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Vol. 45, No. 10
(Founded in 1972—Our 529th Consecutive Issue)
F E AT U R E S
October 2016 A Hatton-Brown Publication
Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525 www.southernloggintimes.com
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Millwood Brothers Early Chipping Convert
Lewis Logging Tennessee Vols Fan
Co-Publisher Co-Publisher Chief Operating Officer Executive Editor Editor-in-Chief Western Editor Managing Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Art Director Ad Production Coordinator Circulation Director Marketing/Media
David H. Ramsey David (DK) Knight Dianne C. Sullivan David (DK) Knight Rich Donnell Dan Shell David Abbott Jessica Johnson Jay Donnell Cindy Segrest Patti Campbell Rhonda Thomas Jordan Anderson
ADVERTISING CONTACTS
out front:
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DISPLAY SALES
Georgia’s Charlie Dopson and his nephew Timmy started their company 10 years ago. Today, they have three crews, including one focused on swamp logging far from home, staying on the road three nights a week to get some higher-value hardwood. Story begins on Page 8. (David Abbott photo)
Truckworx Alabama Kenworth Dealer
D E PA RT M E N T S Southern Stumpin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Industry News Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 At The Margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Machine-Supplies-Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 ForesTree Equipment Trader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Safety Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Coming Events/Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Eastern U.S. Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons Tel: 905-666-0258 • Fax: 905-666-0778 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 Fax: +34 96 640 4022 Aldea de las Cuevas 66 Buzon 60 • 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Bridget DeVane
Tel: 1-800-669-5613 • Tel 334-699-7837 Email: bdevane7@hotmail.com
Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue. All nonqualified U.S. subscriptions are $65 annually; $75 in Canada; $120 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries—TOLLFREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.southernloggintimes.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Southern Loggin’ Times magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Southern Loggin’ Times. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2016. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed In USA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Southern Loggin’ Times, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419 Member Verified Audit Circulation
Other Hatton-Brown publications: ★ Timber Processing ★ Timber Harvesting ★Panel World ★ Power Equipment Trade ★ Wood Bioenergy
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SOUTHERN STUMPIN’ By David Abbott • Managing Editor • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: david@hattonbrown.com
Legends Of The Fall t’s the most wonderful time of the year. You just read that with the tune of the song in your head, I hope (if not, go back and do so, right now). It is the most wonderful time of the year, for me and no doubt for a lot of you. I’m not talking about Christmas; Christmas is great and all but unlike Wal-Mart I firmly believe in not starting Christmas until after Thanksgiving. No, silly, the most wonderful time of the year is FOOTBALL SEASON, of course. And, technically, it is finally the autumn season as I write this, despite that it feels more like the middle of July. I was at a football game in Tuscaloosa on the first Saturday of fall and I swear people there were on the verge of heat strokes. Still, temperatures aside, it is October now, and along with the heart of the college football season, that brings with it a few other things. For many, pumpkin spice flavored everything (no thank you). For me, it means the return of The Walking Dead in a few weeks (who did Negan kill? If it’s Daryl we riot). And, of course, for those of us with young kids, or those of us still very much in touch with our own inner child, October also brings us the Halloween season. I enjoy Halloween...not as much as some people, but it can be fun to watch the occasional scary movie, or “spook show” as my dad says. My favorite is Disney’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow...I love Ichabod Crane’s race through the woods with the Headless Horseman. In the spirit of the spooky season, I thought it might be interesting to revisit a topic tackled in the October 1994 issue of Timber Harvesting, SLT’S generally more mature big brother magazine. In that column, SLT co-publisher DK Knight wrote about superstitions in the logging business. For instance, evidently a lot of loggers used to believe it was bad luck to start on a new timber tract on a Friday, in some cases going to extreme measures to avoid it. So I posted a question on our various social media platforms and Facebook pages asking if any of our readers would tell me about any superstitions they may have today. Turns out, they may have a superstition about answering that question. Not a single lonely soul responded, and we usually get a lot of replies to such queries. Of course there is one superstition we don’t like to mention around here. Some loggers actually believe in the SLT curse—the nonsense idea that if you appear on the cover of this magazine bad luck will follow. Of course I can debunk that baseless myth simply by pointing to all the peo-
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ple who have been in our magazine multiple times over the years whose businesses just keep growing, such as Jack McFarland in Louisiana, or Russell Stites in Mississippi. Knock on wood. Jack, Russell…please don’t go out of business before this sees print.
Ghost Stories Probably my favorite Halloween memory was a party my family had at the home of my aunt Cindy and uncle Jeff when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. Jeff was a great storyteller, and sitting around the backyard bonfire he told us many tall tales that night, such as the saga of the Hairy Toe, and the legend of the severed Hand that crawled out of the grave seeking revenge (the main thing I recall about that one was that the hand jumped out of a fireplace burned up “like a grilled cheese sandwich”). Who doesn’t love a good campfire ghost story? It’s even more fun when some of your listeners actually believe it’s true. My sister is firmly convinced that if you drive to a certain spot in Alabama, a phantom 13th bridge will magically appear. A lot of people in various places tell of roads where a car will roll backwards uphill on its own. There are stories all over the country and in all cultures about weeping women in white seeking out their drowned children by a stream in the woods, or handprints appearing on windshields on a railroad track where a school bus full of children once had a fatal crash. Nonsense, poppycock and hogwash, I say, but it’s all in good fun. One old story loggers used to tell is of creatures they called Hide Behinds. These are small leprechauns, gnomes or gremlins that hide behind big trees and cause mischief by stealing small items or simply watching people work, giving loggers that chilling feeling that they’re being watched. Others attribute to these unseen creatures a more sinister nature, insisting that they will spirit you away if they catch you in the woods at night…they say the hoot of an owl is a warning to the presence of a Hide Behind.
Carolina Clowns If you haven’t heard, there’s apparently an epidemic sweeping the nation: people dressing like clowns, trying to creep folks out. Allegedly, clowns have been sited trying to lure children into the woods in several towns in both South and North Carolina.
It started in Greenville, SC on August 19, when both children and adults began reporting multiple sightings of clowns wandering the Fleetwood Manor Apartment Complex there. Supposedly, some of the costumed individuals offered children money to entice them to come closer. Then, on Sunday, September 4, in WinstonSalem, NC, some 180 miles northeast of Greenville, children reported that a clown offered them treats to follow him into the woods. Hours later, police responded to a similar report a mile and a half away from the first incident, but found nothing. Two days later, on Tuesday, September 6, residents reported seeing an individual in a clown costume emerge from the woods near an apartment complex in Greensboro, NC. The second witness actually chased the clown back into the woods while brandishing a machete. Again, police investigated but have thus far found no trace of the mysterious clowns. In all there have been about a half-dozen reported clown sightings in the three locations, but no police confirmation thus far. Since those early Carolina sightings, the clowns have spread, or at least the rumor has. I heard a 10-year-old kid was arrested in Montgomery recently for, I guess, dressing like a clown. A friend of mine, a forester in Georgia, said a clown was at her local Wal-Mart harassing people lately. And my nephew’s school in Wetumpka supposedly had someone make clown-related threats. It’s important to remember that, as far as I know, no one has actually been attacked by these clowns. Most likely there are just pranksters trying to spook people for fun, but since the police have been unable to verify the reports, one might ask if it’s a hoax and the reports themselves are pranks. Others have speculated that the incidents may be part of a marketing campaign for an upcoming horror movie. Speaking of horror, genre master Stephen King, whose novel “IT” featured a murderous monster who lured child victims in the guise of Pennywise the Clown, has commented on the Carolina clowns in the woods. Contacted for his thoughts by his hometown newspaper, the Bangor Daily News, King admitted that if he saw the clowns, he’d be scared, too. Still, if you’re working in the woods and you run into anyone dressed like Bozo, Ronald McDonald or the Joker, and they act threatening or aggressive, just remember: chain saws still SLT have their uses…
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The Dopsons big swamp crew works on the road, sometimes as much as 300 miles from home.
Going The Distance ■ Family team Charlie and Timmy Dopson spread out three crews from the swamps to the hills. By David Abbott McRAE, GA. hey’re not brothers, but they might as well be. Charlie Dopson, 43, has for a partner his nephew ★ Timmy Dopson, 33. Charlie was his parents’ youngest child and Timmy was their oldest grandchild, just 10 years behind his uncle. Since the grandparents raised Timmy, they grew up more like brothers than anything else. The partners run three crews together under the banner of Dopson Timber LLC. Charlie grew up in the woods. "I've been doing it almost since I could walk," he says. It runs in the family. His grandfather did it almost a century ago, and his dad, John Edward (J.E.) and uncle Clyde ran J.E. Dopson and Sons, in which both Charlie and later Timmy worked. "When daddy and Clyde passed away, we kept it going for a while, but eventually my uncle's family and us, we went our separate ways," Charlie says, noting that the division was natural, devoid of animosity or hard feelings. He started the new company with Timmy in 2006. There have been changes, the third generation logger admits. A lot of it is driven by technological advancements. "It is so much easier now than
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it was when I was growing up with my dad," Charlie says. "He had five guys on the ground with a chain saw, and we have none. We don't even get a chain saw out anymore." Another change: when their elders were in the business, Timmy says, his grandfather and great-uncle would cut anything from a cow pen to a million dollar tract. Since Charlie and Timmy have been on their own, though, they have always focused their operations on swamp logging for big grade hardwood. Only in recent years have they added a pine thinning component, at the request of Beasley Forest Products in Hazlehurst. The Dopsons already worked
for Beasley and haul primarily to that mill, and they had some extra equipment sitting parked, so it made sense. Still, swamp logging is their bread and butter.
Atypical Tract Timmy runs the biggest and oldest crew, a dedicated swamp job. Charlie supervises both the second crew, a mixed job working both swamps and hills, and the third crew, the pine job. He also handles most of the administrative side of the business. Charlie’s crews both work within 50 miles of home. Timmy’s big hardwood swamp crew, meanwhile, works
Charlie, left, and Timmy Dopson, right
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long-distance. When Southern Loggin’ Times caught up with them in mid-September, they were working in Newton, not far from the Alabama line—130 miles from home. They have worked as much as 300 miles from home. Why does this crew work so far from home? “We are a core supplier for Beasley Forest Products in Hazlehurst,” Timmy explains. “We cut bigger tracts with better grade timber. This is a big operation, and this allows me to set us up in one place and not have to move so often.” The big crew has been on its current tract, known as Hell Gate Swamp, for six months. Still, those swamps aren’t always so swampy. In September, for instance, Hell Gate Swamp lived up to its name, but in the wrong way. Thanks to high temperatures, the bottom land was as dry as a dust bowl. A recent storm system had promised nine inches of rain, but delivered only two, not nearly enough to keep pace with the evaporation caused by the late summer heat. Instead of the predicted rainfall, the storm blew up a swarm of love bugs. The amorous insects filled the air as much as the dust kicked up by the crew’s Tigercat machines. “This is not our normal kind of terrain,” Timmy stressed. Because of the distance, the crew stays gone from home Monday
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morning through Thursday night, working four days on and three days off to make up for it. Since they usually work within a 60-mile radius of Albany, Dopson Timber keeps a pair of three-bedroom apartments rented there, enough to comfortably house all the employees on the crew. They’ve tried hotels in the past but the apartments ended up being cheaper since it is long-term. The company also pays the men a per diem for food while they are working out of town. The company has also found it useful to pay the men on this crew a higher per ton wage as an incentive. After all, Timmy points out, why would anyone agree to work out of town half the week if they can make the same money and be at home every night? The other crews are on a production bonus system.
Manpower There is more to finding quality employees than just offering higher pay, and Timmy notes that as managers he and Charlie have done a lot to get the kind of crews they needed. “You can take anybody and cut pine on a dry hill, and a mistake is not the end of the world,” Timmy notes. Working in a swamp, he says, is a different story, especially if an operator doesn’t know what he’s doing. A simple mistake can leave a track machine under water; he’s had it happen. Fortunately, he says, for his crew, mistakes are few and far between. “These guys are experienced in this kind of work.” The Dopsons praise their employees as top notch. “Everyone says they have a great crew, but we really do,” Timmy says. If either of the partners need to be off the job site, or take a vacation, they can trust that the team members on each crew will take care of business in their absence. Employees on the swamp crew are Daniel Roberts, Billy Roberson, Hector Zarraga, Pablo Zarraga, Pedro Zarraga, Kurt Hobbs, Brian Hullett and Henry (Pine Cone) Brown. Brown’s nickname is such because his father, foreman of the pine crew, is nicknamed Piney Wood. The team on the mix crew includes foreman Jerome Wooten, Ralph Foskey, Waymon Jones and Charles Tukes. Tukes has been with the family on and off for 40 years, as did two of his brothers. Truck drivers are Stephen Dopson (a cousin), Dennis Roberson (Charlie’s father-in-law), and Andy Ryals. The pine crew is foreman Allan (Piney Wood) Brown, Bud Gibson, and Iva Lord. The crews conduct safety meetings every two weeks. The company hasn’t had any claims in years, except for last year, when they had two minor claims in the same week. Workers’ comp and trucking insurance is through USI Insurance Serv-
Shovel machine usually loads the clam bunk in wetter conditions, but this fall the Hell Gate swamp was just hot and dry.
Fully loaded, the clam bunk is a beast.
The Dopsons prefer Tigercat machines due in part to strong relationships with salespeople at Tidewater.
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ices, Savannah, writing for FCCI Insurance Group. Equipment coverage is split between EPG Insurance and Stamps-Walker Agency in McRae.
Crews The swamp crew is also known as the Beasley hardwood crew, because it hauls to and cuts for Beasley Forest Products. It features two Tigercat 860 shovel machines, 2005 and 2007 models; 2016 Tigercat 860C track cutter; two ’15 Tigercat 250D Tigercat loaders and a ’05 Tigercat 250; ’14 Tigercat 635E bogie skidder, ’02 Tigercat C640 clam bunk and ’10 Tigercat 630D skidder. A Caterpillar D6R dozer rounds out the lineup, and three Army trucks pull set out trailers. The mixed crew, which cuts for Triple Oak Land and Timber, features a ’13 Tigercat 234 loader, ’07 Tigercat 845C track cutter, ’15 Tigercat 630E skidder, and ’10 John Deere 2054 shovel machine. Finally, the pine crew, which also cuts for Beasley, has a ’10 Tigercat 234 loader, ’09 Tigercat 720E cutter, and ’12 Cat 545C skidder. Demonstrating that brand loyalty often comes down to relationships with people, the Dopsons’ partiality to Tigercat machines reflects the friendships that have formed between the loggers and their Tidewater Equipment reps. They buy mainly from salesman Jimmy Watkins and branch manager Brad Crews at Tidewater in Hazlehurst, but also turn to the Thomasville branch often for service and parts. Timmy cites strong friendships with service manager Leonard Faircloth and branch manager Charles Wright at Thomasville. For Caterpillar machines, the Dopsons deal with salesman Kevin Simmons at Yancey Bros. in Waycross, and for their John Deere needs, they look to salesman Jeremy Register at Flint Equipment in Macon. Timmy figures the total equipment investment is upwards of $7 million. A spare ’05 Tigercat 726D wheeled cutter floats as needed among the three crews. All three crews run delimbers and grapple saws from R Squared Solutions. Roger Faircloth, owner of R Squared, is a good friend to the Dopsons, and builds his products from his headquarters in Bainbridge, Ga. “He worked for Tigercat originally and built bucket saws in his garage,” Timmy says. “Now he has a fullfledged delimber manufacturing plant.” To keep all the equipment in working order, Dopson Timber employs a full-time mechanic, Jerry Williamson, who has been with the company for 40 years. Anything not under warranty goes back to the company shop in Jacksonville or, in some cases, to Bruce Adams at Adams Equipment 10
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Army trucks move set out trailers for pick up by Beasley Forest Products trucks.
Swamp crew, left to right: Jimmy Watkins (Tidewater salesman), Timmy Dopson, Hector Zarraga, Padro Zarraga, Curt Hobbs, Billy Roberson, Pablo Zarraga, Daniel Roberts (standing at door), Henry (Pine Cone) Brown, Brian Hulett
Repair in Broxton. The crew performs minor repairs and routine maintenance in the woods. Engine oil gets changed every 250 hours, and every machine undergoes a complete servicing every 500 hours. Dopson buys Cam 2 hydraulic fluid, Certified DEF, Delo motor oil and bar and chain oil from Murray Oil Sales, Inc. in Surrency, Ga. The company buys Firestone tires from salesman Steven Dixon at GCR Tires in Waycross. “They’ve been very good to us,” Timmy reports. “We are 120 miles from GCR here (on the Hell Gate tract), and he came over here yesterday and changed a tire for us.” He adds that good warranty and service inspire their loyalty to Firestone. They run size 35.5 on the bogie skidder with 24.5 outside duals, 28 inside/23.1 outside on the clambunk, and 30.5 inside/24.5 outside on the other skidders. They stick with Berco tracks on the tracked cutters and shovels.
Hauling
Mixed Crew: Michael Reeves (Triple Oak forester), Jerome Wooten, truck driver Steve Dopson, Wayman Jones, Charles Tukes, Charlie Dopson, Ralph Foskey
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The Dopsons own three trucks: two Kenworth W900s (’14 and ’02 models) and ’00 Mack. All three trucks haul production for the mixed crew, pulling Pitts and Big John plantation trailers and a shop-built four bolster. They also move equipment for all the crews, pulling a Pitts lowboy. Loaders are mounted on Pitts trailers, including one on the Pitts Crawler suspension. The other two crews load set out trailers owned by Beasley Forest Products, which sends its own trucks to pick up the loads. “I deal
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with Mark Joiner at Beasley logistics,” Timmy says. “He supplies the trucks, and they use their own drivers.” Dopson loads set out trailers away from the ramp, and Beasley’s trucks pick the trailers up and drop off empty ones. Timmy says they average 29 tons per load. “We weigh every load, and Beasley has light weight trucks and trailers so they can haul legally a 29-ton load,” he says. The crews use Accu Weigh Systems platform scales, built in Hazlehurst, Ga.
Working only Mondays through Thursdays, the swamp crew hauls 85-100 loads a week, and sometimes as many as 115 loads. The mix crew and the pine crew both average 50 loads a week. The swamp crew hauls hardwood logs to Beasley in Hazlehurst and hardwood pulpwood to GeorgiaPacific in Cedar Springs. The mixed crew also hauls to Beasley as well as to Georgia Biomass in Waycross, Norbord in Cordele, Southern Veneer Products in Fitzgerald, Gilman Build-
ing Products in Fitzgerald, Rayonier Inc. in Offerman (Patterson) and Eastman and Gulf South Pole and Timber Co. in Sycamore. The pine crew hauls to Suncoast Bedding in Fitzgerald and Telfair Forest Products, LLC in Lumber City, as well as to Southern Veneer and Gilman. Beasley foresters Tray Stephens and Scooter Hurley keep the two Beasley crews busy. Michael Reeves at Triple Oak and Mike Kicklighter, procurement forester at Southern Veener, buy timber for the mixed
crew. Markets are fair, the Dopsons report. The big swamp crew is a core supplier to Beasley so it has no problem with quota. The mixed crew is so diversified that it can always haul somewhere. The pine crew does well enough, though with only two products, pine pulpwood and chip-n-saw, quota does sometimes restrict its production.
Out Of The Woods In early September, Timmy took a Monday off of his day job to speak to a college class about his profession. Coastal Pines Technical College in Waycross offers the class, called Timber Harvesting Operations, to high school juniors and seniors at Jeff Davis County High School for area juniors and seniors, who earn college credit hours. Beasley provides the instructor, Ashley Tyree, a procurement manager at Beasley. Georgia state representative Chad Nimmer, himself a forester who runs logging crews under Pierce Timber Co. in Blackshear, supported the development of this class to teach young people about the business. “By the time it is done they will learn all the daily functions of logging operation: how to run equipment, grade timber, all about the scale house,” Timmy says. The Dopsons work hard, but they also know how to keep their time balanced with priorities at home. Charlie and his wife Belinda have three kids: Ryan, Jarrett and Lila. “If Charlie isn’t working he is at a ballfield with one of his kids,” Timmy says. “They are big into sports, especially baseball.” Belinda also does all the paperwork for the company. For his part, Timmy has a fiancée, Tammie Hartley. His main hobby is bird hunting, and he and Tammy take vacations sometimes to go on bird hunts in other states. He’s even gone as far as South America, twice, where he says in his first two hours he fired 1,000 shells and killed 468 birds, on his first trip. Charlie is reluctant to accept much credit for the company's success. "I don't think I'm some kind of a great businessman," he stresses. "It is nothing I have done. I know how to log, and I have been blessed. The good Lord has blessed me, and I have to give Him the credit." Charlie and Timmy are possessed of no great desire to grow the business any further at this time, they report. “We’ve got about all we can look after,” Timmy says. “We run collectively 200 loads a week. That’s a good bit to look after for SLT two people.” Contact Dopson Timber by email: TimmyDopson1983@gmail.com
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Chipping Away ■ Millwood Brothers Logging carries on a 40 plus year family tradition of chipping.
Millwood Brothers Logging moved from clean chips to fuel chips a few years ago.
By Jay Donnell FORSYTH, Ga. n 1974, Millwood ★ Brothers Logging became possibly the first logging operation in the South to convert to whole tree chipping. The late Stooge Millwood saw a chipper working on a power line right-ofway and became interested in the idea. The company was soon chipping for Georgia Kraft Co. with a Morbark unit. They’ve been chip-
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ping ever since. Today, Stooge’s son, Steve Millwood, 55, and Steve’s sons, Kyle, 33, and Bo, 32, run the business. Steve has been working for the company full-time since 1978 and has been a part owner since the ’80s. Kyle and Bo started in 2002 and 2010, respectively. They are now part owners. The business used to consist of a logging crew and a clean chipping crew since the late ’80s. In March of 2013 they decided to go strictly to fuel chipping. “What we were getting
paid for the clean chips wasn’t keeping up with the costs to do it,” Steve explains. “I had a grinder for five years, but it’s all fuel chips now.” Although Millwood Brothers Logging (MBL) has recently been on quota, they expect to be back to full strength soon. When Southern Loggin’ Times visited MBL, they were chipping on a 100-acre tract. The tract was on pretty flat terrain, but sometimes MBL will cut in hilly areas. “A tract needs to be 50-60 acres in order for it to be worth cutting on,” Steve says. “If a
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tract is really close to home we can cut on 30-40 acres if necessary.” On this tract, a logging crew will come in after MBL is done chipping and cut out the bigger timber. MBL was strictly cutting the fuel wood. This particular tract was only 20 miles from MBL’s main market, Graphic Packaging in Macon, Ga. MBL cuts strictly on private land. “Sometimes we’ll clear-cut the tracts and they’ll plant them back,” Steve explains. “A lot of what we cut is where folks have cut it 15-20 years ago and didn’t plant it back
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From left, Truitt Pitts, Steve Millwood, Bo Harris, Kyle Millwood, Steven Hill and Reese Brunson
The crew can haul as many as 100 loads of chips weekly.
and they want to plant it back now. It’s pretty clean when we get through.” The company starts chipping every morning by 7 a.m. and trucks come rolling in long before that. Steve usually gets to the jobsite at 6:30 a.m. while Bo and Kyle are not far behind. They shut down the operation anywhere from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day. MBL usually doesn’t work on Saturdays unless they weren’t able to work all five days during the week. MBL cuts before Charles Hill and Hill Logging on
MBL typically works in stands heavier to hardwood than pine.
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The crew runs mostly Tigercat machines, purchased from Tidewater’s Thomasville branch.
many occasions. Chuck Allen of Twin Rivers Land and Timber Co. buys a lot of stumpage that the company cuts. When MBL is leaving a tract they have to make sure to leave it as clean as possible. “Depending on the landowner we have to keep the tract looking a certain way,” Steve explains. “A lot of times I won’t have to put in water bars and things like that because a logging crew is coming in behind me to get what’s left.” Steve estimates that his business cuts more hardwood than pine and on the tract Southern Loggin’ Times visited there were many different types of hardwood as well as some pine. The company hauls nearly all of its fuel wood to Graphic Packaging but occasionally they will haul to Weyerhaeuser in Oglethorpe. “When we started three years ago we were hauling 100 plus loads a week every week,” Steve says. “A lot of loggers have the smaller chippers now and they’re grinding up the tops and stuff. There’s a heap of them and it’s spread out a lot more now.”
Equipment/Employees
The company first invested in chipping in 1974, under the guidance of Steve’s father Stooge Millwood.
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MBL uses a 2015 50/48 Morbark whole tree drum chipper with Morbark’s Advantage 3 drum configuration. The infeed opening is 52 in. x 45 in. and consists of one top compression feed roll with internal drive and a live floor equipped with four strands of WDH-120 chain in a staggered configuration. The Morbark Integrated Control System monitors hydraulic pressure, temperature, clutch system and engine efficiency to maximize performance. The knife configuration includes 10 chipper knives and 10 counter knives. All knives are Mor-
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bark brand. Knives usually get changed every day. “If the conditions are perfect you might not have to change them,” Steve explains. “Changing them out helps cut down on fuel costs.” A 2014 Tigercat 720 feller-buncher and a 2016 Tigercat 720 fellerbuncher are utilized. The two skidders are 2014 and 2016 Tigercat 620 models. A Tigercat 234B loader feeds the chipper. MBL kept the first Morbark drum chipper they bought for two years and then decided to
replace it with the 2015 model. MBL owns six trucks and has two contract truckers. MBL’s trucks are all newer Macks except for one 2006 International. All of the trucks have automatic transmissions. The company utilizes Peerless chip vans. The Tigercat equipment comes with Firestone tires, but Steve prefers Primex because he says they last longer. When Firestone tires wear out he’ll replace them with Primex tires. Chevron Delo 15w40 has been used by the company for decades.
Charles Wright of Tidewater Equipment in Thomasville is MBL’s main equipment dealer. MBL has a shop in Forsyth, but most equipment gets fixed in the woods, or they’ll take the equipment to Tidewater. “They’re very reliable,” Steve says. “We’ve worked with them for many years.” Steve takes care of all the road building and also sharpens knives daily. Kyle runs the chipper while Bo runs one of the two cutters. Truitt Pitts runs the other cutter, Steven
Hill runs a skidder and Reese Brunson runs another skidder. Steve hired the first new truck driver he’s hired in eight years recently so the business has been lucky in that regard. Drivers are paid weekly. Steve reports they have not had any major trucking accidents in many years. Employees get two weeks paid vacation and they get time off if they’re sick or have a family emergency. The business used to provide health insurance, but costs have continued to skyrocket so now they no longer provide it. MBL also doesn’t work on any major holidays. Payton Neely of Commercial Insurance handles all of the insurance for the business. Carol Millwood, Steve’s mother, does most of the bookkeeping while Charles Millwood, Steve’s uncle, helps out with insurance and other paper work.
Business Management Safety is always the biggest priority for MBL, which is why they use Safety on Site with Darlene McDonald. Steve says his company hasn’t experienced a safety issue in many years. Steve ran a logging crew for the business for many years. He usually ran a loader, but now he builds the roads with a Cat bulldozer. Rain can always be an issue during this time of the year, which is why Steve prefers to clear-cut. “If it really gets to raining bad clear-cutting helps a lot because you can pick a different route every time,” he says. “You don’t have to stay in the same ruts like you would if you were row thinning.” Steve estimates that he has more than $3 million invested in the company right now. MBL has been around for many years and has a great reputation in Georgia, which has helped the company get repeat business. “We’ve had good employees and we’ve stayed on the job,” Steve explains. “I think our reputation helps us out a lot because we’ve been around a long time.” Steve is very happy with his current crew and knows that one day it will just be his sons out there. He hopes they continue to build on the business that his family has relied on for so many years. “I wouldn’t be out here if they weren’t out here,” Steve says with a smile. “This is by far the best crew I’ve ever had.” A lot has changed since MBL first started out. Steve remembers the days when machines didn’t have doors or windshields. One thing remains the same: Millwood Bros. Logging continues to run strong in the state of Georgia. SLT 18
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The Big Orange ■ Lewis Logging has expanded to two crews in South Carolina. By Jay Donnell ★ CHESTER, SC. utch Lewis is a huge Tennessee Volunteers football fan. Expectations are high for the team this season and Lewis hopes that “the big orange” lives up to them. Expectations are even higher for his logging business, but unlike Tennessee football, Lewis has control over what kind of season his logging team has. When Lewis started Lewis Logging in 1984 the first pieces of equipment he purchased were a 170 Franklin feller-buncher and a Prentice loader. Needless to say, he has seen equipment change drastically and costs rise dramatically. “There weren’t any Husqvarna chain saws when I started out,” Lewis remembers. “Those didn’t come out until the late ’70s or early ’80s.”
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Take a guess what team Butch Lewis and wife Martha cheer for on Saturdays in the fall.
Lewis has been almost as loyal to John Deere as he is to the Volunteers.
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Lewis spent a few years working for Fred Irvin Wilks and then joined the Army, spending 31 months in Germany. He was a platoon sergeant in the 7th Calvary. When he returned home in the late ’70s he was able to keep working for Wilks and then decided to go off on his own in 1984. While some loggers struggle to adjust to change, Lewis does so as well as anyone and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep advancing the ball. Today, Lewis has two crews and his business is as healthy as ever in the Palmetto State. His son, Jim, 35, runs one of the crews while he runs the other. Lewis, 59, likes the direction things are heading for his long standing business.
Operations Lewis has only had two crews for a year now. His first crew got too big and he couldn’t find big enough tracts to compensate for it. When they split into two crews the business added a feller-buncher operator and a skidder driver. His son took one of the crews and now runs two skidders, a cutter and a loader. Jim’s crew consists of the younger employees while Butch’s crew has the veteran workers. Lewis Logging’s 10 employees and two crews combine to produce about 150 loads a week on often rough terrain and 90% of that is pine pulpwood. They work on private land exclusively and much of the timber they cut is purchased by Myers Timber Co. of Camden and Milliken Forestry of Columbia. Most of the pulpwood goes to Bowater (Resolute Forest Products) in Catawba and sawlogs to Canfor New South Lumber Co. in Camden. Other mills include IP in Eastover, Beals Hardwood Logs in Newberry and Kapstone in Lugoff. When Southern Loggin’ Times visited one of Lewis’ crews, they were thinning on a 300-acre tract in Richburg. The company was performing a “real estate thin” because that piece of land will be developed for new homes and businesses in Richburg. About 90% of Lewis Logging’s work is first and second thinnings. They have the ability to clear-cut, but most of their jobs don’t call for it. “We’re leaving about 15-20 trees per acre on this tract,” Lewis explains. “It’s all pine pulpwood and pine logs with a little bit of hardwood in there, but they don’t want much hardwood cut.” Myers Timber had purchased this particular tract and they do all the land maintenance when Lewis Logging finishes up. They’ll install water bars if needed and fix up anything else that needs attention. Lewis builds the roads with a bull-
Two crews combine for 150 loads a week on average.
From left, Larael Hall, Jim Lewis (in back), Toisey Coleman, Mike Lewis and Jack Cannon
The crews work mostly in pine pulpwood, first and second thinnings.
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Lewis contracts Randy Baker to handle all hauling.
The company logo is on display.
dozer. He has a great relationship with Myers Timber and communication is a major reason why. Lewis is in constant communication with a Myers’ forester while they are working on a tract. Employees arrive on site at 6 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m. If the company is working on a Saturday the employees will get off at 2 p.m. Workers are granted personal time for sickness and family emergencies. Lewis has not had to deal with any major safety concerns and he understands that safety is always
loggers coming in, but knows that it’s not as easy as it sounds. “I would love to see more young loggers around here,” Lewis says. “But the cost of equipment is so high that it makes things very difficult.” Butch’s wife, Martha, runs countless errands for the business and plays a vital role in getting the little things done that are essential to the day to day operations. Butch’s brother, Mike, has run a fellerbuncher for many years and has always done a great job for the company.
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the number one priority. Employees get a paid week’s vacation once per year and during the Christmas season they get a one week bonus. If they produce more than 130 loads in a week each worker receives a $100 bonus. New employees must fill out a formal application in order to be considered for a position. Advantage Payroll of Charlotte, NC. does all of the payroll work for the business. Lewis has noticed established loggers around Chester getting bigger. He’d like to see more younger
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Equipment Lineup Lewis Logging operates a large fleet of equipment for logging and road building. Recently, Lewis purchased a 2016 John Deere 643L feller-buncher. All of Lewis’ primary equipment is John Deere. Other equipment for crew number one includes a 2014 437D loader, two 2014 748H skidders and a 650 bulldozer. Jim’s crew, crew number two, has newer equipment, including a 2016 437D loader, 2016 643L skidder, 648H skidder, 2015
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643L cutter and a 700 bulldozer. “We were working on some really rough terrain when we got the new L series cutter,” Lewis says. “We found out how well it runs right away.” All of the company’s trucking is contracted to Randy Baker. Lewis and Baker have been working together for 10 years. Lewis owns six 2014 Big John log trailers which Baker’s trucks pull. Lewis used to run his own trucks when he had one small crew, but he quickly grew tired of all the headaches. “The amount of trucks I need is the amount of trucks he (Randy) gives me,” Lewis says. “It’s made things a whole lot easier for me.” Lewis owns two 2007 Kenworths with Big John lowboys that he uses to haul equipment from site to site. He also owns a 1986 Kenworth with an Evans lowboy, four F450 Ford service trucks, a 3500 Dodge service truck and a 2500 Chevrolet crew truck. Lewis’s main equipment dealer is Flint Equipment of Columbia. “About 10 years ago I was running Timberjacks and I bought a 335 JD loader from Flint Equipment and fell in love with it,” he explains. “From that day on I decided not to buy anything but John Deere.” Lee Hope of Flint Equipment has worked with Lewis for many years and he believes Flint has everything a logger needs to be successful. “We have the best financing in the business,” Hope says. “John Deere financial works with the customers and they understand that problems come up in the woods. It’s a partnership from both sides of the fence.” Hope adds, “Our warranty is probably the best in the business. Butch could go work in North Carolina and even though we don’t have a Flint Equipment in that area, a John Deere dealer would work on that machine with no questions asked because of the factory warranty.” Machines are greased starting on Thursdays and that will last into Friday. Lewis will stop one machine at a time at the end of the week as mill inventory goes up and things get slow. Oil is changed once a month and Delo oil is used. Equipment is also pressure washed once a month. Lewis prefers Primex and Alliance tires.
has been a big help to his bottom line and he hopes that will continue. “The fuel being down has helped compensate for the higher priced parts,” he adds. The company has never run a chipper, but Lewis is not ruling it out. That could be a route that Jim Lewis will take once he takes over the business. One promising development that Lewis sees in South Carolina is pellet mills popping up. “We cut a lot of pulpwood in this area and that’s what they want,”
Lewis says. “The more pellet mills that come into our area the better.” Lewis will be 60 in March, but he never plans on retiring. There may come a time when he does not get out to the woods at 6 a.m., but he plans on working as long as he can. Jim Lewis will take over the business one day as long as everything goes as planned. Even though the industry is constantly changing, Lewis’ mindset never changes. Hard work and dedicated employees are the key to run-
ning a successful logging business and Lewis has made sure that his business is committed to performing at a championship level. Lewis is excited about watching his Vols play this fall and he’s also excited about watching his new John Deere machines perform in the woods. On some occasions Lewis sets up a big orange Tennessee tent on the job site where employees and guests can gather to enjoy some ice cold tea and biscuits. That is tailgatSLT ing at its finest.
Perspectives Lewis estimates that he’s invested more than $2 million in equipment while he spends more than $200,000 a year on parts and supplies. Fuel costs being down Southern Loggin’ Times
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TruckWorx Rolls On ■ Birmingham-based Kenworth dealer focuses on growth, customers and building relationships. By Jordan Anderson BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ruckWorx, now in its ★ 38th year, has a significant presence in the logging industry in Alabama and surrounding states. The family-owned company operates seven full-service truck dealerships in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Thomasville, and Dothan, Ala., and another in Jackson, Miss. In addition, TruckWorx runs a body shop in Birmingham and recently opened its first TRP Parts store in nearby Alabaster. Current CEO Bob Mitchell and his father, B.B., founded the business as Kenworth of Birmingham in 1978. Prior to starting the Kenworth franchise in Alabama, B.B. was the branch manager at a Mack dealership in North Carolina. When the opportu-
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TruckWorx President Will Bruser has been with the company since 2004.
TruckWorx’s 100,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Birmingham was built in 2003.
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nity arose for B.B. and Bob to open the Kenworth franchise in Birmingham, they were all in. Bob’s brother Tom came on board in 1979. Tom took on the role of Equipment Sales Manager while Bob became President. After heading the sales team for years, Tom and his wife moved to Huntsville in 2014 to be closer to their children. He continues to provide a strategic leadership role in the company and is now General Manager for the Huntsville branch. Bob remained President until 2013, when he passed on the title to current President Will Bruser. Starting out with nine employees and one dealership, the company has experienced tremendous growth. It now employs about 350. In addition to Kenworth trucks, TruckWorx represents Hino trucks by Toyota, Isuzu trucks, Blue Bird and Microbird buses, and eight heavy duty trailer
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lines, including Pitts, Talbert, Mac, and Fontaine. TruckWorx also recently became a YETI cooler dealer in Alabama and Mississippi.
‘The TruckWorx Way’ The company has worked hard to develop what it calls ‘The TruckWorx Way,’ a philosophy that has turned into its unofficial mission statement: “Do what’s right for the right reasons.” This statement is printed on banners that hang prominently at every location. Also printed on these banners are two words that sum up the company’s values: respect and attitude. The company was renamed TruckWorx in 2012 to avoid confusion among customers and to build its own brand that encompassed all locations and product lines. Prior to the rebrand, each branch took the name of the city it was located in: Kenworth of Birmingham, Kenworth of Dothan, etc. Bruser says, “We’d have customers calling us in Birmingham asking if we knew anyone at the Kenworth dealership in Dothan or Mobile and I’d say, ‘Wait a minute. That’s us!’” The company strives to be very hands-on and relationship-based with its customers, vendors and employees. “I want this to be a company people want to be a part of and a company customers and vendors want to do business with. At the same time, we are very aggressive and we do have high expectations. We want to hire and work with the best people out there. We are all about driving results,” he says.
Equipment Sales, Markets In 2015 total equipment sales volume increased 20% over the previous year and represented about 2,300 units. TruckWorx currently has 27 equipment sales staff across all locations, along with two sales coordinators that work at the Birmingham headquarters. The company’s territory includes all of Alabama, the Florida panhandle, central and southern Mississippi, and western Georgia.
Bruser’s business philosophy has become TruckWorx’ unofficial mission statement.
every year,” Thomasville Branch Manager Chris Gates says. TruckWorx-Montgomery recently sold 15 new Kenworth T880s to Wetumpka, Ala.-based IndusTree Logging.
Leadership
Founder B.B. Mitchell opened Kenworth of Birmingham in 1978.
About 15% of the company’s annual equipment sales are to the forestry industry. The Kenworth T880 and W900L models are the top sellers among logging customers. Glider kits with remanufactured preemission engines are also popular. Although each TruckWorx location works with forestry customers, the logging industry is the main focus at
TruckWorx CEO Bob Mitchell was instrumental in starting the business.
TruckWorx-Thomasville. Over 90% of the company’s total business in Thomasville is geared towards logging customers, with an average of 100 new trucks sold out of this location each year since opening in 2013. “We’re steadily growing every year. We still get people every day that come by and never knew we were here. It’s getting bigger and bigger
Tom Mitchell, Bob’s brother, moved to Huntsville, Ala. in 2014 and became General Manager of the branch there.
Bruser graduated from The University of Alabama in 2002 with a degree in business and marketing and worked for Cowin Equipment Co., also based in Birmingham, in rental sales for his first two years out of college. In 2004 he came to work for the company in medium duty truck sales. In 2006 he and his wife, Tracy, Bob’s youngest daughter, moved to Mobile so he could oversee the construction of the new facility while working as Branch Manager and Sales Manager to improve Kenworth’s market share in south Alabama. After the building was completed in 2008, Bruser moved his family back to Birmingham as Corporate Truck Sales Manager. By 2010 then-President Bob Mitchell had promoted Bruser to Vice President. The two worked together to begin their succession
TruckWorx VP of Operations Mike Levering came on board in 2011.
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Kenworth trucks, manufactured by PACCAR, are currently the second market share leader in North America.
plan, something Bruser says is vital to the company. “With our employees’ families and our families relying on this business’s success for our livelihood, it is important that we plan for the future. We now have an experienced management team in place that understands the value of sharing its knowledge and training future leaders so the company can continue to grow,” he says. “A succession plan is good for everyone—business, customers, employees and vendors.” With growth in mind, Mike Levering was hired in 2011 as Vice President of Operations to focus on day-to-day operations. Mike graduated from Auburn University in operations management and was hired by Texas Instruments to run a manufacturing plant, where he stayed for 11 years. He was then hired by PACCAR in 1999 to help run Kenworth’s truck plant in Seattle, Wash., eventually shifting gears within the company to become National Medium Duty Sales Manager. In 2003, Mike moved back to Alabama to become Kenworth’s Fleet Manager, where he and Bruser met and started “running the roads together,” as Bruser says. “We have worked together to create an environment where the top level of managers in the company are very accessible and approachable,” explains Bruser. “I want to be with our customers, our vendors, and our 30
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TruckWorx built a new facility in Montgomery, Ala. earlier this year, a $6 million investment.
employees. I don’t do business in my office. I come to you so we can talk face-to-face. I ask a lot of questions and I am learning every day.” The corporate management team also includes: Linda Gough, CFO; Aliesha Hayes, Corporate Controller; Michele Beasley, Director of HR; Doug Phillips, Director of IT; Leah Mitchell, Director of Marketing; Richard Williamson, Director of Service; Kyle Stewart, Director of Body Shop; Lisa McCartney, Director of Warranty; Jeff Weaver, Director of Parts; Keith King, Regional Parts Manager; Steve Phillips, Corporate Bus Manager;
Tony Quesenberry, Corporate Finance Manager; Steve Sullivan, Corporate New Heavy Duty Sales Manager; Jamie Bush, Corporate Medium Duty Sales Manager; and Todd Davis, Corporate Trailer/Used Truck Manager. To continuously develop new leaders, TruckWorx started a management training program that introduces equipment sales, parts and service to upcoming managers so they have a more complete knowledge of how they all work together. The company invests heavily in its employees and spends ample time training them properly.
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Some programs include the PACCAR Institute For Managerial Leadership in Seattle, Wash., ATD Dealer Academy in Tysons, Va., and numerous ongoing parts and service training courses. TruckWorx also has training rooms at each dealership that are equipped with 80 in. monitors and cameras so that various training sessions can be broadcast live to all locations.
KW/TruckWorx Today Kenworth trucks are ranked second in market share in the North American trucking industry ➤ 34
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30 ➤ and are manufactured by PACCAR, headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. PACCAR originally acquired the Kenworth brand due to a high demand in the forestry industry of the Pacific Northwest in the 1940s. Kenworth has four plants, with most truck production coming out of Chillicothe, Oh. TruckWorx, once a mainly vocational Kenworth dealer, has increased its focus to include the over-the-road business and has seen a surge in that market over the last seven years. The company is still a strong vocational dealer but expects its fleet business to continue to increase. On July 1 of this year the company launched PacLease, a fullservice truck lease and rental program. “Leasing trucks allows transportation companies to eliminate unpredictable expenses by providing a fixed monthly payment with all maintenance and repair costs included,” Bruser notes. Another big push by the dealer is to increase mobile service capabilities. TruckWorx currently has five mobile service trucks, each equipped with the appropriate parts, service tools and software. “As a company, we are always looking for new ways to take care of our customers better and faster. Mobile
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TruckWorx currently has 105 technicians on staff with a combined experience of 498 years.
service is a great way to meet our customers’ needs quicker, without them even having to leave their business,” says Richard Williamson, Director of Service.
Service, Parts, Technicians Although service and parts may not account for the most revenue, the management team recognizes they are the most important part of the business. According to Bruser, “Parts and service are the backbone. Our sales staff can sell one truck to any-
one, but our parts and service departments sell everyone after that.” All TruckWorx service departments are certified for warranty work on Kenworth, Hino and Isuzu trucks, Blue Bird Buses, and Caterpillar, Cummins and PACCAR engines, but are able to perform service work and repairs on all makes and models. Each location is also equipped with specialty equipment such as DPF (diesel particulate filter) cleaning machines, flywheel resurfacing machines and alignment equipment.
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TruckWorx also offers Kenworth PremierCare ExpressLane, which includes computer diagnostics guaranteed within two hours of a truck’s arrival and an ExpressLube to handle quick maintenance items. “We’re constantly trying to reduce down time,” says Williamson. In March of 2015 Kenworth rolled out TruckTech+, a technology that allows for real-time diagnostics to be run on a Kenworth truck’s engine without taking it off the road. If an indicator light comes on, the engine automatically communicates with the fleet manager, the Kenworth call center, and the dealer to come up with a plan that will optimize truck uptime and productivity. As TruckTech+ was rolled out, TruckWorx saw the need for a dedicated fleet concierge specialist. The position was created to work as a single point of contact for fleet customers, providing them with personalized support for truck issues or scheduling service appointments. TruckWorx has 105 technicians on staff who are ultimately trained and certified to work on all equipment it services. “We are always looking for exceptional people who have the right attitude. If a person is willing to work hard and learn, we can teach the rest,” says Mike Lev-
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ering, Vice President of Operations. TruckWorx currently has $10 million in parts stocked across all locations and has a 99% fill rate on parts orders. The company expects 12% growth in parts sales this year and a 15% increase in annual service sales. “TruckWorx customers now have the ability to order parts online through our Online Parts Counter,” says Jeff Weaver, Director of Parts. “This aligns with our overall goals to continually improve our customers’ experience. People
no longer have to drive to one of our locations or call into the store to get their parts delivered.” The company is in the process of implementing an ‘80 and 8’ policy for extended business hours, which will have parts and service departments open for 80 hours during the work week, running two shifts, and eight hours every Saturday. As of early September the Birmingham, Mobile and Jackson branches had completed this transition. In addition to the extended weekday and
Saturday hours, TruckWorx in Birmingham recently added a Sunday shift (7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)
Company Culture TruckWorx employees enjoy great benefits both inside and outside of work. “We want our employees to want to come to work every day. Each individual that works for this company is a key part of our team and we want them to know their hard work and effort is appreciated,”
says Bruser. The company has food trucks out to their locations or cookouts out for employees and customers about once a month. Throughout the year, the company also hosts family nights, golf tournaments and other events for customers and employees. Community service is also an important endeavor for TruckWorx and it regularly makes donations and volunteers at the Salvation Army, Habitat For Humanity, Wounded Warrior Project, March Of Dimes and YMCA. TruckWorx has a great balance of both internal and external focus, all centered around growth, diversification and building relationships. The company has received multiple awards for its commitment to excellence. In 2015 it was recognized as the Kenworth TRP Dealer Of The Year and recipient of the Kenworth Silver Award for overall dealer excellence that is presented to the top 10% of Kenworth dealers nationwide. TruckWorx also ranked 23rd on Birmingham Business Journal’s most recent Top 100 Privately Held Companies list.
Growth Mode In the last year TruckWorx opened its first body shop and TRP Parts store. The parts store stocks $800,000 in parts inventory, carrying parts for all makes and models of trucks, trailers and buses. TruckWorx-Montgomery also completed construction on its new $6 million state-of-the-art facility in March. Within the next six months, TruckWorx will open a new full-service dealership in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and it continues to consider opportunities in the southern Mississippi market and the Florida panhandle. A growing and essential part of TruckWorx’ marketing efforts is its website, truckworx.com, along with several social media platforms. “TruckWorx’ web presence has become increasingly important over the last five years. We use social media and our web site to show the ‘personality’ of TruckWorx and to get relevant information to our customers and employees,” says Director of Marketing Leah Mitchell. The leadership team is excited and ready for the future of both TruckWorx and the trucking industry. Bruser comments, “A truck delivers 95% of everything we use every day. It doesn’t matter what it is. Trucking touches it. A great person in our industry said something once that has stuck with me: ‘Without a truck, AmeriSLT ca stops.’” 36
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The Free Stuff Shuffle The folks who are getting the free stuff don’t like the folks who are paying for the free stuff because the folks paying for the free stuff can no longer afford to pay for both the free stuff and their own stuff. The folks who are paying for the free stuff want the free stuff to stop, but the folks who are getting the free stuff want even more free stuff on top of the free stuff they are already getting! The people who are forcing those who pay for the free stuff have told the people who are receiving the free stuff that the people who are paying for the free stuff are being mean, prejudiced, and racist. So the people who are getting the free stuff have been convinced they need to hate the people who are paying for the free stuff by the people who are forcing some people to pay for their free stuff and giving them the free stuff in the first place. We have let the free stuff giving
go on for so long that there are now more people getting free stuff than paying for the free stuff. Now understand this. All great democracies have committed financial suicide somewhere between 200 and 250 years after being founded. The reason? The voters figured out they could vote themselves money from the treasury by electing people who promised to give them money from the treasury in exchange for electing them. The United States officially became a Republic in 1776, 238 years ago. The number of people now getting free stuff outnumbers the people paying for the free stuff. Failure to change that could spell the end of the United States as we know it. Remember, a nation of sheep breeds a government of wolves!
That’s right, Mack, as in the Silver Bulldog. Although Mack is a highly recognizable name in the world of big rigs, few people probably realize the company took a brief and commercially unsuccessful trip into the world of smaller trucks in the late ’30s. According to the web site jalopnik.com, few Mack Jr. trucks were built and even fewer remain. Reo Truck Co. built 4,974 Mack Jr. chassis to Mack’s specifications between 1936 and 1938. The trucks were marketed as Macks and sold through the company’s dealer network. Although they were well built and designed as workhorses, Mack pickups were significantly more expensive than comparable models from better known small truck manufacturers. Few Mack Jr.’s have survived, which partially explains why they are still much more expensive than comparable trucks from the same period. Recently a well restored 1937 Mack Jr. was offered on ebay with an opening bid of $165,000. SLT readers may be surprised to learn that Harlowe Bowling, a well-known logger and very much an antique auto enthusiast from Ridgeway, Va., is the proud owner of an immaculately restored 1937 Mack Jr. But it’s only one of scores of old cars and trucks in his extensive collection, which is skewed toward Ford and Mercury products but includes a sprinkling of Plymouths and Chevys. He also has an early ’50s Hudson Hornet powered by a 308 cu. in. flathead six-cylinder engine fitted with the ‘Twin H-Package’ (dual carburetors), a formidable combination in its day. For the record, Harlowe grew up with Leonard Wood—they remain good friends—the NASCAR Hall of Fame member who lives down the road at Stuart, Va. Wood and his brother, Glen, also a NASCAR Hall of Famer, own Wood Brothers Racing. Among Harlowe’s collection is a customized lawn mower that Leonard Wood built. It bears the number 21, the same number borne by the Wood Brothers’ NASCAR Ford. Also for the record, Matt Bowling, Harlow’s grandson, recently won the 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Championship, driving the #83 Hopkins Lumber Ford. (Bandit Industries contributed to the cause as well.) Bowling, 22, who operates a fellerbuncher on the family’s logging crew, also won the Virginia Division 1 State Championship and his 3rd track championship at South Boston, Va. He began Harlowe Bowling, in overalls at right, stands with his car collection caretaker, Carson Martin. At left are Harlowe’s grandson, Matt, and son, Tim. racing gocarts at age 8.
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l A child’s
life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.—Chinese proverb l Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.—Henry James, writer (1843-1916) l The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy.—Florence Shinn, writer (1871-1940) l When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.—Leo Burnett, advertising executive (1891-1971) l You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go. Jeanette Rankin, pacifist and politician (1880-1973) l I’ve always tried to go a step past wherever people expected me to end up.—Beverly Sills, opera singer l Help others get ahead. You will always stand taller with someone else on your shoulders.—Bob Moawad, businessman l Nothing is easy to the unwilling.—Nikki Giovanni, poet l If all I’m remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I’ve done a bad job with the rest of my life.—Isiah Thomas, pro basketball player l Success isn’t permanent, and failure isn’t fatal.—Mike Ditka, former pro football coach l The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.— Anna Quindlen, writer
Why There Are More Women Than Men
A Mack Pickup? Harlowe Bowling Owns One
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Make Your Mark Count
The Clock Of Life, Again (Note: The last line of this poem was omitted in the August issue of SLT. The editors apologize.)
The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To tell just when the hands will stop, At late or early hour. To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed, To lose one’s health is more; To lose one’s soul is such a loss, And no man can restore. The present only is our own, Live, love, toil with a will; Place no faith in tomorrow, For the clock may then be still.
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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP As We See It: Be Active, Adapt, Change, Overcome By Ken Martin As I look at our logging profession, I reflect on the changes through the years. Remember when you knew in January the product Martin you would be cutting and the price you would be paid for the next 12 months? Remember when that changed to six months, three months, monthly and even weekly? As a Southern logger, I have seen the change from the chain saw felling days and cable skidding equipment to fully mechanized operations. Along with these changes came lower worker compensation insurance costs and reduced chain saw accidents. While it has been a very interesting 40-plus years of change, there has also been a great deal of improvement in the utilization of forest products, to the point any
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waste is almost human error. During this time the forest products industry has worked through performance and efficiency issues at mills while local markets have evolved into world markets, thus requiring us to operate under a whole new set of rules. Who would have ever thought that truck drivers would be at higher risk than woods workers as related to workers’ compensation insurance costs? Who would have ever thought that equipment to harvest timber would come with the current price tags on it, or be as operator friendly, ergonomically comfortable, and productive as it is today? During all of these changes and adjustments, we have seen trade policies debated, a changing U.S. dollar, mills shuttered, and laws enacted by Congress that have had far reaching effects on our industry. We loggers have learned to operate wiser and leaner. Logging professionals have learned to become advocates for our industry by telling our story. We must
not sit back and complain; we must offer up solutions for the array of problems we face. The only thing consistent in our industry is change. We can accept change and with it take advantage of the situations and opportunities we find ourselves in, or we can be left sitting and wondering what the tag number was on that truck that ran over us. The logging and forest products industry has always adapted, and we will continue to adapt. The American Loggers Council exists to help us transition through some of these changes. We are taking a greater role in both regulatory and logging and trucking safety issues, and have set a goal of having the logging industry disappear from the top “2” list for the most dangerous occupations by the year 2021. You can help us to achieve those goals by being active. Adapt, change, and overcome. Martin is president of the American Loggers Council and owns and operates MarCal, Inc., Mendenhall, Miss. The
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American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states. Visit amloggers.com or call 409-625-0206.
Biomass Groups Eye Wood Chip Standard Several natural resource and biomass organizations report they have secured a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service to assist in the development of a national wood chip heating fuel technical quality standard. Spokespersons say a standard would improve the performance, efficiency and reliability of wood chip heating systems and enhance technical credibility and market confidence, which would help to expand the wood chip heating market. Representatives from the Biomass Energy Resource Center, Biomass Thermal Energy Center, Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, and American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers state in a multi-authored letter that all
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heating fuels used in the U.S.— except wood chips—are governed by quality standards that ensure these fuels meet clearly defined parameters. This includes heating oil, propane, natural gas, coal, wood pellets, etc. Heating appliances (boilers, furnaces, stoves) are then engineered around a known standard fuel to ensure efficient, clean and safe performance. “Without a standard, no manufacturer of wood chip combustion systems can guarantee consistent, high performance,” they state. “With the Forest Service’s support, we expect to complete the development and promotion of the standard within the next two years.” A 15-member advisory committee is involved in the effort. “Our team believes the develop-
ment and wide adoption of a chip fuel standard is essential to broader consumer and market acceptance, and growth in wood chip heating. We want to see this happen.” Visit the project website— www.woodchipstandard.org—for updates and invitations to comment on draft standard language.
Colombo Wood Yard Supplied By BRUKS Colombo Energy is making progress toward startup of its new $110 million, 460,000 tons per year wood pellets plant in Greenwood, SC. Colombo Energy is owned by the Portuguese company, Portucel Soporcel Group. BRUKS was selected as the sys-
LOGGING LIFE AT HOME Deborah Smith has been married to Rome, Ga. logger Travis Smith for 34 years. They have 10 children: seven by birth, three adopted from Africa, and two granddaughters. A college English major, she began homeschooling their children in 1991. Says Smith: “I love my family; I am passionate about Travis and Deborah Smith encouraging others to keep the faith, to keep taking the next right step, no matter how hard life gets.” Visit her blog: buttercupsbloomhere.blogspot.com t was Thursday night, Jambalaya Night at our house. Here was Travis,
Iabout ready to serve the dessert—fresh watermelon purchased from
Mr. Mathis, the guy on the side of the highway that knows Travis’ daddy and everyone else around where we live. We ate the meal that our 12year-old daughter had worked so hard to prepare. She loves to be in charge in the kitchen. She loves order and predictability. Every time I hear the condemning voices in my head, saying she is too young for such a job, I remember the first picture of her that we received. She was a four-year-old on pencil thin legs, and had with a bloated belly. I tell those thoughts to go right back where they came from. She is happy making more food than the nine of us can eat in one meal. So let it be. As Travis was about to slice the watermelon, I hopped up from the table and asked him to wait so I could take a picture. The next few seconds are why our marriage and family work. He said nothing. He didn’t argue. He waited. I just love him in those defining moments. Let me give you some background to those quiet seconds. He came home late because he had to rescue our van from the gas station where it was left because it quit after piano lessons that morning. He dropped off a worker around 6 p.m., and then headed to the opposite end of the county with our oldest son, TL, who also works in the woods, to retrieve the van. Neither Travis nor TL complained. They just went, jumped off the van, and Travis brought it home while TL drove the tool truck. Travis worked on the van some more before supper, making sure it would be OK. Corroded battery connections can cause troubles. So, when he finally sat down to eat Jambalaya because that’s what his little girl loves best, and he could finally relax, and it’s almost time to dig into a cold watermelon, and his wife insists on a photograph, he waits. Those few seconds of quiet waiting meant the world to me. Loggers, you have the stress of farmers and on-the-job danger levels that compare to fire fighters. You deal with quotas and equipment breakdowns and payments. In the midst of all this, I pray that you will cherish those who cherish you. I pray that you will be patient with those, like me, who are clueless when it comes to all that you really do to bring home a paycheck. I know I love my logger. I don’t understand all he goes through in a day, but I know lots of days are rough. When he can come home and be patient and be a great daddy and a loving husband, well, that makes him truly a man—a good, good man. Being patient when you are bone tired is not easy, but it sure goes a long way on the home front.
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tem supplier of the complete wood yard materials handling and processing system, including a drum chipper, back-on truck dumper, circular blending bed stacker reclaimer and green grind hammermills.
Ponsse Event Includes Racing Fun
Canfor Southern Pine Will Reside In Mobile Canadian-based Canfor is opening a U.S. headquarters in Mobile, Ala., operating as Canfor Southern Pine, according to Fred Stimpson, Canfor Southern Pine president. The headquarters will be on three floors of the Van Antwerp building in downtown Mobie. The company’s office in Myrtle Beach, SC will remain open. Myrtle Beach will continue to be an administrative hub for the four Canfor mills in the Carolinas. Canfor Southern Pine consists of 11 sawmills, four secondary manufacturing plants and a trucking company. It has 1,900 employees, 350 of which are in Alabama. Canfor purchased Scotch Gulf Lumber in 2015, including sawmills in Mobile, Jackson and Fulton, Ala.
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The camo “Hunter’s Edition” Wisent forwarder
In late June Ponsse North America welcomed more than 350 customers and guests to its annual live demo and customer appreciation event in Crandon, Wis. Ponsse joined forces with Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, clearing land for the track and hosting customers during the races, which included lots of boisterous cheering for the logger-racer teams sponsored by Ponsse. Pekka Ruuskanen, Ponsse North America’s Managing Director, noted this arrangement let the Ponsse family come together and do a little work while having a lot of fun. Several machine sales reportedly Customers check out a harvester. were made as a result. One of the biggest draws was the static Wisent forwarder wrapped in Mossy Oak camo. This machine, one of only eight special “Hunter’s Edition” machines in the world, is brand new for this year. Ponsse had three machines in action. They included the Buffalo King and the updated Ergo and Scorpion King.
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TEAM Safe Trucking Is Slowly Moving Ahead TEAM Safe Trucking (TST), a broad-based, non-profit volunteer group seeking to elevate the standard and performance of the American forest industry’s transportation sector, is slowly moving ahead with its ambitious agenda, according to organizers, who met recently in late
September to review the progress of TST and tweak its priorities. The group now has a logo and expects to launch a web site (teamsafetruck ing.com) in October. The web site ultimately will be populated with information and tools designed to help TST reach its objective. Its emerging safety-focused program will embrace awareness and
education; driver training, skillset improvement, motivation and recruitment; fleet best management practices; and public image enhancement. The organization expects to expand its program nationwide as it secures additional funding through donations from stakeholders and through grants. At least 10 companies and associa-
tions have contributed funds to TST. As well, Virginia Tech University has committed funds and a graduate student to conduct log/chip truck accident research, which is just beginning. The study will help guide TST’s work going forward. Organizers consist of logging companies, log trucking entities, wood fiber suppliers, paper/wood products manufacturers, insurance companies, and logging and forestry association representatives. According to TST president Rick Quagliaroli, “Our objective is to help make the forest industry’s trucking segment safer, more accountable, more efficient, and more acceptable to the public. This will take some time. For the good of the industry as a whole, we’re asking for all connected parties to ‘buy in’ with their ideas, enthusiasm, and support.” To learn more, visit teamsafetruck ing.com, email Quaqliaroli at rick@swampfoxagency.com or phone Jimmie Locklear at 910-7333300.
Caterpillar Teams With Ritchie Bros. Ritchie Bros., the large industrial auctioneer and equipment distributor, and Caterpillar Inc. announced an alliance for Ritchie Bros. to become Caterpillar’s preferred global partner for live onsite and online auctions with respect to used Caterpillar equipment, and for Ritchie Bros. to complement Caterpillar’s existing dealer channels. Ritchie Bros. will provide Caterpillar and its dealers with access to proprietary auction platforms, software and other value-added services.
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AT THE MARGINS Recruiting And Retaining Quality Employees By Jari Mennala oggers face difficult challenges at every turn. From mill quotas to fuel costs and other business expenses, it is vital for logging operations to be efficient to ensure that
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they can meet demands and keep cash flowing. However, one of the toughest obstacles loggers face worldwide is recruiting and retaining quality employees. Due to increases in environmental and productivity demands, it is vital to have a skilled
and competent workforce. As much of the logging population continues to age, it is more important than ever that loggers take the necessary steps to recruit, cultivate and retain high-quality employees, particularly since there is a lack of younger people entering the industry. While human resources may seem simple, this is a complex role. However, log-
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gers can still create a robust program that can help them get a leg up in the battle of finding and retaining the right employees. Employee recruitment can be a difficult challenge for loggers. It is important for you to cultivate employees, starting in high school. Become an active part of your community, helping to garner interest in logging from young people. Because logging is an “invisible business,” many people do not understand what it is. Education is key to helping recruit new employees. Once new employees are hired, it is important to set standards from day one. It is vital for your company to have an employee handbook that lists expectations, including drug policies, paid time off, holidays and benefits. This handbook provides employees with a clear guide for how they should act as an employee, and gives the employer a standard that they can hold employees to. As a manager, it is important to go over the handbook with employees on their first day. The logging industry is highly competitive, with employees often moving from company to company to find something better, whether it be the environment, pay or workload, as well as many other reasons. It is key to find and retain good employees, and one way to do this is to keep your employees motivated. Help to create a career path for your employees. It is your responsibility to help outline their career goals, and be a resource as they work to achieve them. Not only will it give your employees motivation, but it will help you promote from within, ensuring your staff is familiar with the
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company and invested in its success. Provide feedback to employees, helping outline steps they need to take to move towards their goals. Employee performance reviews are crucial to helping employees grow
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and ensuring their long-term happiness with the company. Learn more about what drives your employees and what they are interested in pursuing. This enables you to understand what makes them tick, and strength-
ens the relationship between employer and employee. Invest in your employees. Offer training courses to employees that are interested in another aspect of the business, like supervising or timber buying, allowing them to explore their options and gain new skills. Not only will this help your employees grow, but you’ll also have flexibility of a staff that is trained in a variety of skills, allowing your business to be more adaptable. As loggers continue to be squeezed and asked to do more with less, this will give you a leg up on the competition. As you continue to cultivate these high-quality employees, it is important to make sure they are being fairly compensated for their position. However, you need to look beyond hourly wages. While the company down the road may be able to offer 25 cents more an hour, if you are providing invaluable benefits, including vacation and health insurance, you are able to offer a competitive package to your employees. These benefits can often be more valuable than money. Overall, it is important for you to be in touch with employees. Make sure you are opening the lines of communication. Not only should you be aware of what pain points your
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staff experiences, but also listen to their suggestions for improving the way your business operates on a daily basis. A key part of human resources is creating a dialogue with employees and helping to manage the relationship between the business and employees. Open communication will strengthen your relationship with your employees, increasing loyalty and helping to improve retention. You will be able to identify concerns, among them stress, equipment issues, etc., and fix things before they become a larger issue. It is becoming more and more important for you to wear several hats, and as the logging industry continues to evolve, employee recruitment and retention will prove to be an invaluable skill to help elevate companies over the competition. High-quality employees are trusted, allowing you to focus on growing your business instead of micro-managing the day-to-day work. Make recruitment a key part of your business, and when you find quality employees, take the necessary steps to make sure they stay with your SLT business for the long haul. Mennala is Director, John Deere Forestry Sales & Marketing, for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America
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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Morbark Stand-Alone-Flail
Morbark, LLC, has added a smaller flail option to its product line, the 223 stand-alone flail. Easy to transport, the model is efficient and robust for in-woods chipping applications. “Through extensive market research that
included design input from customers, we saw the need for a smaller, more affordable option that gives contractors the versatility of being able to produce clean chips or transition back to producing a fuel chip with relative ease, which is key in an ever-changing chip market,” says Michael Stanton, Morbark Industrial Products Business Unit Director. “The Morbark 223 flail gives contractors the power of our larger equipment with the portability of a smaller unit to serve diverse markets.” The 223 flail is designed to work in conjunction with chippers like the Morbark 23 Chiparvestor, the 40/36 whole tree drum chipper or similar machines. With a large 56 in. x 23 in. infeed opening, the 223 flail accepts logs up to 23 in. in diameter at a feed rate from 70-150
FPM. The Morbark Integrated Control System allows for fine adjustment of feed rate and flail drum speed so that bark removal is maximized and removal of “good” fiber is minimized for superior end products. With the widest flailing chamber in the market, the 223 reduces hassle while feeding and allows for additional stems to be fed during operation. Other key features of the 223 flail include the dual horizontal segmented flail drums—each equipped with eight flail chain rods—which are more durable and provide longer wear life, and a large work/inspection area for easy access to engine and hydraulic components, for easier maintenance and reduced costs. Visit morbark.com.
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Doosan Log Loader
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In response to a growing demand for a larger Doosan log loader, a third model was recently added to the lineup. The heavyduty DX380LL-5 log loader is a new machine size for Doosan to better serve forestry professionals for shovel logging and log-loading tasks. Weighing approximately 112,000 lbs., it is the first Doosan log loader in this size class and provides high swing torque and approximately 44’ of reach at ground level. DX380LL-5 is manufactured with heavy-duty components and application-specific guarding to keep it running strong and to help minimize downtime. The machine is built with a high and wide undercarriage for excellent ground clearance. It comes standard with a factory built forestry cab with excellent all-around visibility, including a standard rear-view camera. Boom, arm, cylinder and side guards help to minimize damage and machine downtime. Visit doosanequipment.com.
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PRINT CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Print advertising rates are $50 per inch. Space is available by column inch only, one inch minimum. DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 15th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 17th of month prior to month of publication.
Click. Connect. Trade.
www.ForesTreeTrader.com
CONTACT: Call Bridget DeVane at 334-699-7837, 800-669-5613, email bdevane7@hotmail.com or visit www.southernloggintimes.com
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FOR SALE
• 2004 Timberjack 430B Loader with delimber, recent engine & turn motor, cold a/c ...................................$25,000 • 2009 Cat 525C skidder, S/A fair condition, 15000 hours, cold a/c, 30% tires .........................................$35,000 • 45x102 Closed top converted Chip Van, bottom & top rail reinforcements, 11R22.5 rubber, good condition ..................................................$5,000 • 40 ft. Closed top Peerless Chip Van, Possum belly, good condition...$12,500 • 4800 R/C Trelan chipper, 325HP John Deere, 1600 hr., good condition, Will fill 40 ft. trailer in 50 minutes ..........$38,500 • 160D Barko loader, John Deere engine, Fair condition .............$12,500 • Hudson Tag Along delimber, Good condition ...................................$3,500 • 40 ft. Closed top Peerless Chip Van, Fair condition ............................$7,500
678-572-4441
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KNUCKLEBOOM LOADERS
FELLER BUNCHERS
PRENTICE 2470 (PB19355), 2007, 11,347 HRS., CAB, AC, SH50 SAWHEAD ......................................$77,500
CAT 559B (PR65147), 2011, 8,570 HRS., CAB, AC, 5055 TWR50 GRPL, 48’ EVANS TRLR, CTR 30 DELIMBER .....................................................$112,500
CAT 521B (0F7B00257), 2013, 3,110 HRS., CAB, AC, 35.5 TG PAD, HF201B CUTTER HEAD.........$328,000
PRENTICE 2570 (PB19613), 2008, 10,457 HRS., CAB, AC, 28L-26, SH50 SAWHEAD.........................$77,500
CAT 563C (0JCB00324), 2013, 5,705 HRS., CAB, AC, SAWHEAD .....................................................$165,000
PRENTICE 2570 (PB19465), 2007, 9,765 HRS., CAB, AC, 28L-26, SH-56 SAWHEAD .......................$60,000
CAT 559B (00PR65586), 2013, 6,500 HRS., CAB, AC, GRPL, PITTS H48 W/ HYD TRLR, DELIMBER .......................................................................$144,000 CAT 559C (CEKAS00329), 2013, 4,235 HRS., CAB, AC, 5505 PRENTICE GRPL, 11R22.5, DELIMBER .......................................................................$165,000
CAT 563C (0JCB00268), 2014, 5,002 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5X32, SAW .................................................$97,500
SKIDDERS
CAT 573C (0RJT00281), 2012, 4,539 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5X32, POST SAW .....................................$138,000
CAT 525C (052500540), 2013, 9,500 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5X32 DUAL RING, 14.4SQFT GRPL, N BLD, HYD WINCH ............................................................$72,500
HYDRO-AX 470 (0HA18564), 2004, 9,968 HRS., CAB, AC, 28LX26......................................................$44,500
CAT 559C (0KAS00258), 2013, 6,058 HRS., CPY, GRPL, H48 TRLR, DELIMBER ......................$153,000
HYDRO-AX 470 (0HA18931), 2005, 11,942 HRS., CAB, AC, 28LX26, HC SH48 20 HEAD ....................$38,000
CAT 579B (PR65023), 2011, 9,270 HRS., CAB, AC, 1122.5 TRLR, GRPL, DELIMBER .....................$122,500
HRDRO-AX 670 (8154), 2003, 8,375 HRS., CAB, AC, 22B SAW W/ SIDE CUT ..................................$28,000
CAT 559C (CEKAS00329), 2013, 4,235 HRS., CAB, AC, 5505 PRENTICE GRPL, 11R22.5, DELIMBER ...................$165,000
CAT 563C (0JCB00268), 2014, 5,002 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5X32, SAW ..............$97,500
CAT 535C (052501634), 2013, 5,757 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5-32 20PR FS, 14.4SQFT GRPL, DF WINCH, GRPL..............................................................$120,000 CAT 545C (0KGP00120), 2015, 1,326 HRS., CAB, AC, 35.5L-32 24PR FS, ARCH BOOM, GRPL, DF WINCH .....................................................$294,500
PRENTICE 2470 (PB19355), 2007, 11,347 HRS., CAB, AC, SH50 SAWHEAD .......................................................$77,500
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CAT 545D (0KGP00120), 2015, 1,326 HRS., CAB, AC, 35.5L-32 24PR FS, ARCH BOOM, GRPL, DF WINCH..........$294,500
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FINAN C AVAILA ING BLE
13189
www.equipmentandparts.com
5569
Office : 903-238-8700 • Shane Fuller : 903-235-1147 Jason Bruner: 903-452-5290
SKIDDERS
2012 John Deere 748H Skidder – 7,950 hours, Good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! .................................................$129,500
2012 Cat 535C Dual Arch Skidder – 5,800 hours, 3 New, 1 very good - 35.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch. Ready to work! ...................Reduced to $129,500
2011 Cat 535C Dual Arch Skidder – 8,684 hours, 2 New, 2 very good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! ...................Reduced to $115,000
2012 Cat 573C Feller Buncher – 5,200 hours, SC-57 Center post saw head, Cab with air, 28L tires, C7.1 Cat engine, Ready to work!... Reduced to $129,500
2012 John Deere 643K Feller Buncher – 5,410 hours, Good 28L tires, Waratah FD22B saw head, Cab with air, Ready to work! ...................Reduced to $135,000
2010 Prentice 2570 Feller Buncher– 6,130 hours, 2,931 engine hours, 28L tires, Waratah FD22 saw head, 6.7 Cummins engine, Cab with air, Ready to work! ..................Reduced to $105,000
LOADERS
2010 Cat 525C Dual Arch Skidder – 8,000 hours, 2 New, 2 good 30.5 x 32 ............................Reduced to $105,000
FELLER BUNCHERS
2012 Prentice 2384 Log Loader – 7,310 hours, Mounted on trailer with CTR 426 Delimber, Cab with air, Cummins engine. Ready to work! ...........................Reduced to $125,000
2012 Tigercat 234 Log Loader – 8,000 hours, Mounted on hydraulic leg trailer with Riley delimber, Cab with air, Cummins engine. Ready to work! ...$119,500
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2013 Cat 563C – 3,900 hours, SC-57 Center post saw head, Cab with air, 30.5 x 32 tires, C7.1 Cat engine, Ready to work!....................................$175,000
Visa and Mastercard accepted
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RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!!
Call for availability (O) 252-946-9264 (C) 252-945-0942
2015 Tigercat 724G
1100 hrs., 30.5s x 24.5 tires.............................................$235,000
2006 Tigercat 720D
5600 saw, Cummins w/1108 hrs., 30.5x32 tires.............................................$135,000
2012 Tigercat 250C
w/CSI 264, 9800 hrs., 3500 engine $119,000
2006 Prentice 384D
Call: 662-285-2777 day, 662-285-6832 eves Email: info@chambersdelimbinator.com
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I OFFER same day while you wait OR 2-day service on straightening and balancing all types of Feller Buncher sawdisks. Tooth holder repairs. Complex or severely bent sawdisks no problem, approx. 14years experience CALL CARLTON CARVER CARVER SAWDISK REPAIR Washington NC • (252) 945-2358
GEORGIA LOGGERS!! We Come To You In The Woods! – With Our Hose Truck – Save You Some “Money” on “Gates Hoses”
Tim Alligood Days or Nights: 1-252-341-9891 email: Tim.cavalierhose@yahoo.com
2290
w/CTR 426 delimber ..................$39,500
WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS
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For pictures & specs on other equipment for sale Go to Web: www.eebinc.com Email: info@eebinc.com
In addition to new machines, CHAMBERS DELIMBINATOR, INC. now has factory reconditioned DeLimbinators. These units have been inspected, repaired, and updated as needed. Call us and we will help you select a DeLimbinator for your need.
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2014 Deere 753J Track Feller Buncher STK# LU256926; 1,983 hrs $298,000
2013 Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# LU652805; 5,829 hrs $105,000
2014 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LU254072; 3,988 hrs $156,000
2013 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LU239287; 4,020 hrs $118,000
2011 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LV225560; 7,916 hrs $89,000
2013 Deere 748H Skidder STK# LU652927; 5,410 hrs $155,000
2010 Prentice 2864 Mulcher STK# LU119807; 4,853 hrs $170,000
2015 Morbark T8-240/3 Chipper STK# LU781158; $315,000
2013 Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# LU656576; $110,000
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LATE MODEL LOGGING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE!
2011 Deere 648H
Dual arch grapple, 30.5x32 Primex tires, a/c, new pins and bushings in arch and grapple, center tight, new glass .......$75,000
Komatsu & Timbco Processors JD & Timberjack Forwarders Western Star & Kenworth Semis Trailers, Vehicles, Tools & More. Bid Online - Online Auction H&Y Auctions: 715-418-1200 www.hyauctions.com WI Reg Auc Lic #41 13041
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2011 Tigercat 724E Fellerbuncher
New Cummins QSB 6.7L Tier IV with 462 hrs, Encompass eng warranty exp. 1/8/18, 18 tooth 5600 Tigercat saw head and 28L tires
.............$129,500
2012 Deere 843K Fellerbuncher 6,000 hours
CONTACT: 478.550.2330 - Keith 478.256.4063 - Gary
FORESTRYPARTSRESOURCE.COM
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...............$99.500
YOUR PARTS RESOURCE!
WE OFFER QUALITY USED PARTS WE HAVE AFFORDABLE NEW AND AFTERMARKET PARTS IF WE DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU NEED... LET US FIND IT WITH OUR LOCATOR SYSTEM
TED SMITH
5840 Hwy 36, Russellville, AL Home: 256-766-8179 • Office: 256-766-6491 Fax: 256-766-6962 • Cell: 256-810-3190
KEVIN MONTGOMERY 256-366-1425
WANTED TO BUY
Cat 518 & Cat 518C skidders in TX, LA area Call Kent 936-699-4700 r_kentjones@yahoo.com
280
SOON TO 2012 Tigercat 234 ARRIVE ......................................$115,000
IF YOU NEED
Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net
6288
770
7195
To buy or sell forestry, construction, utility or truck equipment, or if you just need an appraisal, contact me, Johnny Pynes with JM Wood Auction. Over 25 years experience.
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2366 Whole tree chipper w/CTR slasher; 11353.65 eng. hrs ...$130,000
440-930-8744 13335
WANTED NOW SKIDDERS, LOG LOADERS, BUNCHERS AND BUCK SAWS WILL PAY FAIR PRICE
USED FORESTRY EQUIPMENT ALSO AVAILABLE FOR SALE
3214
FOR SALE 2003 Precision
352-239-1549
3664
4433
13267
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FOR SALE
EUREKA! EUREKA! EUREKA! OWNERS HAVE OVER 30 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE!
We can save you money on Saw Teeth. Hundreds of satisfied A NOW CCEPTIN G customers. Rebuilt Exchange or New. We specialize in rebuildCREDIT ing Koehring 2000, Hurricana, Hydro Ax split teeth and all CARDS other brands. Call Jimmy or Niel Mitchell. Quantity Discounts!
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804-586-7198
EUREKA SAW TOOTH CO., INC.
7180
8 Converted in-woods Chip Vans All in good condition ........$6,500 ea.
4275 Moores Ferry Rd. • Skippers, Virginia 23879 PH./FAX (day) 1-434-634-9836 or Night/Weekends • 1-434-634-9185
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Trailer Setout Man Breaks Hand On Landing Gear Handle BACKGROUND: On a winter afternoon in the Southeast, a logging crewmember was jockeying setout trailers on a harvesting operation. The weather, ground conditions, and topography were all favorable. PERSONAL CHRACTERISTICS: The 35-year-old logging crewmember was the “spot man”— his job was to hook and unhook loaded and empty trailers, moving the loaded trailers to a site off the log deck, unhooking them, and leaving them for the road trucks to pick up. He had been employed on this logging operation for 2-1/2 years and was considered fully
trained. He had one previous accident in his employment history. He was wearing a hard hat but no gloves. UNSAFE ACTS: The spot man was turning the handle to wind up the landing gear. He had the landing gear all the way up and was attempting to put the pin in the hole with his left hand while holding the handle with his right hand. He was not using landing gear’s safety latch, although it was in working order. He was in a hurry and was not paying close attention to his actions. ACCIDENT: With the landing gear wound all the way up, the spot
man’s hand slipped off the handle. The handle rotated rapidly around and hit the back of his hand. INJURY: The spot man broke two small bones on the back of his right hand. He required medical treatment and lost 8 or 9 weeks of work.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: 1) Be sure to use the locking mechanism or latch to hold the weight of the landing gear while securing it in place—develop and follow safe operating procedures. 2) Pay attention to where you place your hands and head. 3) Wear gloves when they will provide additional protection. 4) Get assistance from a fellow employee if there is any problem with the locking mechanism. 5) Be aware that many accidents and injuries occur when a worker is in a hurry and fails to ask the “what if” question before starting a task. Supplied by Forest Resources Assn.
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A D L I N K ●
ADVERTISER American Logger’s Council American Truck Parts Bandit Industries Barko Hydraulics Big John Trailers BITCO Insurance Carter Enterprises Carter Machinery Cat Forest Products Cooper Forestry Equipment John Deere Forestry Doggett Machinery Service Elmia Employer’s Underwriters Equipment & Parts Firestone Agricultural Tires Flint Equipment Forestry First Forestry Mutual Insurance Hawkins & Rawlinson Hydraulic & Pneumatic Services Industrial Cleaning Equipment Interstate Tire Service Ironmart Kaufman Trailers Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Magnolia Trailers Manac Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Moore Logging Supply Morbark Nokian Tyres Olofsfors Pemberton Attachments Peterson Pacific Pitts Trailers Prentice Puckett Machinery Quadco Equipment Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment S E C O Parts & Equipment Southern Insurance Southern Loggers Cooperative Southern Tire Mart Stribling Equipment Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries Timberblade TraxPlus Trelan Manufacturing Tri-State Auction & Realty Vulcan On-Board Scales W & W Truck & Tractor Wallingford’s J M Wood Auction
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409.625.0206 888.383.8884 800.952.0178 715.395.6700 800.771.4140 800.475.4477 205.351.1461 800.868.4228 919.550.1201 423.338.5470 800.503.3373 225.368.2224 +46 36 15 22 34 800.622.7635 903.238.8700 515.242.2300 404.691.9445 803.708.0624 800.849.7788 334.821.5800 904.688.2247 910.231.4043 864.947.9208 888.561.1115 866.497.7803 800.766.8349 800.467.0944 800.738.2123 877.466.2622 877.265.1486 919.271.9050 888.754.5613 800.831.0042 844.564.7877 519.754.2190 800.393.6688 800.269.6520 800.321.8073 919.550.1201 601.969.6000 800.668.3340 386.754.6186 855.325.6465 800.733.7326 601.932.4541 318.445.0750 601.939.3888 800.682.6409 912.638.7726 519.753.2000 519.532.3283 601.635.5543 877.487.3526 800.334.4395 800.638.5111 843.761.8220 800.323.3708 800.447.7085
COMING EVENTS October
January 2017
4-6—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Chancellor Hotel, Fayetteville, Ark. Call 501-3742441; visit arkforests.org.
10—Missouri Forest Products Assn. 2016 winter meeting, Jefferson City, Mo. Call 573-634-3252; visit moforest.org.
5-7—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC. Call 800-231-7723; visit ncforestry.org.
March 2017
5-7—National Hardwood Lumber Assn. Annual Conv. & Exhibit Showcase, Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Call 901-3771818; visit nhla.com. 19-20—Mississippi Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hilton, Jackson, Miss. Call 601-354-4936; visit msforestry.net.
1-5—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers annual meeting, The Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org. 22-24—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. National Conference & Expo, Francis Marion Hotel, Sundance Square, Charleston, SC. Call 412244-0440; visit hmamembers.org.
April 2017
19-21—Southern Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, Williamsburg, Va. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpa.org.
4-6—Kentucky Forest Industries Association annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org.
26-28—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, La Torretta Lake Resort, Conroe, Tex. Call 936632-8733; visit texasforestry.org.
May 2017
November 2-4—South Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms, SC. Call 803-798-4170; visit scforestry.org.
southernloggintimes.com
ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
3-7—Virginia Forestry Assn. Summit, Roanoke, Va. Call 804-2788733; visit vaforestry.org.
June 2017 2-3—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. Trade Show and annual meeting, Jekyll Island Conference Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 904-8457133; visit swpa.ag. 14-16—Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 504-443-4464; visit sfpaexpo.com.
August 2017 12-13—Southwest Forest Products Expo 2017, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501-224-2232; visit arkloggers.com.
September 2017 15-16—Kentucky Wood Expo, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, Ky. Call 502-695-3979; visit kfia.org. 15-16—Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, Selma/Smithfield, NC. Call 919-271-9050; visit malbexpo.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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