bobbie, From Santa Claus” on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa’s helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Suddenly, Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.” I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell twice and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie. He looked down, looked around, picked up his present, took it inside and closed the door. Forty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: Ridiculous! Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team!

From the SLT staff to the SLT family of faithful and appreciated subscribers, we wish you all a safe, blessed, joyous Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year! 26

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP have heard from many of you As We See It: The Power of A Survey in We the past on political issues that By Danny Dructor Surveys are usually generated to as wide and broad a group as possible, and sometimes the end results can be a little confusing. That is why we,

Dructor

the American Loggers Council, have decided to create a survey that will only be distributed to our members and those that are directly engaged in the timber harvesting and hauling industry.

are impacting your businesses, but now we need to find out just how our industry is doing in the 21st century in order to gauge what it might look like going forward, politics aside. We went to work with our many sponsors through the American Loggers Council Membership Advi-

sory subcommittee requesting that they help develop the questions that they might have in manufacturing and supplying the many goods and services that all of your operations depend on in order to keep running. This has been a labor of love for many of the participants, and their feedback has helped to form a survey that can be replicated on a yearly basis in order to better gauge the trends and nuances in the timber harvesting profession that can lead to a better analysis of what is expected for not only our sponsors as they continue to supply the industry, but from all of us as well, as we continue to purchase and utilize their products and services. Realizing that not all regions across the country are the same, survey participants will remain anonymous, but the regions or states of those that participate in the survey will be revealed. We hope to have a strong showing across all regions of the country. American Loggers Council exists to represent professional timber harvesters and log truckers. Without you completing surveys like the one presented here, it is difficult for us to keep our hands on the pulse of the industry and what some of the driving issues are outside of Washington. If we are to continue to represent those that have kept us going for these past 25 years, then we need your input to make certain that we remain focused on those things that impact you the most, and those that support us and supply us with the many goods and services that are required by our industry will know how to better respond to those needs as well. We need your input and taking the time to complete this simple survey will ensure that your needs are known to all of those who are working together to make your job better. The survey can be accessed at: surveymonkey.com/r/2019ALC SURVEY The survey will close on December 31, 2019. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey, and please feel free to pass it along to others in the industry who you feel should respond as well. Dructor is Executive Vice President of the American Loggers Council, a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvestersthroughout the United States. Contact American Loggers Council at 409-625-0206, orÂ americanlogger@aol.com, or visit the website: www.amloggers.com.

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2020 Mid-South Show Set For August 21-22

Florida Post-Michael Gains Some Relief

The Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, the longest-running and best attended live demo in the South, will be held August 21-22, again on Mississippi State University’s John W. Starr Memorial Forest located just south of Starkville, Miss. In a planning meeting on November 13, the show board approved a new layout that will make the venue more compact while providing more shade for static and live exhibitors and abundant, mature timber for the latter group. As well, the board voted to invite food truck owners to service the show for the first time, meaning a wider choice of food and beverages. Founded in the mid-1980s and held every other year, the event showcases the latest forestry equipment and forestry technology and consistently draws more than 6,000 participants over two days. It also provides loggers and foresters with an opportunity to earn continuing education credits via on-site classroom sessions. Exhibitor information is expected to be available early in the first quarter of 2020. Visit midsouth forestry.org or call show manager John Auel at 662-325-7948.

Agriculture Commissioner Nicole (Nikki) Fried announced that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has allocated $380.7 million in federal block grant funding for Florida farmers devastated by Hurricane Michael, including direct relief for timber producers. The Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services will administer the USDA block grants alongside the Florida Div. of Emergency Management. Through consistent engagement with USDA officials, Florida secured nearly half of the $800 million in federal block grant funding announced today for Florida, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina disaster relief programs. The funds will compensate timber producers for lost value of their crop damaged by Hurricane Michael, helping them clear downed trees and replant. Block grant funding will also help producers repair and replace irrigation infrastructure damage from Hurricane Michael. The application process for timber producers to receive the grant funding is being finalized. “This funding is a huge victory for Florida’s timber producers. Since January, we’ve been working

closely with USDA to secure relief for our timber industry, whose resilience in the year following Hurricane Michael has been extraordinary,” Fried says. “Our priority will be moving this funding forward so that timber producers can have checks in hand and trees in the

ground. Thank you to the USDA and Secretary Perdue for helping us put Florida’s farmers first.” Florida Forestry Assn. Executive Vice President Alan Shelby adds, “Timber’s inclusion in the block grants provides the help and the hope that the Panhandle sorely needs right

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now.” Although it won’t make forest landowners whole, it will make a tremendous difference in their ability to begin recovery and move forward with cleanup and reforestation.”

Timber, which is the leading industry in the Florida Panhandle, suffered a $1.3 billion economic blow from Hurricane Michael. An estimated 550 million trees, weighing 72 million

tons, were damaged or destroyed by the massive Category 5 hurricane. Clearing downed timber can cost $2,000 per acre, compounding the crop’s financial loss.

Georgia Pacific Opens Warrenton Sawmill Georgia-Pacific celebrated the official opening of its newest lumber facility with an on-site dedication in Warren County, Ga. The $135 million, 340,000 sq. ft. plant is located on the same site as an existing lumber mill. The new facility adds more than 80 workers to the existing workforce. The dedication included Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of Agriculture Gary Black, and Commission Chairman John Graham. Georgia-Pacific was also proud to host Rep. Jody Hice and his guest, World War II veteran Master Sergeant Luciano “Louis” Graziano. At the rate of current production, the GP Warrenton facility will receive approximately 200 truckloads of pine logs a day and produce as much as 350MMBF per year. The facility plans to turn out three times the output of the previous facility, shipping 57 trucks of lumber each day to locations and customers across multiple states. The Warrenton facility follows the startup of Georgia-Pacific’s Talladega, Ala. lumber facility last year and is the second of three new lumber production sites planned by the company. The third facility is under construction in Albany, Ga., with plans to open next spring.

Scientists Nationwide Endorse Wood Energy The U.S. Industrial Pellet Assn. (USIPA) has endorsed a recent letter signed by more than 100 scientists from more than 50 colleges and universities citing the benefits of wood energy. The letter, published by the National Assn. of University Forest Resource Programs (NAUFRP), calls on policymakers to consider key fundamentals related to forest biomass. Emphasizing that research on the use of forest biomass dates back to the 1980s, the scientists noted that the “carbon benefits of sustainable forest biomass are well established.” The letter also cites a report from United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which notes: “In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fiber or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.” The scientists also emphasized research showing that “demand for wood helps keep land in forest and incentivizes investments in new and 30

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more productive forests, all of which have significant carbon benefits.” Reacting to the report, Seth Ginther, USIPA Executive Director, comments, “This is a resounding statement of academic consensus on the benefits of renewable wood energy. The value of biomass energy production in lowering carbon emissions and supporting healthy forests is well-documented through decades of peer-reviewed research. This letter underscores exactly what we are

hearing from the UN IPCC: that sustainably-sourced wood biomass is an essential technology to fight climate change and limit global temperature rise to 1.5ºC.” NAUFRP was formed in 1981 to provide university-based natural resource education, research, science, extension and international programs promoting American forest health. Today, NAUFRP represents 80 universities and their respective scientists, educators and extension special-

ists. Reviewing more than 30 years of scientific research on forest biomass utilization, scientists from a diverse range of universities identified four fundamentals for science-based decision-making on biomass energy production and added these explanations: 1) The carbon benefits of sustainable forest biomass energy are well established. 2) Measuring the carbon benefits

of forest biomass energy must consider cumulative carbon emissions over the long term. 3) An accurate comparison of forest biomass energy carbon impacts with those of other energy sources requires the use of consistent time frames in the comparison. 4) Economic factors influence the carbon impacts of forest biomass energy.

Alamo Completes Purchase Of Morbark Alamo Group Inc. has completed the acquisition of Morbark, LLC, a former portfolio company of Stellex Capital Management, for $352 million subject to certain post-closing adjustments. This includes the products sold under the Morbark, Rayco, Denis Cimaf and Boxer brand names. Ron Robinson, Alamo Group President and CEO, comments, “We are very pleased to have completed this acquisition as Morbark is a strong fit with Alamo. Their products complement ours and they have been growing steadily in a sector which should continue to perform well. As is our general practice, we intend to maintain the Morbark brands in the marketplace and are glad that Dave Herr, president of Morbark, will continue in that role as part of Alamo Group.” Herr adds, “On a day-to-day basis, it’s business as usual, only now we have new resources and capabilities to continue driving value for you and your business. As an operating company under Alamo’s industrial division, we will have the scale, breadth, and capabilities to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.”

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SA FETY FOCUS SPECIAL

Submitted by Tennessee Valley Authority Transmission lines and trees can be a recipe for danger on your work site, if you do not apply the correct precautions. Falling timber around transmission lines adds a new level of risk that many professional loggers may not realize. “It’s not a little shock from your home electrical,” says Michael Nance, Right of Way manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority. “We’re talking about power lines that light up cities, and you don’t even have to touch the line for it to kill you.” Nance knows what he is talking about. He is one of two professional foresters who lead the TVA team in managing the utilities of 16,000 miles of transmission lines across seven southern states. His job is safety—keeping trees and anything else from coming in contact with power lines for the largest public power utility in the United States that serves about 10 million people. According to Nance, TVA is seeing a growing trend of vegetation (tree) initiated power interruptions due to timber harvesting operations adjacent to transmission ROWs. TVA is

very concerned because every one of these interruptions can lead to serious injuries, or even fatalities, to timber crews or the general public. “At these high voltages, electricity is unforgiving,” Nance said. “Most folks are surprised to learn that the tree doesn’t even need to touch the power line to flash-over.” Flash-over occurs when a grounded object gets too close or makes contact with an energized transmission line. Flashover can occur even if a

grounded object fails to come into contact with a power line, but falls close enough to create an arc. This flashover distance is known as minimum vegetation clearance distance or MVCD. The MVCD distance is based on the voltage of the transmission line. “As a general rule, no object should come any closer than 12 feet of any transmission line,” Nance says. Electricity always travels the path of least resistance to the ground. That path can be through a tree, logging equipment, tools, or in the worst cases, the human body. Once the electricity finds the ground, it radiates out along the surface. This poses a threat to all people near the location of the event. For your safety, TVA asks that you follow these recommendations: l If you observe a tree that has fallen into a transmission line, stay away from the tree and immediately call TVA at (855) 476-2489. If practical, take steps to prevent the general public from entering the area. l If you cut a tree into a transmission line, drop everything and run away. Then call TVA at (855) 476-2489. NEVER retrieve any equipment. Most transmission lines have automation, which will attempt to re-energize the line several times. TVA will tell you when it is safe to recover your equipment.

Make a Call, Save a Life

If you are harvesting timber adjacent to a TVA transmission line, before you cut, contact the TVA Transmission Right of Way team at rowcustomer@tva.gov, or call (844) 8122626. Nance said making contact allows TVA to take preliminary actions that will enhance the safety of your workers and the public. TVA will dispatch a forester to assess the situation and, in some cases, TVA will schedule the removal of hazardous trees at no cost to your company. Logging is hazardous enough. By following these recommendations when cutting around transmission lines you can help keep your crews safe. Nance wants you to remember: “When in SLT TVA's service area doubt, call us; we are here to help!”

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2019 Editorial Index January

February

Southern Stumpin’ Tires, Etc.—submissions by manufacturers of tires, tracks and chains. Page 6

Southern Stumpin’ No Stopping Him—a look at Missouri’s quadriplegic loader operator Josh Woodcock. Page 6

Keeping The Faith Hamaker Timber Co., Junction City, Arkansas Arkansas’ Hamaker Timber has been blessed for more than 30 years. Page 8

The Mightiest Winds Morris Forest Products, Panama City, Florida A cat-4 hurricane rips through close to 2 million acres of prime timberland in the Florida Panhandle. Page 8

All In The Family Martin Logging, Millboro, Virginia Tracy Martin works with his dad, uncle, son and wife to find success in Virginia hill country. Page 12

Building Blocks Ray Dotson Logging, Dover, Arkansas Ray Dotson and his son Jonathan haven’t wavered in their love for logging. Page 14

No Rush Greg Head Logging, Marble, Arkansas Logger Greg Head likes to take it easy while working hard in the north Arkansas hardwood hills. Page 18

Step By Step L&R Enterprises, LLC, Brundidge, Alabama No one thought he could make it, but Ray Cobb has been proving the haters wrong for almost 20 years. Page 22

It Takes Three Log Creek Timber/Williams Family, Johnston, South Carolina South Carolina’s Williams’ family of companies was the TH 2018 Logging Business Of The Year. Page 26

Projects Abound Ashton-Lewis Lumber, Gatesville, North Carolina Ashton-Lewis Lumber has been in upgrade mode as of late and it’s paying off. Page 32

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March Southern Stumpin’ Georgia On Our Minds—a look at Georgia stories this issue. Page 6 Processing Plan Southern Pine Timber, Cochran, Georgia Mackenzie Brown is using two processors to meet Interfor’s needs in Georgia. Page 8 Week In, Week Out Timber Source, LLC, Elko, Georgia Darrell Passinault and his crew aim for, and achieve, consistency from one week to the next. Page 18

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All Together Now Trucking Logistics Summit, Tifton, Georgia Georgia holds a trucking summit to seek solutions to logger hauling challenges. Page 34 Chippers, Grinders, Etc. Southern Loggin’ Times invited manufacturers of chippers, grinders and related components to submit material for this section. Page 40

April Southern Stumpin’ Black/White—a look at race in logging. Page 6

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Making A Way Double G Logging, Call, Texas Charles Greenleaf had other options, but worked day and night to bring his logging dream to life. Page 8 Urban Logging Lovell Logging, Ooltewah, Tennessee Lovell Logging has found their niche in Tennessee. Page 16 Mid-Atlantic Expo Slated May 3-4 Page 34 CLA Annual Meeting: Blue Ribbon Event Carolina Loggers Assn. Annual Meeting, Wilmington, North Carolina. Page 38

Long Partnership Chambers Logging, Inc., Ackerman, Mississippi Eric Chambers has trusted his crew to his friend Ronny Prewitt for 22 years. Page 8 Good Example Stange Timber Co., White City, Alabama Robbie Stange knows where the grass is greenest. Page 16 Small On Purpose D&D Forestry, Camden, Arkansas Don Grillo’s D&D Forestry crews stay focused in Arkansas. Page 20

Spotlight: Heads, Etc. Southern Loggin’ Times invited manufacturers of feller and processor heads and related components to submit information on their products. Page 31 Bright Side Ponsse North America, Rhinelander, Wisconsin Ponsse introduces its newest harvester, the Cobra, at an event in Wisconsin. Page 32

August Southern Stumpin’ Sounds Good To Me—a look at Kim Wall’s idea to open new markets in Mississippi. Page 6

Born To Run Tal Baby Enterprises, Centreville, Mississippi A summer internship for college athlete Tal Priest turned into a career in the woods. Page 8 End Of An Era Morbark’s legendary Larry Burkholder is stepping away. Page 14 Old School Jones Timber Co., Clinton, Kentucky The Jones Timber family loves to log together the old-fashioned way. Page 18

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The Long Way Hardy Rhodes Trucking, LLP, Fordyce, Arkansas Logging wasn’t his first plan, but Hardy Rhodes found his way back to his roots the long way ‘round. Page 40 Lumber, More Lumber Georgia-Pacific, Talladega, Alabama Georgia-Pacific starts up its first of three new southern yellow pine sawmills. Page 50

May Southern Stumpin’ Good Knight—a look at the retirement of SLT co-publisher DK Knight. Page 6 Better Than One Dry Creek Forest Products, Elba, Alabama Marty Catrett never dreamed he’d have three integrated businesses working the Ala.-Ga.-Fla. corridor. Page 8. Pass It On Down Thomas Johnson Logging, LLC, DeRidder, Louisiana After 20 years, Tommy Johnson has added a second crew for his son, Thomas. Page 16 Looking Elite Elite Forest Products, Chatsworth, Georgia Byron Baggett keeps building Elite Forest Products in Georgia. Page 26

June Southern Stumpin’ Sunken Treasure—a look at Taylor Allen’s river log recovery in Georgia. Page 6 Something Good Summit Logging, LLC, Elizabethtown, North Carolina A.J. Keating stays upbeat about his logging, timber buying and trucking businesses. Page 8 Keeping It Simple Michael Looney Logging, Texarkana, Arkansas Michael Looney, Jr., known by all as Doc Looney, knows what’s up. Page 16 M-A Expo Finished With Saturday Surge Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, Scotland County, North Carolina Page 20

July Southern Stumpin’ Where In The World Is Jessica?—a look at editor Jessica Johnson’s adventures on the road. Page 6

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94 Timberjack 450C 9,400 hrs. with 3800 hr. on new eng......$25,000 Firm Call Wood Movers 256.479.5036 3034

Straightening Of All Types Of Fellerbuncher Saw Disks One Piece Or Segmented Each Will Be Balanced Carver Sawdisk Repair 543 Havens Street Washington, NC 27889 (252) 945-2358 566

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2016 Deere 803M • $275,000 STK# LU291502 • 4,123 hrs

2016 Deere 803M • $225,000 STK# LV290856 • 4,022 hrs

2016 Deere 843L • $177,000 STK# LT676363 • 4,216 hrs

2016 Deere 843L • $135,000 STK# LT678495 • 5,409 hrs

2014 Deere 437D • $75,000 STK# LU270732 • 9,861 hrs

2015 Deere 748L • $155,000 STK# LT669606 • 7,005 hrs

2016 Deere 648L • $142,000 STK# LT674592 • 5,873 hrs

2016 Deere 648L • $142,000 STK# LT675926 • 4,852 hrs

2016 Deere 648L • $120,000 STK# LT674178 • 4,901 hrs

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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

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2013 John Deere 648H, dual arch, winch, 8k HRS, NEW RUBBER, VERY NICE ......................................................$90,000 Call or Text Zane 334-518-9937 Maplesville, AL 3939

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NOBODY Beats Our Prices On Gates 4-Wire Hose!

252-531-8812 Cavalier Hose and Fittings

Weigh Boy Scales Used 6 months 2004 Timberjack 530B, 9,864 hrs, CSI ....................................$12,500 OBO delimber, right & left CTR buck saws, Dry turn table, very nice loader .....$35,000 obo Call Wood Movers 256.479.5036 3034 (828) 234-5453 13639

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460 Timberjack skidder transmission, totally rebuilt, new charge pump Call Jason 717-821-4858 13640

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.

Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net

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GATES HYDRAULIC HOSE 8309

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37 ➤ Loggin’ School

Forest Workforce Training Institute, Thomasville, Alabama Equipment operators receive training and certification. Page 22

September Southern Stumpin’ Maine Logging Unions?—A look at the passage of a new law in Maine. Page 6 Deep Thinker Arcola Logging Co., Macon, North Carolina Chip Capps says his logging operation is fairly typical, but as a businessman, he’s anything but. Page 8 Father Figures Carswell Timber Co., Inc., Lake City, Florida Cousins Ty and Linc Carswell strive to honor and continue the legacy left them by their fathers. Page 14 Top Of Its Game Trevor Haywood Timber Co., LLC, Huntingdon, Tennessee Trevor Haywood Timber is one of the best operations going in Tennessee. Page 22 Juggling Act Bigfoot Logging, Bogue Chitto, Mississippi Bradley Sanderson plans to keep shortwood hauling Bigfoot Logging small. Page 34 Martco Makes The Big Ones Martco L.L.C., Chopin, Louisiana Louisiana plywood operation merchandizes timbers sawlogs. Page 36

Kudzu! Fond of the South’s climate, this tenacious vine overtakes whatever it encounters. Page 40

October Southern Stumpin’ CBI Rolls Out The Red Carpet—a look at CBI’s factory forum. Page 6 Living Legacy R.J. Nathe & Sons, Inc., Dadeville, Florida R.J. Nathe is still going strong, as is his family’s multigenerational, diversified business. Page 8

Big Brother J.T. Johnson Logging, LLC, Charles City, Virginia One of seven kids, losing his dad young forced J.T. Johnson to become a man when he was still a boy. Page 16 Freedom Rings Freedom Logging, Inc., Mechanicsville, Maryland Always faithful family man Danny Johnson has lived a life devoted to duty, honor and service. Page 20 Two Worlds Moore’s Logging, Inc., Bruce, Mississippi Iraq vet Hulet Moore’s life still revolves around completing the task-athand. Page 24

Money To Be Made Charles Money Logging, Abbeville, Alabama Rural town and logger Charles Money are benefitting from new sawmill. Page 16

ALC At 25 American Loggers Council Annual Meeting, Orange Beach, Alabama American Loggers Council held its 25th Annual Meeting in September. Page 34

Step By Step A Sun State Tree Service, Inc., Longwood, Florida Diverse land clearing tree service Sun State Tree makes mulch with CBI grinders. Page 22

Spotlight: Hauling SLT invited manufacturers and dealers of products and services related to the transportation sector of the forest products industry to submit information about their offerings. Page 52

December Southern Stumpin’ End Quotes—a look at some memorable SLT quotes from 2019. Page 6 Double Coverage J&D Timber, LLC, Flora, Mississippi Hunting led to friendship, then to business partnership for Jonathan Rasberry and David Rees. Page 8 New, Improved Flint Equipment Co., Valdosta, Georgia Flint Equipment holds open house at its newest location. Page 12 Branching Out Neuse River Forest Products, Princeton, North Carolina From solely using contract crews to adding his own company crew, Jason Tew has had a big few years. Page 18 Double Vision Alabama Loggers Council, Prattville, Alabama Alabama names Reid its logger of 2019 at annual meeting. Page 22

November Southern Stumpin’ Southern Loggin’ Vets—a look at SLT’s salute to Veterans Day. Page 6 Happy Trails Johnson’s Logging, Charles City, Virginia Logging wasn’t his first choice, but Vietnam vet Linwood Johnson has made a good life with his family. Page 8

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A D L I N K ●

ADVERTISER

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ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

COMING EVENTS January 14-15—Missouri Forest Products Assn. winter meeting, Capitol Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Jefferson City, Mo. Call 573-634-3252; visit moforest.org.

February 7-9—South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. annual meeting, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton, Myrtle Beach, SC. Call 800-371-2240; visit scloggers.com. 19-23—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, Naples Grand Beach Resort, Naples, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.

March 5-7—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. annual meeting, Okefenokee Fairgrounds and Exchange Club, Waycross, Ga. Call 904-845-7133; visit swpa.ag. 6-8—Carolina Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Ballast, Wilmington, NC. Call 828-421-8444; visit ncloggers.com. 10-11—Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; email dianne@hattonbrown.com; visit bioenergyshow.com.

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25-27—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. 2019 National Conference & Expo, JW Marriott, Nashville, Tenn. Call 412-244-0440; visit hmamembers.org. 25-27—SFPA/SLMA Spring Meeting, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpa.org.

April 7-9—Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. annual meeting, Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.

May 1-2—Expo Richmond 2020, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com. 18-20—Forest Resources Assn. annual meeting, Omni Austin Downtown, Austin, Tex. Call 202296-3937; visit forestresources.org.

July 16-18—West Virginia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Cannan Valley Resort & Conference Center, Davis, W.Va. Call 681-265-5019; visit wvfa.org. 24-26—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Ctr., Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478-992-8110; visit gfagrow.org.

August 20-21—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org. 20-23—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va. Call 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org. 25-27—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850-222-5646; visit floridaforest.org. 25-27—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, TBD. Call 318443-2558; visit laforestry.com. 25-28—IWF 2020, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 404-693-8333; visit iwfatlanta.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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