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Florida’s Byrd Rose To Top Of Logging Ranks, Leaves Legacy Of ‘Faith, Family, Forestry’

Twead “Jack” Byrd, longtime CEO of highly respected logging and trucking businesses operating as T.W. Byrd’s based in Branford, Fla., died January 18. He was 80.

Byrd, a lifelong resident of nearby Mayo, owned and operated the business along with his brothers, JW, Earl and Paul, with numerous other family members working in the trade. The business was honored multiple times by state and national organizations, including being named National Outstanding Logger twice by the Forest Resources Assn.

The sons worked for their father, T.W., in logging and farming, and when he died in the mid 1970s the operation had one logging crew. The sons decided to expand the logging side, and became a massive producer, growing it to as many as 12 crews, while running a large fleet of trucks.

Byrd was passionate not only for the logging industry but also agriculture. He believed that hard work would get you anywhere.He lived by three simple words, “Faith, Family, and Forestry.”

Byrd was a member of Hatchbend Apostolic Church. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patricia Byrd; sons: Jack Everette Byrd (Jerri) and Jerry Brian Byrd (Shanna); sisters Ethel Jackson, Joyce Byrd, Joann Bass (Craig), Susan Warren

(Rudy) and Benita Byrd (Daryl Sandlin); brothers J.W. Byrd (Delania), Earl Byrd (Karen) and Paul Byrd (Sandy Touchton); eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sons Jason Byrd and Patrick Byrd.

Services were held at First Baptist Church in Branford. Private family burial was planned in Hatchbend Apostolic Church Cemetery.

“Jack Byrd will be deeply missed but we are so fortunate for the legacy in logging and agriculture he has left,” the family said in a statement.

RoyOMartin Goes Back 100 Years, Celebrates Century Of Successes

RoyOMartin is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Roy O. Martin Lumber Co., which was legally organized and incorporated in Alexandria, La. in 1923. Led by Indiana native Roy O. Martin, Sr., the company was born after the entrepreneur’s purchase of an older sawmill and began without a single acre of land. Today, the trade name