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Vol. 49, No. 12

(Founded in 1972—Our 579th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S out front:

December 2020 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

14 Young Georgia logger Cody Anderson took over his step dad’s company four years ago and made it his own. With a reliable crew and a good head on his shoulders, he is making his own mark in the woods. Story begins on Page 8. (Photo by David Abbott)

John Woodie Enterprises Carolina Equipment Dealer

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 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

McManus Timber Top Honors 2020

Southern Stumpin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 From The Backwoods Pew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Machines-Supplies-Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Editorial Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 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 ® 2020. 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 2020 very December issue, for the end of the year, I like to look back at the previous 12 months and put together some of my favorite quotes from articles we have run throughout that year. I’ll give this year’s first end quote to myself:

“We finally decided to go to contract trucking and let someone else handle that headache and only work on logging. Then we started getting some Saturdays off!”—Mark Carpenter, Peachland, NC, p. 16, March issue

“Fact is, in the absence of future-predicting 20/20 vision looking forward, our view of the year 2020 is only just forming. So far, though… things don’t look great. Buckle up, folks. It looks like it might be a bumpy year.”—David Abbott, Calera, Ala., p. 6, February issue

“I want the timber company to make money, if they are as broke as I am they can’t buy good wood and I want good wood. So they have to make some money. If they aren’t making money, they will go out of business and none of us will have a job. But, they can’t starve us to death in the process. It’s got to be a give and take. That’s one of the things I like about Edwards. They don’t starve us.”—also Mark Carpenter, p. 18, March issue

I wrote that in early-mid January, a couple of months before coronavirus shutdowns started, and probably before I even heard about what was then going on in Wuhan province, China that would soon affect the whole world. It’s been a year, that’s for sure, but we’re still here. And even though the election looks like it maybe didn’t go the way I expect most of us had hoped, we are still here; life and logging go on and there’s always next year, next election, and the next load. ‘Nuff Said! Now on with the quotes: “He’d rather farm than eat. He loved cows and said it was like money in the bank. I said that money keeps getting out the fence. I said we could plant pine trees out there and make more money, and they don’t get out whether the fence is up or down.”—Vance Wright, Blackridge, Va., speaking of his father and company founder Charles Wright, p. 8, January issue “I wish I had a crystal ball, but mine is broken.”—Crad Jaynes, President, South Carolina Timber Producers Assn., p.6, February issue “We don’t see anything good on the horizon. We’re just trying to stay afloat till next year.”— Hardy Rhodes, Monticello, Ark., not knowing yet how right he would turn out to be about 2020, p. 6, February issue “This is the land of the free because of the brave. My hat’s off to those guys and anything I can do to help them, I am all for it. Because they did what they did, we can do what we do today. We can be free to serve God, even though our religious freedom is being attacked, because of God and the U.S. military. That is how I look at it. I don’t get into politics, but I believe in what’s right and wrong. I support President Trump. Even though I didn’t like Obama when he was in office, I prayed for him every day. The Bible tells me to pray for my leaders and that is my duty to my country.”—Tommy Cunningham, Spurger, Tex., p. 12, February issue 6

“Every day, they are at the job. They are reliable, they are loyal, they stick with you. A misconception is that people think they work cheap; we pay them the same as anyone.”—Joey Teer, Lufkin, Tex., speaking of their Hispanic employees, p. 24, March issue “We pay extra to make sure everybody is where they need to be. I’d rather pay more and have the right quality. I’ve seen people try to do it without quality hands, and that is usually what takes a good operation down.”—Matt Raulston, Clarksville, Tex., p. 12, April issue “I always try stuff that other folks are hesitant to try, and I get picked on a lot for it. I have things that didn’t work out like I wanted. I’m human; I breathe and I make mistakes. But other things have worked out and been helpful.”—Josh Spring, Bogue Chitto, Miss., p. 18, April issue “It’s just not good right now. Between the storms and the virus, lumber and logging have been hit hard.”—Jim McKinney, Warren, Ark., p.8, May issue “We’ll make it if this virus situation will straighten up. We just have to bear down and hope it doesn’t last forever.”—Whit Magnum, Magee, Miss., p. 22, May issue “In logging, it’s up and down with no middle ground. You work day and night or hardly at all. Everyone got excited about the tariff negotiations and then the virus halted things. China isn’t receiving anything or exporting right now.”—Bill Robinson, Parsons, W. Va., p. 8, June issue “When I was growing up, a man who had 500 acres would need five tractors of different types. Now he can have 5,000 acres and work it needing only one tractor.”—Roy Zenor of Texas Timberjack, Lufkin, Tex., comparing logging to farming, p. 18, June issue

“All people are people!”—Logan Abbott, Calera, Ala., p. 6, July issue “The way I look at it, if you can stay small and keep older equipment up, you can make a living through hard times. I feel like if you’re independent you don’t have anyone’s thumb on you.”—Bucky McGee, Heavener, Okla., p. 8, July issue “I’ve learned now if I have any trouble I need only to get out of the way and let the Lord fight my battles.”—John “Punch” Haney, Broomtown, Ala., p. 8, August issue “I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. I have seen things go sour in the logging business. I say tackle one then go after another.”—Shane Lusk, Altamont, Tenn., p. 15, August issue “You have to crawl before you can walk. If you’re going to spend everything that you make for payments, why not just have a daily job? You aren’t going to get anything in life for free. It’s just a lot of work.”—Jerry Johnson, Watson, Okla., p. 20, August issue “You have to work for what you want. I always wanted everything, so I keep on working.”—John Channell, Huttonsville, W. Va., p. 26, September issue “I learned long ago in logging: don’t get upset about nothing. It’s life, deal with it and go on.”— Steve McMillan, Bristol, Fla., p. 34, September issue “Logging has changed over the years, so much. You have to change with it to keep up with the times.”—Gene Givens, Sparkman, Ark., p. 8, October issue “We came home from the desert on the last day of July and on August 1, Iraq invaded Kuwait. I said wait a minute, I’m a student! They said no you’re not, you’re a Marine. Pack your bags and let’s go. You find out pretty quick you can’t get any nastier. But it was a wonderful lifestyle, believe it or not; I enjoyed the hell out of it.”—Captain Kirk Sanders, Pinson, Ala., reflecting on his time in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 as a member of the Marine Corps Reserves, p. 12, November issue “Loggers go out to the woods and do their thing, but we’ve been on the chopping block for so long, and because we’ve not been at the table, we’ve been eaten alive at the table.”—Toni McManus McAllister, Winnfield, La., pp.19-20, December issue

Happy Holidays from SLT

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Smooth Operation ■ Cody Alexander has built on a strong foundation while carving his own path.

By David Abbott AILEY, Ga. e may be a young buck, but he’s no ★ greenhorn. After 15 years of full-time logging, four of them with a company in his own name, Cody Alexander, 33, is a seasoned vet in the woods. His step father, Bob Jones, drove a truck and logged, and started his own company in 2001. Even before he was old enough to officially join, the younger man helped Jones out where he could, after school and in the summers, and managed to learn the ropes. By the time he graduated high school in 2005, Alexander already knew how to handle every machine in the woods. After he finished school, Alexander didn’t waste any time figuring himself or his future out. He went straight to work for his step dad, running his loader for the next 11 years. In 2016 he bought the assets of Bob Jones Logging, Inc., and rechristened it CA Timber, LLC, for his own initials. “I was going to just keep the name—Bob Jones Logging—but it was too much hassle with the incorporation. It ended up being easier to just start it as my own thing.” In reality, it was the same business by a different name.

Cody Alexander runs all Tigercat machines from Tidewater Equipment.

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The company contract cuts for Pierce Timber.

Alexander had been already running the crew for some time and he kept the same men and machines, so, he says, “The only thing that changed was the name on the check.” Jones helped him by cosigning the loans. Alexander admits that when he took over there was somewhat of a little learning curve on the business management side, but otherwise he already knew how to run the crew in the woods. “When I took over I dealt with the same people (Bob Jones) did as far as workers’ comp and insurance, so it was a smooth transition.” Alexander married his wife Paige 18 months after taking over the company, in 2017. They had their son Briggs in 2019. Jones has since gotten back into logging, now in South Carolina.

well. After that wet spring, things started to dry out pretty well on most tracts in the latter part of the year, and Pierce kept them on ground they could work. “Luckily they had enough,” Alexander nods gratefully. Markets are tight, Alexander says, but wood is selling. He says his crew mostly clear-cuts for pine logs and chip-n-saw. “We do second thinning a good bit, too, but mostly we are based on logs and chip-n-saw, and

poles, mostly grade wood.” They deliver to all the more local mills but also have a lot of long distance hauls. Main targets include Faircloth Forest Products in Swainsboro and Interfor in Nunez and Baxley. Another is International Paper near Savannah, a mere 120 miles from the tract he was working near Vidalia in mid-November. The crew averages 60 loads a week, give or take. He uses Max-

iload scales, and asserts, “Those scales make a difference.” Alexander’s company log truck is a 2014 Peterbilt, with a 2007 International in reserve as a spare. He has eight Pitts trailers, six older ones and two new 2020 air ride four bolsters. “I just really like those air ride Pitts trailers,” he says. “You don’t have to worry about springs.” Alexander keeps just one of his own trucks hauling full time, relying on con-

Markets CA Timber operates as a contract logger for Pierce Timber of Blackshear, Ga. “We have worked for them for years,” Alexander says. “They keep us busy.” Pierce Timber buys all the stumpage and pays CA on a per ton basis. “They buy wood for 32 logging crews. The man who started it was born in the town I call home. I have a real good tie with them.” Rainfall last year, he says, “Kicked our butts,” and there was a fair amount when 2020 got started as

From left, Jody Lamb, Corey Griffin, Tony Brantley and Cody Alexander

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Alexander has had his CHAD (compact hose assembly device) from Schwab Brothers Hydraulics for three months. It makes replacing hoses a breeze, he says.

tractors to handle the bulk of his transport needs.

Machines, Maintenance Alexander is a committed Tigercat man. “We have tried it all but Tigercat is like their logo says, tough and reliable,” he is convinced. “The loader is in as good a shape with 6,500 hours as the day they brought it to

me.” Tigercat district manager Don Snively lives just a few miles up the road, and the Tigercat warehouse is also nearby. “I have a real good relationship with Don and them, and the Tigercat headquarters will have the part even if Tidewater doesn’t. So it’s good equipment and it’s convenient.” Since buying the company four years ago, Alexander has traded every piece that came with the orig-

inal purchase. “I ran it for two years before I decided it was time to trade the loader, because it had almost 17,000 hours on it. Then I traded the cutter at 7,800 hours, then the skidder at 9,000 hours. I spaced it out over a year, 18 months or so. Now I’m on a rotation so I won’t need to buy more equipment for two or maybe three more years. About the time it is paid for is when

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it’s time to start back over.” The CA crew now uses a 2017 model 234 loader, ’18 720 fellerbuncher and ’19 630 skidder, all bought from Roger Anderson at Tidewater Equipment in Hazlehurst. The skidder wears dual tires year round, with 30.5 Primex on the inside and 24.5 outside. A Chevrolet 2500 serves as crew truck. Operators keep a notebook in

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the service truck to track hours of operation, changing oil and filters every 500 hours. They grease everything two or three times a week— Alexander believes greasing every day is a waste of grease—and blow air filters out every Friday, to prevent fire hazards. They inspect saw teeth visually, changing when the feller head needs a new set. Along with the tool bed and fuel tank on the Chevy, Alexander keeps a service trailer on the job site. In it he keeps an air compressor, spare hoses, tires, springs, equalizers, antifreeze, chain and bar oil, air and fuel filters and other parts and tools. “I thought it would be a good idea to have everything here and not just in the back of the truck, but in here where we can

keep it more organized,” he explains. “It saves trips to town.” Also set up inside the service trailer is another thing that saves trips to town. It’s called the CHAD, or compact hose assembly device from Schwab Brothers Hydraulics in Perry, Fla. “I got hooked up with them through a friend in Milledgeville. He showed me some pictures of it and I thought it looked like a good idea so I said bring it up here and let me try it out.” Schwab Brothers director of sales and marketing Ryan Wood brought one out for him to demo, and he was sold on it. Alexander bought it late this summer. The CHAD hooks up to his air compressor and enables him to make hoses in minutes. Since he runs new-

er machines, he may only average one busted hose a month, maybe less, but when it does happen, he says the CHAD has been well worth it in terms of the time saved on going into town to have a replacement cut and crimped, time during which production is lost. “We love it,” Alexander says. “It’s operator friendly; once he showed us how to set it up, everyone on the crew knows how to do it. It's simple, and it helps having all the fittings organized. If I need more I just I shoot a text to Ryan and the fittings are here in two days. It makes it simple and easy.”

Manpower CA Timber runs a single crew, of

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Alexander and three other men in the woods. The boss mans the loader day in and day out, unless something comes up, in which case the cut down man takes over the knuckleboom. The same guys have worked on the crew since before Alexander bought it, all for the last 5-10 years. “We don’t have a high turnover rate, I don’t reckon,” he says. Tony Brantley runs the cutter, Jody Lamb drives the skidder and Corey Griffin handles trimming duties. Alexander mans the loader, saying he can best supervise the job from this central position, his operation control center. He has done it this way since day one. Employees get a set, base salary whether they work or not, plus a bonus for production if they go over the normal number of loads. “That helps because they know that they are going to make a steady amount, they can rely on it, and the only way the pay would be different is if it goes up,” Alexander explains. “So if we have to knock off early, they don’t have to make less, but also if we have to work longer the next day, they know it goes both ways.” Guffin & Eleam Insurance, Inc., is the agency through which CA Timber gets much of its insurance coverage. “They have offices in Summerville and Baxley, and they represent about 40 companies, so we deal with them for log truck and equipment.” Alexander looks to Trowell Insurance in Hazlehurst for workers’ comp and general liability. “Marcus Trowell owns it and he is a board member at the Bank of Hazlehurst, where I got financed for equipment loans.” He has his trucks financed through Bank of Soperton. Alexander stays on top of all his master timber harvester training and certification, and says CA Timber has joined its local chamber of commerce as he tries to become more established and involved in his community. The company sponsors local youth events and activities, whether it be fundraising efforts for youth sports programs or donations to the Shriners’ banquets, which also helps the local kids. Outside the woods, Alexander’s main hobby is offshore fishing. He lives 85 miles from the coast and has a 36 ft. Yellowfin and a place on the water. “That’s where you can find me if we’re not working or piddling around on the farm.” With that in mind, Alexander has no immediate plans to expand or change much of anything; he likes things just like they are for now. “I think we’ll keep on staying like we are: kind of small and steady. I don’t care about getting two or three crews. This is exactly how I want it, so if I want to take off and SLT go fishing, I can.”

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Wheeling, Dealing ■ John Woodie learned early he’s more than a salesman, prioritizing service and relationships.

By Patrick Dunning STATESVILLE, NC. t’s 5 a.m. and John ★ Woodie, 65, owner of John Woodie Enterprises, Inc., is on his feet cooking his daily dose of two eggs, buttered toast and a couple slices of bacon. He prefers a home cooked breakfast before hopping in his red GMC pickup truck matched with a red embroidered shirt and hat, and heads to Woodie headquarters. He makes a few phone calls to sales personnel along the way, a Bluetooth headset allowing him to main-

tain a ten-and-two position. The Carolina native is almost 40 years into this venture. A side gig flipping cars in high school led to a job helping a local trader at the time, Andrews Equipment, buy and sell equipment at auctions because of Woodie’s CDL. He ran a construction business during the Carter administration, infamous for its oil embargos and tax increases, but grew increasingly enthused about machinery sales of all sorts. Not wanting to keep paying 22% interest on prime rates, he decided he would go all in on chasing his dream. “Running my construction

proprietorship during the Jimmy Carter era was tough,” Woodie reflects. “I got to considering and was having more fun trading equipment than I was in my day job. The economy went downhill and I knew what I wanted to do with my life so I sold my construction company.” He founded John Woodie Enterprises (JWE) from scratch in 1982. These days, he’s reaping a harvest from seeds sown long ago.

Equipment Lines The first equipment lines he represented included CTR and Husky products throughout the ’80s and

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John Woodie

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Woodie became a Barko dealer in 2000 and favors their loader line, selling models as large as the 595B.

’90s. He picked up Barko in 2000 and added TimberPro, and now parent company Komatsu, in 2012. That completed his three main product lines for clients in the forestry and construction industry. JWE also carries CSI products. From Barko, JWE primarily sells the loader line, from 295B to 595B models, and the rubber-tire feller-buncher with 24 in. Quadco head. “Barko holds a lot of promise in their manufacturing uniqueness,” Woodie believes. “They’re expanding their product line so we’re looking forward to being a part of it all.” Komatsu and TimberPro are looking like a strong venture moving forward, Woodie says, due in part to how well TimberPro TL 755 track feller-bunchers are preforming with the 745D, 735D and 725D following right behind. TimberPro’s multi-functional track machines with independent track drives are a great and proven product for the forestry industry, in Woodie’s opinion. “TimberPro is one of the best we’ve ever sold,” he says. “They’re growing and we want to grow with them.” He continues, “Track machines with Barko knucklebooms allow you to lay your mats down.” Because these machines are underpinned, they have an advantage of versatility over some other models, Woodie explains. “You can load trucks, feed chippers, stack wood where you’re functioning, and move to the landing. Also if needed, shovel with them. It’s more useful than just sitting still on a trailer.”

Service The secret to JWE’s success is in service. Every machine, new or used, runs through the shop. Woodie says his technicians aren’t just servicing equipment; they’re supporting clients whole-heartedly and keeping them going. “That’s how we’re in business

Komatsu, parent company of TimberPro, came on board Woodie Enterprises in 2012.

Barko’s rubber-tire feller-bunchers are rigged with 24 in. Quadco heads.

today,” he says. “We service what we sell, even if it’s used. We’ll put a warranty on it when it leaves for 30 to 90 days and cap that warranty for major components like engines, final drives, pumps, and other things. This gives customers security; when and if it goes down, we’ll be there to repair it.” Final drive and gearbox grease are drained and replaced with new, and other potential issues are addressed to ensure clients can leave and go straight to work.

Woodie’s shop has four mechanic bays and one wash bay with plans to add an additional mechanic bay to meet demand. All machines sold new include a 100-hour service plan for free, going by manufacturer recommendations and then some: doublechecking gear boxes, turn tables and torque bolts as needed to reduce the risk of many potential issues in the future. Woodie learned early in business it’s better to pre-deliver machines to limit problems. At the

100-hour tune-up, he listens to clients and tailors the machine to their liking. “After they run it for 100 hours, they’ll either like it or know what they would like to have tweaked to make it work best for their application,” he says. “We can slow them down or speed things up. They have in mind how they want the machine to run so we make it friendlier to the operator, personalizing it to their liking so it can perform the best.” Ray Anderson, manager and shop

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“The Cadillac of Christmas Trees” Equipment isn’t the only thing John Woodie sells, nor is it his only connection to forest products. In 1977 he started a Christmas tree farm 65 miles north of Statesville on a 300-acre family farm in Sparta, situated along the Alleghany Mountain range. The crown of the mountain is almost 3,000 ft. in elevation. The higher you go, Woodie points out, the fewer bugs you have to worry about. That makes it ideally suited for

foreman, oversees the parts and service department and has been with JWE for 30 years. He offers the great twin assets of knowledge and experience, Woodie says. Parts manager Keith Wilson works alongside Phil Plyler to secure orders for customers in a timely manner. With service technicians, JWE enjoys a low turnover rate. “Once

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we get them, we keep them,” Woodie says. “We don’t flip-flop in our shop and we give them reasons to stay. We make sure they know they’re part of a team and everyone’s job is important.” JWE give customers three options: as is, full-service prices or full-service warranty with new rubber if needed. Full service war-

growing healthy Fraser fir trees. “This is the Cadillac of Christmas trees,” Woodie says of the species. “They have the most aroma, longer needle retention, and there’s nearly two million trees coming out of this area alone.” Fraser firs are ready for harvest on 7-8-year cycles. Woodie and his wife Patricia sell the ChristSLT mas trees to mom-and-pop stores and families in retail markets.

ranties are serviced and delivered ready for work. JWE also offers on-site service. “I’ll send a runner with additional parts to have our clients repaired and up and running,” Woodie says. “If it happens in the afternoon I’ll put techs in a hotel and have him on the jobsite at 7 a.m. the next morning when available.”

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Markets Not surprisingly with everything going on this year, machinery sales slowed in the spring of 2020. Woodie notes that in March and April, JWE didn’t break even. Since then, however, things improved to such an extent that now he says they’ve been on pace

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John Woodie, left, and assistant manager/shop foreman Ray Anderson.

for a record year. “Right now markets are so hot this could be the best year we’ve ever had, even though we started out poorly,” he says. “We had an excellent month in October that superseded everything and November’s numbers look good too.” All TimberPro machinery was preordered this year for clients to avoid trying to sell out of an empty basket, Woodie says. As of late November, JWE has sold about 20 new and used TimberPro machines this year. Contractors are using Denis Cimaf grinding heads on Woodie’s TimberPro track machines for usage in the woods and on right-of-way jobs for the Department of Trans-

portation. This has led to an influx of sales for 2020. TimberPro can deliver 5,000 lbs. of pressure and 75 gallons of oil to make the grinding head spin at 3,000 RPM. Sales staff includes Luke Parlier, whose territory stretches from Charleston to the Virginia line, east of the I-95 corridor. Tony Holland is the western salesman, along I-77 west through the Carolinas. Rye Fraley oversees the area from I-95 in South Carolina to I-40 in North Carolina and east of I-77, as well as internet sales. Joan Penn maintains contacts both locally and throughout the United States with new and used product sales. In the past, JWE has sold a mix of forestry and construction equip-

Service is the backbone of JWE: every machine goes through the shop.

TimberPro’s track machines come with double or triple grouser pads, up to client preference.

ment to customers in 36 different countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Chili, Africa, Russia and

Uruguay. Domestically, Woodie has sold equipment in states as far away SLT as Hawaii.

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Family Dynamic ■ The McManus/McAllister family is the 23rd Timber Harvesting Logging Business of the Year.

McManus is the first Louisiana logger to be named as the Logging Business of the Year by Timber Harvesting magazine, a companion periodical to Southern Loggin' Times. Timber Harvesting, another Hatton-Brown publication, has selected an honoree every year since 1998.

By Jessica Johnson WINNFIELD, La. ★ t was 1983 when husband-wife team Tony and Liz McManus borrowed $35,000 to start a logging job with Tony’s father and one employee, Robert Nichols, who ran a chain saw. Fast forward 37 years: Tony McManus, now 62, counts Nichols’ son among his closest friends. That’s the kind of guy Tony is. He doesn’t see employees; he sees family. That perspective, he admits, is at least in part attributable to the fact that in those early days, it was just the few of them. Getting started, he and Liz really had to depend on each other. “I am so thankful to her,” he says fondly. As McManus Timber grew, those employees became the McManus Timber family. The couple’s youngest daughter, Toni McManus McAllister, 35, is known throughout their Louisiana community as “Little Toni.” When Little Toni began working for her father as a child, and then working alongside her mother during college, she knew she would make her career in the timber industry. After her husband, Josh McAllister, 36, left oilfield/pipeline work for the woods, the second generation of the combined McManus/McAllister family became

as deep rooted as the timber they cut. The company continued to grow when Jeremiah Womack, a McManus nephew, sold his contract truck to McManus Timber and joined the company to run a second crew. The family affectionately refers to Womack and McAllister as “the redheads” for their strawberry hair. Without the redheads, the family business that now employs 30 and produces an average of 300 loads per week wouldn’t be nearly what it is. “That’s why my family means so much to this business,” Tony offers sincerely. “They’ve been an integral part for several years now. I am so glad that they are here. As my wife and I age, we’re looking to lessen

our stress level and pass a lot of that onto the children, and that’s what we’ve done.”

Growth Liz, 60, began working for her family’s grocery store when she was 11, so she knew how to handle the bookwork and how to keep their heads on straight financially even as they grew into one of the strongest logging companies in Louisiana. Without Liz, Tony has little doubt the company might not have made it. “I’m really stern about the checkbook,” she admits with a laugh. Absent her strict accounting, Tony says the company wouldn’t have enjoyed

Josh and Toni McAllister, left; Liz and Tony McManus, right

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such steady growth for nearly four decades. Toni never forgets that that steady growth means the business doesn’t provide only for the McManus/McAllister family, which includes her and Josh’s son, Landry, 8. With three crews and 11 log hauling trucks, McManus Timber also supports about 30 other families as well. Most employees are long-term. The trucking foreman, Brent Weatherford, has been with the company 25 years, and the cutter operator on Josh’s crew has been here 37 years. Toni says that all the moving parts work because it is a combined effort. “For everything to work right with McManus Timber Co., I am more concerned about my families and taking care of them and them being happy on the jobs, being appreciated and respected,” Toni explains. “Josh is straightforward: this is how the job works. My dad brings another element. It’s a perfect balance.” While some might balk at the idea of working with their parents every day, Toni never takes for granted the time they have together. Both she and her mother readily admit they are very much alike—and can both be a little hotheaded. “Me and my dad work well together,” she says. “Part of my job is reading his mind; that works out well, too.” For her husband’s part, working

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Several McManus crews use John Deere cutters.

The family has enjoyed an especially good relationship with Caterpillar and Louisiana Cat.

Josh McAllister, left, and right-hand man Jason Blundell

with his father-in-law wasn’t exactly what Josh had envisioned for himself. He describes himself as very ambitious. But working with Tony, Josh admits he learned more about business, about finances and about hard work in a single year than he did in four years of college. He’s never lost the ambition of his youth, but its focus shifted. “I was always wanting to have my own name brand. But he’s such a well-respected person in our community. I always envisioned McAllister Timber, but it’s really a badge of honor to carry on McManus Timber.”

Involved Seeing how the business affects their town has changed the way Josh has viewed his father-in-law, and the impact he’s had. Both McManus and McAllister feel responsible to help better their community. This starts in the private sector with the timber company, and that bleeds into their involvement in industry activism. The McManus patriarch himself set the tone for the family in the winter of 1993 when he joined other loggers in their community to start the Louisiana Loggers Self-

McManus and McAllister with TH award

Insured Fund, initially over concerns about workers’ comp rates. The Self-Insured Fund has loggers pay their own coverages and each year provides any unspent funds as dividend checks to each member. The group also created the Louisiana Loggers Assn., originally as the umbrella for the Self-Insured Fund. Five years ago, after family friend and fellow Winnfield logger Jack McFarland got elected to Louisiana’s state legislature, Josh (who at the time was serving on the Board of the Louisiana Loggers Council, an offshoot of the Louisiana Forestry Assn.) started going with Tony to Baton Rouge to advocate for prologger laws. Tony says the decision to go to the Capitol was an easy one once McFarland got elected. “We began helping with issues he had, supporting him, because he was going to support us. As things continued we realized there was another crisis that was going to push loggers to stay together. And you really do have to have a crisis to make a group of logging contractors become interested enough that they’ll show up.” McFarland, McManus and McAllister brought a voice that had been desperately needed around the Capi-

Tony's uncle Jerry Scroggins, left, takes care of the farm.

McManus with nephew Jeremiah Womack

tol: that of the working Josh to their group. man, and specifically the If the LLA was going to logger. This time, Josh really advocate for laws stepped up to be the helpthat benefit the largest ag er, with full support of his crop in the state (Louisiana father-in-law. In January timber taxes annually are 2019, Josh resigned from $925 million), it would the LLC and called a need a full-time executive meeting of his own—no director. To fill that posiassociation or umbrella tion, they’d need to find Trucking foreman organization, just a logger Brent Weatherford someone who knew the who wanted to talk about industry, had the heart for the crisis of trucking insurance. And its people and had gumption by the 45 loggers showed up. His goal was mile. Josh found her sitting right next to start a Political Action Committee to him at the dinner table every night: (PAC) that could campaign for and Toni McManus McAllister. donate to the races of politicians who “From there, we took off,” Josh would help further bills that would says. “We expanded from six to 17 actually help the logging industry. right now, plus an advisory board “The working man has been missing with older loggers and those who for a long time,” Josh’s wife Toni have been around the industry. The says. “There’s been a disconnect unity of the loggers was why we between lobbyists and the candiwere able to get something done. dates/legislators. Someone can tell We’ve never had that before.” our story, but loggers tell their own Toni says the 2019 legislative sesstory much better.” sion was one of the busiest times of At that first meeting, and in the her life, but her advocacy helped pass days following, the LLA Board told four pieces of legislation that directly Josh to use the association for this affect the industry. “Loggers go out to critical work in Louisiana. The the woods and do their thing, but Board members (Andrew Tant, we’ve been on the chopping block for Spencer Gaar, Allen Lang, Darryl so long, and because we’ve not been Franks and Adrian James) added at the table, we’ve been eaten alive at

Dion Oglesby, left, and Jason Williams, right

Tony McManus, a long time ago...

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From left: David Morris, Jerry Sepulvado, Terry Avant

the table,” she believes. “Now we’re holding a lot of representatives accountable, because their constituents are loggers. It’s 15 million acres; it’s 50% of Louisiana.” Tony is Vice Chair at the Louisiana Loggers Self-Insured Fund, while Josh is President of the PAC (political action committee) at the LLA. In late September, Josh was also elected to serve as secretary/treasurer for the next two years on the Board of Directors of the American Loggers Council. The family’s commitment to service extends now also into the public sector, as Josh has been elected to serve as the Police Jury President for Winn Parish. Tony says once the younger man decided to step into that arena, he had the family’s full support. “Years ago when Josh was just beginning to get into politics, I encouraged him to make the best civil servant he could

Billy Barton has been with the crew the longest—37 years

because I knew the kind of time that would be involved. Be the best juryman he could possibly be and McManus Timber Co. would pick up the slack. We’ve got men that can carry on and will do so. We don’t have to worry; the jobs are going to go right along.” Still, Josh adds, with as many moving parts as this company has, there’s always something that needs attention. No matter the other commitments, the McManus-McAllister family focuses on their family first. Taking care of the timber company is a number one priority. “We’ve always worked together,” Liz agrees. “We’ve survived when others haven’t. We learned to manage and save and only get our needs. What we’ve accomplished, we learned from experience. When we made mistakes, we tried not to make them a second time. It’s just a cumulative

Left to right: Jeremiah Womack, Jeremy Lashley, Levi Womack, Tony McManus, Bobby Toler, Greg Williams, Trent Parker and Lonnie Raybun

effort.” That cumulative effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. McManus Timber Co. has enjoyed longstanding relationships with mills, other timber companies and equipment dealers for decades.

Crews The two large crews contract cut for Weyerhaeuser, working with a harvest manager to develop cutting plans typically a year out so the best ground can be saved for the winter, which is typically wetter. McAllister likes to have the crews on clear-cuts to maximize production, usually on tracts of 150-250 acres. Toni, whose primary job with the company is to process tickets and payroll, says with the two big crews structured the same, with similar equipment, working similar tracts, it is easy to see they are doing all they

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can do every day—each producing within a load of the other most days. “They’re all great operators and get the maximum production in a safe manner.” They started the third crew in 2019 to handle smaller projects for a TIMO for which the family had previously worked. “They were short production in 2019 and asked us if we had the ability or desire to help them out and we saw an opening,” McAllister says. Thanks to moving the larger crews to tracts closer to existing markets the company had some spare trucking power and just had to come up with some machines and men. Timber from all three crews is marketed across Louisiana, sometimes up to 100 miles, but more often within 40 miles. Largest log markets are Weyerhaeuser in Dodson, West Fraser in Joyce and Winn Lumber, with LaSalle Lumber in Olla as a

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new market; plywood goes to either Boise in Oakdale or Hunt in Pollock. Hardwood heads to International Paper in Standard, Hanna in Winnfield or WestRock in Hodge. Depending on mill turnaround times, trucks shoot for five loads a day on what McManus calls a buddy system. Ensuring that no one is operating alone, trucks drive at times together, everyone working in a roundabout in 12-hour shifts. Each cab is outfitted with Verizon Fleetmatics GPS and road facing

dash cams, and each trailer with Vulcan onboard scales. “We’re literally hauling almost 24/7,” McManus says; 5:00 p.m. to midnight is their only dead time. Mack, Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks pull Pitts, FMI, Magnolia, Load King and Bear trailers. The crews use a mix of equipment: John Deere (843L cutters, 750J dozers), Tigercat (T240 loader), and especially Cat/Prentice (559 and 2418 loaders, 535 and 545 skidders, 563 cutter and D6 dozer). “All the major

brands of equipment are good, but the service on whichever brand you chose is critical,” Josh says. “We’ve had really great service with Caterpillar.”

Iron Care While Liz must first approve all equipment purchases, the McManuses typically value input from the operators when it comes time to purchase a new machine. “The people that run the equipment, whatev-

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er they want kind of goes,” Tony says. “We do buy a lot of Cat stuff; we have a good relationship with them. Trucks are mostly Kenworth.” Since the fleet is mostly Caterpillar and John Deere, with eight loaders, eight ground saws, six skidders, three feller-bunchers, and three dozers, the company uses Louisiana Cat and Doggett Machinery, respectively, as their dealers. Any major work goes to the dealers, but for typical service, McManus tries to handle as much as possible inhouse. James Leyda, an outside mechanic based in Atlanta, La., handles truck maintenance. Bear Manufacturing handles all trailer work. The company has its own fuel plant in Joyce to handle all off-road and over-the-road needs. BITCO provides commercial liability insurance, while workers’ comp is obviously handled through the Self-Insured Fund. McManus says during his almost 40 years of logging, one of the biggest changes to the industry has been the advances in equipment. “One man and one machine can do so much more in a day’s time than they used to be able to do,” he points out. “Machines have doubled in size; what a man used to do in a day’s time can be doubled or tripled on today’s logging job.” But coupled with the inwoods advancements have been lag times at the mills. With half the loggers doing twice the production as before, wait times are long; McManus says he thinks part of the reason is that extra production. Perhaps the most obvious change, he says, has been the doubling and tripling of costs. In spite of everything, McManus still loves what the industry has done for him and his family; especially now as the middle of the night phone calls fall to his daughter and son-in-law, not him and his wife. Looking at the legacy Tony and Liz are leaving Josh and Toni, and possibly even their grandson Landry, Tony says, “In the beginning you’re hopeful, and sometimes doubts arise that they’ll ever be able to carry on, but then as time goes by and you see that they make wiser decisions than bad ones, your confidence starts going up. They will be able to carry on without missing a beat. It gives me a sense of pride and comfort. If the company continues and Landry wants to be part of it, he can do it. That makes me happy.” Liz adds that as long as Toni and Josh, Jeremiah, and Josh’s right-hand man Jason Blundell, are on duty, then she has no doubt the company will be fine. “God SLT has blessed us 100%.”

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A Mom’s Letter To Santa I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold 62 cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground, and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s Girl Scout sash with staples and a glue gun. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find any more free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. And please don’t forget the Playdoh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet, making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don’t mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn’t look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice cream in his pajamas at midnight.

Christmas Truce World War I was a dark time for humanity. It’s estimated that between 17 to 40 million people died, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history (surpassed only by World War II). But amid the bloody horrors of war, there was yet an inspiring glimpse of human fraternity and kindness on the Christmas of 1914. When hostilities were at their lowest, soldiers across the front managed to find in them the dignity to stop the fight and come together through common ground. The story goes that while British and German troops were in the trenches of France, some soldiers started singing carols on Christmas Eve, and the other side reciprocated. German troops walked across the battlefield the morning after, shouting “Merry Christmas!” in English. The British received them and both sides exchanged cigarettes and souvenirs. Some even got together to play a friendly football match!

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Reindeer Truth According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year. Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa’s reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should have known...only females would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost!

Hatbox Baby It was a normal Christmas Eve in 1931 when Ed and Julia Stewart’s car broke down as they were driving home. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, seven miles west of Superior, Arizona, Ed tried to figure out what the problem was, while Julia wandered beside the road. There she came upon a hatbox. Sensing something was out of place, she called Ed over and they found a baby inside. The newborn girl seemed in good health. The couple managed to fix the car and took the baby to the authorities, who eventually put her up for adoption. In the end, it was another couple, the Elliots, who adopted the girl, known by the media as “the hatbox baby.” Faith, the adoptive mother, named her Sharon. The baby grew up to live a happy, healthy, and successful life.

Two Lives Restored The evening of December 24, 2009, promised to be extra special for Mike and Tracy Hermanstorfer. Not only was it Christmas Eve, but, more importantly, they were about to have a baby. During labor, however, Tracy’s heart suddenly stopped beating and she stopped breathing. The doctors were forced to react quickly, as they had little time to save the baby. They immediately performed an emergency Csection, but the baby exhibited all the wrong signs. He was limp, and his pulse and heartbeat were extremely weak. As the child remained unresponsive, another team attempted to resuscitate Tracy, who lay motionless on the hospital bed. But suddenly, as unexplainably as it had stopped minutes earlier, her heart started beating again. And as her life rekindled, so too did the baby’s strength. His skin flushed with color and he started crying. Two lives, having almost gone through to the other side, amazingly came back. To this day, no one can explain exactly what happened. Tracy was healthy and had no family history of heart disease. Her recovery, and that of the infant, was as mysterious as her ailment. Whatever the answer ultimately is, that intense Christmas night will surely remind the couple that life is fragile but also wonderful and full of surprises. Southern Loggin’ Times

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FROM THE BACKWOODS PEW

The Lord’s Logger Let’s talk about loggers. Are they hardworking? Absolutely! Must they be creative? Without a doubt, every tract, every change in the Antill weather, every shift in mill needs, demand that the logger be able and ready to adapt. The mentality needed to be a successful logger has not changed for hundreds of years. Hit the woods early, work until dark, go home and work on the ax/saw/machines/trucks until it is time to hit the woods again. It often seems like an endless cycle, but a logger sees each day as a new challenge. The daily challenge is to get the trees cut and loaded on the truck. Next, he must get the truck to the highway and then to the mill. Everything seems to go against their wishes each step along the way. The overnight rain that pleases the farmer causes a few more gray hairs on the head of the logger. Wet woods, soggy roads, truck issues, and mill closures always come just when the operation is humming along. With so much that can go wrong, and so much that seems to go wrong, why does anyone stay in this trade? Why would anyone want to cut down a tree in the first place? Perhaps we should look to the Scriptures for that one. Yep, logging is a time-honored trade, found in the pages of Holy Writ. Surprised? Shocked? Let me explain. Go to any society in the world, particular-

ly if you went to them for the first time, (i.e. as an explorer) and you would find they all have a religious system. Why is this true? Romans 1:19-20 explains that we were all created with the knowledge of God, an understanding that He exists, and of His expectations. But something happened to our vision of God. It became polluted. We chaffed at the idea of being accountable to an allknowing God, and decided to change the rules. Verses 21-23 explain that we decided to worship the created instead of the Creator. Here is where the trees came into play. Folks began to call trees by names, and bow down to them and talk to them. And if someone had a good day trading at the market, when he passed an oak tree, he would say a prayer to it in thanks. Sound crazy? No, it sounds sad. In Old Testament times these “god trees” were usually found in small clumps called “groves.” These groves were the family church so-tospeak. The nation of Israel had ignored God for a long time and had begun worshipping idols. God allowed an enemy to come in and abuse them. But God had a plan to bring them relief, so he called on a fellow named Gideon, and a logger was born. It began under an oak tree, where according to Judges 6 an angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon and called upon him to lead the people of Israel back to God. In true logger fashion, Gideon was at first a little skeptical of the calling. He pointed out to the Lord that he was

poor (verse 15), which is the first requirement for being a logger. A logger will always end up poor, so it is best to start out that way, or so every logger tells every forester as they sign a cutting contract. But the real logging issue comes when Gideon is given the task of logging a grove (verse 25). Yes, he is told to go and cut down the images his father was worshipping, and make a fire out of the wood (verses 26 and 27). Gideon takes a young bull (that’s his skidder) and goes to cutting. Perhaps Gideon’s daddy summed it up best. When the local folks were in an uproar over the “logging” of their gods, he responded with a rather astute observation in verse 31b: “…if he (the tree) is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” Time to get personal, that is why you are reading this. Have any idols in your life? Is there something that towers over you, demanding your worship? Like it or not, you and I are beings who were created to worship, and that is what we will do. We will find something to serve, make no mistake about it. Sex, money, work, status, and fame are always on the top ten lists of modern idols. Leisure activities such as fishing, hunting, and sports are right up there also. We create our own “gods,” for the same reason, and so did the Israelites. We do not want to be accountable to a righteous God. It would be great if we could say “groves” are only found in pagan countries; and that good ole churchattending folks are off the hook, but that is not the case. Many a church-

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goer has no concept of the God who created this universe we live in. They have cut and pasted their own version of a god, one that will wink at their little sins and not show disapproval of their vices. All they have is a “tree,” something incapable of thought or communication. A tree is cold and unresponsive to your needs. It cannot give you comfort when you stand at the grave of a friend, nor can it encourage you when you receive that call in the middle of the night. No, a tree can do nothing. Gideon’s father had it right. A god incapable of action is no god, and in his case, it was a stump. Is it time to do a little logging in your life? The process will take hard work, dawn to dusk. Keep your saw sharp. Anything that stands between you and God has got to come down. Remember that every day on the logging job has its trials. Your resolve will falter, pressures will mount, and mud will be everywhere; but loggers are tough. Instead of going out on the town, stay at home with the family. Instead of reaching for a “cold one,” make a milk-shake with the kids. Turn off the TV and read about Gideon. Find out who this Creator is and about the wonderful life He has for you; and stop hugging the trees!! Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. —Psalm 25:5 Excerpted from Bibles, Beavers, and Big Timber Brad Antill, author; find it at www.onatreeforestry.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP is fine by them. That is not why As We See It: Doing The Right Thing that they did it. Nobody asked them to By Kevin Smith Having grown up around loggers and worked in several different industries, I can undoubtedly say that the logging community is like no other. Smith The culture in which logging is rooted has remained the same even when everything else in the world has seemingly changed. It is a unpretentious culture of perseverance, hard work, and community. This year has been particularly challenging. Covid-19 has had a significant impact on loggers’ profitability across the country. In Louisiana, it is estimated that production has dropped more than 30% from the beginning of March. Most logging companies are small, family-owned, and operate with high operational costs and low margins. A few months of diminished production has serious effects on their solvency. As if Covid-19 did not cause enough financial ruin, back-to-back hurricanes ripped through Louisiana.

Hurricanes Laura and Delta brought violent winds that wreaked havoc like we have never seen before. The total economic loss to the Louisiana timber industry because of the hurricanes exceeds well over $1 billion. In Winnfield, La., where handshakes still mean something and so does taking care of your community, you find folks like the McManus Logging family, out using their own equipment and resources to clear the roads and debris from houses, even before the utility workers could respond. “The damage was immeasurable. Trees decimated our infrastructure. Loggers were working 15+ hour days in 100+ temperatures. The national guard and linemen did a tremendous job, but when it came to major stuff, they left it to the skilled cutters. I am so proud to be from the logging community in times like these,” said Toni McManus McAllister, McManus Logging. Loggers will never get the same recognition as the utility workers and

help, they just did what they do— because that is who they are. Now as we watch the wildfires incinerate the West, we see the same response. Loggers are using their own assets to fight fires in forests that they were not even allowed to help manage. This genuine eagerness to selflessly help others seems to be a common occurrence with loggers, no matter the geography. Loggers embody the fabric of what it means to be a community. To be an American. To just simply be a good human being. American Loggers Council is an 501(c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters throughout the United States. For more information please contact the American Loggers Council at 409-6250206, or americanlogger@aol.com, or visit our website at www.amloggers.com.

West Fraser Purchases Norbord For $3 Billion West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. is acquiring all of the outstanding common shares of Norbord, the world’s

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largest oriented strandboard producer, for $3.1 billion (U.S.) Following closing, the combined company will operate as West Fraser. “Norbord’s OSB production is a perfect complement to the West Fraser portfolio, enabling us to deliver a wider range of wood products, and making us a more complete, efficient and valuable partner for our customers,” says Raymond Ferris, President and CEO of West Fraser. Norbord operates 17 plant locations in the United States, Europe and Canada, encompassing 15 OSB mills, one MDF plant, two particleboard facilities and a furniture plant. West Fraser operates 34 sawmills in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Southern U.S., as well as three plywood operations and two MDF facilities in Western Canada. West Fraser will continue to be led by Ferris as CEO and Chris Virostek as Chief Financial Officer. Peter Wijnbergen, President and CEO of Norbord, will be appointed President, Engineered Wood, responsible for the company’s OSB, plywood, particleboard, MDF and

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veneer operations. Sean McLaren, currently West Fraser’s Vice-President, U.S. Lumber, will be appointed President, Solid Wood, responsible for all of the company’s lumber operations.

Jasper Lumber Teams With Tolko Industries Tolko Industries (U.S.) Ltd. and Jasper Lumber Co. announced a 50-50 joint-venture partnership in Jasper’s existing southern yellow pine sawmill, shavings, chipping and trucking operations in Jasper, Ala., with plans to expand lumber production. The collaboration will be known as Jasper Forest Products LLC, A Jasper-Tolko Partnership. “This joint venture project is an important part of our company growth and we’re excited to be investing in this mill with Jasper Lumber,” says Tolko CEO Brad Thorlakson. “This is our third U.S. lumber partnership and supports our product and geographic diversification.” “We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Tolko,” adds Jasper Lumber Chief Operating Officer Roy Beall. “Tolko has a proven track record in our industry and a long family history in the lumber manufacturing business. We look forward to working with Tolko, our valued customers, and the state and local economic development community as we create jobs and expand capacity from our current 70MMBF to approximately 200MMBF (annually).”

Barge Access Grant Paves Way For Enviva

(ADEM) for a facility expected to be located at the Port of Epes Industrial Park. The plant’s planned permitted capacity is expected to be 1,150,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year. The plant would initially be constructed to produce 700,000 metric tons per year, with the possibility to expand in the future to reach full production capacity of 1,150,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year. The sustainably sourced wood pellets from the Epes plant are expected to be transported by barge via the Tennessee-Tombigbee River to Enviva’s planned deepwater marine terminal to be located in Pascagoula, Miss., where they would be exported to Europe and Asia. The plant would principally utilize a mix of softwood and mill residuals sourced from areas within approximately 75 miles of the plant. The rich fiber basket and supply in Alabama, along with favorable transport logistics and a great local workforce, are what makes this project sustainable and attractive to Enviva. The EDA funding goes to one of Alabama’s 158 Opportunity Zones. Created by President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones are spurring economic development in economically distressed communities nationwide.

Year award during the organization’s virtual annual conference held in late October at their headquarters in Lufkin, Texas. “Deaven has been an active member of TFA, serving in leadership roles for Texas Logging Council and serving on the TFA Board of Directors,” says Rob Hughes, Executive Director, Texas Forestry Assn. “His leadership and experience were crucial during this time and we are grateful for his service.” Futral started his logging career at 15 when he worked for a local company in Montgomery, Texas. He bought his first equipment in 1996 and contracted with E. P. Frazer, Inc. Today, Futral operates a fiveman crew, running three trucks and

contracting a fourth one. Southern Logging, LLC, is an independent company buying private timber from landowners and consulting foresters.

WV Students Gain Tree Falling Skills Training with professionals, students in the Glenville State College (GSC) Dept. of Land Resources timber harvesting course recently participated in the West Virginia Division of Forestry’s (WVDOF) Timber Felling and Chainsaw Safety Workshop on the GSC Farm. Students learned the importance of personal protective equipment, timber

TFA Presents Logger Award To Futral Texas Forestry Assn. (TFA) presented Deaven Futral, owner and operator of Southern Logging, LLC, with the Outstanding Logger of the

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.7 million grant to the University of West Alabama, Livingston, Ala., to improve barge access at the Port of Epes Industrial Park. The EDA grant will be matched with $540,000 in local funds and is expected to create 85 jobs and generate $175 million in private investment. The grant complements a $175 million investment that industrial wood pellet producer Enviva is expected to make toward the construction of a wood pellet facility in Sumter County. Enviva states it is expected to make a final investment decision on the Epes project around the end of the year. Last December Enviva received approval for an air construction permit from the Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management Southern Loggin’ Times

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harvesting laws and regulations, how to obtain a timber harvesting license in the state of West Virginia, and OSHA regulations. The workshop, organized by Service Forester Jesse King, was led by Johnny King and Jack Spencer of the Div. of Forestry. Following a session on laws and regulations, the students began refining the skills they had already learned in their timber harvesting course, as well as learning new skills along the way. The hands-on training included practicing notches, boring into a tree, spring pole removal, tree topping and more. Johnny King demonstrated a safe tree felling, followed by a stump analysis to discuss proper felling technique.

Enviva, Finite Carbon Focus On Landowners Enviva, the world’s larger producer of industrial wood pellets, and Finite Carbon, a developer of forest carbon offsets, are teaming up to engage small forest landowners across the U.S. Southeast to voluntarily participate in global greenhouse gas emissions reduction pro-

grams. The partnership, leveraging Finite Carbon’s CORE Carbon online platform, is intended to help address climate change while generating new annual income for small landowners based on forest stewardship and extended rotations of mature bottomland hardwood forests. “Enviva’s partnership with Finite Carbon will deliver on the promise of continued forest growth and carbon sequestration across the U.S. Southeast by creating an additional incentive for small forest landowners to protect their forests, especially sensitive, bottomland hardwoods,” comments John Keppler, Chairman and CEO of Enviva. “This partnership will move our mission of fighting climate change and displacing coal forward by opening new avenues for forest owners with less than 5,000 acres to generate income from the growing carbon offset market by choosing not to harvest their timberlands right now, enabling them to be a critical participant in addressing the global climate crisis.” “CORE Carbon is a free, easy to use digital platform designed to incentivize sustainable land management decisions,” says Sean Car-

ney, President of Finite Carbon. “Our partnership with Enviva will make it easier for small forest landowners to enroll in the voluntary carbon offset market, access a new source of revenue, and protect some of the South’s cherished forests.” While CORE Carbon will be available to more than 1.5 million family and non-industrial forest owners in the U.S., this partnership will leverage Enviva’s focus on bottomland hardwood forests in the U.S. Southeast. The partnership will significantly increase the availability of global carbon offset programs to privately held forestland by leveraging Enviva’s well-established landowner network along with Finite Carbon’s CORE Carbon Platform, which utilizes remote sensing technologies to reduce the costs and barriers to market entry for smaller forest landowners with as little as 40 acres of forestland. The initial phase of CORE Carbon will focus on a deferred harvest methodology, co-authored with American Carbon Registry, focusing on high conservation value forests such as mature bottomland hardwood stands in the U.S. Southeast.

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Over the next decade, the program will seek to make sustainable forestry a more feasible proposition by opening the carbon offset market to over 1.5 million small forest landowners and generating $1 billion in carbon offset revenue for participating landowners.

Earthworm, Drax Working Together Earthworm Foundation and energy company Drax Group have launched a new evidence-based approach to measure and evaluate the health of a forest, enabling the forestry industry to identify opportunities to support communities, biodiversity and tackle climate change. The new tool, known as Healthy Forest Landscapes (HFL), will ensure that working forests continue to benefit the communities that depend on them, as well as the environment, amid increasing demand for sustainable wood products across a wide range of industries. By using HFL, the forestry industry will be able to more accurately identify opportunities for positive interventions which support healthy

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forests and help to drive improvements across the sector. The HFL approach assesses four key areas: forest cover, carbon stock, biodiversity and community wellbeing. Richard Peberdy, Head of Sustainable Forests at Drax, comments, “The HFL tool provides a consistent framework for evaluating different types of forests in different regions and countries. It gives us a clearer picture of forest health and allows us

to obtain the evidence that the forests we source from are replanted, continue to store carbon and remain biodiverse and healthy while sustaining jobs and other opportunities.” The HFL tool is important because it gives businesses like Drax the information needed to ensure its operations positively impact the forests where it sources its biomass. HFL does this by measuring changes in the forest landscape using empirical evidence such as big data from govern-

ment statistics, and input from remote sensing technologies, such as earth observation from satellites. HFL also uses an Earthworm-developed socioeconomic evaluation methodology to assess community well-being. Preliminary findings from the first pilot study at Drax’s Amite pellet plant in Gloster, Miss., in the southeastern U.S. show stable forest cover, carbon and biodiversity levels through the period 2010 to 2018, with a slight overall increase in total

forested area, a marginal increase in the proportion under planted pine and slight decrease in the proportion under broadleaf forest. Earthworm Foundation is sharing the HFL methodology and early results from this Drax pilot project with companies that rely on supplies from the forestry sector, such as the pulp and paper and biomass industries, aiming to increase adoption of the new approach.

Texas Assesses Hurricane Damage Following Hurricane Laura that made landfall just east of the Texas state line at Cameron, La. on August 27, the Texas A&M Forest Service conducted a timber damage assessment based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. Texas was fortunate that only a small portion of the state was affected as Laura moved northward and turned east as it ravaged north and west Louisiana. In Texas, approximately 210,000 acres in eastern Newton and Orange counties received timber, hardwood and softwood damage. In this area, state foresters estimated 2.8 million cubic feet of timber damage in roughly equal portions of hardwood and softwood. An additional 850,000 acres from Hardin County, extending through Jasper, Newton and into Sabine County, received light and scattered damage of softwood and hardwood timber, where foresters estimated up to 4.8 million cubic feet of softwood and 1.8 million cubic feet of hardwood timber were potentially damaged.

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Road Builders From Doosan

Doosan Infracore North America, LLC, extends its log loader product offering with two new road builders. The Doosan DX300LL-5 and DX380LL-5 road builders complement the current DX225LL-5 road builder in offering comfort, power and durability. The DX300LL-5 and DX380LL-5 road builders are designed for use in forestry and logging applications. Within the forestry industry, they are operated in access road development, timber harvesting, log loading and mill work. Due to the nature of work that the DX300LL-5 and DX380LL-5 perform, they offer exceptional power and operator comfort. Operators can stay comfortable in the enclosed excavator cab or optional forestry cab. A standard excavator cab simplifies machine transport due to its lower height. Extra cab guarding is available, further protecting the machine to reduce downtime. The road builders pair parts of Doosan log loaders and excavators for maximum efficiency and power. The models combine a log loader mainframe with an excavator boom and arm front configuration. Traditional excavator attachments are available to pair with the new road builders. Road builders and attachments can remove tree stumps and logs, and clear paths for access roads to the harvesting sites. Visit Doosan.com.

Portable Security Gates

of weather. With the solar option, the units can function day and night without the need for external power or charging. Currently used by the military, mining, oil and gas companies, construction firms, and numerous other entities, the safety gates have standard features that include a reflective arm and tower for night duty, adjustable levelers, security anchor points, high impact urethane coating, enclosed battery box with security chain loops and ultraheavy duty components. Battery Operated Barriers have numerous options like wheel kits, wired control, radio control, auto exit sensors, keypad/card. Visit batteryoperatedbarrier.com.

Maxam MS930 Logxtra A tire engineered to provide the efficiency and strength of the Logxtra series while providing exceptional value to every site, the Maxam MS930 is a formidable solution for the forestry industry thanks to a deep and wide tread that is reinforced with a steel breaker belt package for maximum strength. Manufactured with an extra-wide footprint that delivers exceptional flotation in muddy and wet ground conditions, the MS930 increases efficiency in all terrains, while a heavy-duty shoulder and sidewall integrate advanced compounding into the tire and enhance the overall features. To prevent common bead winding defects, the MS930 is manufactured with nylon-wrapped beads that outlast alternative options. Available now, the MS930 comes in a variety of ply ratings and sizes and delivers maximum performance and extreme traction at an exceptional value. Visit maxamtire.com.

John Deere TimberMatic Maps

American-made Battery Operated Barriers are designed to keep unauthorized vehicles out while easily letting logging vehicles pass. The portable gates are also used for security, staging, parking, during emergencies, and for numerous day-today applications as well. Built for harsh environments, the safety gates are 100% self-contained, instantly deployed, and can be used in any type

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Increasing job site visibility and visualization, John Deere expands its TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager software to seamlessly incorporate data from the Waratah H-16 Measuring System. With the new capability, the TimberMatic Maps system collects production data from harvesting heads equipped with the Waratah H-16 system, providing real-time production data of processed timber linked to location through the in-cab monitor and synched to the cloud-based TimberManager. Job site progress data is then accessible to off-site managers or employees

through a phone, tablet or computer using the TimberManager software. The software pairing is available for John Deere tracked harvesters or forestry swing machines equipped with harvesting heads using the Waratah H-16 Measuring System. Additionally, the TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager are included in-base on new machines ordered with a factory H-16 Measuring System. A retrofit option can be downloaded and installed at no additional charge on existing machines utilizing the H-16 system. Machines must be equipped with 4G MTG and an active JDLink Telematics subscription. Visit johndeere.com.

Waratah Loader Processor

Waratah Forestry Equipment offers a new model configuration of the HTH623C harvester head. The HTH623C loader processor (LP) features a wide delimb opening for increased productivity while its short tilt frame improves reach for higher deck piles, making it more maneuverable and ideal for tight spaces. One of the biggest differences from the HTH623C harvester head is the large delimb opening on the HTH623C LP, which allows for multiple logs. The maximum delimb opening on the new configuration is 37 in., which is 9 in. larger than the HTH623C’s opening. The new short tilt frame allows for better log control along with more flexibility working on high decks or sloped piles, and with the advantage of grabbing multiple logs, operators can clear the yarder chute or shovel more efficiently. The larger delimb opening can also manipulate larger single logs. This increased efficiency helps operators quickly clear the chute and load trucks. As a stand-alone option, the wide opening delimb arms can also help improve log deck picking. Visit waratah.com.

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JANUARY

2020 Editorial Index

Southern Stumpin’: Time Flies— a look back, and ahead. Page 6 Wright Stuff Charles A. Wright Logging, Blackridge, Virginia Wright brothers Vance and Alan split duties at their family company, Charles A. Wright Logging. Page 8 Simple Man Jamie Pruitt Logging, Jacksonville, Alabama

Jamie Pruitt has learned the secret to remaining content in all circumstances. Page 14 Historical Series: Prominent Place Century, Florida Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co. built a memorable town and highly reputable business in the Florida Panhandle. Page 22 Spotlight On: Tires, Tracks, Etc. Southern Loggin’ Times invited manufacturers of tires, tracks and chains to submit editorial. Page 45

FEBRUARY

Southern Stumpin’: 2020 Vision— (scarily accurate) predictions for 2020. Page 6 By God’s Grace Cunningham Wood Products, Spurger, Texas Tommy Cunningham is a man of faith who puts God first in all things, including in the woods. Page 8 Post-Michael The salvage effort has been as difficult as everybody expected. Page 14 Legacy Reid Logging Co., Inc., Georgiana, Alabama Reid Logging was Alabama’s 2019 Logger of the Year. Page 20

MARCH

Southern Stumpin’: Mail Call— answering a letter from a reader. Page 6 Fresh Wheels W.F. Mayerhoff & Sons Logging, Inc., Meridian, Mississippi Mayerhoff brothers Mark and Marshall follow in dad Bill’s footsteps at W.F. Mayerhoff & Sons Logging. Page 8 Hardworking Hardwooders Carpenter Bros. Logging, Peachland, North Carolina Mark Carpenter has worked the hardwood bottoms of North Carolina his whole life. Page 14 Then Again Teer Logging, Inc., Lufkin, Texas Brothers Craig and Joey Teer run Teer Logging, the company their parents started 47 years ago. Page 20 Silver Anniversary Louisiana Logging Council turns 25 years old in 2020. Page 30 Spotlight On: Chippers, Grinders Southern Loggin’ Times invited manufacturers of chippers, grinders and related components to submit material for this section. Page 32

APRIL

Southern Stumpin’: When It Rains…considering the early impact of coronavirus. Page 6 Good Ole Boys Raulston Land and Timber, Clarksville, Texas Raulston cousins Matt and Hobie joined forces to build a Texas-sized wood products business. Page 8 Right On Track Spring Timber Corp., Bogue Chitto, Mississippi Josh Spring has set his crew up to keep working when wet ground keeps others at home. Page 18 38

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MAY

Riding High Cedar Hill Services, LLC, Warren, Arkansas Cowboy Christian Jim McKinney increases efficiency with a new bogie skidder. Page 8 A Little Different Lang Logging, Atlanta, Louisiana Joseph Lang and his crew thin hardwood in the swampy bottoms of Louisiana. Page 14

Spotlight On: Felling, Processing, etc. SLT invited manufacturers of fellerbunchers and harvesters, saw heads, processors and related components, to submit material regarding what they have to offer. Page 30

John “Punch” Haney is a fighter with faith, making good use of his second chance. Page 8

All Jerry Johnson wanted was to have his own job, and seven years ago he made it happen. Page 20 Smooth Transition Georgia Cat dealer Yancey Bros. says Weiler is here to stay. Page 26

Southern Stumpin’: Relief In Sight?—a look at the proposed logger relief act. Page 6

Stepping Stones Tennessee Tree Cutters, LLC, Altamont, Tennessee Appalachian logger Shane Lusk was the TFA Logger of the Year 2019. Page 14

The Good Fight Haney Logging Co., Broomtown, Alabama

Making A Way J&J Logging, Watson, Oklahoma

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Southern Stumpin’: Center Stage—a look at logging in the limelight at the Republic National Convention. Page 6 ➤ 45

Wood Bio Expo Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta event looks at future of wood bioenergy. Page 18 Silver And Gold Ponsse North America marks its 25th anniversary, and Ponsse its 50th, in 2020. Page 20 Strange Days Coronavirus takes its toll on the wood products industry. Page 22

JUNE

Southern Stumpin’: Wipeout— toilet paper trivia. Page 6 Uphill Climb Robinson Logging, LLC, Parsons, West Virginia Bill Robinson and his crew harvest hardwood in steep upland terrain. Page 8 Seizing Opportunity Battles Forestry, Antlers, Oklahoma After decades working for others, Chuck Battles stepped out on his own in 2011. Page 12 Last Survivor Texas Timberjack, Lufkin, Texas Times change but Texas Timberjack continues to evolve, adapt and adjust to new market realities. Page 18

JULY

Southern Stumpin’: No Ordinary Logger—looking back at the life of late Alabama logger Bill Sanders. Page 6 A Better Life Bucky McGee Logging, Heavener, Oklahoma Using older machines, Bucky McGee chooses quality of life over quantity of production. Page 8 Power Couple J&L Trucking, LLC, Bartow, West Virginia Married couple James and Lucille Pennington work hard in the Cheat Mountain hardwoods. Page 14 Survey Says… Results are in from the 2020 TH Logging Business Outlook Survey. Page 24 Southern Loggin’ Times

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39 ➤ First Things First Central Mississippi Land and Timber, LLC, Philadelphia, Mississippi Humble man of faith Todd McKee has his priorities as properly aligned as his equipment. Page 8 South Arkansas Spitfire FJH Timber, Hope, Arkansas Jerry Rogers isn’t like the rest— and that’s just fine by him. Page 16 Work Ethic Channell Trucking, LLC, Huttonsville, West Virginia Hard working young logger John Channell is learning what it takes to get ahead. Page 22 Hell & High Water McMillan Logging, Bristol, Florida Steve McMillan has weathered storms but come rain or shine, he still loves what he does. Page 32

OCTOBER

Southern Stumpin’: VOTE!!— a pre-election plea to, well, vote. Page 6. Never Give In Gene Givens Logging, Sparkman, Arkansas The Givens family stands strong together, not giving up or backing down. Page 8

Island Time Steven Hunter Logging, Makanda, Illinois Illinois logger Steven Hunter works the Mississippi on the Missouri-Kentucky line. Page 18

Hands On Tony Hooper Sawmills, Inc., Toone, Tennessee Tennessee’s Hooper operation is growing despite changes in market demand. Page 16

Cleaning Up Cedar Eaters of Texas, Comfort, Texas The Hegener family offers mulching and land restoration services in and around Texas. Page 26

Spotlight On: Transportation SLT invited manufacturers/dealers of forestry transportation products/ services to submit information about their offerings. Page 20

Alternate Route Forestry Insurance Company of the SouthEast, Moncks Corner, South Carolina Logger-owned Forestry Ins. Co. of the SouthEast offers an alternative on trucking. Page 28

DECEMBER

Southern Stumpin’: End Quotes 2020—the 2020 edition of the annual collection of SLT’s best quotes of the year. Page 6 Smooth Operation CA Timber, Ailey, Georgia

Cody Alexander has built on a strong foundation while carving his own path. Page 8 Wheeling, Dealing John Woodie Enterprises, Inc., Statesville, North Carolina John Woodie learned early he’s more than a salesman, prioritizing service and relationships. Page 14 Family Dynamic McManus Timber, Winnfield, Louisiana The McManus/McAllister family was the Timber Harvesting Logging Business of the Year for 2020. Page 18

NOVEMBER

Southern Stumpin’: Storm Season— a look at Hurricane Laura in Louisiana and Michael in Florida. Page 6 Brotherhood Sanders Timber, Pinson, Alabama Marine vet Kirk Sanders specializes in CTL logging, and honors his late brother/partner Bill. Page 12

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A D L I N K ●

ADVERTISER

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PG. NO.

PHONE NO.

American Logger’s Council

409.625.0206

American Truck Parts

888.383.8884

Around The World Salvage

936.634.7210

Bandit Industries

800.952.0178

Big John Trailers

800.771.4140

BITCO Insurance

800.475.4477

Caterpillar Dealer Promotion

919.550.1201

Cleanfix North America

855.738.3267

John Deere Forestry

800.503.3373

Eastern Surplus

855.332.0500

Flint Equipment

229.888.1212

FMI Trailers

601.508.3333

Forest Chain

800.288.0887

Forest Pro

434.286.4157

Forestry First

803.708.0624

Forestry Mutual Insurance

800.849.7788

Foster Logging

912.290.1332

G & W Equipment

800.284.9032

G&R Manufactured Solutions

870.510.6580

Hawkins & Rawlinson

888.822.1173

Interstate Tire Service

864.947.9208

John Smith Jr Logging John Woodie Enterprises K&R Weigh Systems

843.893.7156

24-25,26

704.878.2941

800.910.2885

Kaufman Trailers

336.790.6800

Komatsu Forestry Division

888.285.7478

Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency

800.766.8349

LMI-Tennessee

800.467.0944

Loadrite Southern Star

256.270.8775

Magnolia Trailers

800.738.2123

Maxi-Load Scale Systems

877.265.1486

Moore Logging Supply

888.754.5613

Pitts Trailers

800.321.8073

Puckett Machinery

601.969.6000

Quality Equipment & Parts

386.754.6186

River Ridge Equipment

855.325.6465

Southern Loggers Cooperative

318.445.0750

Stribling Equipment

855.781.9408

Tidewater Equipment

40,42

912.638.7726

1,7

519.753.2000

Tigercat Industries TraxPlus

601.635.5543

W & W Truck & Tractor

800.845.6648

Waratah Forestry Attachments

770.692.0380

Waters International Trucks

601.693.4807

Yancey Brothers

800.282.1562

COMING EVENTS February 2021

July 2021

24-28—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.

25-27—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.

March 2021

August 2021

3-5—SLMA Spring Meeting, Hyatt Regency Savannah, Savannah, Ga. Call 504-443-4464; visit slma.org.

5-8—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va. Call 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org.

24-26—Forestry Assn. of South Carolina annual meeting, Myrtle Beach Marriott at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, SC. Call 803-7984170; visit scforestry.org.

April 2021 30-May 1—Mid-Atlantic LoggingBiomass-Landworks Expo, near Laurinburg, NC. Call 919-2719050; visit malblexpo.com.

May 2021 17-19—Forest Resources Assn. annual meeting, DoubleTree Nashville Downtown, Tenn. Call 202-296-3937; visit forest resources.org. 21-22—Expo Richmond 2021, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com.

southernloggintimes.com

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

11-13—Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpaexpo.com. 13-14—Southwest Forest Products Expo, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501-2242232; visit arkloggers.com. 24-26—Louisiana Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Resort, Lake Charles, La. Call 318-443-2558; visit laforestry.com.

September 2021 9-11—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, UP State Fairgrounds, Escanaba, Mich. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org. 17-18—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org. 17-18—Kentucky Wood Expo, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org. 29-October 1, 2021—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Grandover Resort & Conference Center, Greensboro, NC. Call 800231-7723; visit ncforestry.org.

October 2021 7-8—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Call 409-625-0206; visit amloggers.com.

March 2022 29-30—Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; visit bioenergyshow.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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DECEMBER 2020 ● Southern Loggin’ Times

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