WOMEN IN FORESTRY

Women in Forestry Loving logging

Juliette Allen pictured with husband Mike and sons Patrick (left) and Jimmy.

Story: Kim Godfrey

GROWING UP ON A SHEEP AND BEEF

farm in the Wairarapa, Allen Logging’s Juliette Allen didn’t ever imagine she’d end up with a logging business. But when husband Mike had the opportunity to start a crew, it was too good to pass up.

When they met at a barbeque over 10 years ago, the pair hit it off instantly.

“We met through a mutual friend who I had studied with at uni while we were at a barbeque in Cambridge,” says Juliette, who holds an Agricultural Finance degree from Massey University.

Mike was working for Skyline Harvesting in Whakatane at the time, with a few years of forestry experience under his belt, but neither Juliette nor Mike come from a logging background.

“Mike started out as a motorbike mechanic, then went into building forestry roads. Then his mate, Will Marshall, told him to come over to Whakatane to work in forestry, so that’s what he did,” she says.

Meanwhile, Juliette was working in Rural Banking since graduating, giving her a good foundation for understanding finance.

When the couple got married and started thinking about having kids of their own, they relocated back to the Wairarapa to be closer to extended family.

“We looked at options to expand the family farm, but missed out on the adjoining property,” says Juliette.

Opportunity knocks

“Mike started working for Guy Farman from Farman Turkington Forestry in a small wood lot crew. Then we started to think more about going out on our own, if the right opportunity came along,” she adds.

“Guy was a really helpful mentor, showing us how things worked. When a gap opened up for them to have another crew, we approached them to do it.”

The couple’s first machine was a Sumitomo: “I was pretty nervous, given the Sumi’s value is basically the same as a house.”

They then acquired an old bulldozer, which Mike fixed up himself, adding a winch to it.

Juliette says their backgrounds outside of logging have been valuable within the business.

“Mike’s mechanic background has been really useful in terms of our repair and maintenance, while when it came to seeking

finance, I had been banking for 12 years so I knew how to put together a proposal to get our finance over the line,” she says.

“In my last four years in the bank I looked after high-risk customers, which really helped with managing risk.”

Juliette also gives credit to their accountants at Blackburne Group – Mark Blackburne and Craig Munro.

“Mark Blackburne didn’t know me from a bar of soap, but he gave me heaps of information over the phone and email. That support was pretty invaluable,” she says.

“For the past couple of years Craig has looked after us, and he’s been awesome too.”

Allen Logging currently has four staff including Mike, and they’re working to become more mechanised, allowing them to adapt to different terrains and block sizes.

Juliette says having a small, agile team where everyone knows how to operate everything has been good for continuity.

“All of our guys know how to do all jobs on our sites. That way, there’s not too much of a difference if one man is out,” she says.

As well as doing the books for Allen Mike Allen (left) with the rest of the four-man Allen Logging woodlot crew.

Logging, Juliette has gone back to her roots, leasing a block of land to graze sheep and cows which she juggles with raising their two young boys, Jimmy (aged 4) and Patrick (aged 2).

Not one to sit around, when she was on maternity leave, she also found the time to get out to the bush.

“I was on maternity leave and worked as a Quality Controller a couple of days a week,” she says.

“It was a really useful experience. I got to walk the blocks with Mike to understand the harvesting plan, and got to know the guys better too.”

Juliette is loving logging and sees the opportunities it provides.

“It’s a really good industry that is so underrated in terms of how people can build a business from it,” she says.

“It can be a good cashflow industry if you have timing on your side and don’t over-invest. We’re working hard and making the most of the opportunity, to build the lifestyle we want.”

“We don’t see ourselves in the industry forever, but it’s helping us to achieve our goals and learn along the way.”

A member of the Women in Forestry Board, Juliette says attending last year’s Conference solidified this thinking for her.

“I feel like we’re pretty small-time with our little wood lot crew, but the model we have works for us,” she says.

“Hearing some of the stories and challenges at the conference confirmed to me that I am happy with staying small. We want to make hay while the sun is shining but also adapt when we need to.” NZL Juliette Allen is a Board member of Women in Forestry, a grassroots network of female business-owners in the New Zealand forestry industry. Representing a range of contracting companies, members are often under immense pressure running their businesses, and this informal network provides support, knowledgesharing and networking opportunities.

To learn more visit: www.womeninforestry.com

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Clockwiswe from top left:

1: In 2021 the Allen Logging crew was working at this Wairarapa woodlot site, about 10 minutes outside of Martinborough. 2: Allen Logging runs a Sumi 240 loader, Sumi 300 with Satco processor head, Tigercat 620 skidder and a CAT D6H bulldozer. 3: Juliette and Mike met in 2010 at a Barbeque. 4: The terrain in Wairarapa can be quite diverse and the small crew is able to adapt for each job .

CALL FOR MORE WOMEN IN THE TRADES

IN LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

last month, work-based learning organisation Competenz is calling for more women to enter the trades and for industry to redress the gender imbalance and pay inequity.

While there has been a gradual shift with more women taking on a trade apprenticeship or training, it’s a slow burn and only 12% of trade jobs across all industries in New Zealand are held by women, says Competenz.

Competenz General Manager Employer and Learner Support, Toni Christie, says women are still significantly under-represented in the trades, and that there are several barriers still in place for women who want to embark on a trade career.

“I believe the biggest barrier is the opinion held by many that the trades are for men and the lack of knowledge about the opportunities that exist within trades for women. There is a real opportunity for more employers to be willing to create suitable working environments for women, as often women feel they must adapt to the male-dominated culture that exists in a business,” says Toni.

“When I started my career 28 years ago, I worked at a large oil company, which was a predominately male-dominated industry. I was a business advisor to the independent service stations, a role historically not held by a woman. I came up against a huge amount of resistance from the service station owners who felt uneasy about a woman holding the role. As a consequence, I felt I had to continually prove to myself and to the customers, that I could excel. In the end I was successful and believe it contributed to paving the way for more women to take on these traditional 'male' roles.”

“With hard work and determination, I had to overcome barriers I felt simply should not have existed,” she adds.

Ms Christie says Competenz promotes workbased training for 37 sectors including forestry, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. She says female participation in training is slightly higher in these sectors.

“Currently women make up 14% of apprentices and trainees across the sectors we promote – above the national average of 12%. While the employers we work with are training more women in trades, we have an enormous amount of work to do to encourage more females into a rewarding trades career.

Jadzia Pyne is halfway through her Fitting and Machining engineering apprenticeship working at Auckland University’s machining workshop. She is the only woman at her workplace.

“Engineering is traditionally a maledominated industry and while my workplace is very professional and respectful of me as the only female, I do often experience discrimination from visitors at work. It could be weird looks from visitors who are surprised to see a woman on the tools, or assumptions that I work in the office,” she says.

“I was the only woman in my engineering class at school and now the only one in my workplace where I’m training. It can be challenging when there aren’t any other women around to support you but I see myself as someone carving out a path for other women to join me and pursue a trade,” she says.

International Women’s Day also focussed its lens on gender pay inequity, which in New Zealand still sits at 9.1%, according to Statistics New Zealand 2021.

“It saddens me a gender pay gap still exists. Historically factors such as education and industries that men and woman work in drove the gap, however today I feel it is much more complex with conscious and unconscious bias at play. I think the solution is complex and addressing the gap requires sustained action over time, including changing societal attitudes and beliefs about woman and men, and work,” says Toni.

“Attracting more women into the trades is essential to address the skills and labour shortage, and there is great opportunity for building great careers in these industries.

“Educating women on the opportunities is the first step. I have had many conversations with business owners who say women’s attention to detail is outstanding and they have a hugely positive impact on workplace culture.

“I have always held the opinion that ‘women can do anything’ and have never been one to shy away from roles or situations which went against this thinking. International Women's Day is a celebration of creating a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive and that is exactly what we have to do for woman in trades!” NZL