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A Hatton-Brown Publication Co-Publisher David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan PUBLISHING OFFICE Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone (334) 834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525

Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers Browse, subscribe or renew: www.timberharvesting.com

Executive Editor David (DK) Knight Editor-in-Chief Rich Donnell Managing Editor Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor David Abbott Associate Editor Jessica Johnson Associate Editor Jay Donnell Art Director/Prod. Mgr. Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coord Patti Campbell Circulation Director Rhonda Thomas Online Content/Marketing Jacqlyn Kirkland ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES SOUTHERN USA Randy Reagor (904) 393-7968 • Fax: (334) 834-4525 E-mail: reagor@bellsouth.net

Vol. 67, No. 2: Issue 673

MARCH/APRIL 2019

OurCover A “hybrid” logging company that operates cutto-length equipment along with traditional drive-to falling and roadside processing, Dean Gordon Trucking works for West Fraser and also runs a large trucking operation that handles logs as well as other products. Begin reading on PAGE 10. (Jessica Johnson photo)

OurFeatures

MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons (905) 666-0258 • Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick (604) 910-1826 • Fax: (604) 264-1367 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca

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INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett +34 96 640 4165 • + 34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net

Building Business Slowly

22 Salvaging Disaster

Florida Loggers Find A Way

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Bridget DeVane 334-699-7837 bdevane7@hotmail.com Timber Harvesting & Forest Operations (ISSN 2154-2333) is published 6 times annually (January/February, March/ April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December issues are combined) by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104.

Subscriptions are free to U.S. logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; businesses involved in land grooming and/or land clearing, wood refuse grinding and right-ofway maintenance; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (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.timber harvesting.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Timber Harvesting & Forest Operations 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. HattonBrown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Timber Harvesting & Forest Operations. Copyright ® 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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MyTake JESSICA JOHNSON

Loggers React To Disaster In Florida: ‘Pray For The Best, Prepare For The Worst’ LYNN HAVEN, Fla. After seeing the devastation for myself, I don’t know where to start: I spent three and a half hours riding around the cities of Lynn Haven and Panama City, Fla. and fought tears in January—90 days after the storm. When I met with Hayes Morris, logger and owner of timber dealership Morris Forest Products based in Lynn Haven, Fla., he told me it was looking good compared to what it was like “post storm day seven” when he was finally able to get out and assess damage outside of his own street. That’s how he speaks of the days following October 10: “post storm day seven...post storm day two...post storm day 45.”

The storm came ashore at Mexico Beach, maintained strength and barreled right through the town, county and region Morris has known (and worked) his entire life, leaving a 40mile swath of destruction in its wake.

Morris says he doesn’t know of a single building that didn’t sustain some sort of damage. His father, who lives farther up from Morris’ home in Bay County in Jackson County closer to the Alabama line, had a barn in a pond on his property until mid-January

when Morris could get one of his excavators over to fish it out.

“A lot of people are just going to take the insurance settlement and walk away,” Morris explains. The cost of rebuilding and the lack of jobs in the area from those business that are now piles of debris as well will be insurmountable for many.

For every house still standing, there’s a vacant lot next door and a pile of debris that was someone’s home and belongings.

“People are just leaving and you can’t blame them,” Morris tells me, and I honestly agree. Michael ripped a path so vast that most of the homes are rendered uninhabitable. Insurance claims are slow to process and while everyone is dealing with their personal losses, businesses in the disaster zone are also trying to fight their way back.

I visited with a chain saw dealer— the only one in the area who is still

currently open as he was blessedly on the beach side of the storm and therefore basically untouched damage-wise—who explained that while he can’t keep saws in stock, he can also see where tree guys, loggers and landscape crews have been completely gutted by workers leaving.

The storm drastically disrupted everyday lives and the rhythms surrounding them: A shipment overnighted via any of the carriers is at best a crapshoot. The post office has a little trailer set up in its parking lot to help customers. Walgreens is dispensing medicine in the parking lot under a tent with a trailer. There are countless places like that. It’s all like that—still.

I asked Morris how long it took him to wrap his brain around everything.

His response? “Get back to me. I haven’t totally wrapped my brain around it. I was completely and utterly shell shocked for about three weeks.”

He says he thinks every day about how to deal with the community’s complete and total infrastructure collapse.

The sights in cities and towns are disarming, but the woods are downright Biblical. It is quite literally impossible to find a spot that doesn’t have a widow maker. Morris notes that there just aren’t enough people who can come and cut them all down.

His crews aren’t having trouble

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MyTake finding something to do. The difficulty is finding something that fits the product specifications the logger wants to pursue that has enough diameter to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, the bulk of juvenile timber in the area has all blown down and can’t be sorted.

And it will break when picked up.

Morris says he’s tried to take care of traditional customers, though in many cases he’s helping smaller, private landowners. “A little old lady in Jackson County with 80 acres, that’s all she has. That’s her retirement. So, we’ve been hopping from private to private,” he tells me with a little bit of pride in his voice.

Helping the smaller landowners is sort of like helping his neighbors. It is important to him and to the community. “I’m just trying to help those I can get to quickest. A lot of it is mobilization; I don’t want to spend a lot of time moving way over there, when I’ve got a landowner right here,” he adds.

The disaster is forcing many to take a

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hard look at their circumstances and futures and make some tough decisions.

“This guy that works for me who lost his house and has to rebuild, he needs a job—bad. Real bad,” Morris says.

Meanwhile, the same dynamics are taking place across other industries and businesses. “If (people) lose their jobs right now, a lot of them are going to pack up and leave,” Morris explains.

Long term, Morris thinks his crews will cut hardwood for some of the landowners in Jackson County because he can always haul hardwood to GP in Cedar Springs, Ga. and Brewton, Ala. and be out of the way. Morris believes that once the pine deteriorates he’ll go back to hardwood. He tells me he feels like the hardwood is going to last a lot longer than the pine.

He has a home in hardwood that many loggers don’t—but good hardwood tracts here are wet and won’t be a viable alternative for most loggers.

Morris believes people aren’t putting the focus on timber because it’s too difficult to do. With timber, the

money is okay in some cases, but it’s not as fast as going to a person with five acres of wood, debris and stumps and telling them, “Give me $10,000 and we’ll clear it for you with two employees and two machines.”

Morris is concerned about landowners replanting. He told me he wasn’t sure if more than 10% of the 1.9 million acres would be salvaged. Roughly 50% of those 1.9 million acres are completely devastated, and most are small landowners. If they don’t replant they are probably not going to clean it up, which will be a biomass nightmare in the short term that could create a biomass bonanza in 15-20 years.

Florida needs help in so many ways.

Morris would love to talk to anyone who thinks they might have an idea (good, bad or ugly) to keep this acreage from literally going up in smoke.

Please, reach out to him at morristimberco@comcast.net. And please, remember them in your prayers, the entire community is #850strong, but they TH still have a long way to go.

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NewsLines

WSRI Officially Ends 20-Year Run Of Wood Supply Chain Research Following 20 years of work and research in support of logger-mill relationships and increasing efficiencies throughout the wood supply chain, the Wood Supply Research Institute (WSRI) is being dissolved and its work archived by the Forest Research Assn. Formed in 1999 by the Southern Logging Coalition and Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, WSRI was an innovative project to all segments of the wood supply chain, seeking solutions to common problems. The organization is transferring its assets and some of its mission to FRA. According to an announcement from FRA, the transferred assets will be used to support outreach efforts to benefit the logging and log trucking industries and overall forest products supply chain.

In its 20 years, WSRI produced 26 documented research projects dating from 2001 to 2018. The organization sought to raise the caliber of dialog between wood suppliers and consumers, and identify opportunities for supply chain efficiency. As part of WSRI’s legacy, FRA has made a commitment to house WSRI’s research on the forest resources supply chain and agreed to make WSRI’s archives and completed research studies publicly available on its website for the use of improving the efficiency, stability, and business successes of the total wood supply system.

According to a report during the ALC annual meeting in October 2018, many logging advocates believe that while WSRI initially had the ears of key executives who could make decisions to implement changes due to WSRI research, over the years changes in timber and mill organizations had led to less implementation,

despite high quality research.

The group was a one-of-a-kind organization, fully independent with its own board, supported by logging associations, the American Loggers Council and timber and mill interests. In the interest of fairness, the group had revolving chairmanships of two years, alternating between logger advocates and mill-timber representatives.

Its first research project, Wood Truck Turn-Time Cost Penalties to the Wood Supply System, showing the costs to the whole supply chain of unreasonably long truck turnaround time at the mill, was perhaps its most far-reaching, as multiple mills implemented policies afterward to help reduce unloading wait times. Other research topics included fuel efficiency, logging capacity, double-shifting and integrating biomass operations.

Its final study, released May 2018, looked at the value created by “certified” logger programs.

Crad Jaynes, Executive Director of SC Timber Producers Assn. who was in attendance at the founding meeting in 1999 in Atlanta, and who served two terms as WSRI chairman, says he’s proud of the work the organization produced. “There was a lot of good research. It’s still available and of course we’d like to see more implementation.

It served a valid purpose to improve the whole wood supply chain, and I’m proud of the work that was done and the participation of all involved.”

Some of the other WSRI studies included Regional Cost Analysis for Conventional Timber Harvesting Operations; Factors that Affect Fuel Consumption and Harvesting Costs; Wood Supply Chain Analysis; Supplier-Con-

sumer Relations Study; An Analysis of Price Volatility for Wood Products Sold Under Supply Agreement Versus Wood Products Sold on the Open Market.

Well respected industry figures led the studies, including Tom Gallagher from Auburn University; Dale Greene from the University of Georgia; Don Taylor of Sustainable Resource Systems and numerous others.

Enviva Eyes Lucedale For Next Pellet Mill In early January George County and Jackson County in Mississippi each voted to approve incentive packages, which are contingent on Enviva making a final investment decision to proceed with building a wood pellet mill at Lucedale and a shipping terminal at Pascagoula, respectively.

The final investment decision may be contingent on approval of all necessary permits, according to a statement

by Enviva, which expects capacity to be consistent with Enviva’s other large-scale production plants.

“Although we are still proceeding through the permitting process and will shortly make a final investment decision, I can tell you that we are excited to build on our success in Mississippi by investing in new facilities in George and Jackson counties,” comments Enviva Chairman and CEO John Keppler, who notes that Enviva’s very first facility, a small plant in Amory, produced its one millionth ton of wood pellets in early January.

Enviva operates seven pellet mills with stated production capacity of 3.3 million metric tons and one is starting up this year in Hamlet, NC, which will add another 600,000 metric tons. On top of that, Enviva has announced it will increase production capacity by 400,000 metric tons between its plants in Northampton County, NC and Southampton County, Va.

Truck turnaround study was WSRI milestone.

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NewsLines BC Government Says Coast Needs Help To create and support jobs in British Columbia’s coastal forest sector, the government reports it is making policy changes to increase the processing of BC logs on the coast and directing wood waste to BC’s pulp and paper mills. The changes, as part of the Coast Forest Sector Revitalization Initiative, were announced by Premier John Horgan at the annual Truck Loggers Assn. (TLA) convention.

“We’re committed to rebuilding a strong and healthy coastal forest sector for British Columbians,” Horgan says.

“Through the forest policy reforms I’m announcing, we will see more logs and fiber processed in BC, supporting BC workers, their families and communities.” At the same time, BC says it will stem the tide of log exports.

The Coast Forest Sector Revitalization has five main goals: ● Rebuilding solid wood and secondary industries to ensure more BC logs and fiber are processed in BC.

● Improving harvest performance to ensure more fiber is available for domestic mills, including the pulp and paper sector. ● Maintaining a credible auction system by taking steps to ensure bids on timber sale licences are independently made. ● Fostering stronger business-to-business relationships between BC Timber Sales, major licensees and First Nations. ● Restoring public confidence through amendments to the Forest and Range Practices Act and auditing the private managed forest land regime.

The goals will be implemented through a series of legislative, regulatory and policy changes over the next two years. The policy reforms were developed after engaging with a broad cross-section of First Nations, industry and labor over the last six months. Engagement will continue over the next few months as some policy proposals are finalized.

New criteria for log exports from certain geographic areas, based on local

harvesting economics and subject to engagement and consultation with First Nations, will be developed.

Changes to waste policy will be designed to redirect some of the 2 million m3 of wood waste on the coast to pulp and paper producers and the bio-products/bioenergy sector.

However, an opposing viewpoint is that without access to log export markets, none of the multi-thousand people directly employed in the stewardship of BC’s coastal private managed forestland would be working today; and that there are plenty of logs available.

Georgia-Pacific Plans Port Hudson Closures Georgia-Pacific announced it is exiting the communication papers business. As a result, the company will permanently shut down the communication papers machines, related converting assets, as well as the wood yard, pulp mill and a significant portion of the energy complex at its Port Hudson, La. facility.

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Alberta Logger Stays Steady Dean Gordon successfully mixes cut-to-length, traditional machinery.

JESSICAJohnson

Gordon’s logging division is working a large tract for West Fraser while using primarily drive-to felling equipment with cut-to-length processing. A large trucking side keeps production moving at about 20 loads/day.

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EDSON, Alberta ean Gordon says he always knew he wanted to be a logger. While his father made his living as a highway contractor, after a bit of time driving a gravel truck, Gordon knew that kind of work wasn’t for him. Instead, he turned to what he calls “the bush,” cutting out blocks of timber in the forests of north-central and northern Alberta.

Like many in the industry, Gordon says the way of life for a logger suits him and after doing it for his entire adult life, it’s hard to get away from it. “I started with just one piece of equipment,” he remembers, “and went from there. I’ve been my own contractor from the beginning.” Getting his start in Fort Nelson, BC, and Hinton, AB, right on the edge of the foothills of the northern Rockies, where hand fallers and line skidders reign supreme, Gordon’s current mechanized set-up of his logging operation is quite a change.

There, the terrain is more of the mountainous conditions prevalent in nearby British Columbia and Washington state.

In Edson, where Gordon lives and has a shop, the terrain is more like the Southern U.S.—hilly in spots but mainly more prairie-like. Gordon is now entering his second year of a

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two-year harvesting contract with West Fraser and has been logging fairly close to home as of late. He says he’d like to keep it that way—acknowledging that of course the crew goes wherever West Fraser puts them. But staying close is more cost effective.

Dean Gordon Trucking Ltd. is a multi-faceted operation in Edson. There’s the logging division, as well as a trucking division, which includes the log trucks as well as an oil tanker truck, and a full-service shop with four full-time mechanics.

The shop not only services company in-woods equipment and trucks, but also other area contractors in all industries as well.

Logging Division The logging division of Gordon’s company includes one crew of his own as well as one contract crew—all working the same contract from West Fraser. In addition to the hired hands, and Gordon who often finds himself on the dozer doing road work, his youngest son Luke Gordon is in the woods full-time. “It’s been good working with my youngest son,” Gordon says of the 24 year-old spitfire who has been on the crew for six years. “He’s been the fun one to raise.”

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While Luke’s other brothers have gone on to different occupations, Luke has stayed with Dean Gordon Trucking, enjoying running the processor each day and filling in when needed doing feller-buncher work.

Luke’s 2011 John Deere 2154D with Waratah 622B head has over 27,000 hours on it, but thanks to a dedicated shop staff, Gordon says the rebuilt machine runs perfectly well. Luke agrees, saying there’s never been an issue with the quality of logs the machine produces; he does quality checks three times a day.

Luke acts as the eyes and ears of the operation for Gordon to an extent, but with the crew being only about 20 minutes outside of town Gordon himself is there daily. The crew has been together since the West Fraser contract started in 2017, and does fluctuate some—for example, one operator is a farmer from Manitoba who works for Gordon only in the winter months when he’s unable to farm in his home province—but all are veteran operators.

The lack of consistent operators is one of the reasons Gordon’s logging division has stayed relatively small. In Alberta, the prevalence of good oil and gas jobs makes it hard for logging contractors to retain a solid employee base. Gordon is fortunate for this contract that he has Luke and a few others, including the Manitoba farmer and two others who just come to work in Alberta and therefore live in a logging camp right in the woods. Living on site is an added bonus, Gordon says, that allows his crew to stay productive as well as combat theft.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times, Gordon estimates, but he’s had a lot of theft issues over the last few years.

“People come to work in the morning and the batteries are gone or fuel is all stolen; that’s why I like having guys stay out in the camp,” he explains.

Having the camp also gives Gordon an advantage when it comes to his weekly tailgate safety meetings—it’s usually fairly easy to get everyone together. Run through the Canadian Ministry of Forestry’s Partners in Injury Reduction program, Dean Gordon Trucking is certified via audits to ensure a safe work site.

Including the four company log truck drivers, Dean Gordon Trucking Ltd. employs 15, moving about 20 loads per day of pine and spruce mainly, with some aspen mixed in. All contracts in Alberta are clear-cuts, 12

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On site, crew was making four sorts of mostly pine and spruce, some aspen.

with retention patches designed for wildlife and other environmental considerations, Gordon explains. A typical size for him is about 35-45 hectares, though he’s done some smaller and some larger.

Though the government owns the land, and is fairly strict on regulations around safety and ground conditions, Gordon says he doesn’t feel like the rules limit his operation too much. In the winter, the ground conditions are ideal, everything freezes solid and it is basically like pavement. In the summer, too much rain makes for muddy conditions that halt the crew. Mud in the spring created by ice melting causes a break-up season that halts all crews. Though fortunately this last year Gordon says it was so dry the break-up season was very short.

“Once it freezes up it’s okay. We might lose the odd day for a snowstorm, but we don’t get the extreme weather anymore. When I was a young fellow logging in Fort Nelson, it would get down -40° for six to eight weeks at a time, and never got above that. It was a different time—guys were falling trees in that temperature, too,” Gordon remembers.

“The mills in Alberta have timber rights for certain amounts of square miles and that’s where we log,” Gordon says, noting that in the region, there are no private sales, because all timberland is owned by the government.

In-Woods Equipment The crew does cut-to-length harvesting using three processors, two log loaders, one skidder and one feller-buncher. The buncher cuts the trees, the skidder skids logs to the roadside.

At roadside, the processor processes logs into the correct length and diameter sorts, then the log loader comes in and loads the trucks. When asked why Gordon doesn’t make use of a forwarder, he says it just isn’t cost effective for the production he’s able to do with his current set-up. “It’s just an expensive way to log,” he adds.

While Gordon keeps one full-time buncher, he says his crew has enough work that what they really need is “one and a half bunchers.” That’s where Luke can fill in with a 2012 Tigercat 870 cutter to pick up the slack.

The crew produces four sorts, power poles, small logs with diameters 14 to 19 in.; medium sized with diameters from 19 to 24 in. and oversized logs with diameters of over 24 in. Gordon admits that his timber for this particular contract is a little better than average. Mostly he’s sorting 12, 14 and 16 in.

The crew works 12-hour days— 7:00 to 7:00 typically. As a rule, the crew doesn’t operate seven days a week, though Luke and a few others will work Saturdays and the help from out of town is always willing to work ➤ 14 on Sunday as well.

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12 ➤ Trucks start loading Monday through Friday at 4:30 a.m. As a “stump and dump” contractor for West Fraser, Gordon is very conscious of tickets. Assisted by Debbie Rose in his office, who handles all paperwork, Gordon uses the 3LOG LIMS computer system to track loads.

The full iron registry includes a 2019 John Deere 2564 G purpose built harvester with 623 Waratah head; two 2154 John Deere processors (one ’11 and one ’12) with Waratah 622B heads; a ’14 2454G John Deere log loader; a ’17 848L John Deere skidder, ’19 903M John Deere tracked harvester, and the ’12 Tigercat 870 feller-buncher. Chains for the rubber-tired equipment are supplied by Brandt Tractor. For support equipment, the crew also has an 850J John Deere dozer and Komatsu 220 backhoe.

The addition of the 2019 2564G was driven by a desire to boost productivity after seeing what the crew was capable of on this particular contract. “We just needed it for the extra volume,” Gordon adds.

He says he’s always mostly run

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John Deere equipment—driven by the support he gets from his dealer, Brandt Tractor in nearby Edmonton, AB. “They make a good machine,” Gordon says of John Deere. “And Brandt looks after me, if something goes wrong they will help me.”

At The Shop

Luke Gordon

Routine log truck maintenance is handled in the shop in Edson; routine equipment maintenance is done in the woods with the exception of major breakdowns that dictate a haul back to the shop. Gordon’s mechanics stick to John Deere’s prescribed hourly service benchmarks. Gordon has a shop van with generator, tools and common parts in the woods, as well as a 15,000-liter fuel tank.

The shop handles all work, minus things still under warranty, and purchases John Deere parts as needed.

“I’m pretty much straight John Deere pretty much always,” Gordon laughs.

The new models are Gordon’s first experience with JD Link, and he loves the addition: “If you’ve got the right employees you’re not worried about tracking them. But little things, like I can see how many hours a machine worked and how long it idled. That’s hours you’re putting on the machine when it should be off,” he says.

But the biggest difference he sees using JD Link is when problems arise.

Instead of the old method of having to send for a person to come out and look at the problem, then go back to the dealership for parts, and return to service it—with JD Link Brandt’s service staff can diagnose a problem from 203 km away. Gordon says he’s always seen savings in that respect, both timewise and financially.

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Young Logger Rolls With The Punches Chris Jordan is quickly learning what it takes to run a successful logging business.

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Jordan runs the feller-buncher; each crew member is cross-trained on all equipment.

From left: Chris Jordan, Clifton Wilson and Jose “Chico” Hernandez

TROY, NC hen someone starts a new logging business he generally has a pretty good idea of what he’s getting into. Often that person has a father, grandfather or maybe an uncle—or all of the above—who has been in logging and he has worked for them for a number of years before taking over the business or going out on his own. That is to say, logging usually runs in the family—second, third and even fourth generation logging companies is a tale as old as time. And each generation has been going to the woods since they were kids.

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This is not the case for Chris Jordan, who decided to start his own logging operation, Chris Jordan Hauling, at the ripe age of 21 in 2013. He didn’t spend his summer days going to the woods with his father or grandfather.

In fact, nobody in his family had ever been involved in the rough-and-tumble world of logging. Jordan is a first generation logger.

Jordan started his logging career at age 17, working during the summer, before graduating high school. He worked for a couple different companies including Michael Little Logging.

He learned how to operate the equip-

ment and eventually bought his own truck at age 19. Jordan hauled logs for a while, but he knew he wanted to do more and after attending a logging demo one day he decided he wanted to start his own company. He called his mom, Whitney Harris, and told her about the demo. “I talked to her about getting a crew one day and she said if you want to do it now, then we’ll do it now,” Jordan recalls.

Whitney, owner of Better Burger in Troy, NC, provided some financial assistance to help get her son get started and then the process of buying his first pieces of equipment began. Jordan’s

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Jordan is seeking to expand his crew and add production, but he’s waiting for a good opportunity.

first purchase was an older loader, then a skidder and feller-buncher. He already had the truck.

Jordan quickly got two men, Clifton Wilson and Jose “Chico” Hernandez, to join his company and was able to get on board with Claybourn Walters, a well known land and timber buying company out of Fairmont, NC. It’s now been five years since Jordan started his company and there’s no doubt the 26-year-old has seen his fair share of ups and downs since going into business. From learning how to manage a crew to keeping a regular equipment maintenance schedule, Jordan continues to find out what it takes to be a successful logging business owner in the 21st century.

Day-To-Day Chris Jordan Hauling (CJH) mainly works on private land near Montgomery County, NC. When Timber Harvesting visited, CJH was clear-cutting a 200acre tract on mostly flat terrain. They had been on the tract for three weeks and expected to be working on it for another two weeks. The ground was still pretty wet from rain earlier in the week.

Jordan reports that the rain in North Carolina has not let up over the past six months. He estimates that his crew has missed a whole month of work during that time span. “You’ve got to give the guys a paycheck every week and that’s a lot of money when you’re not getting anything in,” Jordan says. “It’s really stressful when we can’t work because of the rain so we work on trucks or 18

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whatever we can to get ready for when we can get back out there.”

When Jordan looks at the forecast each week he has a strategy for how to work a particular tract if the weatherman is calling for rain later in the week. CJH will start at the bottom of the tract so that when it rains and the ground gets more damp he can move up to to the top of the tract where it’s a little more dry. Jordan prefers to work on hilly terrain these days because the water runs off it quicker and therefore the ground stays drier.

When Jordan moves on to a new tract the roads are usually already in place so he uses a John Deere dozer to improve them if he needs to. When closing out a tract he does all of the BMP work necessary and makes sure to not leave any debris around for the landowner to find.

CJH produces 40-60 loads a week, but they’ve gotten as many 80 loads on several occasions. On this particular tract the sorts included chip-n-saw, sawlogs, hardwood logs, pulpwood and hardwood pallet wood. They haul logs to Jordan Lumber in Mount Gilead, NC; Troy Lumber in Troy, NC; Domtar in Bennettsville, SC; and WestRock in Florence, SC. Domtar and Troy Lumber are the biggest markets for CJH. The company has cut timber for Claybourn Walters since the beginning. They work on thinning jobs half the time and the rest are clear-cuts.

The crew runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on most days and they also work until lunch on Saturdays. They get a week off around the fourth of July and they

get time off for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Safety is a major key for Jordan and his crew as they discuss issues regularly and talk about how they can work as safely as possible while still keeping their production levels high.

Iron Lineup CJH purchases most of its equipment from James River Equipment in Mount Gilead. They run a 2017 John Deere 437E loader, 2015 John Deere 643L feller-buncher and their newest machine is a 2018 John Deere 648L skidder, for which he traded two older skidders. The loader and skidder are still under warranty.

Equipment maintenance has been key for Jordan. Machines are greased every Friday and oil is changed every 400 hours. Rotella 15w40 oil is preferred. In 2017 CJH experienced a few equipment breakdowns including losing a skidder engine. The company has had to rent machines at times which can be very costly. “They’re going to charge you for renting the machine while yours is down and then you have to pay to get your own machine fixed and pay for the labor,” Jordan explains.

“A breakdown can cost you $10,000 so it can be pretty brutal.”

Jordan didn’t have a hard time getting a crew together when he first started out. He went to high school with his loader operator, Clifton Wilson, and he knew his skidder driver, Chico Hernandez, from a previous job.

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Production varies from 40-60 loads a week and has run as high as 80.

the company started. They can all run each piece of equipment so when someone isn’t able to work, which is rare, they’re able to manage just fine with the help of one of the truck drivers operating the loader.

CJH has had a little more turnover

with their truck drivers, but right now Jordan feels like he has three solid drivers in Jason Dunn, Jason Sanders and Tony Coggins. CJH runs three trucks including two Kenworth W900 1994 models and a Peterbilt 379 1998 pulling five trailers—a mix of Big

John, Magnolia and Whites.

The crew and the truck drivers are all paid a salary. If CJH produces 40 loads in a week each employee gets a $100 bonus and they get $10 per load after that. “If you only pay a guy by the load they’re going to get into a big

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hurry,” Jordan notes. “They’re going to chase the dollar instead of being careful and taking their time.”

All three trucks are fitted with Maxi-Load scales. Jordan decided to start using scales after he received multiple weight tickets from DOT authorities. He has not received another weight ticket since the scales were installed. Jordan reports that DOT can be pretty strict on loggers in his area.

Trucks are washed every three weeks. “You have to have good tires

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and you can’t have busted up log trailers,” Jordan says. “You need to keep your trucks washed because if they see that you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do they’ll get you.”

Jordan reports that the mill lines have been pretty backed up recently, with his trucks having to sit and wait for two hours at times. CJH spends an estimated $20,000 a month on log truck fuel alone.

Forestry Mutual Insurance provides equipment coverage for Jordan.

Lessons Learned Jordan has had to learn firsthand what it takes to be a successful logging business owner. He’s seen how much the weather can impact his business and he’s had to learn how to manage money during equipment breakdowns. He credits much of his success to his mom, Whitney, and stepfather, Jeff Harris. “They’ve given me a lot of good advice just about business and how to deal with people,” Jordan says. “They’ve pushed me to keep going.”

Jordan hopes to build up his crew by adding another skidder and loader in the future so that CJH can start producing more. He wants to start hauling up to 100 loads a week, but knows that it will take time and the right opportunity to get to that point. Jordan would also like to start cutting some larger timber if the opportunity arises. He has plans to build a new shop at his home in Troy this summer. In fact, he’s already made a clearing and hauled 54 loads of rocks in to lay the foundation for the new shop.

As a fairly new logger with just over five years of experience under his belt, Jordan has some advice for young loggers just starting out. “You need to work as hard as you’ve ever worked and never let down because it’s always going to get tougher,” Jordan explains. “Don’t get too big too quick and take your time with each equipment purchase.”

He adds, “When you think it’s as tough as it can get it will get 10 times tougher. You should really try to pay off your equipment fast. Don’t plan on paying it off in five years, try to pay it off in three or four.”

Another important piece to the puzzle, Jordan says, is listening to others who’ve had experience in the woods, and in life. “I talk to my mom a lot about different things,” he says. “Listening to people like that is a big thing. They seem to know what they’re doing.”

Jordan is motivated by his two children and his wife, Brittany. He wants his children to go to college and become the first family members to do so.

Jordan is a member of the North Carolina Forestry Assn.’s ProLogger program. When the 26-year-old is not in the woods he enjoys deer hunting with his family and water skiing on TH the lake.

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Storm Challenges Loggers, Landowners In Recovery Hurricane Michael’s impact remains huge; recovery efforts will take years.

JESSICAJohnson EDITOR’S NOTE: When we called logger Hayes Morris of Lynn Haven, Fla. in early January and asked about salvage work in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael from last October, Morris said the last thing he wanted was a story on his logging company.

What he really wanted was TH and SLT to visit the still-devastated Hurricane Michael disaster area in the Florida Panhandle to see what he and other loggers—and the region’s overall forest products industry—continue to deal with four months after the storm. Editor Jessica Johnson answered the invitation and spent some time with Morris talking about not only the operational challenges but also the wrenching emotions (see My Take, p. 6) after such an event, which can be easily forgotten by an outside world terminally distracted by the latest sporting spectacle, Trump tweet, celebrity “news” or “snowmageddon” report.

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urricane Michael came ashore October 10, the eye crossing Mexico Beach and the storm moving inland and northeast, causing heaving damage on almost 2 million acres of timberland. Total damage is estimated at $15 billion, with $1.3 billion in timber alone according to some estimates.

For Morris, it was a mind-boggling experience he’s still trying to wrap his mind around as every stand of timber, creek bottom, crossroad and landmark of his daily life was blown away and irrevocably changed virtually overnight.

Morris believes there will be some loggers who close up shop in the area because they are near or at retirement and are tired. “We all feel like we’ve been running a marathon for four straight months and doing it with limited resources,” he adds.

As for younger loggers and their employees, Morris just isn’t sure. Like so many things with the timber industry in

the Panhandle now, Morris doesn’t even know what will happen next week, much less long term. Everything is a wait and see scenario; pray for the best, be prepared for the worst.

Morris Timber Product didn’t have any losses on equipment and shop damage was relatively minor. All five of the company owned trucks and all four contract truckers did not end up with a single tree on their trucks.

Beard Equipment, the John Deere dealership for the area, located in Panama City, sustained damage and is operating at a significantly slower pace.

Thompson Tractor, the area’s Caterpillar dealer, also in Panama City, is basically a shell.

Morris Timber Products is operating at the same level it was before the storm in terms of machinery, though production is down about 20%. Morris says he’s running the crews as hard as he can, and everyone is aware of the time sensitive nature of the work. The

Hayes Morris, inset, has been working like mad to figure out the best way to deal with 2 million acres of brokenness.

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Time is of the essence to get the blue stained pine off the ground and to the mills.

unfortunate part is that everything is time sensitive. Everyone needs things done immediately. (For example, Morris’ mechanic doesn’t have windows in his house. He has holes.)

After the storm, loggers in the area were thinking they had about eight weeks to get the sawtimber up before it would be blue stained and rendered basically value-less pulpwood. Instead, the picture is quite different.

As far as the eye can see the trees are either completely blown down or broken into triangle shapes. Many places look as if a buzz saw came straight through the plantation and cut everything at 12 ft. It is eerie. In places where Morris’ three crews (two company owned shovel operations and one contractor), have been able to begin cleaning up and picking up, it looks like a clear-cut from the 1950s.

Loggers in the area assumed area sawmills were going to be choked with timber and congested, but instead, the region’s low ground and a wet winter following the storm have left most mills in the region looking for logs. Shovel crews, especially, are in high demand.

The nature of the work is time-consuming, however. Shovel operators must make mats for the skidders, and try to clean up stumps as possible.

Morris has two Barko 595 track shovel machines outfitted with topping saws in order to also clear up trees that are broken to save the cutter some time.

Morris has his shovel operator trying to handle cutting and pushing stumps as best as he can—with the agreement that stumps are going to be one of the biggest challenges to those who decide to replant.

The Barko machines were purchased from Knight Foresty in Georgia in January—an essential purchase with so many trees down, Morris says. Other-

The addition of Barko 595B shovel machines with grapple saws aids Morris’ crews.

The Cat 360 rotating sawhead allows feller-buncher operators to handle trees already on the ground.

wise, the crew is making heavy use of two Caterpillar 521 B track cutters, with Caterpillar 360 rotating saw heads, which allow operators to flip the head over and cut trees laying on the ground—another essential purchase Morris thinks for storm clean up, having purchased one in late October 2018.

The rest of Morris’ iron lineup includes a John Deere 748; a Caterpillar

525C; Cat 525D; two John Deere 437 loaders; Komatsu road grader, backhoe, excavator (used some as a backup shovel machine with a grapple) and bulldozer, as well as a John Deere road grader. Morris also has a Cat 320 DFM shovel, which he is selling to his regular contract crew to help them work on wetter ground and process TH storm wood more efficiently.

Official: Florida Faces Decade-Long Recovery During recent testimony at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida Forest Service Director Jim Karels told a Senate committee the timber industry suffered about $1.3 billion in damage during Hurricane Michael, and it could take a decade or more for Florida’s timber industry to recover. Meanwhile, countless downed trees pose an immediate wildfire threat, he added.

Karels reported that about 1.4 million acres had severe or catastrophic tree loss, meaning 75-95% of the pine trees were damaged or destroyed. He said a 20 mi. swath from the Gulf of Mexico to the Georgia border was the worst hit area. More than 16,000 private landowners were affected overall, including damage far beyond the storm’s eye, he said.

Karels recommended the state provide $20 million to help NIPF landowners clear fallen trees and start replanting the forests. He also recommended spending nearly $9 million for equipment and programs to help reduce the fire threat.

Doing so would provide a big boost toward getting the region’s rural economy back on its feet and reduce fire danger, Karels said. Challenges include a shortage of the contractors needed for such work, and potential seedling shortages due to greatly increased replanting demand.

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Trucking Focus

Bringing stakeholders together | Training to beat driver shortage Don’t be a statistic: Tips | Tire technology

Photo by Randy Ingraham, AOL

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Trucking Summit Seeks Solutions To Logger Hauling Challenges

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usiness people operating throughout the forest products supply chain from stump to mill recently met in Georgia to discuss trucking concerns and seek solution to a situation where driver shortages and other issues have combined to take much elasticity and capacity out of the supply chain in some areas. The ForGetting all segments of the industry together to hear each others’ concerns was critical: Loggers, truckers, mill representaest Logistics Summit tives, insurance interests, associations and others all showed up. took place at the UGA Conference Center on the University otherwise the situation is just going to have a roundtable discussion, to share of Georgia’s Tifton campus on Friday, keep getting worse as older drivers reideas and, hopefully, solve some of January 25. Hosting the event was a tire and we have no new drivers in the these issues. joint effort among the Georgia Forsystem.” Team Safe Trucking, he says, Conrad believes, “The real success estry Assn., the Georgia Forestry has a role to play both in training new of the program was getting everyone drivers and in providing continuing Foundation and UGA’s Warnell together—the mill representatives, log education credits for existing drivers School of Forestry, where Dr. Joe truck owners, logging business owners to improve their safety fluency.

Conrad is an assistant professor of forand foresters. Having everyone in the As an all-around resource for truckest operations. He estimates about 125 same room to hear each other was reing safety and training, Team Safe people attended. ally critical.”

Trucking’s Miranda Gowell asked those in attendance to make a commitInsurance, Training ment to forestry transportation trainTop sponsors included Conrad spoke during the first of ing, hand out Team Safe Trucking four modules, focusing on the chalDriver Day information sheets and Beasley FP, SE Wood lenges of log truck liability insurshare Team Safe Trucking fleet safety Producers Assn., Flint ance—no doubt a subject weighing messages on social media. Other reEquipment, Trimble heavily on the minds of many. The sources include Team Safe Trucking Forestry and Weyercost of accidents is what has been train-the-trainer training webinars ofdriving the increase in premiums, fered every Wednesday 10 a.m. EST haeuser Conrad reflects. Driver training, and trucking safety newsletters. many agree, is a big part of the anMeeting visitors could also become swer. Two training programs are in Team Safe Trucking educational spondevelopment, one at South Georgia sors and offer training sessions as Richard Schwab of Perry, Fla.’s Technical College in Americus, and well, Gowell said. She added the SumM.A. Rigoni adds that the bigger playthe other at Coastal Pines Technical mit was a good start for developing ers in the industry, namely the mills, College in Waycross. “We think solutions to challenges facing the log are “starting to feel the pinch of the those will be very helpful in increastrucking industry. “The speakers identrucking crisis hard.” He continues, ing the pool of available qualified tified challenges and proposed practi“Rayonier in Jesup ran out of harddrivers,” Conrad says. cal solutions, and they were all inspiwood twice over Christmas. They said Many insurance companies won’t rational in the hope and possibilities they used to depend on getting 4-5,000 insure unless the driver is at least 25 they presented,” Gowell said. tons of hardwood pulp from Florida a and has two to three years log truck month, but they’re not getting it now driving experience—an untenable because of trucking; because loggers No One Solution long-term policy for what should be can’t afford to do interstate trucking obvious reasons. Conrad adds, “We As Conrad puts it, rising insurance and the trucking capacity is just not premiums are but a symptom of the are hoping this training can be used in there.” The summit, he says, offered larger problem. “We are at a pressure lieu of the experience requirement; everyone concerned an opportunity to

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point now that is putting people out of to the best estimates, Conrad says. Inbusiness and reducing capacity,” he woods scales have been demonstrated expounds. “We are seeing a nationto help, both by preventing the safety wide shortage of qualified log truck hazard of overloads and also the profdrivers. And we are seeing ineffiitability hazard of underloaded trailers. ciency in driving, making trucks less Conrad also points to GPS tracking profitable and causing some people to and dash cams, which are useful both cut corners on for driver training maintenance.” and as a defense Coming up with against litigation.

“We are at a pressure ideas, the profesSeveral speakpoint now that is putting sor stresses, is relers recommended atively easy; imhiring a safety people out of business plementation is manager or conand reducing capacity.” the critical part. sultant to manage — Dr. Joe Conrad “If we identify compliance with solutions and regulations and don’t implement run safety training them then we’ve programs. Immade no progress,” he says. “But we proved communication with law enwere successful in identifying many forcement was also identified as a possible solutions.” One thing that bepossible help. In Georgia, Conrad came clear to attendees: there is no sinsays, the Dept. of Public Safety will gle big solution, but rather a number of inspect shops to let companies know smaller steps that can help. what they are doing well or where The percent of loaded miles continthey may be coming up short. Though ues to be in the 40% range according a number of companies do take ad-

TRUCK TECHNOLOGY Sometimes log truck tires must work in two totally different worlds—on a fast highway as well as on a rocky logging landing site or muddy forest road.

Nokian R-Truck is a complete line of truck tires for on and offroad use, combining good highway properties with grip, sturdiness and self-cleaning needed in off-road work. The Nokian R-Truck product line is designed with safety and reliability in mind. Their casings are made with high-quality materials and their innovative tread patterns combine good grip on soft surfaces with excellent mileage.

This ensures peace of mind both on and off-road.

All Nokian R-Truck tires are suitable for year-round use. The tires can be mounted in the warmest summer time but on the other hand, the tires carry the 3PMSF approval, making them suitable for winter conditions.

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vantage of this option, DPS in Georgia says it has less interaction from the forest industry than any of the other industries it regulates.

The last small solution, Conrad says, is to keep trying to get legislation passed that will benefit the industry, such as increased weight limits. Still, he cautions, “Waiting on policies to save us would be making a mistake.

The opportunity we have now is to improve efficiency, train drivers, and improve the condition of the trucks we put on the road.”

According to Georgia Forestry Assn. President Andres Villegas, the event showed there’s no one “silver bullet” solution to the trucking situation. “It’s really a combination of things, from insurance to training to driver behavior and more,” he said.

“We wanted to get as many people together as we could to talk about solutions,” and having loggers, trucking companies, insurance officials and mill interests all in the same room is a TH good start, Villegas added.

New Nokian R-Truck Tires with big tread blocks and modern looks, Nokian R-Truck tires represents the latest in tire design. Low rolling resistance helps to save fuel, while good mileage reduces overall tire costs. Nokian R-Truck tires are also suitable for retreading. Cuts and punctures are a constant risk on earthmoving and construction sites. Nokian R-Truck tires have an excellent puncture resistance for the toughest of conditions.

The Nokian R-Truck range has a complete selection of truck tires for steer and drive axle as well as trailer use. Mud, snow or sand, their open tread pattern and wide grooves ensure good self-cleaning and grip. The whole Nokian R-Truck range boasts special cut-resistant rubber compound and low heat build-up, which means they wear evenly and keep their good properties throughout the tire lifetime.

Visit www.nokianheavytyres. com/r-truck TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

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Truck Driver Fatalities Increase In 2017 Federal agencies have noted a statistical increase in truck driver fatalities in 2017, and are offering suggestions to help employers train drivers to avoid crashes. Since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking occupational statistics in 2003, the 840 drivers killed on the job in 2017 is the highest total recorded. That total exceeds the 2016 total of 786 and represents 77% of the 1,084 motor vehicle operators killed while on the job in 2017.

Training and supervision of drivers are key components of turning these numbers around in the future. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offers these nine tips for all truck drivers to consider: Drive Defensively. Poor road conditions, deteriorating road conditions, distracted drivers and motorists who just don’t care or understand how trucks operate are all reasons a professional driver must drive defensively.

Signal for Safety. Give others notice of your intent by signaling and braking. Use your flashers as a warning, and carry reflective triangles and road flares to warn approaching drivers of unexpected hazards.

Rig Maintenance. Perform pretrip safety inspection of the truck.

Pay particular attention to the tires and brakes that your life, and other lives, depend on.

Speed Kills! Exceeding speed lim-

its or driving to fast for road conditions creates a hazard and contributes to crashes. Including roll over crashes. A government study ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ pmc3256782/ found that speeding contributed to 45% of rollover crashes, and that 10% were caused by driver inattention. Experts believe that over half of rollover crashes do not happen in curves, and that 65% or more of the drivers who experience a roll over have more than 10 years of experience driving trucks.

Seat Belts Save Lives! In addition With fatalities on the rise, driver training and supervito saving lives, seat belts reduce inju- sion are more important than ever. ries and keep drivers inside their vehicles during a crash. In 2014, 30% of truck drivers killed in crashes were signs. The Oregon Department of partially or totally ejected from the cab.

Transportation is a great resource for How many of those would have surwork zone safety information that can vived had they been buckled in? be shared with truck drivers. oregon.

Avoid Fatigue. Don’t drive when gov/odot/safety/pages/work-zone.aspx you are fatigued, too ill to focus on the Never Drive Distracted. Drivers task at hand, or when taking medicaare 23.2 times more likely to be intions that make you drowsy or dizzy. volved in a crash, near miss, or lane Trip Planning. Stay up to date with deviation while texting. About 371 current weather reports, road construcfeet are covered if a driver takes their tion, bridge work and restrictions, deeyes off the road for 4.6 seconds, tours and other road conditions. traveling at 55 MPH. Eating, drinking Work Zone Safety. Inattention is interacting with devices, reading, the leading cause of work zone traffic tending to a pet, or any other distracTH accidents. Stay alert, slow down and tion can be deadly.

Randy Ingraham, Associated Oreobey flaggers along with road congon Loggers Insurance Manager struction warning and information

SC Addresses Trucking Issues: Training, Lawsuits Officials with the Forestry Assn. of South Carolina are working with the South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. and the South Carolina Trucking Assn. to address trucking challenges threatening South Carolina’s wood supply chain. Insurance availability and trucking lawsuits are one major area, with truck driver training the other.

The groups are working with the governor’s office and SC Dept. of Insurance to identify solutions to an insurance crisis that has seen insurance rates triple for many companies. The Dept. of Insurance recently released a report titled “Examination of Forestry Trucking Insurance Coverage” identifying the factors driving up log truck insurance premiums: Log truck insurance market needs increased competition.

Distracted driving causing more accidents (cell talking-texting while driving).

Costs of repairs are more expensive.

Not enough emphasis on safety programs for drivers.

Inexperienced log truck drivers, lack of qualified drivers.

Court verdicts are impacting insurance competition, causing insurance losses.

The SC Forestry Assn. is also working with groups to push for reforms that address high court verdicts, such as abolishing the deep pocket rule that allows plaintiffs to target the defendants with the most money or insurance, requiring rotation of circuit court judges to avoid the appearance of “home cooking” and advocating for the SC Supreme Court and the SC Bar Assn. to regulate TV advertising.

On the driver training issue, in an effort to increase the number of CDL drivers, the SC Forestry Assn. supports “Be Pro Be Proud,” a program promoting skilled trade jobs to high school students, and other programs to recruit and train CDL drivers. The “Be Pro Be Proud” program is bolstered by $950,000 proposed in the governor’s budget, and SC Forestry Assn. is working with the South Carolina General Assembly on obtaining the proposed funding. The Forestry Association is seeking tuition scholarships and fund- ➤ 30

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AOL Begins 50th Anniversary Year With Annual Meeting

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AOL Logger of the Year. The family owned company dates to 1974 and currently runs two towers, a ground-based side plus trucking and timber falling operations. Gustafson Logging has received numerous awards and recognition for operational excellence.

Yraguen added, “This award is intended to recognize members who have set a good example for the rest of us,” citing Gustafson’s logging and business skills and success, plus the leadership and excellence shown through professionalism and activism. “This year’s award winner qualifies on all counts,” Yraguen said.

Amy Mann of L&L Inc. in Sutherlin, Ore. was named 2018 AOL Woman of the Year for her leadership and dedication to the ministry of “Fellowship of Christian Loggers.” Beginning in 2013 with a Facebook page and weekly devotionals aimed at loggers, the ministry now has a large worldwide following and several affiliated churches in rural Oregon communities.

AOL Insurance Manager Randy Ingraham was recognized for 30 years of service to the AOL. Yraguen said the AOL’s staff is a big source of association strength, as most employees come from a forestry or logging background and know what it takes to succeed. TH

his spring marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of Associated Oregon Loggers’ (AOL) articles of association incorporation, as one of the nation’s top logging associations held its 49th annual convention in mid January to begin a year with plenty of special events and commemorations to celebrate the 50-year milestone.

This year, more than 400 AOL members and guests met at the Valley River Inn in Eugene, Ore. January 1719. Attendees heard from a number of speakers addressing federal and state timber issues, legislative issues like Oregon’s potential cap-and-trade legislation, plus trucking issues, Oregon OSHA updates and insurance and human resource matters.

Oregon state Sen. Cliff Bentz delivered a presentation on cap-and-trade legislation introduced in Oregon’s legislature. Considering that Oregon’s contribution to greenhouse emissions is so small it’s almost immeasurable, and the impact of drastically increased fuel prices on rural communities,

Bentz said the net effect of such legislation would cripple the state’s economy, especially in rural communities, with no benefit to the environment.

The AOL’s Log A Load For Kids fundraising totaled more than $8,000 that will be distributed to three hospitals in Oregon with neonatal intensive care units for critical care infants. The AOL annual dessert auction hit a new record thanks to one cake that went for $3,700.

Other logging association officials take note: AOL Executive Director Jim Geisinger has the inside scoop on a new “frozen t-shirt contest” where two-person teams unfold and put on a frozen t-shirt and take it off—all while blindfolded. “Words do not do justice to the entertainment value of this contest,” he adds. (Not to mention the contest alone raised $5,000!)

During the annual meeting, AOL President Jaime Yraguen announced several awards: Mark Gustafson with Gustafson Logging in Astoria was named 2018

AOL Logger of Year Mark Gustafson, left, and AOL President Jaime Yraguen

Meeting included legislative updates, updated regulations info, networking and fundraising activities.

29 ➤ ing for CDL driver training programs at the state’s technical colleges.

Logging industry officials have appeared before legislative transportation committees repeatedly in hearings last fall, including 2018 TH Logging Business of the Year Log Creek Timber’s Reg Williams and reps from International Paper, Resource Management Service and Weyerhaeuser.

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According to Cam Crawford, President & CEO, Forestry Assn. of South Carolina, “Timberland owners, foresters, lumber and paper mills are all impacted by the shortage of log truck drivers and the threat of losing logging companies because of high insurance costs and lawsuits.

The entire wood supply chain must join together in solving these challenges.”

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Safety Never Hurts: Implementing Programs Documentation and follow-through are critical to a solid safety program.

DANKrusze

Developing an effective safety program requires constant observation, attention to detail.

S

afety managers know that a logging safety program is never just one thing in and of itself; it’s always a work in progress and never “finished.”

Health, safety and environmental (HSE) programs serve to reward performance in productivity. Loggers must assign HSE responsibilities to all levels of your organization. Holding all employees accountable for their various safety and health responsibilities is a must!

The allocation of sufficient company resources directed to safety is fundamental to this goal: Identification and control of dangers and potential dangers Establishment of standard operat32

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ing procedures including safety and health considerations Installation of engineering controls Personal protective equipment Employee training Safety and health promotion Companies that pursue and perpetuate development of a good safety and health program are rewarded with results that can have tremendous impact. Safer work processes result in fewer accidents as well as downward workers’ compensation insurance costs. A robust HSE program helps prevent complacency and generates a daily safety attitude in everyone.

Each employee is positive about their contribution to the organization’s safety program!

Is your logging safety program still effective? Safety and health programs tend to evolve after their inception; hopefully, for the better. The separate steps or components of a safety and health program can generally be organized into a stable, on going situation by making sure that effective and interesting on-boarding and training is provided.

Constant scrutiny of your safety program and its multiple components is a must to achieve this outcome.

OSHA in California actually utilizes a process/form titled “Effectiveness of Program” that contains a stiff method to rate HSE within companies. It would serve you well to check into what type of evaluation is done where TIMBER HARVESTING & FOREST OPERATIONS

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you are located. This can help you refine your operations for maximum impact and compliance.

Loggers have an obligation to train and meet often!

This axiom applies to everything from the first day of on-boarding for new employees right up to the present day’s safety meetings. The frequency and thoroughness of your meetings is a reflection of how important HSE is to your organization. It’s not necessary to bury personnel with a schedule that takes away from their production relating to their individual jobs. The biggest challenge in conveying HSE-related subject matter is finding what it takes to hold the attenWhenever possible, schedule safety meetings in the field or relevant work area. tion and interaction with each work group and/or individual! processes and other possibilities that ity to work with supervisors and other The feature of good meetings vs. will contribute to the quality of the staffers to ensure their involvement in ones that become a “snore-fest” for meeting time. the HSE program. When I was preyour people is to provide topics and Loggers have a constant responsisented with the need for this in a prior discussions that matter to them. It bility to maintain a high-quality and employment time, I found that the may even require several versions of timely effort to HSE. As demanding as input from my fellow workers became the particular this may be, good outcomes are genera powerful presentations to ally the end result. Insurance issues tool in aiding accomplish and expenses are brought under conthe success of trol, personnel return to their homes this, but the reour safety iniCompanies that pursue and sult is well each day uninjured, and workplace tiatives. As perpetuate development of worth the efmorale gets a positive boost. Make time went by, a good safety and health fort. sure that you remain approachable and several indiprogram are rewarded with For example, available to your employees so that viduals if you do OSthey realize HSE is very important in stepped up by results that can have your outfit and not just a passing fad!

HA-required taking a partremendous impact.

Make the best effort possible to inPowered Industicular interteract with all of your workers, foremen trial Truck / est in HSE and upper management. When people Forklift training matters. This realize that they don’t need to hold with members “group” beback on discussing HSE-related matof your staff, it’s important to parse came valuable source of input and criters, it has a powerful and positive inout the coursework for both trainers tique in authoring and implementing fluence on the organization as a whole. (usually crew leaders) and line workchanges to the future HSE efforts.

Once management and employees ers that are exclusively operators of have accepted safety and health as esthe equipment. Since this training is Meet At Work sential parts of their daily operations, a specifically required by the OSHA Safety and health meetings/presensolid foundation for an effective workregulations and must be kept current tations are all too often done in variplace HSE program will have been laid. every three years, the quality of your ous locations away from job sites.

Both employees and managers will documentation is very important as it However, when and if sessions can be benefit from streamlined productivity is subject to review by a field safety held in an actual job site environment, due to reduced (if any) injuries and enforcement officer. I recently did a the facts and impressions of the meetmany less lost working hours. As an day-long training session with a client ing’s content will have a more proadded bonus, most businesses will and discovered that the retain provifound meaning for the attendees. experience a significant overall insionary date was lapsed by several For example: Woods crews: should crease in employee commitment and months. This scenario could have meet at an active landing, log-loading teamwork as a result of manageslowed their business considerably as area, skid trails, etc. Mechanical staff ment’s commitment to employee well as resulted in the issuance of a can meet at the shop, vehicle parking safety and health. Remember. . . fair-sized citation! areas, wash rack, etc.; and dispatchers, TH Safety never hurts!

Good recordkeeping is an absolute office workers and other personnel must in HSE. It will be a great help to Dan Krusze is a longtime logging meet in the office building. your tasks in this area if time is taken safety professional who has worked for Conducting meetings in this way ofto design a group of forms and proceformer TH Logging Business of the Year fers up opportunities for show-and-tell dures that can be consistent throughWheeler Logging in California and demonstrations, observed environmenout the company. This design process throughout the Pacific Northwest. Visit his site at www.dksafety.net. tal factors, viewing of actual work can also serve as a good lead-on activForemost Authority For Professional Loggers

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EquipmentWorld

BC’s Matteys Celebrate 25 Years Of Mechanization During his lifetime, Daniel Mattey then, the logging industry was physiwitnessed the unfathomable in the logcal and the work could be treacherous. ging industry. In 1932 in Chase, B.C., Using crosscut saws, hand bucking, he had formed Mattey Bros., Ltd., delimbing and sending logs down a dedicating his life’s work flume, pulling logs with to logging. His family horses – it wasn’t for the business was built with faint of heart. years of grueling labor, Dan says the past grit and determination. It practices of the industry, started with a fleet of which seem so distant to horses, not a fleet of matoday’s methods, rechines. quired immense stamina So, 62 years later, he and physical strength. couldn’t quite believe “You’d be in a lot better what he was seeing right shape then, I’ll tell you in front of his eyes. It that,” he said. “The first was 1994, and Daniel tractor they got had no Mattey looked on as his Danny Mattey blade so they had to son, Danny Mattey, and build the trail with the grandson, Dan Mattey, fired up a John shovels and picks so the tractor could Deere 690 with an HTH20T Waratah drive up and down instead of the processing head they had just purhorses. My grandfather always said it chased. “My grandfather got to see was better than horses because he the first processor we got and it was a didn’t have to feed the tractor.” whole new world for him,” Dan said.

“He couldn’t believe what it did in Start Young comparison to the days of hand buckDanny began working in the shop as ing. That’s for sure,” added Danny. “It a young teenager for his father and was totally unbelievable for him. For saw the company grow through the the work my dad did, they were lucky years. “I basically started in the shop to get a load or two day, which now, when I was probably 16 or 17, then you do it with four or five guys doing drove the truck for a number of years,” 8 to 10 loads, depending on the wood said Danny. “When I started, of they’re in.” The increased mechanizacourse, it was all hand fellers, line tion available through Waratah was skidders, or skidding with an old carnothing short of amazing. In fact, this rier of some kind. Then a few years year Waratah is celebrating its 45th later, we got into a wheel loader, year in business, which marks four dewhich was a really big deal compared cades of industry innovation. Dan’s to the old heel boom. Then we transigrandfather witnessed that innovation tioned to what we use today.” firsthand.

After Daniel passed away, his son Danny took over business operations at the office. His grandson Dan became an operator on the job sites, extending the family business for another generation. “When my grandfather and his brother started the business, it was a pole company — they did cedar poles or native cedar poles. They worked with horses and we’ve worked our way up to machinery,” Dan said.Back Mattey Bros. has purchased 10 Waratah heads since 1994.

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Danny has always enjoyed the lifestyle that comes with the industry and operating the business and seeing it grow over time has been extremely rewarding. “I’ve got some guys that have been with me for years and years.

Just to have them carry on and see their families grow—that, to me, is very important,” Danny said. Today, working mountainside in Salmon Arm, B.C., Danny, Dan and his team use hot logging methods to work as efficiently as possible. They have a fleet of John Deere equipment including a 2654G carrier with a HTH623C Waratah head and a 2656G with a claw.

“You don’t have to fight with big piles when you’re hot logging,” Dan said. “We all work together, and we’ve got quite a few different sorts. It’s nice to have the loader right there.”

Mattey Bros. has purchased 10 Waratah heads over the years. “We’ve had good luck with them so it was an easy choice,” Dan said. “And we’ve run a lot of John Deere equipment, so they seem to go hand in hand. We like the service with the Waratah, and the fact that they’ve been around longer. It’s just more dependable than anything.”

Through the generations, many things have changed, but important traditions remain. For the Mattey family, their legacy in the logging industry has spanned three generations. Dan has been working in the family business for 22 years now. He was hoping to be a hockey player, he joked, but once he started working in the shop and out in the field, that dream changed.

Danny said he looks forward to the day when the next generation, his son Dan, takes over the business. “I’m hoping Dan will carry it on and hopefully my grandson will come into the business eventually and continue it,” Danny said. But while Danny’s grandson might carry on the business, he’ll be bringing a new name into the mix.

“My son isn’t a Dan. I broke the tradition,” Dan said, with a laugh. “I found it too confusing, so I named my son Gavin instead.”

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EquipmentWorld New Forestry Expo Planned For Sweden A trade association for suppliers of mobile machines, MaskinLeverantörerna, is launching the Swedish Forestry Expo June 3-5, 2021 at Solvalla in Stockholm, Sweden. The fair will be a meeting place for the commercial large-scale forestry with the machines at center stage.

The launch of the fair is an initiative developed by the trade association on behalf of its members. The new fair aims to be an easily accessible meeting place with a practical layout where visitors can experience all it has to offer. In addition to the areas where machines will be showcased, meetings and seminars will be organized as the exchange of knowledge is an important part of the experience.

“We want to create a fair dedicated for the commercial forestry buyers, where large-scale forestry is the focus,” comments Björn Bäckström, CEO of MaskinLeverantörerna. “Solvalla was the natural choice for the location as

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their facilities can support the new concept. We previously hosted the Swedish Machine Fair (Svenska Maskinmässan) for the construction equipment industry there and received positive feedback from both exhibitors and visitors.” Visit swedishforestryexpo.com.

Emtek Mats Offer Toad-Saving Solution In the Sierra National Forest in California, Emtek Matting Solutions has supplied engineered hardwood mats to build an elevated road to help save the lives of endangered toads. Emtek was contacted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Forest Service (USFS) to build the roads as part of an ongoing experiment by the USGS that determined which reptile or amphibian species was at the highest risk of death from road traffic, and whether elevated roads would help. The Yosemite toad had the highest risk because it has to cross a road to get to its different habitats, leading to its listing as a threatened species status. Due to the road’s loca-

Emtek timber mats save toads in California.

tion, an elevated bridge could be easily erected so the USGS could determine whether the bridges would work for other species.

Usually, the elevated bridges built for such reasons were low tunnels that not all toads could find, causing them to be roadkill. Instead, this road was an elevated bridge with open space under that made it easier for toads to cross under the road. Emtek chose an AASHTO HS-25 loading criteria to design a road elevated by 7.5 in. that

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EquipmentWorld was 120 ft. long with supports every 7 ft. All materials are Emtek 31F material. The surface is 4.5 in. thick and the support bars are 7.5 in. thick. Useable road width is 14 ft.

The road is important because it allows heavy traffic such as RVs to cross, and log trucks will be using the road in the near future for salvage logging projects in the area. Another stipulation was that the bridge had to be moveable in case toad migratory patterns changed.

According to Emtek GM Jon Fiutak, Emtek is used to handling difficult or custom applications, from Virginia swamps to rural roads in Africa. Constructing a toad road is typical of the type of custom mat solutions Emtek provides, although he adds that toads aren’t the usual clientele.

ucts: the DAH series, industrial mulcher attachments for excavators; DAF series, attachments for skid steers and other dedicated carriers; and the EWF series, dedicated hydraulic power packs. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary last summer.

The transaction represents Morbark’s second acquisition since private equity firm Stellex Capital Management LP acquired Morbark in 2016.

The acquisition of Rayco Manufacturing in October 2017 brought in stump cutters, aerial trimmers, forestry mulchers and crawler trucks.

Morbark will operate Denis CIMAF as a new division maintaining its brand identity. Denis CIMAF’s management team will continue to manage its operations.

Morbark Acquires Denis CIMAF

Doosan Opens Parts Distribution Center

Morbark, LLC completed the acquisition of Denis CIMAF, Inc., based in Roxton Falls, Quebec. The company manufactures three main lines of prod-

Doosan Infracore North America, LLC opened a 100,000 square foot parts distribution center, serving its dealers and Doosan customers in the U.S. and

Canada. The parts distribution center is located adjacent to the Doosan Infracore North America headquarters in Suwanee, Ga., 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Edward Song, CEO, Doosan Infracore North America, LLC, comments, “We can significantly reduce shipping costs and we can provide less than two-day delivery on a majority of our genuine Doosan parts delivered from our dedicated warehouse.”

The center will stock 40,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) that can be shipped to service Doosan equipment. It will house a majority of Doosan parts, with only some low-volume parts needing to come from Doosan manufacturing facilities around the globe. DHL Supply Chain will provide outbound less than load (LTL) transportation to Doosan equipment dealers.

Doosan Infracore North America, LLC markets the Doosan brand of products that includes crawler excavators, wheel excavators, wheel loaders, articulated dump trucks, material handlers, log loaders and attachments.

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InnovationWay John Deere Swing Machines

John Deere has updated its G-Series swing machines to improve operator experience. From changes in machine design to new features to improve serviceability, the updated swing machines include eight models, 2154G, 2156G, 2654G, 2656G, 3154G, 3156G, 3754G and 3756G. “After successfully launching the G-Series swing machines in 2016, we wanted to continue to perfect the machines based on customer experience in the field,” says Jarvis De Groot, product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “The new features, which will be available on the 2019 models and on, will streamline ser-

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viceability and improve the machine design, while still retaining the power and productivity of the original models.”

The 2019 machines feature a larger travel that improves tractive effort on the 2654G and 2656G machines, as well as select 2154G and 2156G models. The new LH side door features an easy-to-remove screen, allowing for the removal of collected debris. A shovel and axe mounting provision on all machines provides a secure and easily accessible storage location.

The cabs have been changed, adding a USB port for device charging and relocating the auxiliary and USB ports to behind the seat. The side-entry cab features a larger gas strut for the door and new handrail, improving entry and exit. Additionally, satellite radio is no longer required with the Convenience Deluxe package on the side-entry and rear-entry cabs.

Serviceability has also been improved. A pre-cleaner for engine air intake of the Final Tier 4 engines improves air filter life, while fuel shut-off valves eliminate fuel leakage and spillage during fuel filter changes. A new hinged AC condenser improves access, making it easier to clean out debris trapped between the radiator and AC condenser.

The G-Series machines also feature remote grease lines for the boom cylinder base pins, improving ground-level serviceability. An optional hydraulic oil level alarm provides an audible and visible alarm that the hydraulic oil level is extremely low and requires immediate machine shut down.

Visit johndeere.com.

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InnovationWay Komatsu Track Feller-Bunchers

Komatsu America Corp.’s new XT-5 Series of track feller-bunchers include the XT430-5 (non-leveling), XT445L-5 and XT465L-5 which replace the prior XT-3 Series machines.

The XT-5 Series ranges in operating weight from 66,359

lb. (30,100 kg) to 74,516 lb. (33,8000 kg) with a 310 peak HP (231 kW) EPA Tier 4 Final fuel-efficient diesel engine that provides more horsepower, torque and displacement with up to 10% lower fuel consumption.

A new gull-wing style engine hood folds down to provide an elevated service work platform and excellent service access to all engine-related components. Four other service doors swing open wide to provide superior overall service access to other key components. The totally new rearmounted cooling system features a larger radiator, charge air cooler and a single hydraulic cooler. All coolers have been relocated to the rear of the machine to reduce debris buildup and provide easier access.

Lift capacities at full reach have been increased by 16% to 75% depending on the model. The XT465L-5 now readily operates the Quadco 24" (610 mm) cutting capacity disc saw heads. Larger capacity, hydraulic piston pumps for the implement, attachment and disc saw operate at 500 RPM lower speed, while providing high flow. Each pump has pressurized suction inlets to reduce cavitation risk. Boom, arm and rear hydraulic tubes and hoses have robust forestry-specific guarding that improves protection and shed debris. New rugged undercarriages provide significantly longer service life with improved track chain links, track rollers, idler bushings and final drives.

The state-of-the-art fully-certified forestry cab has been relocated to the left of the boom and cab design changes provide superior lines-of-sight to each track. Visit komatsuforest.us.

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InnovationWay Alliance Tire Group CTL Forestry Tires Alliance Tire Group (ATG) has launched two tires into the cut-to-length market under its Alliance Forestar line. The Alliance 643 Forestar III LS-2 and Alliance 644 Forestar III LS-2 feature steel-belted construction and special chunk-andchip-resistant compound to meet the challenges facing tires on heavy CTL machinery. They are engineered to minimize soil compaction and surface disturbance, and to excel in the broad range of conditions CTL harvesters face year-round.

“We’ve designed these tires for great traction on their own, and to work well with tracks and chains for reliable, no-fuss performance in any environment,” says Terry Goodwin, National Forestry Manager for Alliance Tire Americas. “They’ve also got reinforced sidewalls that can handle the dynamic force and sideto-side motion of a fully loaded forwarder hauling a deck of

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logs on uneven ground.”

The Alliance 643 features wide shoulder lugs specially designed to accommodate tracks and chains. A specially engineered hexagonal bead ensures snug contact between the tire and rim, eliminating wheel slip.

Like the 643, the Alliance 644 also features a reinforced hexagonal bead as well as four shoulder-to-shoulder steel belts that ensure complete protection of the tread area and maximum integrity of the tire casing. A hefty stabilizer bar beneath the tread on the 644 also improves traction and tire life. Visit atgtire.com.

Oregon SpeedMax Cutting System

The new Oregon SpeedMax XL.404 cutting system for timber harvesters is designed with greater cutting speed, strength and durability. The system delivers maximum uptime through advanced designs across the bar, chain and sprocket. The 19HX saw chain is a chamfer chisel chain built for faster more aggressive cutting. The tall chamfer chisel cutters combine durability with improved chip clear-

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InnovationWay ance for faster and more consistent cuts in all types of wood.

Reducing vibration to the guide bar minimizes time between cuts.

It has been widened to improve chain retention. The bar is also stiffer and stronger. A tail contour decreases friction making it less likely to throw chain. The larger 14-tooth replaceable sprocket nose features high alloy industrial bearings and requires fewer rotations to accomplish the same work with less heat build-up, extending the life of the nose. The rim sprocket is precision balanced and machined from durable solid-billet steel and is equipped with a raised-tooth design to reduce chain stretch and incorporates improved debris ejection with tapered side ports. Visit oregonproducts.com.

Husqvarna New Generation Saws Coming 60 years after the launch of its very first saw, Husqvarna has developed two new 50cc chain saws specifically for use by loggers and arborists. 550 XP Mark II and Husqvarna 545 Mark II deliver outstanding cutting capacity for handling small and mid-sized trees. Through a series of internal tests, with results available on Husqvarna’s website, Husqvarna has shown that the 550 XP Mark II provides best-in-class cutting capacity when comparing to the closest competitor in the 50cc segment.

For the purpose of endurance in tough conditions, the cooling capacity of the 550 XP Mark II and 545 Mark II has been improved by 13% compared to the previous gen-

eration of 50cc chain saws from Husqvarna. This is made possible by three key improvements such as an optimized airflow; the addition of more cooling fins in critical areas that contribute to more effective cylinder heat dissipation; an insulating heat shield, specifically developed for the new chain saws, which provide sealing against the cylinder area and minimizes heat leakage. This helps keep the carburetor compartment cool to improve startability in hot conditions. In addition, a completely new muffler keeps temperatures down.

For further endurance, the 50cc chain saws have a new air filter design. The new design comes from the combination of a redesigned air filter with higher capacity and improved sealing and an upgrade of the air injection. This, in turn, means the saws are equipped with a new optimized version of AutoTune, Husqvarna’s ignition module software and carburetor calibration. Visit husqvarna.us.

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SelectCuts As We (ALC) See It

‘We The People’ DANNY DRUCTOR “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do orDructor dain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Perhaps the most powerful and meaningful 52 words ever put together, the Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. Empowered with the sovereign authority of the people by the framers and the consent of the legislatures of the states,

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it is the source of all government powers, and also provides important limitations on the government that protect the fundamental rights of United States citizens. So why, as United States citizens, do we continue to blame the government for things that we can change that are within our power and authority granted in the Constitution of the United States of America?

It is time that we accepted responsibility, accountability and ownership of what has become the partisan bickering in Washington, DC and quit complaining, blaming and making excuses for our failure to elect representatives who still value the wants and needs of the citizens of the United States who put them into office.

The mismanagement of our federal lands is a good example. Last year, while lives and property were being lost in Paradise, Calif., our “representatives” in Washington, DC spent their time bickering over language in the 2018 Farm Bill that would have helped expedite the treatment of

overgrown national forests, which could help reduce the number of catastrophic wildfires. The politicians spent more time debating the cause of the problems than considering real solutions to this crisis.

The blame game continued as usual as one party did not want to make it appear that the other party might actually be right when they called for active forest management to reduce forest fuels. If this is the new “norm” in Washington, then it is high time that “We the People” took back the sovereign power that is vested to us and fire those whose political interests take precedence over the needs of the people.

This also goes for the use of “our” federal interstate highway system to haul existing state legal loads along the safest route to the mills. We should not allow the federal government—or any federal agency—to hold states hostage by holding back highway funds if they do not comply with federal mandates. We the People should hold those same agencies

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SelectCuts accountable. We should call for the replacement of personnel as lives are lost due to regulations that only serve to force haulers onto secondary roads where they’re much more likely to be involved in an accident.

Members of the American Loggers Council will once again return to Washington, DC on April 4-6 to educate the 100+ new representatives on

the Hill. We will give them the truth about our industry and the “who, where, why and how” of what we do to promote healthy, sustainable forests. Our strength is in our numbers and the contacts and relationships that we build during our visits. We need to tell our story before someone else tries to tell it for us. You are the expert in your field—no one else–and

only you can convey the message that members of Congress need to hear. We ask that you please consider joining our ranks this year and help us, yes, We the People, chart the future and destiny of this profession that we call logging.

The American Loggers Council is an 501(c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters throughout the U.S. Dructor is executive vice president of the ALC. For more information, phone 409-625-0206, email americanlogger@aol.com or visit amloggers.com.

Hatton-Brown Teams With Ligna Summit Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., which produces Timber Harvesting, Panel World, Timber Processing and Wood Bioenergy magazines, is the official media partner for North America for the upcoming Wood Industry Summit at LIGNA, May 27-31 in Hannover, Germany.

The Wood Industry Summit, which will be in its third season at Ligna, will be staged in Hall 26 and themed “Access to Resources and Technology.” The summit is organized by Deutsche Messe in conjunction with the German Forestry Council (KWF) and comprises a forum, lounge and exhibition area.

Boise Cascade Sells Moncure, NC Mill Boise Cascade Co. is selling its plywood operation in Moncure, NC to an affiliate of Southern Veneer Products, which operates a plywood mill in Fitzgerald, Ga. Moncure primarily supplies hardwood plywood to the furniture panel sector. “The acquisition of this facility more closely aligns with Southern Veneer’s business strategy. We believe this sale provides the best longterm option for continuing to serve the furniture market and sustain employment at the mill into the future,” says Mike Brown, executive vice president of Boise’s Wood Products division.

Moncure employs 150.

Boise acquired the Moncure plant and one at Chester in 2013 from Wood Resources LLC. A plywood mill has operated at Moncure ➤ 46 44

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EventsMemo Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

42 ➤ since 1966. Its string of ownership has included Triangle Plywood, Boise Cascade, Williamette Industries, Weyerhaeuser Co., Wood Resources LLC, then Boise again and now Southern Veneer.

March 6-7—Ohio Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Marriott Columbus University Area, Columbus, Ohio. Call 888-3887337; visit ohioforest.org.

GP Closes Plywood Mill In Warm Springs

March 7-8—Alaska Forest Assn. Spring Meeting, Baranof Hotel, Juneau, Alaska. Call 907-225-6114; visit ak forest. org.

Georgia-Pacific reported it is closing its plywood facility in Warm Springs, Ga., impacting 300 employees. The company stated that plywood continues to be challenged by competing products and imports, but is still focused on its eight remaining plywood mills across the U.S. GP started up the Warm Springs plant in 1974.

School Bus Log Truck

March 7-9—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. annual meeting, Okefenokee Fairgrounds and Exchange Club, Waycross, Ga. Call 904-845-7133; visit swpa.ag.

March 14-16—Redwood Region Logging Conference, Redwood Acres Fairground, Eureka, Calif. Call 707-443-4091; visit rrlc.net.

March 15-16—Washington Contract Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Skamania Lodge, Steveson, Wash. Call 800-4220074; visit loggers.com.

March 29-31—Forst Live, Exhibition Center, Offenburg, Germany. Visit forst-live.de.

March 20-22—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. National Conference & Expo, Hyatt Regency Savannah, Savannah, Ga. Call 412-244-0440; visit hmamembers.org.

Relief is coming to the wood supply chain, as shown in this April 1 article from an unnamed publication, as local school districts pitch in on April Fool’s Day to help alleviate log hauling concerns.

April 3-5—Intermountain Logging Conference, Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center, Spokane Valley, Wash.

Call 208-245-3425; visit intermountainlogging.org.

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April 2-4—Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

April 23-25—American Forest Resource Council annual meeting, Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Wash. Call 503-2229505; visit amforest.org.

April 24-26—Olympic Logging Conference, Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC, Canada. Call 360-202-7014; visit olcnw.com.

April 25-26—Michigan Assn. Of Timbermen annual meeting, Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, Mich. Call 906293-3236; visit timbermen.org.

April 26-27—Loggers Plus Expo, Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Bloomsburg, Pa. Call 315-369-3078; visit northernlogger. com.

April 26-27—Associated Logging Contractors annual meeting, Best Western Lodge at River’s Edge, Orofino, Idaho.

Call 800-632-8743; visit idahologgers.com.

April 30-May 3—Virginia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, Norfolk, Va. Call 804-2788733; visit vaforestry.org.

May 3-4—Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, near Laurinburg, NC. Call 919-271-9050; visit malbexpo.com.

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