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A Hatton-Brown Publication Co-Publisher David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan PUBLISHING OFFICE Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone (334) 834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525
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Vol. 64, No. 3: Issue 656
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OurCover For decades innovative loggers and equipment companies have devised ingenious machines and systems to extract timber growing on steep slopes, but new traction-assist technology developed in New Zealand is now being tested successfully in the Pacific Northwest and may be about to change the game. Some say it could be the beginning of a steep slope logging revolution. An update on recent developments and a look forward begins on PAGE 14. (Photo courtesy of Tigercat)
OurFeatures
SOUTHERN USA Randy Reagor • P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 (904) 393-7968 • Fax: (334) 834-4525 E-mail: reagor@bellsouth.net
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MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons • 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 (905) 666-0258 • Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com
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WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick • 4056 West 10th Avenue Vancouver, BC, Canada V6L 1Z1 (604) 910-1826 • Fax: (604) 264-1367 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca
Innovative C & C Logging
INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett Aldea de las Cuevas 66, Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain +34 96 640 4165 • Fax: +34 96 640 4022 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net Timber Harvesting & Wood Fiber Operations (ISSN 21542333) is published 6 times annually (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December issues are combined) by HattonBrown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscriptions are free to U.S. logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; businesses involved in land grooming and/or land clearing, wood refuse grinding and right-of-way maintenance; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.timberharvesting.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Timber Harvesting 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 Timber Harvesting & Wood Fiber Operations. 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.
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Bisballe Forest Products Stands Out In Michigan
Logging Business Survey: Positives, Challenges
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MyTake DK KNIGHT dk@hattonbrown.com, 334-834-1170
Good And Not So Good Uncovered In TH’s Logging Business Survey Special thanks go to all logging business owners who took valuable time to participate in Timber Harvesting’s recently completed five-year Logging Business Survey. I sincerely appreciate your willingness to take part. This comprehensive study is important in that it attempts to measure the standing of the nation’s logging force, to highlight new or ongoing issues and trends, to denote market shifts, and to provide loggers a forum for offering ideas and/or expressing opinions. The survey summary article begins on page 18. I urge you to spend some time with this report, which contains good news and some not so good.
Last year’s falling fuel prices were a godsend to loggers and truckers, but for many in several states those lower costs have recently been blunted by a decline in demand for most all types of logs and wood fiber, leading to debilitating quotas. And fuel costs are creeping up again. Going into spring, most all mills had more than adequate inventories—some were overflowing—and had slowed deliveries. Some had cut prices; others had indicated that cuts were on their way. On the pulp and paper front, further price cuts may have accompanied scheduled spring maintenance downtime, which in some cases was extended from two weeks to three or more.
The Good Side
Market Fallout
Loggers’ improved financial footing across the last 60 months is the good takeaway. For a majority, profits increased, the result of greater demand/ higher production, better compensation, and the 2015 skid in fuel prices. The resilient logging force, albeit thinner in number, generally was encouraged during the 2012-2015 period, prompting some businesses to expand and some new entrants to roll the dice. Lots of new equipment—higher priced, more complex, longer lasting, and oh so productive—was purchased and put to work. This, combined with the low RPM housing recovery, along with dampened log/lumber exports and the shuttered mill here and there, effectively offset the recession-induced logging capacity shortfall.
As to markets, some scattered new ones opened in the last five years. However, much like the static population in my home county, where it seems a different man leaves every time a baby is born, it seems like an established market shuts every time a new one opens. The Northeast appears to have been hit the hardest of late. The situation is especially stark in Maine, where suppliers continue to absorb one hit after another. A mild winter, combined with cheap, abundant fossil fuels, sharply reduced demand for wood fuel and pellet feedstock. In Maine and elsewhere, some pulp-paper mill co-generation facilities have converted to natural gas, at least partially. Even the demand for firewood was down. Covanta’s two idled wood-fired power plants may not re-fire, even with newly approved state subsidies, and the future of ReEnergy’s two wood-fired power plants may be questionable. Maine’s pulp and paper mills, a major segment of the state’s $8 billion wood products industry, have been in a freefall, even though Woodland Pulp continues with its $120 million expansion. When Madison Paper Industries shuts its Madison mill in May it will be the fifth paper mill in the state to close in two years. That leaves six such mills operating in the state.
The Other Side The fog and drizzle takeaways include high operating costs not related to fuel, such as those linked to equipment, parts and service; market woes; insurance; transportation issues; delivery quotas; labor; and regulations. Other frustrations that surfaced: slow turn times at mills; timber quality/availability/price; lack of long-term contracts; and, for some, recent cutbacks in logging/trucking rates. 4
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Elsewhere, Verso recently shut its coated papers mill at Wickliffe, Ky. and WestRock shut its mill at Coshocton, Oh. In 2013 IP closed its mill at Courtland, Ala. Also in recent years, Minnesota’s pulp and paper industry has been impacted by mill closures. Market shifts and instability also contribute to logger trepidation. All the collective developments in Maine have created an imbalance in the state’s wood consumption, as hardwood pulp use now dominates. It’s just the opposite in southeastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina, where only pellet plants want hardwood pulp. And recently, a large paper mill in southwestern Arkansas converted to 100% softwood. Ironically, in those aforementioned areas of Virginia and North Carolina, where logging capacity concerns were paramount only a few years ago, loggers in early May were reeling from tight quotas and deep rate cuts linked to overcapacity. “By mid summer the price for delivered pine pulpwood may be down to $25 a ton,” lamented a high production Virginia logger recently. “That would be down $10 from the high of last fall.” He added that previous stumpage price commitments to landowners only made his situation worse. On the positive front, new or expanding markets are emerging in Calhoun, Tenn.; Shelton, Wash.; Louisville and Newton, Miss.; Corrigan, Tex.; Springfield, and Eugene, Ore.; Grayling, Mich.; Greenwood County, SC; Halifax, Sampson and Rockingham counties, NC; Dierks, Pine Bluff, and Clark County, Ark.; and Williams, Ariz. Insurance costs of all types, especially auto for trucks and trailers, general liability, and in some cases workers comp (read truck drivers), continue as another key issue. Another pull-down factor is transportation, which is challenging enough with the shortage of qualified, insurable drivers, federal regulations, state DOT inspections, and local restrictions. Yet another sore spot for many is finding and keeping dependable, productive, loyal employees. When found, such employees must be paid well and otherwise provided for; else they are gone. Hang in there guys. Remember, every TH storm runs out of rain.
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NewsLines Weyerhaeuser To Sell Five Pulp Mills Weyerhaeuser is selling its cellulose fibers pulp mills to International Paper for $2.2 billion in cash. The transaction includes five pulp mills located in Columbus, Miss.; Flint River, Ga.; New Bern, NC; Port Wentworth, Ga.; and Grande Prairie, Alberta, with a combined capacity of nearly 1.9 million metric tons. The sale also includes two modified fiber mills in Columbus, Miss. and Gdansk, Poland. The transaction does not include Weyerhaeuser’s liquid packaging board facility or newsprint and publishing papers joint-venture. Weyerhaeuser’s review of those assets is ongoing. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Biewer Begins Sawmill Construction
Sun Paper Plans Biorefinery Plant Sun Paper will invest more than $1 billion to build a biorefinery mill in Arkadelphia (Clark County), Ark. Hongxin Li, chairman and founder of Sun Paper, joined Governor Hutchinson for the announcement in the Governor’s Conference Room at the Arkansas state capitol. This will be the company’s first facility in North America. “The fact Sun Paper is investing more than $1 billion in south Arkansas speaks volumes of their confidence in our workforce and pro-business environment,” Hutchinson says. “This is among the largest private investments in the state’s history.” Sun Paper is headquartered in China’s Shandong Province and employs 10,000 worldwide.
Oregon’s Rosboro Looks For Buyer Rosboro is for sale. Based in Springfield, Ore., 76-year-old Rosboro has retained investment banking firm Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as its financial advisor, and law firm Stoel Rives LLP to explore a possible sale of the company. “What was once an organization owned by just a few of the original leaders of the company today has 60 owner-families throughout the country,” says Rosboro CEO Scott Nelson. 6
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Given its dispersed ownership, the company’s strong financial position and a robust mergers and acquisitions market, Rosboro’s board has determined it would be “prudent to undertake a review of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value,” Nelson adds. Those alternatives include selling the company. Rosboro manufactures green and kiln dried studs and dimension lumber and is a leading glulam beam manufacturer. Its 100,000 acres of timberlands are concentrated in western Oregon, strategically located near its operating facilities in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. One industry observer in the Northwest said Rosboro runs efficient wood products mills, but the key to a sale will be if the plants are packaged in with the timberlands.
Biewer Sawmill-Newton LLC broke ground on its $85 million southern yellow pine sawmill in Newton, Miss. Gov. Phil Bryant and representatives from Biewer Lumber joined local and county officials with shovels in hand to mark the beginning of construction. The Michigan-headquartered Biewer Lumber operates two softwood (red pine) sawmills in Michigan and two in Wisconsin, as well as three treating facilities. The mill is expected to employ 125. Production is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Morbark Names Ruskin New CEO Morbark appointed Dan Ruskin as its CEO following the announcement of the sale of Morbark to Stellex Capital Management, a private equity manager. “Dan is an excellent fit for Morbark,” says Ray Whiteman, chairman of the Morbark Board of Directors and managing partner of Stellex Capital Management. “One of Dan’s core strengths is his ability to build strong teams that can help organizations quickly meet their goals and enhance their profitability.” Lon Morey, Morbark CEO and son of the late founder, Norval Morey, comments, “Though always difficult to leave a family business, we felt this
was the right time with the right investor who can build on the legacy my father started and I have spent my entire life dedicated to.” Morbark will remain in Winn, Mich., where it started in 1957 and which today is home to headquarters and manufacturing facilities. Current Morbark officers, President Jim Shoemaker and VP of Sales and Marketing John Foote, will continue in their positions.
Verso Corp. Shutters Mill At Wickliffe, Ky. After idling its fine papers mill at Wickliffe, Ky. last November, Verso’s upper management has decided to permanently shut the facility. Meanwhile, it continues efforts to sell the plant, which annually consumed 1.2 million tons of roundwood and chips, roughly 75% of which was hardwood. Located along the Mississippi River in far southwestern Kentucky, the facility was originally built by Westvaco and was the only major hardwood pulpwood market in an area that included parts of four states.
IndusTREE Receives AU Business Award IndusTREE Timber, Wetumpka, Ala., was recently named a “Top Tiger” business by the Auburn University Harbert College of Business during the Auburn University Entrepreneurship Summit honoring alumni business leaders innovators. The Top Tiger businesses highlight the fastest-growing companies founded, owned or led by Auburn alumni. IndusTREE Timber finished 10th in the Large Company ($20 million or more) category. IndusTREE Timber is owned by Larry Jones and Lee Davis, two 1992 graduates of the Auburn School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. The two founded the company in 1994 as a timber procurement and forestry consulting operation and have grown it into a major log and fiber supplier for the Southern forest products industry. IndusTREE Timber is part of the IndusTREE Companies, a vertically integrated full-service forestry company that has land management, logging and manufacturing divisions and can handle every operation from seedling planting to finished product shipping.
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C & C Logging Jumps In Again New traction-assist system, dependable loaders help family-owned company compete. PAULPosel
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T
rying new technology that offers the potential to improve efficiency, production, and safety has always been paramount for southwestern Washington’s Chandler family, owners of C & C Logging in Kelso. Staying ahead of the curve is one of the characteristics that distinguish the large, progressive logging company. That innovative spirit is once again on display as the nearly 50-year-old firm is the first timber harvesting enterprise in the Pacific Northwest to
employ a traction-assist system developed by New Zealand manufacturer EMS. The device, which EMS markets as the Tractionline, uses an old excavator as an anchor on top of the slope and a track-type feller-buncher down below to cut and bunch timber. Designed to work on steep terrain, the system incorporates a feller-buncher that is lowered down and pulled up steep grades by a remote-controlled, two-line drum system—a traction— assist, or tethered, setup that is turning
C & C’s EMS Tractionline system involves a Cat 330C excavator anchored on top and a Tigercat 855C track-type feller-buncher below. About 1300 ft. of cable is used in the dual line setup.
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heads in the Pacific Northwest and something that might work for us, we other parts of the timbered world. See wanted to try it. When it comes to article beginning on page 14. equipment, I think you have to be on the “This is mechanized harvesting on leading edge. If there is a product that is steeper slopes in order to reduce the exgoing to be good for your industry, you posure of our hand cutters and rigging don’t want to be the last one to get it.” crew,” says Frank Chandler, Jr., one of the owners of C & C. “By mechanizing The EMS System ground operations, we hope to limit employee risk, cover more real estate and The significant difference between be a little more efficient. We expect prothe system the Chandlers use and othductivity gains, but at the same time we ers is that the automated drums are have a lot of cost invested in achieving sensing tension live all the time and those gains.” are independently adjusting to pre-seFrank Chandler, Sr., 74, started lected tension. There are two tensions: C & C Logging Co. in 1967 with his an in-haul and an out-haul. The mawife, Lee. Both are still active in the chines involved are a Tigercat 855C business along with their son, and feller-buncher and a 330 Cat excavadaughter, LeeAnn Beech. All four tor. The 855C weighs about 78,000 have been partners in the 100-emlbs., the excavator around 90,000. ployee business since 2004 when the The company can work on tracts name was changed to C & C Logging, LLC. “We have been involved in steep slope logging for some time,” Chandler Sr. says. “Now we can take our people off the ground and let the remote-controlled equipment take over. We have only used this system for a few months, but our expected goal is to improve safety and efficiency and reduce costs, especially insurance premiums. I think it is going to work out well and keep us on the leading edge of industry innovation.” That has always been the guiding principle of the business. “Twenty years ago, a lot of people were not looking at new technolThe innovative Chandlers: Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. ogy,” Chandler Jr. explains. “My where steepness ranges from 60% all dad, however, embraced mechanizathe way to 100%. Chandler Jr. says he tion early on and it really has been has seen traction lines running beyond good for us.” 100% in New Zealand. “In the states Not all new products have worked we’re still learning our system, but out as well as the Chandlers expected, we’ve been on slopes around 100%,” but the company’s early adoption of he says. the dangle-head processor provided a The cables attaching the machines competitive advantage for some time. are about 1300 ft. long. “We’ve got “In the early 1990s, we brought a many safety features to keep the operprocessor out to a final harvest site and ator from going beyond the end of that quickly discovered that it had great line,” Chandler Jr. explains. “The syspotential,” Chandler Jr. says. “A lot of tem is not only sensing tension, but it our competitors, for good reason, were also has to maintain a certain speed.” concerned about the reliability and the The machine operators were unsure cost. We jumped right in. After five of the traction-assist system at first, years it was obvious we made the right but once they started using it they imdecision. As a result of being an early mediately loved it, according to Chanuser, we had some opportunities that dler, who stresses the smoothness of other folks did not have.” forest travel. “The operator feedback The company became known as a is like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a totally pioneer in the use of mechanization in different machine connected to the Washington and Oregon. traction line,’” Chandler Jr. says. “It “That is a big factor in our success,” Chandler Sr. says. “As soon as we saw lowers the center of gravity, stabilizes 10
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the machine and keeps the track straight on the hillside. All of those things combined just make the machine much more comfortable to run. It’s big having the second line and that redundancy there. The single line folks really shouldn’t be doing that because they’re going up the hill on those steeper slopes and if that one line fails they’re going to have catastrophic energy release.” Chandler Jr. recently spoke at the Oregon Logging Conference where this new technology was a big topic of discussion. There is still a lot of skepticism around the new system and there are many concerns about what regulators are going to do. “A lot of guys are concerned about fire, but the fire danger comes from the rigid track frame machines where you have all that metal on
metal friction and the shards of metal coming off there,” Chandler Jr. explains. “I think that’s more of a concern than these lines moving up and down the slope very slowly.” Oregon OSHA is calling the system “research” for now, but the agency is concerned about people not understanding the concept and creating a hazard. Workers comp insurance carriers are just glad to have people off the ground, according to Chandler Jr. “I think they’re looking at it as developing technology and they want to give it some time to develop so that will give them some time to understand it better,” he says. Chandler Jr. believes C & C is already benefitting. The company has been able to eliminate three chain saw operators. This helps reduce the risk of exposure and everything that comes along with having guys on the ground. “That’s two or three guys that I can
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maybe retrain to do something else,” he says. The Chandlers are the North American importer for EMS.
Other Machines Other machines the company has recently embraced are Doosan log loaders. “I was a little concerned at first because we had no experience with the brand,” Chandler Sr. explains. “We have a very good heavy equipment dealer—Feenaughty Machinery Co. in Portland, Ore.—and we trust their judgment. Not only have the Doosan loaders been a valuable addition to our equipment fleet, but I like the fact that Doosan is paying attention to the needs of our industry even though as a whole we are a fairly small group.” His son adds, “It is kind of exciting that Doosan is taking such an active interest in what we are doing. Not all manufacturers have the same approach.” Three Doosan DX225LLs and a newer DX300LL-5 are on the job and are performing quite well, according
to Chandler Sr. “One of the ways I evaluate equipment is really simple: Does it run every day?” he says. “These Doosan log loaders are dependable and durable machines. They more than passed the test.” The loaders have features designed specifically for forestry applications, such as a high-walker undercarriage design, tracks that feature heavy-duty links with double grouser shoes, fulllength track-guiding guards and heavy-duty top rollers with special clean-out brackets. Standard features include mainframe reinforcement, full under-house plate guarding, integrated catwalks, heavy-duty side doors with guarding over the hydraulic pump and cooling system doors. “We have had very good luck with our four machines,” Chandler Jr. says. “Very little downtime, no service calls and superior fuel efficiency. They have turned into real good tools for us.” Working for large landowners, both private and industrial, the company cuts, yards, merchandises, and delivers the product. It usually has 12 to 14 sides working, delivering up to 180
loads a day. Chandler’s fleet of 12 trucks, made up of Peterbilts and Kenworths, is mated to a variety of trailer makes, including Peerless, Aspen and Better Weigh. This is a long way from when his parents started the company amidst tight money and limited equipment availability. “I don’t think my dad ever had a vision that the company would do so well and grow so big,” Chandler Jr. explains. “He didn’t think that far out. It was just ‘How am I going to make a buck today?’ ‘How am I going to pay the bills?’ He was always looking to identify an opportunity and see where that would take us. “My dad taught me everything I know,” he continues. “He is 74 years old and still out here regularly, checking on how we are doing. He likes nothing better than being in the woods. And trying something new that will make our company better.” For more information, email frank chandler@msn.com or phone 360TH 430-7695. TH Associate Editor Jay Donnell contributed to this article.
Four Doosan loaders have been a dependable addition to C & C’s extensive equipment arsenal.
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A Game Changer For Steep Slopes? Traction-assist technology brings more mechanization to challenging terrain. DANShell
A
dvances in logging equipment, technology and techniques have historically taken many years, sometimes decades, as new machines, materials, ideas and efficiencies work their way from concepts to testing grounds and demos to finished products. Thanks to advances in digital technology and related electronics and hydraulic systems, new steep slope logging concepts and techniques are turning the traditional evolutionary progression on its head by advancing at a much more rapid pace. Another difference with emerging steep slope tethered and winch-assisted applications is they’re not solely focused on greater production and profitability. Oh, the new systems are all about money, there’s no doubt. But the original attraction for many was the safety aspect and saving money on insurance costs and overall liability. It just so happens that winch-assisted techniques and concepts are not only quite safe, but also could drastically improve production, efficiency and profitability, thereby changing the face of logging in both mild to steeply sloped terrain. Finally, the technology holds the promise of alleviating future labor shortages with its potential to reduce requirements for “boots on the ground” in such difficult, and traditionally most dangerous, jobs of timber falling and choker setting.
The basic physics with regard to retaining traction on a slope is that the gravity force pulling the machine down should not exceed the traction force that the machine is able to develop on the ground. The benefit of the tension provided by the cable is that it adds to the traction force, thereby greatly increasing the operating limit of the machine without reaching its traction limit.
Early European designs in lighter timber with lighter machines used onboard winches, many times attached to a stump or tree above. Systems currently making their way into North America generally include a static (unmanned) excavator at the top with modified winch package, plus a boom attachment or modified boom to handle the cable(s) leading to the machine.
What Is It? So exactly what is “tethered” or “winch/cable-assist” logging? Essentially, it’s the use of an anchor at the top of a slope that’s connected (usually by cable) to a machine working below. The winch-cable connection boosts traction and stability, enabling mechanized operations on much steeper slopes—up to 90%+. 14
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Compare the mechanically felled vs. handfelled areas and see how much easier the yarding is in this overhead view. TIMBER HARVESTING & WOOD FIBER OPERATIONS
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Digital technology is critisix times greater than all other cal, as the operator on the hillindustry sectors between 2002 side below the anchor is actuand 2008. ally operating the winches above via wi-fi or other wireKey Driving Factors less connection. Keeping constant tension on the line as the In North America, saving on machine below maneuvers is insurance while removing key, and cable-assist systems workers from danger, accessing available use a variety of autoout-of-reach stands, boosting matic and semi-automatic timberland yield by opening load-sensing feedback and tenmore areas to management, and sion control systems, pre-set implementing new systems to tension limits and more. boost productivity are key drivWhile the previous two ing factors in the spreading years have seen an increasing technology. number of feature articles, “You have big safety issues, Mechanized felling can now be extended to more areas of a tract. profiles and demos of tethered especially in Washington state and winch-assisted logging applicaright now,” says John Garland, former sociated Logging Contractors (Idaho) tions, 2016 is the year the wave has long-time Oregon State University annual meetings, as well as at the Oretruly hit the Pacific Northwest. The (OSU) forest engineering professor and gon Logging Conference and a firsttopic has been widely discussed current consulting forester with Garland time steep slope logging conference in among seminars and panel groups at & Associates. Garland is participating in Vancouver, BC. a groundbreaking new OSU research two Council of Forest Engineering There are even unconfirmed reports project that evaluates steep slope sys(COFE) meetings, during the Associthat some large landowners are putting tems and how operators react under difated Oregon Loggers (AOL) and Asout bid packages for the coming sumferent conditions. mer logging season that require trac“In Washington right now, just the tion-assist technology for certain operinsurance to have someone on the ations—this for a logging system that ground, cutting timber manually, is was barely commercially available in about $21/hr.,” he says. “That’s one of early 2015. the reasons people are moving toward According to a New Zealand-based this technology.” In addition, finding Future Forests Research (FFR) Tech good qualified hand falling contractors Note in 2015, early development prois becoming increasingly more difficult, grams of cable-assisted machinery for Garland adds. slopes can be traced back to the miliIn New Zealand, safety officials have tary, with extensive testing of systems seen progress in reducing injury rates in the 1950s. “Steep terrain cable-assince the use of winch-assist systems sisted machinery for forestry has been began spreading. New Zealand’s Apcommercially available in Europe proved Code of Practice for Safety and since the 1990s, with a number of difHealth in Forest Operations was revised ferent companies offering cable winch in 2012 to require (among other things) products that are either machine intethat any such systems “be specifically grated or bolt-on products.” The techdesigned, tested and demonstrated to be nical note reports that in Europe the safe” and that “the tension on the wire systems have been used primarily with rope shall be restricted to 33% of its cut-to-length systems. breaking load at all times.” Meanwhile, in the U.S., the relative Safety First newness and developmental nature of Much recent system development has cable-assist systems have safety officials come from New Zealand, as timberland taking a guarded approach. owners, logging contractors and related Of the states most affected, Oregon associations mobilized and responded to has taken the most proactive stance, a rash of logging accidents and sought with Oregon OSHA posting revised to remove workers from dangerous exguidelines for tethered systems in posure. March. Interestingly, the safety agency According to a 2014 news report, stated its guidelines seek to support the WorkSafe, New Zealand’s health and use of new technology that could reduce safety agency, reported that 54 forestry workplace danger and worker exposure. workers had been killed on the job since Meanwhile, the $800,000 OSU re2003, and 1,977 suffered serious injusearch effort plans to evaluate the benries. In addition, the number of forestry efits of cable-assisted mechanical fellaccidents resulting in serious harm was ing and bunching along with related Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers
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grapple yarding and document the improved safety of the new systems in a variety of ways. Trials include measuring soil pressure changes and machine performance and stress under various loads during operation. The study will look at the impact of soil strength and slope on machine operation and stability, measuring soil pressure under the tracks, plus machine and operator acceleration and cable tension changes. The study also includes unprecedented operator monitoring. “It’s real high- Anchor machine at top of slope tech stuff, using eye-tracklogging boom and attachment manufacing glasses, plus heart rate and stress turers in a long and distinguished career. rate monitors,” Garland says. Summit is one of two U.S.-based comExpected to take up to three years, the panies offering Northwest loggers tracstudy should help in determining safety tion-assist systems. and operational guidelines going for“It’s such a big increase in producward. A presentation on the study at the tivity and safety,” Skurdahl says. Western Regional COFE meeting in “You get better log recovery on the Eugene, Ore. in January noted that there hillside. The logs are in nice rows and it’s much easier on the choker setters.” are also ongoing research studies into various traction-assist systems around The veteran cable logging specialist says combination tethering/yarding the world, including central Europe, excavators work very well. “I think New Zealand and Canada. you’re going to see an increase in grapple yarding,” he believes, though Production Revolution? he says right now most of the activity What makes the potential for trache’s seeing is felling applications to tion-assist technology so compelling is reduce hand-falling. that the systems are not only safer but Starting from scratch to configure a also much more productive. system can be a hefty investment, deTraction-assist systems “change the pending on what equipment a logger math” on the ground when it comes to already has. “While felling costs go up traditional cable logging with its mix initially, yarding costs drop dramatiof manual and mechanized operations, cally,” Skurdahl says. depending largely on terrain and timMeanwhile, Skurdahl’s partner in ber type. The technology promises to Summit, logger Eric Krume, who opextend mechanization to more areas of erates Krume Logging in Castle Rock, a given tract and greatly reduce labor Wash., is pushing to maximize effirequirements. ciencies in both felling and yarding, The benefits of mechanized felling, leaving bundles of logs bunched and all oriented the proper way for most efficient skidding or yarding, have a big impact on improving yarding efficiency as well. More timber hits the ground quicker and more efficiently, and each turn going back to the yarder holds much more log volume—all with fewer people. Traction-assist systems have the potential to double the ground loggers can cover, says Bruce Skurdahl, a principal More timber hits the ground faster, and each with Summit Attachment & Machinery, turn carries more log volume to the landing. who has worked with major winch and 16
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and he’s embracing the developmental nature of the technology. His latest effort is tethering a Tigercat 635 6-wheel tracked skidder to bring logs to the landing. In a 2015 profile in a Tigercat newsletter, Krume said he wants to be fully mechanized and automated. “I already know what I can do with eight or 10 men,” Krume says, adding that he’d like to get rid of tower logging. “I’d like to see what I can do with two men.” Krume envisions a system where one man would be tethered and falling timber while another could be grapple yarding and running a processor above at roadside. Another logger bringing traction-assist technology to the region is Frank Chandler Jr. (see feature story page 8), co-owner of major regional logging company C & C Logging in Kelso, Wash. Chandler is the North American importer for the EMS/Tractionline system that was developed in New Zealand and uses a two-cable tethering system. Chandler calls traction-assist systems “a huge opportunity cost-wise. We’re eliminating the yarder altogether and getting a big bang for our buck.” Running multiple crews, the company had pushed shovel logging as far as it could, on slopes approaching 70%, he says. The company’s operators love the traction-assist, Chandler exclaims. “They express concern and anxiety at first, but when they operate with it they’re all saying ‘My God, this is so smooth.’” Skurdahl says the additional stability provided from the traction-assist system makes it feel like the machine is on level ground. He likens the evolution of traction-assist to the development of delimbing/ bucking technology, which took about 25 years. Only traction-assist is on a much shorter timeline, thanks to new and improved and digital technology. That same technology has already made for unmanned felling in a U.S. Army project involving Caterpillar equipment and completed earlier this year. “It’s a very fluid situation,” Skurdahl says. “In five years we may not TH recognize where we are now.”
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2016 TH SURVEY:
Profits Advance, Problems Persist
Issues include markets, quotas, insurance, weather, transportation, timber availability.
A
DKKnight
fter 36 to 48 months of greater production demand, better pay, and improved profits, the latter lifted in part by lower fuel costs of late, much of the nation’s logging force appears to have recently down-
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shifted as it grapples with various market contractions. For some, these market contractions and resulting oversupply pressures have led to recent quotas and/or cuts in compensation. A large logging business majority
(81%) maintains that operating a profitable logging business is more challenging today than it was five years ago. Loggers point to stubbornly high operating costs not connected with fuel, among them much more expensive equipment fitted with the low emissions Tier 4f engine that requires DEF, an added expense; surging prices for components, parts, supplies, tires, and service; elevated expenses for labor and insurance; shut or diminished markets or market instability; delivery quotas; increasing regulations on several fronts; and assorted transportation issues. Other frustrations evident in the survey: slow turn times at mills; timber quality/availability/price; prolonged wet weather; frequent relocations to other cutting sites; and logging/trucking rates that in some cases were trimmed at late winter or early spring, leaving some to wonder what the longer, dryer days of summer hold. (See My Take, page 4.) These are the primary takeaways from Timber Harvesting’s recently completed 2016 Logging Business Survey, the comprehensive study conducted by the magazine every five years and previously carried out in 2011. Beginning in early February and continuing through March, the 36-part survey was delivered three times to TH’s 2919-strong e-mail database of loggers. It was also posted on the magazine’s web site. Just under 500 (17%) responded. Loggers from 39 states participated, those from 22 states in double-digits. Our 2011 survey also drew a 17% response. Just over 304 (66%) responses came from the South, where 61% of the nation’s annual timber harvest takes place, 68 (14%) from the Northeast, 65 (13%) from the Midwest, and 59 (12%) from the West. It should be noted that a few questions, mostly open-ended ones, drew relatively low response rates, and are
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so identified. Also, the survey did not delve specifically into the transportation component, as TH editors plan on conducting a separate transportation survey later this year.
Profit Gains Although many continue to call for better rates, loggers indicated they are more satisfied with their financial health than they were five years ago. Here are the 2016-2011 financial health comparisons: very good, 16% vs. 7%; good, 39% vs. 20%; fair, 32% vs. 45%; poor, 11% vs. 22%; very poor, 2% vs. 7%. What about loggers’ actual/projected pre-tax profit level percentage for calendar 2015 vs. 2010? The 2016 responses contrasted to those in 2011: more than 15%, 9% vs. 4; 11-15, 14% vs. 2; 7-10%, 19% vs. 9; 4-6, 17% vs. 12; 1-3, 16% vs. 21; broke even, 15% vs. 20; lost money, 10% vs. 31. Interestingly, no one checked off 15%-plus in the Northeast, and profit levels were higher in the Midwest and West. Also, note that a fourth of respondents in each region reported breaking even or losing money. Five years ago, 51% of surveyed loggers said they broke even or lost money. Just over a third of loggers said they believed a reasonable rate of return for their business to be 11-15%; just under a third said more than 15%, and just over a fifth said 7-10%. Although 35% of the responding sample said they had expanded in the last five years, 19% said they had downsized, and 46% said they had remained about the same. Loggers who deploy one crew and hire less than five (62%) dominated—it was 76% in the Northeast—followed by two crew, 6-15 employee operations. Nationally, only 4% reported having five or more crews and 35-plus employees, but the figure for the West was 11%. The logging force continues to age, and there are notable regional differences. Overall, 6% in the study indicated they were under 30, 17% between 31-40; 26% 41-50; 29% 51-60; and 22% over 60. Five years ago the results were 5% under 30; 19% 31-40; 25% 41-50; 32% 51-60; and 19% over 60. In the West, 43% of 2016 responding loggers were over 60; a whopping 76% 51 or older. In the Midwest, the corresponding figures were 24% and 29%; in the South 18% and 26%; in the Northeast, 16% and 35%. The
South had the largest percentage under 40 (26%), followed by the Northeast, Midwest, and West (less than 9%).
Impact Factors The survey revealed the most significant ‘heavy impact’ challenges confronting loggers today are, in descending order: 1) insurance costs/availability; 2) weather-related downtime; 3) transportation/DOT regulations; 4) limited, unstable markets; 5) delivery quotas; 6) labor; 7) logging/trucking rates; 8) timber quality/availability; 9) equipment downtime; 10) debt; and 11) environmental compliance; and 12) product specs/separations. The list from five years ago: 1) logging/trucking rates; 2) insurance; 3) transportation/DOT regulations; 4) weather-related downtime; 5) timber quality/ availability; 6) delivery quotas; 7) debt; 8) equipment downtime; 9) labor; 10) environmental compliance; and 11) product specs/separations. The regional ‘heavy impact’ descending order: Northeast—insurance, weather, markets, transportation, quotas; Midwest—weather, labor, timber quality-availability-cost, insurance, transportation; South—insurance, transportation, weather, quotas, markets; West—markets, transportation, insurance, labor, environmental compliance and timber issues (tie). Regarding overall log/fiber demand in 2016-2017, 46% of loggers said they expected it to remain about the
same, 29% predicted slight improvement, and 21% said demand would diminish somewhat. Here is a partial breakdown as to loggers’ total business investment: up to $500,000, 36%; up to $1 million, 24%; up to $2 million, 18%; and up to $5 million, 15%. Less than 2% said their investment topped $11 million. In a question not included in previous surveys, and answered by 381, loggers offered insight as to their business diversity, with 44% operating an affiliated trucking arm or company; 26% each operating a farm or building roads; 23% each engaging in forest management or processing firewood; 18% clearing land or mulching underbrush; and 11% each running a sawmill, wood yard/storage facility, repairing equipment or buying/selling equipment. Other diverse interests included tree service, real estate, rental property, cotton gin, fuel bulk plant, convenience store, cabinet shop, gravel/sand pit, real estate appraisal, general construction, shavings mill, and maple syrup production.
Improving Operations Loggers were asked to list steps they have taken in recent years to reduce costs and to become more efficient and/or more productive. A total of 291 responded. Equipment and truck upgrades were noted most often as conduits to increased uptime and production and reduced outlays for
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“I recently bought a bigger skidder, so now I just run one instead of two. It can drag just as much wood, and with lower fuel and labor costs.” ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“We buy used equipment and fix it up to new condition and have excellent upkeep on it. Everything is paid for as we go.” ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“I make my own hoses, scrounge for surplus fittings and parts, and use the Internet to find better deals.”
fuel, lubricants, DEF, etc., not to mention improved crew morale. “Upgrading to newer equipment has really helped my efficiency,” wrote one logger. “Not in just loads per day but also in the number of days we move wood instead of working on a machine, and with better fuel economy. I’ve also started trying to cut skid distances. Even when dealing with small, odd sets, I benefit in the long run with the production gain.” Another logger acknowledged investing in additional training of operators to broaden their knowledge of today’s higher tech equipment, and said he added a second shift at the shop to service equipment during 20
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non-productive hours. A few respondents said they reaped turbocharged benefits by going with bigger machines. “I recently bought a bigger skidder, so now I just run one instead of two. It can drag just as much wood, and with lower fuel and labor costs,” related one respondent. Another noted that he had replaced two smaller chippers with one larger model, adding: “I try to combine my two crews as often as possible. I can control everything better if it’s all on the same job.” For loggers whose operations rely on the chain saw as a mainstay, the type of cutting chain and the variation of saws available can have a signifi-
cant production impact. Wrote such a respondent: “Square tooth chain in a market where the majority use round cutters… square tooth chain really does cut faster. Having several size chain saws on hand helps match the tool to the job and reduces fatigue.” Others said they preferred going with used equipment and/or holding on to what they have. As one logger put it: “We buy used equipment and fix it up to new condition and have excellent upkeep on it. Everything is paid for as we go.” And another, with a little satirical twist: “We have not updated equipment due to quotas and hard-to-find employees and trucks. You never know how much wood you will get to haul from week to week.” Whatever the age or type of harvesting or hauling gear involved, many respondents indicated they had begun paying closer attention to maintenance—often doing it solo or otherwise supervising the same—to enhance uptime and better control costly repairs. Offered one logger: “I try to operate equipment diligently; to be aware of machine problems— identify them before they become costly in both time and money.” As to purchasing parts and other
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supplies and services, including insurance, many say they shop more diligently and/or turn to the Internet or use social media to locate aftermarket parts or used parts and com22
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ponents. Wrote one respondent: “I make my own hoses, scrounge for surplus fittings and parts, and use the Internet to find better deals.” The bulk purchase of fuel, lubri-
cants, tires, hoses, etc. as a fountainhead for savings was mentioned by some of those surveyed. Others said they had downsized; streamlined; sold off excess equipment; limited machine idle time; added GPS truck tracking; moved toward or away from contract trucking; taken mechanization to a higher level; changed harvesting methods; dropped physical damage insurance coverage on some trucks and equipment; become more selective in the type/location of tracts they harvest; or modified the way they deployed machines and employees. One logger said he was trying to better manage mill wait time: “If the mill is having problems in late afternoon we load trailers so they can haul before daylight the next day, (at times) with different load configurations.” Another simply wrote: “I have learned to say no.” Several indicated they had invested in better employees, reduced head count, cross-trained, and/or otherwise
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begun managing workers to a more refined degree.
‘Sustaining’ Proposals Our survey asked loggers to suggest changes in prevailing industry practices that would help them sustain their businesses, and 228 responded, calling evenly for better logging and transportation rates and for additional and more consistent markets. Here are some select comments on rates: “Quite simply, if we were compensated fairly for our service, we could deal with all the other issues we face.” “Competition for timber is too great—10 to 12 companies vying for the same tracts. The cost of equipment is heading north and logging rates are heading south, and at a rapid pace.” “Not enough pay for the junk we cut. No pay of any sort for doing any road building or extra cosmetic work at the end of the job; all while watching others leave a job looking like crap.” “We need realistic trucking rates. Companies need to do a better job of monitoring wood deliveries rather than just opening the gate, getting what they want and cutting everyone off. They should pay realistic prices that allow loggers to actually make money.” “Mills should not reduce rates any greater or faster than they increased them when fuel was on the rise.” “More money would help but the industry has got to get away from quotas and narrow the distance in what each vendor is paid for their product. It is not a fair market at all.” One logger noted that increases in harvesting and hauling efficiency always seem to be met with lower rates. He also noted that when manufacturer profits skyrocketed a few years ago that logging service companies were not allowed to feed at the profit trough and that downward pressures persisted on logging rates. Some select comments on markets: “Stop allowing giant company crews to block out all local OSB plants and sawmills.” “Our main pulp mill at Wickliffe, Ky. shut down, leaving us with no outlet for pulp. We’re desperate for another pulp market.” “We need a fair market where everyone gets the same price for wood. Right now prices are tilted toward preferred suppliers.” “It would help if wood prices were
“Mills need to become more consistent and take wood every day of every week. We have enough factors out of our control already. Equipment companies need to stop financing anyone who can hold up a diaper…” ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“Mills should not reduce rates any greater or faster than they increased them when fuel was on the rise.” ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“More money would help but the industry has got to get away from quotas and narrow the distance in what each vendor is paid for their product. It is not a fair market at all.” more consistent. Mills pay what they have to when it’s wet, then slash prices when it’s dry. This keeps stumpage uncertain for landowners. We are unable to put stumpage on the books when mills won’t commit to pricing out front of wet weather.” “Pine markets are full and are gonna stay that way as long as mills are cutting their own timber. By doing this
they are keeping markets full and prices low. Too much corn and not enough crib.” One participant addressed the prevailing industry culture in his area: “Mills need to become more consistent and take wood every day of every week. We have enough factors out of our control already. Equipment companies need to stop financing
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tice benefits are the consuming mills and landowners. Logging prices will go down, delivered prices will go down and stumpage prices will go up. Portions of logging rates will be driven back to stumpage prices because these people do not understand how to run a business; they just buy work and eventually go bankrupt.” A few loggers made cases for longer-term contracts: “Give each logger a set price and how much volume to deliver each year. That way he could finance equipment easier and have better employees, paying them a salary. This way a logger would have solid numbers to work with in buying timber and planning work. Now it’s just week to week.” Another issue emphasized was regulations, particularly as they pertain to transportation—hours of service restrictions and other CSA requirements, DOT inspections, typical 80,000 lb. GVW limits on interstate highways, etc. At the local level, regulatory creep in the form of permits, performance bonds, posted roads and bridges, and other related matters were also cited. The same went for insurance costs, most notably for trucks and trailers. Rates reportedly continue to climb, and a growing number of carriers are refusing to offer auto coverage for log trucks, citing mounting losses. Other sore spots noted included restrictive quotas, prolonged turn times at mills, nagging labor problems, and timber availability/quality/ price. Unlike five years ago, equipment financing was mentioned only a couple of times.
Employee Insight anyone who can hold up a diaper. We have spent the last 15-20 years working through the aggressive financing period of the mid ’90s. Just as we have gotten that equipment out of the mix and the potential for profitable logging looks obtainable, equipment companies are putting new equipment 24
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into the hands of poorly operated businesses for others to have to contend with again. This equipment will circulate through five or more failed businesses over the next 15 years while the owners who have no business experience set logging prices in our area. The only parties this prac-
The survey asked loggers to compare today’s overall employee availability/quality to that of 2011. The results: about the same, 44%; not as good, 27%; better, 12%; and worse, 16%. Regionally, the ‘better’ category was higher in the South (16%); the ‘same’ was higher in both the Midwest
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(53%) and Northeast (57%); and ‘worse’ was higher in the West (16%). Only 273 answered this question: What specific steps do you take to attract and retail employees? Higher pay and additional benefits, among them incentive-based compensation, bonuses of various types; paid holidays and vacations, retirement plans, health insurance, transportation, and clothing, among others, were the most popular steps mentioned. Many said they strive to create a good, safe, caring work environment with limited stress; try to keep people happy; treat workers with respect; work to make employees feel like they are key to the company’s success; provide steady work; keep clean, well maintained equipment; conduct drug tests; and otherwise establish solid policies. One logger said all his employees had been on board from 10 to 35 years. One said he tries to be “fair, honest, and set a Christian example.” Another said he offers top pay: “It’s the only thing the guys want.” Still another said he offers a “back to school bonus,” among other types. Some comments:
“We offer activities outside of work to help strengthen the bonds among employees as well as to boost morale. We pay by the day instead of production.” “We offer competitive wages and benefits and training to attract/broaden potential candidates. We promote from within when possible and pay for skills—higher pay to those who can operate multiple machine types.” “I try not to hire anybody under 30 years old. They don’t have any desire to work for the most part.” “We pay our people very well and provide them with boots and a nice Christmas bonus. They average $50,000 annually.” A few loggers indicated they were frustrated with labor. One said he uses
“I try not to hire anybody under 30 years old. They don’t have any desire to work for the most part.”
contractors only. “It’s very hard to find help that is reliable,” said another respondent. “Competing with oil and gas is hard along the coast,” wrote another. And another said simply: “I give up.”
Equipment Here is how loggers rated equipment: design—good or very good, 92%; reliability—good or very good, 82%, fair, 16%; fuel economy—good to very good, 66%; fair, 31%; ease of maintenance—good to very good, 56%; fair 35%; operator comfort— good to very good, 93%; Tier 4f engine performance—good to very good, 47%; fair, 36%; overall performance—good to very good, 91%. In considering the purchase/lease of equipment, a majority of loggers indicated, in the following order, that price, dealer assistance-integrity-support, warranty, financing, dealer location, and brand are ‘very important.’ Loggers were asked how they use the features of much of today’s hightech equipment to better manage their investments so as to help avoid prob-
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lems and enhance uptime. A total of 366 responded. Only 38% said they monitor machine performance and use information to their benefit; 7% said they paid their dealer for such monitoring service; and 55% said they were aware of the technology but do not use the information. Regarding machine maintenance, 55% reported doing it from within; 10% paid a dealer or independent mechanic, and only 2% said they purchase extended warranties. Also, 17% said they maintained a shop, 12% said they owned at least one service truck or trailer, and only 5% hired at least one mechanic. As to annual expenditures for maintenance, repairs and supplies (not including fuel), 66% reported spending less than $100,000 while 17% said up to $200,000. Only 17% spend more.
2016 Purchasing The machine and truck buying mood among loggers was evident for the last three years or so and, according to the survey, it is still there, but
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probably somewhat less robust. Loggers were asked to specify any new equipment/trucks, etc. they had already purchased or may purchase in 2016. The following list came from the 237 who responded, and they indicated the equipment was/would largely consist of new hardware: Trucks, 90; log trailers, 30; lowboys, 5; chip vans, 4; skidders, 59; wheeltype feller-bunchers, 43; track-type feller-bunchers, 12; loaders, 41; chippers, 3; forwarders, 5; wheel-type harvesters, 10; bulldozers, 7; service/ crew trucks, 7; shovels, 2; excavators, 2; processor heads, 13; felling heads, 2; dump trucks, 3.
Other Information Just over a fifth of responding loggers said their businesses now maintain a web site or would develop one going forward. One fifth reported using social media, primarily Facebook, as a business tool. They buysell equipment, find employees, show examples of their work, demonstrate professionalism, learn how others
resolve mechanical issues, locate timber, and educate the public. Asked if they planned to ultimately pass along their logging business to a son or daughter, 52% said no, 48% said yes. In a question answered by 481 loggers, 69% said they belonged to a state or regional logging association. They graded their associations as follows: A, 46%; B, 35%; C, 14%; D, 5%. Just over 450 responded to a question about the American Loggers Council (ALC). Forty-three percent said it is a strong, effective organization; 12% said it was not very strong or effective; 39% said they knew very little about it but would like to know more; 6% said they did not see any need for a national loggers’ organization. Looking forward, 54% of participants indicated they likely will stay in business for at least five more years and look for opportunities to expand/diversity; 30% said they likely will stay in business for five years but not likely expand/diversify; and17% said they likely would exit the business in the next five years. TH
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Bisballe Brothers Pull Together Well-managed Michigan logging business has low turnover, functions as team.
M
JAYDonnell
ichigan’s Kurt Bisballe and Michigan SFI Implementation didn’t always know that logCommittee Logger of the Year for 2015. ging would be in his future. His father, Wayne Bisballe, founder of the comBusiness Practices pany that would later be named Bisballe Forest Products, Inc. (BFP), didn’t know Employees meet at BFP’s shop at 5 either. Wayne and his wife, Norma, a.m. every morning and end their days moved to Lake City, Mich. in 1977 and at 6 p.m., at times stopping work a little started a hog farm when Kurt was a boy. earlier on Fridays. They do not work on Wayne and a business partner bought a weekends or on major holidays. After truck to haul grain, and when a local 90 days workers are eligible for a paid mill moved into town other doors started vacation and may enroll in a 401K plan. to open. They were asked to start haulBonuses are issued twice a year. ing wood for the mill and did so to keep Unlike a lot of logging companies, their truck more productive. One thing led to another and in 1986 Wayne Bisballe, along with his partner, started a logging business called Payless Ag Commodities. Wayne ran the business until his death in 2003. Kurt took things over and eventually parted ways with the partner. He then changed the name of the business to Bisballe Forest Products. Back then they employed the treelength harvesting method but today the company is all about cut-to-length. Based in Lake City, located in the northwest area of the From left, Kurt and Chad Bisballe take the BFP management lead. Lower Peninsula, the business BFP will hire and train greenhorns. operates seven crews, one treelength “Our biggest thing is, ‘Do you want to crew and two contract crews. The comwork?’” Kurt explains. “If you don’t pany also does some excavating and site want to work then it’s not going to clearing. work. We take the time to hire and Kurt, 44, has his hands full in managtrain new people, but it can be expening the 34-employee business, but the sive to train greenhorns, and it’s hard task is made easier by key assistance to train them.” from brothers Chad, 39, Eric, 47, and The business doesn’t experience Troy, 42. All four brothers share ownermuch turnover, which can be attributed ship of the business. to the excellent management practices After winning the Michigan Assn. of of the Bisballe team. The brothers have Timbermen’s (MAT) 2012 Logger of invested about $9 million in the busithe Year award, the Bisballes were not ness, so the stakes are high, but they go expecting to be honored again anytime about their work with a lot of confidence soon, but recently Kurt was informed and in a spirit of teamwork. that BFP was again named the MAT 30
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Kurt’s brothers play a large role in the business. Eric runs one of the crews, Troy is a mainstay on another, and Chad does a number of things, including managing a crew, overseeing the firewood component, and helping Kurt oversee operations as a whole. Kristi Bisballe and Tony Fox manage BFP’s books and keep the paperwork in order. According to Kurt, the most pressing problems for BFP these days are restrictions and transportation. “Being able to transport out of secondary roads is becoming a huge issue for us,” Kurt says. “We also have cutting restrictions because of bats, rattlesnakes, hawks, horses and snowmobiles.” Kurt is very active in the industry, serving on the Michigan Assn. of Timbermen Self Insured Fund Board and the Michigan Forest Products Council Board. “As an industry we don’t do enough sticking up for ourselves,” Kurt explains. “If they put a restriction on you we just say we’ll deal with it and through the years we’ve accumulated so many restrictions that we’ve got to start reversing that a little bit because it’s getting out of hand. We’re pretty heavily involved with a lot of issues like roads. Some of the roads are sub par and people really don’t want you on them.” He adds, “Logging does a lot in northern Michigan for everything and some people don’t realize that. You’ve got a lot of people that do, but some people don’t think about it enough. The small percentage of people that do complain about it really don’t know what they’re talking about half the time, but they seem to get a lot of attention. Eventually we’ve got to push back a little bit and say, ‘no, this is fundamen-
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Bisballe Forest Products does its own trucking with Kenworths and Western Stars. Training for new drivers can take up to six months. Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers
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tally sound.’ As an industry we probably haven’t done enough of that.” BFP is a staple in the community and hosts many charity events, including golf outings and various benefits— all very important, according to Kurt. “You’ve got to take care of the work force that takes care of you,” he says.
Operations
Wheel-type feller-bunchers help boost production for BFP’s CTL crews.
Harvesters include four John Deere 1270D and 1270E models.
BFP works on many different kinds of tracts—state (45%), federal (30%), and private (25%). Kurt prefers to work on state forests. “We need all three, but the state is the easiest to get along with,” he says. “Private land is good, but you’ll get one out of 10 that have uncalled-for expectations.” Tony Fox is the company’s forester and has worked with BFP for many years. Tony is a key employee and also deals with a lot of environmental and road issues. The company’s cut was once heavy to softwood but now it is heavy to hardwood (80%). Sorts include utility poles; logs for veneer, lumber and cross ties; scragg bolts; pulpwood; and occasionally, fence posts. Markets over a given year may involve up to 25 mills of various types, the key ones being Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber in Comins, Weyerhaeuser in Grayling, Hydrolake in Reed City, PCA in Edmore, Sunrise Lumber in Mio, S&L Sawmill in Leroy and Biewer Lumber in Lake City. Most of these mills are within 70 miles of Lake City, but BFP will haul up to 150 miles. “We’ve had pretty good working relationships with our mills and that’s been the huge thing for us,” Kurt explains. “The mills we sell to are in it for the long haul and they’re pretty understanding.” Terrain is generally flat to hilly. Tract size can vary from two acres to 200, but 40 acres is about average, and smaller tracts dominate in summer months. The thinning/clear-cut ratio is roughly 65-35. Harvest goal is 100 loads a week.
Equipment, Trucking
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BFP has an extensive line of mostly John Deere equipment that includes seven forwarders—1010E, 1210E, and 1510E models—four 1270D and E model harvesters; five 843J feller-bunchers; three skidders—two 648Gs and one 648L—five bulldozers; one backhoe; and one excavator. TIMBER HARVESTING & WOOD FIBER OPERATIONS
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The feller-bunchers help the CTL crews increase production, especially in hardwood stands, which tend to slow dedicated CTL harvesters, Kurt explains. The business recently purchased the 2016 648L from AIS Equipment of Traverse City, Mich. AIS and BFP have worked together for many years. “Between the service and support of the dealer, it’s been a huge thing for us,” Kurt says. “We’ve been working with them since 2003 and the owner has been key in Spacious, well-equipped shop also includes a truck wash. supporting us. John Deere has supported us too, so we don’t have any Self-loaders include three 4900 Western reason to look elsewhere.” Stars, two T800 and two 880 KenBFP uses a Multitek 2040 XP procesworths, and two new rigs, an 880 and sor for its firewood business, which anT880 KW. The loaders involved are all nually moves a substantial volume. Serco 8500’s from Midwest Tractor and BFP performs most maintenance Equipment in Buckley, Mich. from within at its state-of-the-art shop, New drivers ride with an experiwhich is equipped with a truck wash. enced driver for a period to become Oil is changed every 400 hours on cutfamiliar with company policies, practo-length gear, 250 hours on all other tices, and expectations. Driver training machines. Log trucks are serviced every can take up to six months, depending 15,000 miles. on the individual and his experience. The company maintains nine If a driver has never operated a selfself-loaders and five semi-trucks. loader, he must practice operating one
at the back of the shop. “We’ll take him out behind our shop where we have stacked firewood,” Kurt says. “We let him run it there and we watch him.” When BFP drivers are being trained they are paid by the hour and after training they are paid by the load. Bisballe has a good reason for doing this. “I start them out by the hour so they’re not pushing the envelope and they can get used to the routine,” he says. “We try to be selective with our truck drivers. We hired one a year ago, but besides that we haven’t had to hire a new one in probably five years.” BFP hasn’t had a trucking accident in a long time. GPS systems are not used on the trucks, but Kurt has not ruled out installing some in the future. “We feel like we have some of the best and most cautious drivers in our area,” Kurt says. Kurt, Chad, Eric and Troy have successfully built on the strong foundation provided by their father, and credit him and his work ethic for much of their TH success.
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Chip Chip Hooray! Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo focused on in-woods operations. JESSICAJohnson
I
n early April in downtown Atlanta, while a few protesters from the Dogwood Alliance outside of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center brandished photographs of old-growth coastal bottomland logging and chanted “Save Our Southern Forests,” inside some 320 pro biomass representatives were enjoying the Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo. The biennial event, hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine (companion to Timber Harvesting), included nearly 40 speakers and 70 equipment and technology exhibitors. “They may have good intentions, but they’re misinformed,” commented conference Co-Chairman Rich Donnell of the protesters. “It’s pulpwood material, not old-growth; the protesters either haven’t done their research or they prefer to ignore it.” The conference included keynote presentations from the presidents of major pellet producers Enviva and Drax, as well as talks by biomass power plant managers. An addition this year was a microconference focused on the in-woods aspect of bioenergy production which covered topics ranging from chipper technologies to how to get started in fuel chipping to the importance of customizing procurement to the resource. Chip Chip Hooray! featured seven speakers including three representing chipper equipment manufacturers, two loggers who run chipping operations and two fiber procurement managers from pellet operations. Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey recalled making a case for biomass energy during a presentation in Atlanta in 1972. Low grade materials were referred to as “the dead, the down and the dying,” he said, adding, “a strong biomass energy market is so important. It creates a use for low grade wood, including slash that 34
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would otherwise be left to rot, releasing CO2 as well as harmful methane gas. Biomass energy is not carbon neutral—it is carbon-reducing!” He said the U.S. should be better managing its state and national forests and planting more trees. Other countries are, he noted. Morey described the kinds of chips preferable for biomass energy production and described Bandit’s chippers and their new technologies, including their clean feed system that doesn’t
Tidewater Timber’s Stephen Tucker
discharge chips under the feed area. Capturing this material increases chip yield by around 5%, he said. He added that Bandit chippers can produce a 2 in. chip that’s popular in Europe and noted Bandit had strengthened its hardware and drums for this market. Morey also described how Bandit developed a microchip drum for several of its models for producing a ¼ in. chip. “Dirt is the biggest enemy of making clean chips,” said veteran Georgia logger Deck Trevitt, owner of Woodland Improvements, who spoke on Getting into Fuelwood Chipping. Trevitt noted that his crews try to mat skid
trails wherever possible, and this helps to keep so much dirt from accumulating on logs. Trevitt addressed key factors in purchasing a chipper, transportation of chips, incorporating chipping into a roundwood operation and drum maintenance. He said that in pursuing fuelwood production the biggest challenges are marginal investment return, saturated markets and pricing, quotas and “political whims.” The biggest benefit? “Getting paid for a product we used to leave lying on the ground.” He also pointed to the aesthetics that derive from a properly harvested site. Rusty Booker, VP-Fiber Procurement, Drax Biomass, spoke on Customizing Your Procurement to the Resource. Drax operates two pellets plants in the Southeast. He stressed the importance of knowing what kind of fiber you need, what form it should come to the mill in (chips, roundwood), ongoing availability given the area’s management and ownership patterns, and age class distribution. He also stressed that availability and composition can change in a hurry due to disastrous weather events. “Build flexibility, plan for change,” Booker said. He was quick to emphasize key relationship between loggers and procurement teams. “Loggers know how mills work; they know the weaknesses and they know the strengths.” He added that recognizing the logger’s investments in equipment is important in building a strong relationship. Michael Stanton, Regional Sales Manager for Morbark, spoke on Creating New Opportunities for Product Diversification and Growth. He provided insight into three logging companies— Bateman Logging of Edenton, NC; Sapp’s Land Clearing and Excavation of Chipley, Fla; and Timber Wolf Logging of Littleton, NH—that have
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successfully brought chips and biomass production into their operations while operating Morbark equipment. Stanton encouraged everyone to know their numbers and make smart decisions when considering getting into chipping. He emphasized the importance of making economic assessments based on a thorough understanding of your typical chipping site, operating costs, production, mill price. But he added while people should use economics as a baseline for a good day or a bad day, it isn’t always so cut and dried, as loggers know. He quipped, “You can have a bad day in the first 10 minutes if someone isn’t paying attention.” He also stressed the importance of “uptime” when considering a chipper purchase and doing your homework as to dealer support, parts on the shelf and the trained technical services a chipper manufacturer can provide. Stephen Tucker, a principal with Tidewater Land & Timber, spoke on Logging Growth with Renewable Energy and how microchipping helped turn Tidewater’s business around. Tucker and Joedy Cahoon had formed
Morbark’s Michael Stanton
Tidewater Land & Timber as a timber company to buy wood for Cahoon’s J&R Logging. But after some paper mills in their area of North Carolina and Virginia shut down, and the business struggled, Tucker said with a laugh, “Things got worse, so we bought a chipper.” Enter Enviva, which began building pellet plants in the region, and for which Tidewater has become a major supplier. Annual production has
grown dramatically to nearly 219,000 tons of chips (clean pine chips, hardwood microchips, hardwood fuel chips) from six chippers. Keith Middleton, Procurement Manager at Fram Renewable Fuels, addressed Generating a Raw Material Supply for a New Wood Pellet Plant, specifically the Fram 500,000 metric tons plant at Hazlehurst, Ga. He spoke about the fiber requirements and considerations of the plant (1 million tons annually of pine) including residual sawdust, residual chips, roundwood and clean chips. Logging equipment veteran René van der Merwe, Sales Manager for Bruks in North America, spoke on her company’s mobile chipper and showed video of its operation. One of the attendees, Jerry Sapp of Cottondale, Fla., commented that after microchipping for three years and hauling to Green Circle Bio Energy, this conference gave him the opportunity to see how he could become more efficient, continue to learn about the equipment, and mingle with other operators on issues such as reducing TH fines and managing dirt.
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PeoplePower! WENDY FARRAND wendyfarrand@gmail.com, 207-838-4435
The Value Of An Exit Interview One of your best operators just gave their two-week notice. You feel blindsided, betrayed and confused. Maybe there is a twinge of anger rising up in your throat, but most of all you are wondering, “Why?” The way it appears to you, everything seems to be fine on the job. What looks good from your vantage point may be a whole different ball of wax from that employee’s point of view. You owe it to yourself, your business and the other team members to find out the reasons for the notice. You need to make an exit interview part of your standard practice. It may also show you areas for needed improvement. As close as you feel to your crew, and as much as they respect you, there are always going to be some things that will never be shared. Thoughts about leaving, more times than not, will be kept locked away in the mind of the crew member that’s contemplating leaving. That’s why it usually feels like a shock and, admit it, a betrayal. All of a sudden, out of the blue it hits you like a ton of bricks and you immediately start problem solving, creating strategies to keep the wood flowing. It can almost be like an ego thing. You really don’t want to give that person the pleasure of knowing they might be missed or valued because you feel hurt. In order to make your business stronger, you have to put your personal feelings aside and rise to the occasion. Leaders are in charge of the emotional climate on the job as well as analyzing the harvest system to find opportunities for improvement. An exit interview can help you manage both those aspects of your job in one sitting. You will be amazed at what you might find out.
Feeling Of Family The tight knit camaraderie experienced on a crew is incredible. Once in the fold, that feeling of family and “I’ve got your back” confidence is unmatched. I know, I lived it and loved it. I think it has something to do with working, eating, and going to the bathroom in the woods. Mostly it has to do with the fact that we are working in a familial business that has grown from 36
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families who have worked hard to move the wood together. Etched in the DNA of a logger is that undying loyalty that has been time-tested, a loyalty that thrives between those who risk their lives to do what they do. So, when someone has chosen to leave, for whatever reason, it feels like a divorce. You automatically conclude that person is no longer worthy of the love and devotion of the crew. Put on the brakes! It feels like family, but it is a business. As a leader, you must check your emotions in order to do what’s best for the company.
Reasons People Leave Your job during the exit interview is to find the primary reason the employee decided to leave. Research has shown that people leave a supervisor, not a company. It will be a fine dance between you and the exiting crew member. He or she may want to protect a future opportunity to return to your company. If that person is a good operator, you should too, for you know what they say? “The grass is always greener at the other logging company!” Should things turn sour, you could gain back an even better, more engaged operator, one who values all the things you offer, given a second opportunity. If the opposite is true, and you are relieved to see this person go, you still want to gather as much information as possible regarding things that happen on the job that you might not privy to. If I were conducting an exit interview, whether it involved a good employee or not, I would open with something like “Your work here has been valued and you have been an important part of this crew. Today’s interview is to find out some of the key issues leading up to your decision to leave.” No matter what the exit scenario is, you want to always be thought of in a good light. That individual who is leaving will talk, and you want the talk to be positive, even if the departing employee wasn’t exactly a joy to be around. Let’s face it, even if another company stole your operator by offering more money, you want to know that. Rumors
can fly. At best, what you hear from others usually is some distorted version of the truth. Sometimes, and I have seen this on more than one occasion, an operator may want to leave because he or she wants to learn how to operate other equipment. Because of logistics at the time, or production goals, it just wasn’t in the cards for the immediate future. They had to go where they were promised cross training at a larger company. So gathering the facts at the crew member’s departure will help keep you based in reality, give you valuable information and not distorted tales that have been run through the rumor mill.
The Interview Make an exit interview a routine procedure in your company. Conduct it in a timely fashion, within a day or two of the notice, before he or she has mentally checked out. It can be as simple as a quick meeting over a cup of coffee in the service truck or crummy, or a formal meeting that takes place at the home office. Regardless, have questions prepared ahead of time. Some sample questions might be: What did you like best about working here? Is there any information you can share about the morale of the crew? Are there any areas where you see opportunities for improvement on the crew? Was there one incident that prompted you to leave? Did you feel supported and well directed by the crew supervisor? What did you enjoy the least about working with this crew? The climate of the crew at the time, and certain issues you may be facing, will help you to customize your questions. Keep in mind that an open-ended question will foster sharing and you may realize information that you might never could have thought of on your own. Positive feedback is fun, negative feedback lends itself to continuous improvement. Facing problems and creating solutions is the responsibility of crew supervisors and/or owners. Opportunities for improvement can be identified, adjustments made and new goals set to elevate your performance and professionalism. TH
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Dust&Rust Readers are encouraged to send historical items.
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EquipmentWorld Caterpillar Retreats From Truck Market
Caterpillar Inc. has withdrawn from the on-highway vocational truck market, saying its decision is based on the current business climate in the truck industry and a thorough evaluation of the market. Caterpillar said the decision blends with the company’s ongoing restructuring to align its businesses with existing conditions. The company says it remains committed to existing truck customers and will support the Caterpillar trucks they own.
Caterpillar launched its first vocational truck in the North American market in 2011, working with Navistar in a design/ build arrangement. Last year the company announced it would begin independently designing and manufacturing trucks at its Caterpillar plant in Victoria, Tex., but that plan never materialized. “Remaining a viable competitor in this market would require significant additional investment to develop and launch a complete portfolio of trucks, and upon an updated review, we determined there was not a sufficient market opportunity to justify the investment,” said Ramin Younessi, vice president with responsibility for Caterpillar’s Industrial Power Systems Division.
Riley Equipment Available Again The Riley forestry equipment line, which rose to prominence 15 or so years ago, has been reintroduced by a Texas company that acquired manufacturing rights to Riley-branded products.
Texas Timberjack, a well-established forestry and industrial equipment dealer based in Lufkin, has expanded the traditional Riley pullthrough delimber and slasher attachments to include a compact track mulcher, mulching head, and tree trimmer. All are available through an entity known as Riley Forestry Equipment, which is enlisting dealers to sell and service its products. Founded in Montezuma, Ga. some 20 years ago as a log trailer manufacturer, Riley expanded into the attachments market. The company closed its doors in the late ’00s and a former employee tried to bring the brand back in 2010 but was unsuccessful. Visit rileyforestryequipment.com or phone 844-577-4539.
New Tidewater Store Focuses On Morbark Morbark, LLC announced the territory expansion of Tidewater Equipment Co. to now serve the needs of Morbark customers throughout the entire state of Florida. Tidewater opened a new store in Tampa, Fla. on April 1. “Tidewater has been a Gold Tier Dealer for our industrial equipment line for the past three straight years,” says John Foote, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Morbark. “This means they provide more than just our high-performance equipment; they give our customers local knowledge and support to help them grow and maintain their businesses.” Tidewater has been serving the Southeast for more than 65 years and carrying the Morbark brand for the past six years. The Tampa store, located at 2254 Massaro Blvd., becomes not only the 12th Tidewater location representing Morbark industrial products, but also the first that is focused specifically on the Morbark line.
Pitts Trailers Has Been Rolling For 40 Years Pitts Trailers, Inc., is celebrating its 40th year. Based in Pittsview, Ala., Pitts Trailers was founded in 1976 by Andrew Pitts. He was dedicated to solving the transportation needs of the forestry market by building the strongest and most dependable trailers for the local logger. Pitts started his business in a 200 sq. 42
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EquipmentWorld ft. office and a two bay shop. The introduction and expansion of a dedicated dealer network, along with the core ideals of Andrew Pitts and the leadership of his son Jeff Pitts has enabled Pitts Trailers to become a mainstay in the industry, becoming the 13th largest trailer manufacturer in the country, producing more than 4,200 trailers in 2015. Pitt Enterprises has five manufacturing facilities spread across 70 acres in Pittsview and Elba, Ala.
Peterson Names Its Top Dealer Peterson Pacific Corp. named Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. of Australia as its 2015 Dealer of the Year. This is the second time that Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. has won this award. “Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. has achieved this award twice due to their assembly of a world class sales and product support team. Their support after the sale is unsurpassed within our industry and KF’s dedication, focus, and vision to the Peterson product
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line, and the markets we serve, make them a tremendous partner and raises the bar for dealer performance,” comments Brian Gray, Director of Sales of KF’s accomplishment. Peterson presented the award at the 2016 AusTimber Show in Victoria, Australia.
Morbark’s Shoemaker Receives State Honor Morbark, LLC announced that President James Shoemaker Jr. has been named the 2016 John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award recipient for Large Tier companies by the Michigan Manufacturers Assn. (MMA). Now in its 35th year, the award program recognizes manufacturers for their dedication to community service, issue advocacy and their role as a symbol of the positive work being done by the manufacturing industry. Shoemaker joined Morbark in 2003 as director of operations before being promoted to vice president of Opera-
tions, and then was appointed President in 2011. The Large Tier category award is presented to a company with 200 or more employees. Shoemaker is a founder of one of Michigan’s most respected regional industry associations (the Central Michigan Manufacturers Assn.), partner to both the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and MMA, a voice on top economic issues impacting businesses across the state, and an advocate for promoting a positive image of manufacturing careers.
Flint Equipment Joins Bandit Industries Network The Construction and Forestry Div. of Flint Equipment Co.’s South Carolina dealerships have joined the Bandit Industries dealer network. Flint will handle sales, parts and service of all large Bandit equipment, including whole tree chippers and grinders. Six locations in South Carolina are at Andrews, Aynor, Simpsonville, West Columbia, Ladson and Walterboro.
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InnovationWay Tigercat Tier 4f Harvesters
New for 2016 are the Tigercat H855D and LH855D harvesters equipped with the fuel-efficient Tigercat FPT N67 Tier 4f engine operating at 210 kW (282 HP) for North America and Europe. Tigercat FPT engines offer improved reliability, lower long-term maintenance costs and full support by Tigercat and the Tigercat dealer network. Tigercat will continue to offer the H855C and LH855C for markets that do not require Tier 4 emissions compliance. The H855D series harvesters are available with two-piece or telescopic ER boom systems. Tigercat’s ER boom technology allows the machine operator to extend and retract the boom on a horizontal plane smoothly and quickly using a single joystick. The stick boom or “reach” joystick controls both the main and stick booms simultaneously, resulting in the attachment moving either away from or toward the operator. The main boom and tilt functions operate in the
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traditional manner to adjust the height and angle of the attachment. For steep slope applications, the LH855D features Tigercat’s leveling system, providing exceptional stability in steep slope applications. It uses two massive hydraulic cylinders and heavy steel sections for a solution that is both simple and robust. Visit tigercat.com.
Deere Wheeled Harvesters John Deere introduced its G-Series harvesters to the European market in 2015, and the new series models are now available to loggers in North America. Perfect for final felling and late thinning, the John Deere 1270G and 1470G harvesters combine high productivity with fuel economy. As a key feature of the G-Series, Standard Processing Power Control (PPC) optimizes fuel efficiency by matching the appropriate processing level to the work conditions and size of the tree. Simply select Energy Saving, Normal or Boost Mode, and PPC does the rest of the work. The PPC system anticipates the engine load and responds with the right power increase, thus improving the fuel economy. The G-Series machines feature the new TimberMatic H-16 control system, providing increased processing capacity. The new user-friendly system, control modules and wiring harnesses enhance machine performance and precision.
Another key feature of the G-Series machines is the redesigned cab, which offers operators a comfortable and ergonomic work environment. Available with either a rotating and leveling option or fixed cab option, both feature large windows for visibility in every direction. Available with six or eight wheels, the 1270G Harvester is equipped with a John Deere 9.0L Tier 3 engine. The 1470G harvester, John Deere’s largest model, includes the same features and benefits of the smaller 1270G. One notable design feature is the high ground clearance. Visit johndeere.com.
Barko Whole Tree Chipper The Barko CH6025 whole tree chipper offers upgraded components and an enhanced 8-knife design that contribute to optimal operating efficiency. Featuring Barko’s patented ConeHead drum technology, the chipper provides an innovative slicing action that uses less energy and produces consistent, superior quality chips.
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InnovationWay The ConeHead drum offers a wider, 35" throat opening that helps make faster work of big jobs. The drum’s knife design includes 8 steel
in-pocket knives measuring 7.75 by 5" with 0.625" thickness and 2 usable edges per knife. The CH6025 is powered by a 520HP turbo diesel engine with a 150-gallon fuel tank, and offers a 22" diameter whole tree capacity. The unit’s infeed table with replaceable floor measures 10' long by 35" wide. Visit barko.com.
Big-Sized Harvesters
Logset launches two harvester models to the 8-wheeled GTE range, 10H GTE and 12H GTE Hybrid. The new models are the biggest harvesters ever built at Logset. The 10H GTE provides excellent stability on steep terrain and include 750/26.5 tires for flotation capacity. The machine is equipped with a Mesera 280 crane and Agco Power 7.4 l engine with 300 HP. The 12H GTE Hybrid comprises electrical energy in the hybrid system that supports the Agco Power 7.4 l engine by offering an extra power boost. A huge torque of 2000 Nm is available at normal working revs. The combination of the engine and the hybrid system can provide up to 520 HP. The big 780/28.5 wheels increase the ground clearance, offering excellent stability and driving comfort. Visit logset.com. Foremost Authority For Professional Loggers
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SelectCuts
Crawford Was Prentice Ambassador Mal Crawford, 87, who across parts of three decades helped propel the Prentice loader to unprecedented popularity, died April 22 at his home in Raleigh, NC. According to his family, his health had declined over the past couple of years due to congestive heart failure. A native of Brownsville, Pa., Crawford was active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He was graduated from the West Virginia University Mal Crawford School of Forestry in 1950 as an ROTC graduate and entered the Army as an infantry officer. After he was honorably discharged from active duty (captain), he remained in the Army Reserves for 13 years. Beginning in 1955, he joined the woodlands division of Continental Can Co., working in wood procurement in Virginia for several years. His logging equipment career began in 1967 when he joined the sales staff of McIntyre Equipment, a Prentice and Timberjack dealer in Roanoke, Va. He joined Prentice owner Omark Industries in late 1969, initially working on various projects and eventually including loader troubleshooting and improvement. The Prentice Loader Contest, held for the first time in 1972, was Crawford’s idea, and he helped orchestrate the event at various venues for many years. Also, he had input in the design of the highly popular Prentice 210 model, and in its new redblack-white color scheme. When Southern Loggin’ Times published its 25th anniversary issue in October 1997, Crawford was honored by SLT editors as one of “25 Men Who Have Made A Difference” (in the development of the South’s logging industry from 1972-1997). Affable, talented, humorous and known for his quick tongue/soft voice style, Crawford effectively served as the crucial liaison between Prentice customers and Prentice engineers. News of Crawford’s death elicited this voluntary response from Dennis Healy, a long-time and retired loader competitor: “We remained close throughout our careers. I never 48
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thought of him as a competitor; he was a friend. I know of no one who didn’t think highly of Mal.” Crawford was a skilled woodworker, a swimming instructor, and enjoyed sailing. He played the clarinet in high school and in the WVU marching and concert bands. While in college, he helped organize a jug band with his forestry classmates. The jug band continued to play at class reunions for many years, often after earplugs were made available to attendees. Crawford took great delight in playing the rhythm bones, at times crafting custom sets from different materials, and enjoyed lecturing on their history. Following retirement in 1997, he organized WVU forestry class reunions and newsletters for the classes of 194950-51 and served as a loader consultant for a few years. Survivors include his widow, Winona—they were married for 66 years—one daughter, one son, and one sister. Mrs. Crawford’s address is 3101 Duraleigh Rd., Apt. 221, Raleigh, NC 27612. The family is organizing a private memorial service to be held in the fall of 2016. Memorials may be sent to the WVU Foundation, IMO Malcolm M. Crawford, Gift Processing, P.O. Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507. Please note in the memo line that the donation should go to the 2V101, the Division of Natural Resources Fund. Note: In April 1994, TH carried a feature titled Mal Crawford: Prentice Personality. Written by DK Knight, that feature contained a sidebar reprinted here, as it offers insight into Crawford’s character and style: ■ He has played the bones since age 6. Wherever there is an atmosphere of good cheer, such as an after hours scene last year at the huge LIGNA woodworking fair in Germany, Mal does the bones. “The Russians really liked my stuff,” he says with a wink. “It’s all in the wrist motion, you know.” ■ A lover of classical music, Mal began playing the clarinet at age 10
and still plays some each day. “When I started classes at the University of West Virginia I joined an old jug band and went from Mozart to Wildwood Flower overnight,” he jokes. ■ In 1955 he started his first job as a forester with Gair Woodlands (later acquired by Continental Can Co.) His most vivid recollections in procurement include working 14-hour clays in snow to help get loaded shortwood trucks to the starving mill at Hopewell, Va. Another was earning all of $9,600 in 1967 after 13 years with the company. His new assistant, Ben Rooke, fresh out of forestry school, earned $7,600. ■ In 1960 Mal observed a broken down GOBC Prentice on a pulpwood job and quietly labeled it a “piece of junk.” Years later, thanks to Phil Crider, then district manager for Timberjack, he found himself trying to sell Prentice loaders and Timberjack skidders for McIntyre Equipment. Working from McIntyre’s new Roanoke, Va. branch, which had sold only a handful of skidders and loaders, Mal faced a very tough task. It took him over six months to sell his first machine, a used TJ 205 skidder. “I’ll never forget those two brothers who bought it. They were heroes to me. I was broke and they were about broke themselves. They thanked me for giving them a chance and I thanked them for giving me one,” he recalls with a chuckle. Other sales came easier after that, he recalls, noting that a new TJ 225 could be had for $18,000; a new FOBC for $6,500. In fact, he remembers delivering a new FOBC to a logger who pulled fistfuls of $10 and $20 bills from his overalls and counted them to him while they sat on a stump. Business done, they sealed the deal with swigs of moonshine—good will, if you will. Such cash deals were not that uncommon then. He got a real kick out of putting on a show for loggers who had never seen a loader. Once Mal took a loader to a tract being logged by a man who loaded logs by using a farm tractor and chains to cross-haul them onto his truck. “I did in 20 minutes what took him five hours to do. When I left he was just standing there, scratching his
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SelectCuts head. He’d never even heard of a knuckleboom loader.” ■ Mal credits Gordon Sims, then a dealer manager for Timberjack, for teaching him much of what he needed to know to deal effectively with customers and, later, equipment dealers and salesmen. “Every trip I made with Gordon turned out to be a training experience for me. He always had something new for me. I’ll forever be indebted to him.” ■ Always one to appreciate a sense of humor, Mal tells of an incident that happened to him when Prentice was having so much trouble with its J series, which it introduced in the early ’70s and was the largest rack-and-gear loader, and perhaps the most problem-plagued, of that type it ever made. He went to the woods of a logger who had been having problems with his J, only to find the site deserted except for the loader, the top boom assembly of which had broken completely away. “A salesman for the area Barko dealer had left his card on the boom.” ■ Not one to talk about others, he
maintains an optimistic outlook on life. He shrugs off the aging process by staying active in both mind and body. He jogs several times a week. He skydived for the first time at 62; at 64 he experienced bungee jumping. To read the entire 1994 article, visit timberharvesting.com/crawford.
Virginia’s Tink Deacon Memorialized April 30 W.R (Tink) Deacon, a veteran Virginia logger-lumberman, was memorialized April 30 in Lexington, Va. He died April 27 at his residence. He was 85. Deacon was a member of Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church, where he served as the superintendent of Sunday School, and on the board of trustees. In 1977 he started a logging business, W.R. Deacon & Sons Timber Inc., with his three sons. The family erected a small sawmill in 1981 and built a new mill in 1988. Deacon served as president of the family business. Deacon served as president of the
local Ruritan Club, as president of Palmer School for 29 years and was a member of Rockbridge Odd Fellows Lodge No. 58 for over 50 years. Survivors include his widow, three sons, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. The family suggests that memorials be made in to the Effinger Fire Dept., 2824 Collierstown Road, Lexington, VA 24450 or to the Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church.
M.A. Rigoni, Young Honored By FRA At its annual meeting in early May, the Forest Resources Assn. honored M.A. Rigoni, Inc., of Perry, Fla., as its 2016 National Outstanding Logger and Joe Young, president of Low Country Forest Products, Inc., Georgetown, SC, as its 2016 National Outstanding Forestry Activist. Rigoni co-owners Gary Brett and Rodney Schwab accepted FRA’s plaque and a $1,000 cash award from ➤ 50 Stihl, Inc.
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SelectCuts pected to carry it forward in coming years. The Schwabs and Brett are active in their community and in local, state, and national associations. Richard is the current president of the American Loggers Council and the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. They have participated in hurricane relief and clean up efforts, and are all active in church Outgoing FRA Chairman Tom Reed, left, congratulates M.A. Ri- leadership and missionary goni, Inc. owners Rodney Schwab and Gary Brett. work. They recently hosted a Wounded Warriors huntNamed for founder Matt Rigoni, a ing and fishing retreat. forester-turned-logger who set a high Young, a FRA Executive Commitbar for innovation and professionaltee member, has integrated outreach ism, M.A. Rigoni employs 44 and opand pro-forestry activism into his long erates three crews of its own and intercareer as a logging business owner. At faces with six independent loggers to local, state and national levels, he has deliver about 600 loads a week. helped shape the public perception and Schwab and Brett joined the company understanding of forestry and logging. in 1974 and 1980, respectively, and A former SC legislator, he has been bought the company in 1995. a leader in the state’s forestry, logging Schwab’s sons Richard and Chad and trucking associations. His comare active in the business and are ex-
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pany was selected as Timber Harvesting magazine’s Logging Business of the Year in 2004.
Last Rites Held For Bill R. Murray Funeral services for Bill R. Murray, a registered Georgia forester, Christmas tree grower-researcher-leader, and founder of regional trade show Timber Harvesting Expo-Southeast, were held March 29 in Cordele, Ga. Murray died March 26 at his Cordele residence. A pioneer in and devoted advocate of Christmas tree farming, Murray was viewed as the father of Georgia Christmas tree farming. He was instrumental in establishing the Georgia Christmas Tree Assn. in 1960 and ➤ 54 Bill Murray
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SelectCuts 50 ➤ served on its board and that of the National Christmas Tree Assn. (NCTA) for over two decades. He also served as president of NCTA for two years. He identified and propagated a new species of evergreen that the Botanical Society named the Murray Cypress. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Murray was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served during World War II. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cordele and a member of the Cordele Rotary Club. As a teen he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. While working with the Georgia Extension Service, Murray organized Timber Harvesting Expo-SE and orchestrated the live logging equipment demo on a biennial basis for many years. Survivors include his widow, one daughter, three grandchildren, and one great-grandson. Murray fought an outbreak of Georgia wildfires in 1955. To read a related article, visit timberharvesting.com/murray.
MSFES Pre-registration Will Open May 30 Pre-registration ($15 versus $20 at the gate) will open May 30 for the biennial Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, set for August 26-27 near Starkville, Miss. Show management encourages pre-registration because it speeds up access to the event. Spouses not business-active and children under 18 do not have to pay but do have to register. Another strong turnout is expected this year, according to Show Manager Misty Booth, who reports that more than 75 exhibitors/brands have already arranged to participate. She indicates that upwards of 90 exhibitors could book space by the show date. The event will again be staged at the Charles E. Burkhardt Pavilion & Site and the Starr Memorial Forest,
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EventsMemo Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
May 20-21—Montana Logging Assn. annual meeting, Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula, Missoula, Mont. Call 406752-3168; visit logging.org. June 10-11—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. Trade Show and annual meeting, James H Rainwater Conference Center, Valdosta, Ga. Call 904-845-7133; visit swpa.ag. June 26-29—Forest Products Society annual meeting, Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, Portland, Ore. Call 770-209-7257; visit forestprod.org. July 8-9—West Virginia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Canaan Resort Conf. Center, Davis, W. Va. Call 304-3721955; visit wvfa.org. July 23-25—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478-9928110; visit gfagrow.org. July 23-26—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org. July 29-30—Missouri Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, The Elms, Excelsior Springs, Mo. Call 417-336-5400; visit moforest.org. 54
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located some six miles southwest of Starkville along state highway 25. To pre-register or to access additional information, visit midsouthforestry.org, email msfes@cfr.msstate.edu or phone 662-325-2191.
Easy Access to current advertisers! http://www.timberharvesting.com/advertiser-index/ This issue of Timber Harvesting is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products. American Logger’s Council Cannon Bar Works Ltd Cat Forest Products John Deere Forestry Doosan Infracore Construction Equip Duratech Industries Int’l Finn Metko 2016 Forest Chain KMC Kootrac-Kootenay Tractor Log Max Ltd Mid-South Forestry Equip Show Morbark Olofsfors Peterson Pacific Ponsse North America Postle Industries Prolenc Quadco-Southstar Equipment Risley Equipment Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers Team Safe Trucking Texas Timberjack Tigercat Industries Timber 2017 TraxPlus LLC Wallingford’s Waratah Forestry Attachments Wicker Machine Company
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