Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

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May/June 2022

ELTEC EXPANDS manufacturing operations, logging equipment production NEW BRUNSWICK’S AYAT TIMBERS rebuilds after fire WITH THIS ISSUE...

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION

GRINDING OUT THE WOOD FIBRE for new $90M bioenergy plant in Saskatchewan TECH UPDATE: Log Trailers

Heavy Duty forestry tracks and chains available from selected equipment dealers, direct from the manufacturer, across North America.

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FEATURES May/June 2022 Volume 53 • No. 3 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling, Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski Publisher/CEO Anthony Robinson • (778) 991-3500 E-Mail: arobinson@forestnet.com Associate Publisher Hannah Rayment • (778) 688-9127 E-mail: hannah@forestnet.com Social Media: Kaitlin Davidson Digital Marketing: Diane Mettler Email: digitalmarketing@forestnet.com Subscription Enquiries (604) 990-9970 Fax: (705) 434-9052 E-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com Design & Art Production Manager Sheila Ringdahl E-mail: artwork@forestnet.com Accounting Manager Shelina Jessa • (604) 731-1535 E-mail: accounting@forestnet.com Office P.O. Box 86670 North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year.

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On the Cover: With the help of technical experts from Italy, Germany, Montana and the province of Saskatchewan, the First Nation Meadow Lake Tribal Council in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan has now launched a state-of-the-art $90-million bioenergy facility. The new power facility is producing enough energy to process the wood waste from their sawmill, power the bioenergy plant’s in-house facility (heat, lights and run the wood hog), provide power to 5,000 nearby city homes—and has enough energy left over to sell 6.6 megawatts to provincial utility, SaskPower Corporation (Cover photo courtesy of Meadow Lake Tribal Council).

4 Spotlight: Moving on to the next challenge …

Former BID Group CEO Brian Fehr is now on a mission to help struggling businesses and communities—and is also keeping his hand in the forest industry.

8 Grinding it out in

Saskatchewan

The First Nation Meadow Lake Tribal Council in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, has launched a $90-million bioenergy facility—and helping it reach its feedstock goals is a custom built wood hog grinder from Rawlings Manufacturing.

14 ELTEC expands manufacturing operations, logging equipment production

Logging equipment company Eltec has recently embarked on a significant expansion of its production facilities in Quebec, positioning the company to supply not only the present needs of loggers, but their future needs, as well, with cutting edge equipment.

20 Most Wanted finds its

services even more wanted

Most Wanted Contracting is finding demand for its forestry services increasing among land owners in the B.C. Interior concerned about wild fire prevention.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

24 Resilient sawmillers

Family-owned Ayat Timbers International truly came back from adversity after the New Brunswick-based mill operation was struck by a fire—but they were quick to rebuild.

30 Tech Update:

We take a look at what’s new in log trailers, that essential link in the wood transportation chain.

32

Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) and FPInnovations.

38 The Last Word

The days of B.C. forest land use policy favouring the interests of the forest industry are long gone, says Jim Stirling.

DEPARTMENTS

Calendar...........................................6 Suppliernewsline............................36 Ad Index.........................................37 Classifieds......................................37 Subscriptions.................................37 3

MOVING ON to the next challenge … spotlight

Former BID Group CEO Brian Fehr is now on a mission to help struggling businesses and communities—and is also keeping his hand in the forest industry.

By Tony Kryzanowski

B

rian Fehr, the founder and former CEO of the major mill equipment supplier/construction company, the BID Group, is enjoying life since leaving the company in 2018 after 35 years at the helm—but probably not in the same way most people would enjoy life after turning 60 years old and cashing out of a thriving business.

He has re-created himself. Now he is Brian Fehr, venture capitalist, happy to live the jet set life with his partner from their home located in B.C.’s East Kootenay region in what he considers the most beautiful place in the world.

Fehr’s retirement after the BID Group lasted for a grand total of about three hours.

“If they read my eulogy and my retirement announcement on the same day, that would suit me just fine,” he said in an interview with Logging and Sawmilling Journal.

Prior to Fehr’s departure, he facilitated a number of key acquisitions that has resulted in the powerhouse that BID Group is today: one of North America’s largest providers of one-stop procurement and construction services to the forest industry.

This included the addition of mill equipment companies Comact, DelTech, PHL, Miller Manufacturing, MoCo Engineering, Vibra-Pro, TriDelta and McGehee.

Fehr—who is a certified welder and millwright—and his father, Ike, and brother, David, were hands-on involved in building and remodeling forest industry production facilities primarily in British Columbia starting in the early 1980s.

Their main customers were Canfor, Slocan Forest Products, and Northwood, with major support provided by Ike Barber at Slocan and Alistair Cook at Canfor. Cook is now President and CEO of the BID Group of Companies. Originally, the BID Group got its name from the owners, Brian, Ike, and David. The company’s home

base was and is in Vanderhoof, B.C. Fehr’s father died at the relatively young age of 59 and in 2010, his brother, David, suffered a serious medical setback.

That left Brian in charge. In 2012, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, putting the BID Group in position to take part in the ongoing massive capital investment program in the forestry sector in the southeastern United States, driven largely by forest companies headquartered in Canada.

He credits two critical milestones in the company’s history that propelled it to its current leadership role. The first was

4

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

Brian Fehr (above) the founder and former CEO of the BID Group moved on from the company, and is now involved with a number of different ventures, including Peak Renewables, which, with its First Nations partners, plans to build a large pellet plant in Fort Nelson, B.C. the marriage between sawmill equipment manufacturer, Comact, with the BID Group in 2010. In his mind, the combination of Comact’s technology and manufacturing capabilities with the BID Group’s installation workforce was a match made in heaven. Both companies recognized that each offered exactly what was lacking in their own operations—an experienced and trusted workforce capable of working hands-on with sawmill customers in the case of the BID Group, combined with

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“With the addition of Comact equipment and with what BID did, we started offering turnkey mills in the southern U.S. and today, the majority of the mills built in the U.S. South are BID mills,” says Fehr.

“You wouldn’t believe the miles I drove in those six years I was down there.”

The second game changing decision taken by the BID Group was to offer the forest industry turnkey equipment procurement and installations services on major capital projects.

But first it was necessary to have all the pieces in place from the sawmill front to back before the company could market this service. Fehr says this strategy worked because of the owners’ decades of hands-on experience working with various equipment suppliers.

They were keenly aware of what fit and worked well within each segment of the sawmill production line. So they launched a campaign to purchase those companies, to offer one-stop service to customers— a service that the forest industry was clamoring for, and they worked hard to provide. It was a company, and industry, game changer.

“There was nobody putting it all together and then being responsible. A lot of our customers really liked that we would take on the full responsibility for the project, including start-up,” says Fehr.

He says they modeled their business on some of the major contractors serving the oil and gas industry, who were also offering turnkey services.

However, by 2018, Fehr says that he felt that the company had outgrown him. Having turned 60, he sensed that it was time for a change. The money he received from selling his shares in the BID Group has helped facilitate a personal transformation. Perhaps it was the knowledge that his father, Ike, died so young and never really realized the fruits of his labour. Fehr says that one day he suddenly realized that he had outlived his father.

After leaving BID Group, he decided that he wanted to help people, particularly First Nations communities, interested in becoming more involved in the resource sector. He was attracted to the plight of those struggling with alcohol and drug

abuse because of his own struggles earlier in life. He’s been clean and sober for over 25 years.

Among his earliest investments were in his own back yard. It started with Galloway Lumber Co in nearby Jaffray which today supplies raw material for use by the former C & C finger-joint lumber plant in Cranbrook. He purchased the plant out of bankruptcy.

Fehr also purchased the Canfor sawmill

to begin in 2023.

But those aren’t Fehr’s only forest industry investments. In 2019, he purchased two more struggling businesses, the SmartLam cross-laminated timber (CLT) operation in Columbia Falls, Montana as well as the Alabama X-LAM plant of what was International Beams. It manufactures CLT using southern yellow pine and is now part of the SmartLam group. He has a strong belief in the potential growth of mass timber use in North American building construction.

In 2020, he also purchased a 75 per cent interest in the shuttered Canfor sawmill in Vavenby, B.C., with the other 25 per cent purchased by the Simpcw First Nation.

Among his other ventures, Fehr owns Prince Georgebased, Formula Contractors, which is engaged in bridge construction as well as other heavy construction endeavors. It has strong First Nations involvement.

Recently, he was named to the Order of British Columbia for his efforts to help struggling sectors of society and small communities. The award is given to persons who have served with great distinction. Looking at Fehr’s track record, it’s truly a well-earned honour.

After leaving the BID Group, Brian Fehr decided that he wanted to help people, particularly First Nations communities, interested in becoming more involved in the resource sector.

6

lands in Canal Flats, B.C., about an hour north of Cranbrook, dismantled and sold the existing mechanical equipment and eventually turned the site into a 30-megawatt power hub for Australian firm, Iris Energy. Today, the site operates as the Columbia Lake Technology Centre.

Iris Energy builds, owns and operates data centres and electrical infrastructure to mine Bitcoin from renewable power sources, in this case, BC Hydro power.

Fehr also purchased a 10,000 hectare cattle ranch in the Canal Flats area, operating it as Columbia Lake Ranch.

Then he focused on his personal mission to build relationships with First Nations communities. It started with a venture called Peak Renewables, which acquired Canfor’s holdings in the Fort Nelson area. It included a mothballed oriented strand board (OSB) plant. With that purchase of production facilities and forest allocations recently approved by the B.C. government, Fehr and his First Nations partners plan to build a large whitewood pellet plant on the old Canfor site capable of producing 600,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year for export, along with other plans not announced yet.

Fehr says because of the relationship he built with the Fort Nelson First Nation, he was approached by a group of 12 First Nations from Saskatchewan wanting to build an OSB plant in Prince Albert. He had the surplus OSB equipment and they had a secure wood supply from the province of Saskatchewan. It resulted in the establishment of a joint venture, One Sky Forest Products, with the goal of building a $250 million OSB plant. Construction is slated Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

CALENDAR

July 30-31

Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival, Squamish, BC www.squamishdays.ca September 9-11

Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equip. 76th Expo, Escanaba, MI 715-282-5828, www.timberpa.com September 10-15

Canadian Institute of Forestry National Conference & AGM, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 705-744-1715, www.cif-ifc.org/ national-forest-week September 20-21

Wood Pellet Association of Canada AGM, Vancouver, BC 250-837-8821, www.pellet.org September 28-30

Timber Processing & Energy Expo, Portland, OR

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IN THE WOODS

bioenergy

Grinding it out in Saskatchewan

A new $90-million bioenergy facility has started up in Saskatchewan—and helping the power plant reach its feedstock goals is a custom-built wood hog grinder from Rawlings Manufacturing.

By Jan Jackson

W

ith the help of technical experts from Italy, Germany, Montana and the province of Saskatchewan, the First Nation Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan has now launched a stateof-the-art $90-million bioenergy facility.

The new power facility is producing enough energy to process the wood waste from their sawmill, power the bioenergy plant’s in-house facility (heat, lights and run the wood hog), provide power to 5,000 nearby city homes—and has enough energy left over to sell 6.6 megawatts to provincial utility, SaskPower Corporation.

MLTC is made up of nine independent

8

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

tribes who come together to better manage services among their communities.

Four are Dene tribes and five are Cree.

Traditionally, the Dene people inhabit the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada, and the Cree occupy an area from the northern woodlands to southern plains.

While the two groups have distinct languages and distinct cultures, they have been dealing cohesively and effectively with issues around healthcare and education administration for 40 years. More than 30 years ago they started working toward matters pertaining to economic development.

Tina Rasmussen, tribal member and Project Co-ordinator, describes how the bioenergy project came about.

bioenergy “Thirty-five years ago, the nine tribes decided to add an economic development arm to their existing healthcare, education and family service programs,” explained Rasmussen. “They purchased a 50 per cent share in a sawmill in Meadow Lake (called NorSask Forest Products), which had been producing kiln-dried 2 x 4s and 2 x 6s since the early 1970s. Within 10 years (1998), the Tribal Council purchased 100 per cent ownership of the mill and they have continued to operate it on a continuous basis.

“In order to ensure consistent timber supply, and make sure that the right timber reached the right mill, and that forest harvesting, planning, management, and reforestation practices were carried out effectively and efficiently, MLTC entered a partnership with a pulp mill in the area, Paper Excellence,” she added.

Between the two mills, they harvest the area’s spruce, fir, pine, etc., and process about 1.3 million cubic metres of timber annually. The hardwood goes to Paper Excellence and about half-a-million cubic metres of softwood comes to MLTC. Each year, 56,000 tons of sawdust, bark, trimmings, and uneven chips from making lumber was continuously fed into the sawmill’s 50-year-old beehive burner (it is still legal to use it in Saskatchewan).

“The elders of the tribes had long believed that the waste of the tree residuals was not a good outcome, and the leadership was charged with trying to find a way to get benefit from the whole tree,” said Rasmussen. Thus, the idea for the MTLC Bio-Center was born. Construction of the new facility started in April, 2020, and it became operational earlier this year.

Al Balisky, a non-tribal member of MLTC Industrial Investments and CEO of the project since its inception, credits forward thinking among the tribal members of the nine First Nations, for the project.

The First Nation Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, owns a sawmill, NorSask Forest Products, and the sawdust, bark, trimmings, and uneven chips from making lumber is now consumed by MLTC’s state-of-the-art $90-million bioenergy facility.

“Saskatchewan has been a coal-based power producer and with this project, our carbon neutral waste stream is being turned into electricity,” Balisky said.

“That’s been the big effort and I credit the MLTC for never having been afraid of trying new things and sort of punching way above their weight class.

“It’s been well over a dozen-year effort and the emphasis on green energy production throughout North America has made it easier. With federal and provincial supports in place, some of these projects come to life—plus the power utility for Saskatchewan has a real mandate to move to green power. Those two things coming together at the same time allowed us to do it.

“COVID-19 has been disruptive, but we were able to work alongside the twoyear construction project without any impact on the sawmill,” said Balisky.

“However, the pandemic did create havoc for us when it came to the equipment. The equipment used on site came from all over the world—vendors and suppliers for it were sourced from literally all over the world. That gave us a number of challenges.”

According to Rasmussen, the bioenergy thermal plant facility has a process similar to that of a thermal oil plant in a hotel or apartment that is heating water

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

9

to page 10

bioenergy from page 9 and transferring it in a way that causes the heat to be released. In this case, the wood waste comes out of the mill, goes through a Rawlings’ wood hog grinder so it gets ground to a uniform size, and is transferred by conveyor belt to a large storage silo.

From there, those chips go on another conveyor and drop into the thermal oil plant which is basically a furnace. The furnace uniformly burns the wood waste.

At the same time, there is a series of pipes that are channeled through that open flame and the thermal oil running through them is heated much in the same way as the boiler system in an apartment building.

“Once the thermal oil is heated, it is transferred to our electrical building, and comes into contact with cyclopentane, the highly flammable alicyclic hydrocarbon consisting of a ring of five carbon atoms each bonded with two hydrogen atoms above and below the plane,” explains Rasmussen.

When cyclopentane hits a certain temperature and becomes gaseous, the gas effectively turns the turbine and creates electricity in the generator. This process produces 8.3 megawatts of electricity of which 6.6 megawatts is channeled out into a transformer station, and is fed into Saskatchewan Power Corporation’s power grid.

“Within that 8.3 megawatts, 1.7 megawatts are used to power the facility, operate the wood hog and the brand-new continuous dry kiln. In addition, the dry

10 CB_Rawlings_third_Winter22_MLD.indd 1

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

kiln receives its heat source from glycol heated in the thermal oil plant, then runs through the kiln replacing natural gas as a heat-based lumber drying source. This new kiln replaces two older natural gas dry kilns that were original to the sawmill.

Now, we’ll have the ability to dry about 60 per cent of the lumber produced on a continuous basis in the mill.”

Mühlböck was selected as the supplier of the new continuous dry kiln. The company supplied MLTC with a Mühlböck 6-zone Progressive Flow 1306 PRO. This continuous kiln has the capacity to deliver about 85 million BF lumber per year, while Mühlböck’s unique 1306 Heat Recovery system ensures considerable reduction of thermal energy consumption.

To ensure a seamless fit of the fully automatic transport system within the kiln with the existing kiln cart system currently in operation at the sawmill, Mühlböck’s in-house engineers worked closely together with MLTC Bioenergy Centre.

The size and price of the entire bioenergy project was epic for what is technically a mom-and-pop sawmilling operation when compared in size and scope to many operations in Canada. The first step MLTC took to manage the development was to hire a project management company and engage a group of design engineers who had built other similar facilities.

The First Nation firm of Whitecap Allnorth Project Group provided the consulting services and Grant Lindsay from a second First Nation firm, WGL Technical, led the to page 12

2022-01-26 11:13 AM

bioenergy systems. Judy Tyacke-Rawlings, Rawlings Project Manager, said: “Once the design team is given the project parameters, we develop concept layouts to discuss with our clients, to develop and customize the wood grinding system to meet our clients’ specific processing needs and budget.

“This could include designing new systems for the specific customers or retrofitting existing systems. As a proven leader in size reduction equipment, we’re assisting our customers in utilizing renewable resources while reducing and recycling a wide variety of wood waste into valuable wood fibre products. Each system can be designed with work platform decks, choice of belt, chain or vibrating infeed and outfeed conveyors, metal or magnet protection, product screening and separation, receiving transfers and walking floor storage bins, all customizable for each specific operation.”

With over 45 years of experience in the forest and sawmill related industries, Rawlings Wood Hogs has delivered a reputation for durability, high performance and reliability.

They made the company an easy pick for MLTC.

from page 10 design engineering team.

“The lion’s share of the $90 million construction cost went to buying technology and getting technology here,” Rasmussen said. “The thermal oil plant is a technology of Germany’s CAW (Classen Apparatebau Wiesloch GmbH), who designs terminal oil plants. To name the major pieces, the generator itself was designed by a company from Italy called Turboden, and the wood hog grinder came from Rawlings Manufacturing, Inc., out of Missoula, Montana.

“We went with Rawlings Manufacturing for the grinder because they are big in the forest industry and because they do their own in-house design,” said Rasmussen. “They looked at our wood supply, saw what the machine is going to have to chew up, and then designed a piece of equipment that could handle it. They are not just a one-size-fits-all company and it was important to us that they could build to suit.”

Rawlings Manufacturing specializes in the manufacture of custom-designed, industrial-sized wood waste recycling

As far as advice to anyone thinking about building a biomass plant, there are a lot of things to consider, says Rasmussen.

“We really had to weigh the business opportunity because it is extremely expensive. Originally, MLTC looked at a much larger facility but by the time we figured out biomass supply, the cost to get that waste out of the forest to the facility or get it from the other mill to the facility, it became so expensive that the financial opportunity was not there.

“In a nutshell, you must have access to the waste in close proximity. You need to build your facility size to what you produce in waste, and you need to have an offtake for the power so that you’ve got revenue coming in to help support the project.

“At the same time,” she added, “the facility needs to be built large enough to support your own processes. We did it because we had a resale for the energy and a government grant to partially support the project. Otherwise, the return on the financial investment would have been limited to heat and power for our own facility.”

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

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loggingequipment

ELTEC

expansion underway

Logging equipment producer Technologies Élément is expanding their ELTEC manufacturing facilities—and adding new features to their equipment—to better serve their customers.

By George Fullerton uilding on their success as a forestry equipment manufacturer, Technologies Élément PSW Inc. is now undertaking a major manufacturing plant expansion.

Located in Val d’Or, Quebec, Technologies Élément has been building their ELTEC harvester/loader/buncher machines for the past eleven years. Annual production has been around 30 machines per year.

Technologies Élément has been building forest harvesting machines in their 14,000 square foot facility in the Val d’Or industrial park. The expansion will see a new assembly plant, with 35,000 square feet, go into production this year. The new plant is located adjacent to the current plant, which will continue in production as the new plant is completed.

Val d’Or is located in the Abitibi-Té-

miscamingue region of western Quebec.

Val d’Or translates to English as ‘Valley of Gold’, recognizing the significance that gold mining had on the settlement and development of the region. Since the 1930s, mines in the region have produced in the range of 45 million ounces of gold.

Mines in the region continue to produce gold, lead, zinc, copper, molybdenum and lithium.

Situated in the boreal forest, the forest industry also makes a very major contribution to the regional and provincial economy. The Abitibi-Témiscamingue region produces 65 per cent of the total lumber production of Quebec.

As a result of the resource extraction industries, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region has developed major, highly technologically advanced service and support industries to serve the mining and forest industries.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

B

Technologies Élément PSW Inc. is one of those technology companies which grew out of the support industries, to carve a manufacturing niche that sees their highly developed logging equipment sold in six countries around the world.

Patrick Élément started working in his family’s forestry businesses at the age of 16. He launched Eltec as his entrepreneurial contribution to the group of businesses under his management and over the last decade that business has reached its current nexus.

“We are expanding our production capabilities to meet the overwhelming demand from our customers and customers in waiting,” says Patrick. “We’re in a transition phase currently. We need to shift from hand-built to assembly line production line to page 16

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loggingequipment

Technologies Élément has been building ELTEC forest harvesting machines in their 14,000 square foot facility in the Val d’Or industrial park. An expansion will see a new assembly plant, with 35,000 square feet, go into production this year. The new plant is located adjacent to the current plant, which will continue in production as the new plant is completed. from page 14 methods. As with most things, production potential is influenced by more than one factor, size being a main factor.

“With the expansion, we will have sub-assemblies directly on our production line to increase our operational efficiency,”

Patrick added. “This will save us a significant amount of time.

“The manufacturing plant location remains the same, but we’re more than doubling our factory floor square footage with the expansion. We’ll still have room to grow again in the future as well, but we’re focused on the phase we’re in for now.”

Technologies Élément currently employs 43 factory and office employees. That number will increase noticeably in the next twelve months as the new manufacturing facility comes on line.

The ELTEC family of forestry machines was born out of the DIRECT harvester which was developed in Quebec and originally manufactured in Quebec City. The DIRECT design was bought by Volvo and manufacturing was moved to Korea.

When Volvo underwent restructuring following the 2008 financial crisis, they decided to drastically downsize their forestry equipment manufacturing and the tracked harvester was discontinued. The rights to the design became available and once again found a home in Quebec, with Technologies Élément.

Technologies Élément was founded by the Élément family in 2011, joining an established group of businesses operated by the enterprising family.

In 1965, Donat Élément moved his family from Clova, Quebec to Val d’Or, and established Donat Élément et Fils, focussing on forest harvesting and building roads for the mining and forestry industries.

Donat expanded his businesses to servicing and repairing heavy equipment and established Equipments Élément, a dealership for Tree Farmer forestry equipment. Equipment Élément continues to be a major forestry equipment dealership in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, representing several lines of forestry equipment.

In 1980, Donat’s son, Jacques, created Abbatteurs Jacques Élément and established the business as one of the major road building and forestry harvesting businesses in the region.

In 1988, Jacques acquired Hydraulic Val d’Or which provides hydraulic service to Élément companies, in addition to the to page 18

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

E H T D N BEYO

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ked am. They wor GEN service te the way – there O EB N N SE e g th came up alon nics ough credit to I can’t give en teresting’ challenges that ere weren’t a lot of mecha ‘in th e , been w th ve ne ha so g cs in ni Be ha through all ec e. guys out ther t they and our dealer’s m mechanics. are no better this, bu gside our on on d al ne ai ng tr ki re or w anywhe ming out and er, NC great about co Manager, Hug al in rm Te e Barg ne” ond the Machi t how our “Bey e-long support for ou ab e or m Read res lif mitment ensu the nation’s largest aftersale com s with er om st cu SENNEBOGEN y-trained technicians. ctor network of fa

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forestry and mining industries. In 1991, Jacques established the Foresco machine shop, which focuses on process machine fabrication and repair.

Les Abbatteurs Jacques Élément, Hydraulic Val d’Or, Foresco and Technologies Élément form the divisions of Group Élément.

Both Hydraulic Val d’Or and Foresco are key product and service suppliers to Technologies Élément and the ELTEC brand.

“Foresco and Hydraulic Val d’Or are integral partners to our supply chain management,” said Patrick.

ELTEC previously offered four models in harvester and feller bunchers, the 220, 270, 310 and 410 (A series) models. The A series features Tier 3 engines. In addition to harvester and buncher models of the 310, it is also the base for the 317 log loader.

The B-Series of the models was introduced in early 2021, and in addition to Stage 5 Engines, the electrical and control system has been redesigned.

Other updated features include (ten degree) increased forward angle visibility.

“The B series also includes new boom configurations, a redesigned platform optimized for the new component set-up, a new Linde block valve bank and our proprietary FRS (Fluid Recovery System) which is exclusive to our B series,” explained Patrick.

“We are now using the new Linde hydraulic control valve, which allows us to reduce the number of components for a much cleaner and more compact assembly. The anti-stall system has been replaced by a new load control system.”

ELTEC machines are currently manufactured with the Danfoss computer control system, with the internal programming of the system done by ELTEC technicians.

Technologies Élément builds their own track frames entirely, and the machines utilize Cummins engines.

All ELTEC models are offered with a leveling option, except for the LL317 loader. Patrick pointed out that for the loader application, it is important to have long tracks for machine balance, to maintain maximum stability during forestry operations.

ELTEC has been supplying machines to British Columbia operations since 2017 in buncher, harvester and shovel logger models.

“All our shovel loggers are currently built on a 270 model, but we have the possibility of offering it in a 310 model as well,” says Patrick. “To date, all of our shovel loggers that we have sold are on a tilt platform.”

Dealer and customer support is fundamental to the ELTEC business philosophy.

“We travel to our dealers to provide the necessary training to meet the needs of our customers. We also offer assistance during the delivery of our machines to our customers,” explained Patrick. “We have dedicated people to take care of customer and dealer support. Industry-wise, we distinguish ourselves from competitors with our rapid response.”

In addition to dealers in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, ELTEC also has dealers in the United States, New Zealand, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and France.

Eltec continues to develop and test new technologies to help improve operator experience and respond to market demands, so customers can expect new developments from the company as it grows both its production capacity and evolves their products at the same time, says Patrick. In many ways they are one of Canada’s best kept secrets in terms of manufacturing success stories, he added.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

contractorprofile

Most Wanted finds its services even more wanted

Most Wanted Contracting’s Volvo ECR88D excavator was a good fit for the company, with its zero tail swing, which is nice in tight areas—it’s a compact but powerful machine, says company owner Ralf Baechmann.

Most Wanted Contracting is finding demand for its forestry services increasing among land owners in the B.C. Interior concerned about wild fire prevention.

By Jim Stirling he trend is unmistakable and shows no signs of slowing down.

The demand for forestry related services is steadily increasing in Ralf Baechmann’s corner of British Columbia’s southern Cariboo region.

The core business for his company, Most Wanted Contracting Ltd., is as a licensed residential builder. Since founding it in the 100 Mile House area in 2005, the company has been busy with a wide range of custom and engineered home building projects, renovations, additions and remodelling assignments. But lately, there’s been this increasing demand for a different type of addition.

It involves forestry related services like thinning projects and developing tailormade wild fire prevention and curtailment strategies for land owners.

Baechmann reckons several factors are at play contributing to the changing direction of his workload. Some of it has to do with shifts in the housing markets in B.C. and beyond, something Baechmann is well attuned to through the

custom building side of his enterprise.

“We are getting more people moving here to the southern Cariboo from the Lower Mainland areas of B.C., for example, because of the high housing prices there,” he explains.

Lakeshore and acreages are still available in the 100 Mile House area and the concept of space and property ownership within about a four-hour drive of Vancouver is an appealing proposition for many, adds Baechmann.

The warming climate is a powerful driver of forest fire activity and awareness.

The Cariboo region of B.C. was arguably the hardest hit in terms of property losses and evacuations during the summers of 2017 and 2018. Those two years established new records of forest lands lost to fire and created negative impacts on future timber supply for the forest industry throughout the region.

Forest fire awareness and mitigation issues have become priorities for semi rural property owners in these times of real mega fire risk. “We’re experiencing more forest fires these days and larger ones,” notes Baechmann.

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He had his own too-close-for-comfort wild fire experience.

The Flat Lake Provincial Park fire in high country southwest of 100 Mile House burned about 74,000 hectares during July and August of 2021. As the fire burned ever closer to Baechmann’s own property, he evacuated his family and animals. With the help of B.C. Wildfire Service crews, he set about creating fire breaks and other measures including a water pumping system to do what he could to protect his property. “It was a big eye opener,” he recalls. “It was a really intense fire.”

Each fire acts independently depending on factors like the prevailing weather conditions, fuel types and how stressed the trees are by drought and disease.

“I remember watching the fire as it moved along the ground through a mixed forest of pine, spruce and aspen around our property.”

One of the keys to fire containment strategies is to dissuade the fire from climbing up into the canopy and creating to page 22

contractorprofile

The increasing log falling involved with thinning and forest fire mitigation work creates considerable additional fibre, and Ralf Baechmann encourages his clients to utilize the wood. He recently upgraded his own sawmilling capabilities, and now has a Wood-Mizer LT 15 Wide (above) with auto-feed, 25 HP engine and an approximate 36 feet by 28.6 foot cut.

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Most Wanted Contracting’s Volvo ECR88D, which was acquired from Great West Equipment, doubles as a tree shear carrier for use in thinning and falling applications. The TMK 300 shear they use, which is working very well, was designed and manufactured in Finland, and was acquired through distributor Swift Fox Industries.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

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contractorprofile from page 20 windblown embers which can dramatically accelerate the fire’s spread.

Baechmann’s first-hand experience with the Flat Lake wild fire is an additional asset in his new work, especially with the newcomers to the Cariboo who are less wildfire prevention savvy. The knowledge helps to determine which stands to thin and by how much, to balance property health, protection and aesthetics.

Baechmann’s custom home building and renovation equipment has come in useful as the business expanded into forestry work. But it has also benefitted from additions, modifications and upgrades.

Versatility is always a positive attribute for log harvesting equipment but the ability to multi-task is doubly important for Most Wanted Contracting. And a dash of ingenuity never goes amiss. The company’s excavator provides the ideal example.

“I looked for an excavator in the eight to 10-ton size class and the Volvo ECR88D excavator did fit right in there,” he says. “It’s a zero tail (swing machine), which is nice in tight areas, a compact but powerful machine.” And to emphasize the versatility factor: “I also use this excavator for my construction company where the compact size is an advantage as well.”

The excavator is powered by a Volvo engine and compatible hydraulic system.

Baechmann bought the excavator in the fall of 2020 through Great West Equipment’s branch in Kamloops, B.C. and it’s proved a reliable servant ever since.

The Volvo ECR88D doubles as a tree shear carrier for use in thinning and falling applications. The combination is not a processor but the tree shear’s simple design combined with its effectiveness make it a good fit for Baechmann’s requirements.

The TMK 300 shear was designed and manufactured in Finland with the 300 model the middle of three sizes offered.

Baechmann acquired his TMK through distributor Swift Fox Industries based in Vermillion, Alberta.

“The big advantage of the TMK 300 tree shear is it has a delimber, a collector arm for accumulating stems and a powerful hydraulic cylinder for cutting,” he reports. The shear is working out very well.

“I cut trees up to approximately 16 inches in diameter and collect them. The other big advantage is that you can pick up and cut trees laying on the ground— this makes for a nice clean-up of dead and fallen trees.”

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

The ability helps land owners with their on-site wood management. For example, the head can pile cut trees of usable delimbed logs or brush piles for disposal.

Converting the Volvo from excavator function to tree shear mode is a breeze.

“I have to do some electrical connections for the tree shear which takes a couple of minutes.”

Routine maintenance is similarly straightforward, requiring the application of a grease gun and an angle grinder to sharpen the cutting edges of the shear and delimber.

Most Wanted’s versatility theme continues through the Bobcat versahandler 417 loader supplied through Westerra Equipment in Kamloops. The zero boom machine can handle interchangeable attachments including log grapples, buckets, brush cutters and pallet forks. “The machine also has all-wheel steering which minimizes ground disturbance.”

The increasing log falling involved with thinning and forest fire mitigation work creates considerable additional fibre.

Baechmann encourages his clients to utilize the wood, especially with the present high lumber prices. He recently upgraded his own sawmilling capabilities. He stayed with the tried and proven. Baechmann extensively used his original Wood-Mizer LT 15 mill for about 16 years.

“I found a Wood-Mizer LT 15 Wide with auto feed, 25 HP engine and an approximate 36 feet by 28.6 foot cut.

The big advantage of the new mill is the bigger size and length of log I can cut with it and a way better and faster performance to get more board feet out of it,” he explains. So far he’s cut up to 18 x 18 inches and 26 foot lengths with the Wood-Mizer, along with 10 foot six-inch by 35-inch table top slabs.

The potential variety of wood products further exemplifies the scope for further diversifying Most Wanted Contracting’s forestry related activities.

eastcoastsawmilling For primary breakdown, Ayat Timbers has a Select 4221E sawmill. Company owner Javed Mian likes that is a double cut band saw. “It’s highly efficient,” he says.

RESILIENT sawmillers Javed Mian of Ayat Timbers International.

By George Fullerton

Family-owned Ayat Timbers International truly came back from adversity after the New Brunswick-based mill operation was struck by a fire—they were quick to rebuild.

aved Mian and his wife, Rajni, achieved a life goal in September 2018, when their fledgling lumber business, Ayat Timbers International, cut its first lumber.

The sawmill and dry kiln operation is located at Penobsquis, near Sussex, New Brunswick, and focuses on milling eastern white pine and loading it into sea containers for shipment to customers in South Asia and the Middle East.

Despite struggling after a fire destroyed a good deal of log and lumber inventory and the dry kiln, they rebuilt, and began

sawing just in time to struggle through restrictions presented by COVID-19.

It’s been a long road to that first cut of lumber. Javed and Rajni immigrated from their native Pakistan, arriving in Toronto in 2001.

“Like most immigrants, we were looking for new opportunities,” stated Javed.

Initially, Javed found employment at a variety of manufacturing industries in the Toronto region.

In 2008, the family moved to Saskatoon, where Javed held a variety of jobs, including managing a taxi company. While in Saskatchewan, the couple decided they

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

J

wanted to become business owners, and began actively looking for opportunities.

Since Javed had experience in the lumber business in Pakistan, a good deal of their search focused on sawmilling and lumber marketing. In Pakistan, Javed had worked in the lumber brokerage business, which imported lumber from a wide variety of sources, and distributed it in turn to a wide variety of manufacturers and industries.

“I love working with wood, and I certainly want to enjoy what I work at,” he to page 26

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eastcoastsawmilling from page 24 says. “If you don’t like your work, your job becomes a punishment. So sawmilling and lumber became our priority.”

Their research in lumber marketing focused on business opportunities in international markets, since North American markets were very competitive and already well supplied.

The Mians initially looked for lumber business opportunities in British Columbia, but decided the business climate was very competitive there, making it tough to get a foothold.

Their focus switched to New Brunswick, which has the second most forestdependent economy in Canada, and they decided to investigate opportunities there “By chance, my wife discovered a business called the SNB Wood Co-operative, which had a property and lumber manufacturing equipment for sale. I made contact with SNB, and we arranged a visit to look over the property,” explained Javed.

The SNB (Southern New Brunswick) Wood Co-op is a woodlot owner and wood producer co-operative, and has supported wood marketing and silviculture for its membership since the 1970s.

The land and kiln for sale was used for a lumber business which had become redundant for the co-operative.

“The property at Penobsquis, near Sussex, included a good dry lot and a 32,000 board feet Nyle dry kiln which had been mothballed for about fifteen years,” explained Javed. “We immediately began to

A Valley edger (above) is included in the Ayat Timbers production line. Daily production—they saw 50, 40 and 25 mm and 10, 14 and 16-foot product—with the mill is eight to ten thousand board feet.

develop a business plan and started making detailed marketing investigations.”

Javed’s market research determined that there were good prospects for selling eastern white pine lumber into the Middle East and South Asian markets. His research also identified a heathy white pine resource available from private woodlots in southern New Brunswick.

Additionally, Penobsquis is situated about an hour from a deepwater container shipping port in Saint John, and about four hours trucking time to the port of Halifax in Nova Scotia, both providing global shipping connections.

The Mians moved to New Brunswick in 2016, and Javed set to work to develop

Ayat Timbers has a Nyle HT54 dehumidification kiln, with a capacity of 35,000 board feet. The drying cycle takes six to seven days, with lumber finishing at 12 per cent moisture content.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

a comprehensive business management plan. With the business plan in hand, financing was acquired and a deal was struck to purchase the property and kiln in 2018.

The business plan outlined purchase of sawmilling equipment, mobile yard equipment, as well as a new sawmill building.

For primary breakdown, a Select 4221E double cut band sawmill was ordered. The mill came equipped with a 75 hp electric motor and hydraulic log positioning mechanism.

“We settled on the Select mill because it has double cut band saws, which is highly efficient,” said Javed. It has electric power, hydraulic log handling capabilities and a high cutting speed. Select mills are manufactured in Ontario and they offer good technical and parts service. The mill was delivered in June 2018. “We constructed a mill building and log decks as well as lumber conveyors,” he says. “We sawed our first lumber in September 2018.”

Another selling feature of the Select mill was its ability to saw both metric and imperial dimensions. Since Ayat Timber’s market focus was export markets, the ability to saw metric was very important.

Javed and his staff designed and built most of the log and lumber conveyors.

“We figured out, basically, what we needed and then we got some steel and hardware, a chop saw and a welder and went to work assembling the equipment.

It has worked out quite well. Our trim saws were basically made on site.”

A Valley edger was added to the production line. Daily production with the to page 28

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eastcoastsawmilling

Ayat Timbers buys a large supply of logs through the winter to keep the mill supplied through mud season, when deliveries pretty much stop. For the balance of the year, the operation limits log inventory to three to four weeks’ supply in the yard in order to limit the potential for staining. from page 26 mill is eight to ten thousand board feet.

The green chain is a manual operation.

The mill does not have a debarker, so the slabs and other byproduct fibre are sold to locals for firewood. Additionally, Ayat Timber supplies an outdoor furnace with slabs to heat the mill building in cold months. Sawdust is held in a covered building and is purchased by area livestock farmers.

Yard equipment is a Chinese-made, Jieli ZL20 wheel loader. Javed explained that the loader was acquired through a private sale and it has performed well. A Cat forklift rounds out the mobile equipment fleet.

Log delivery is by loader-equipped trucks, which handle off loading and piling logs in the yard. Delivered logs are stick scaled by a licensed scaler.

Javed explained that they buy a large supply of logs through the winter to keep

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

the mill supplied through mud season, when deliveries pretty much stop. For the balance of the year, he limits log inventory to three to four weeks’ supply in the yard in order to limit the potential for staining.

Javed began sawing with the Select mill, and gained a good degree of competency after a couple of months. Additionally, he studied and achieved his lumber grading license (NELMA, Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association) rules for white pine through the Maritime Lumber Bureau. They saw 50, 40 and 25 mm and 10, 14 and 16-foot product.

In August 2019, disaster hit—there was a call to the Mian home in Fredericton at 5 p.m. that fire had struck the mill operation.

The fire, buffeted by strong winds, travelled across the log and lumber yard, eventually involving and consuming the kiln.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of several volunteer fire departments, the mill building itself was saved, although the fire intensity was severe enough to melt soffit material on the mill building.

Following the fire, the Mians immediately set to work to get operational. The kiln was replaced with a Nyle HT54 dehumidification kiln, which went into operation at the end of February 2020. The new kiln capacity is 35,000 board feet and the drying cycle takes six to seven days, with lumber finishing at 12 percent moisture content.

In 2020, Ayat Timber constructed a 40’ by 100’ dry storage building to make sure kiln product remains dry and to help facilitate seacan loading.

Ayat ships lumber by seacan through the port of Saint John. Javed explained that loading a 40’ seacan with large awkward bundles of lumber is a task which requires the right equipment, and a couple of workers who are familiar with the process.

The seacans arrive in the yard and as long as things go right, a truck with a fullyloaded seacan is pulling out and on the road in about 45 minutes.

Once the containers are delivered to customers, the lumber goes into cabinet construction and interior residential trim and other applications.

Current staffing at the mill is eight people. Javed pointed out that his wife Rajni manages the office.

“As far as I am concerned, Rajni has the most important job in the whole business.

Knowing she is taking care of administration and day to day tasks allows me to focus on managing the milling operation and shipping out loads.”

TECHUPDATE

By Tony Kryzanowski

Log Trailers and Accessories Doepker Trailers

Celebrating 50 years of trailer manufacturing this year, Doepker Trailers describes itself as a customer-driven company focused on building high performance products, with their forestry trailer line being no exception.

the bunk body to lock the band clamp.

It is described as the lightest, all-steel bunk assembly on the market today, 9’ 6” with one-piece stakes, single clamping, and weighing 442 lbs per assembly.

The unique, fully-bolted modular design allows for fitting to any trailer frame rail. The wedge lock clamps the stake tight inside the pocket.

All parts are replaceable for easy and economical repairs if required, says the company. www.prolenc.com

BWS

BWS Manufacturing Ltd builds on and off-road trailers, and is based in Centreville, New Brunswick. The company began manufacturing forestry trailers in 1967 and is celebrating 55 years in business. Today, BWS continues to manufacture forestry trailers and B-trains for both Canada and the U.S. Offering a highly engineered design complements their dedication to lighter tare weights, combined with high tensile strength materials, state-of-the-art paint facilities, premium components and a strong focus on aftermarket support, says the company. The end result is a trailer that offers maximum payload and road life. Doepker has numerous forestry trailer designs in its product portfolio including Quads, Super B’s, Tandem B’s as well as Single Straight and Drop Frame models.

Doepker Trailer Sales welcomes all logging trailer inquiries within British Columbia and Saskatchewan. www.doepkertrailersales.com

Prolenc Manufacturing

Prolenc Manufacturing offers the PROLOAD chain binder, which is longer and offset with a forged handle for more closing power. No more pinched hands when closing. The open geometry allows the handle to stand upright when attaching to the chain on a long bundle wrapper.

The 1” handle ball stops hands and wet gloves from slipping off when closing.

It comes equipped with a forged in-chain hook for easy, positive locking of the handle.

Also from Prolenc Manufacturing, it has the latest ExTe designs of the company’s EST bunks.

No more drilling of

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Thanks to 3D design software and continuous communication with customers, BWS is able to incorporate the latest technologies in its designs, earning a reputation for manufacturing innovative and reliable trailers. As an ISO certified trailer manufacturer in Canada, customers will receive consistent quality in each and every trailer built by BWS, the company says.

BWS logging B-Trains have a wide range of features that deliver value each day, even in extreme environments. BWS is currently developing new designs for regions throughout North America to further assist those in the forestry industry. www.bwstrailers.com

FreFlyt Industries

FreFlyt is located in the community of Vanderhoof, British

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

techupdate Columbia, where owner Gerry Friesen created the first FreFlyt log trailer in 1995.

FreFlyt Industries designs and builds 16 styles of trailers, both individual and paired configurations, to haul logs of varying lengths as well as offering custom logging industry accessories.

FreFlyt trailers are designed with several available bunk widths and stake heights to accommodate its customers’ needs.

FreFlyt’s quad axle short log trailer uses FreFlyt-designed mechanical walking beam suspension or FreFlyt air ride suspension.

Its fabricated front dolly uses Holland’s 43” turntable bearing assembly. FreFlyt frames are fully fabricated from QT100 web and cross members which are designed to provide support and flexibility for the most extreme conditions. FreFlyt Quads have one of the lightest tare weights in the industry, with a weight as low as 6,200 kgs. Lower tare weights equal increased revenue and overall profitability. www.freflyt.ca

Deloupe

Founded in 1972, Deloupe originally focused on the design and manufacture of transport vehicles for the forestry sector.

Over time, the company has diversified its business activities and was acquired by Gestion Brasa in 2014. It combined its strengths with Trailex, a specialist in forest semi-trailers.

In 2016, Gestion Brasa acquired Porcupine Trailers. This company, founded in 1964, was the first to commercialize forest trailers, it says. The three family-owned companies of Deloupe, Trailex and Porcupine Trailers complement each other in an increasingly competitive industry, says the company.

maximum uptime, efficiency and profits.

Anser Manufacturing says that it understands the challenges truck drivers face in trying to meet the requirements of different mills, and that its product line is designed to meet all these requirements.

Anser logging truck trailers are built using quality QT100 hightensile steel, providing both strength and flexibility, while keeping weight to a minimum.

Its products are also built using its innovative formed tube frame design, which makes them easier to clean and maintain than many competing models, minimizes the accumulation of mud and dirt on the frame, reduces wear and tear, and results in lower tare weights and more money in customers’ pockets, it says. www.ansermfg.com

Deloupe says its semi-trailers include such features as highquality T1 steel fabrication (100,000 psi) and anti-abrasion steel flooring that is 200 per cent more resistant than embossed steel.

Other features include ventilated one-piece log bunks with fasteners on both sides to secure the load.

Deloupe provides a full offering of log trailers from among the lightest to the most heavy-duty in the industry. www.deloupe.com

Anser Manufacturing

Based in Vernon, B.C. since 1985, Anser Manufacturing brings more than three decades of passion, skill and dedication in creating its industry-leading line of logging truck trailers.

As a logging trailer manufacturer and distributor, Anser caters to independent operators, dealerships and everyone in between.

The company says that its products have earned a reputation for delivering performance and durability to ensure drivers enjoy Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

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ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION

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Calculation of fuel surcharges: FPInnovations can help you

he price of diesel fuel has risen dramatically in the last few months. As a result, FPInnovations has received numerous inquiries from its members regarding the fuel surcharges they pay their contractors. As the fuel surcharges have been quite large, they want to ensure they are being calculated fairly. The following are the most common questions we receive.

WHAT IS A FUEL SURCHARGE? Fuel is an important component of transportation and harvesting costs. Contractor rates are calculated at a set diesel fuel price, normally below the market price. As the price at the pump fluctuates, compensation must be calculated to cover the difference between the set rate and the price that the contractor actually pays for fuel. There are many ways to determine the fuel surcharge.

For trucks The two most common methods for calculating the fuel surcharge for trucks are as follows: (1) Pay directly for the amount of fuel consumed in a given period based on an average fuel consumption (L/100 km), distance travelled in a given period, and the difference in fuel price between the actual price and price used in the original haul rate calculation.

Surcharge ($) = km travelled / 100 × L/100 km × (actual fuel price - fuel price in haul rate) (2) Adjust the haul rate ($/t or $/m³) based on the percentage difference in fuel price between the actual price and price used in the haul rate, and the percentage of fuel cost in the total rate.

Adjusted rate ($/t) = (1 + % adjustment) × haul rate, where % adjustment = (actual fuel price – fuel price in haul rate) / fuel price in haul rate × % of fuel cost in total haul cost Although method (1) is simpler, it requires that you know the kilometres travelled by a truck in a given period. For log trucks, this is neither constant nor readily available.

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For harvesting machines Method (2) above can be used. However, the fuel consumption of a harvesting machine is highly dependent on the type of machine, forest stand, terrain, and weather conditions. As well, the percentage of fuel cost in the harvesting rate will fluctuate. It may be necessary to use tools such as FPInnovations’ ProCalc or spreadsheets to calculate the proper adjustment.

CAN I USE ONE EQUATION FOR THE FUEL SURCHARGE FOR ALL MY HAULS AND ONE FOR ALL MY HARVESTING? You could, but that is not a good idea.

For trucks, the percentage of fuel in the total cost varies greatly depending on the haul distance.

With one equation, you will end up paying far too much for short hauls and not nearly enough for long hauls. On shorter hauls, the truck will spend more time waiting and getting loaded or unloaded. When idling or stopped, the fuel consumption per hour is 10 percent or less than when travelling. Since other costs that make up a rate are mostly fixed and the cost of fuel will vary by haul distance, the percentage of fuel in the haul rate will vary by distance.

The percentage of fuel will also vary based on kilometres travelled on different classes of road, since fuel consumption on highways is lower, on a L/100 km basis, than on a primary resource road, which in turn is lower than on lower-class resource roads.

For harvesting machines, productivity and hourly fuel consumption will vary based on stand conditions, so the cost of fuel per cubic metre will vary from one stand to another. As for trucks, the other costs are mostly fixed on an hourly basis.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

SO, I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE HAUL OR HARVESTING RATE CHANGING DUE TO COSTS OTHER THAN FUEL? Not entirely. With the disruptions in the markets and supply chain issues, the purchase cost of equipment, parts, and supplies have also been going up significantly. It is a good idea to periodically review your rates in times of economic turbulence, especially if your contractors need to replace new equipment.

CAN I JUST USE THE INFLATION RATE TO ADJUST THESE COSTS? The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the most common inflation reference. It may be adequate for adjusting your labour rate but it is not necessarily well adapted for the price of equipment, parts, and supplies. These costs are more closely linked to the price of commodities and supply chain issues. The best way to adjust is to periodically check with suppliers for the purchase price of equipment and supplies.

FOR TRUCKS, CAN I JUST USE A SERVICE THAT PROVIDES A FUEL INDEX? There are numerous services that provide a fuel index that can be used to calculate a fuel surcharge, such as the Freight Carriers Association of Canada.

These rates are generated for highway trucks in either less-than-truckload (LTL) or truckload (TL) operations. Trucks hauling raw forest products (logs or chips) have much higher fuel consumptions than regular highway trucks. Furthermore, the published rate adjustments will not necessarily be based on the same base fuel price on which your rates are based.

WHAT IF I NEED HELP? For additional information, please contact Jan Michaelsen, Lead Scientist in FPInnovations’ Transportation and Infrastructure group at jan.michaelsen@ fpinnovations.ca.

CWFC explains difference between marginal and unacceptable afforestation land for planting trees as part of Two Billion Tree Program

BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

A

common question asked by landowners interested in afforestation of hardwood or mixedwood plantations is: “Can I establish a plantation on marginally productive land?”

A better question, according to Derek Sidders, Program Manager, Technology Development and Transfer at the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC), is whether the parcel of land under consideration for a plantation is ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable’.

A few important considerations are discussed here as a follow-up to CWFC’s last Edge article entitled, “Strategic Forest Fringe Afforestation Fruitful Ground For Two Billion Tree Program.”

In that article, CWFC discussed the significant potential of strategic afforestation along Canada’s forest fringe, where trees historically have grown, as a contributor to the Federal Government’s Two Billion Tree Program.

This article will drill deeper and provide advice on what lands within this prime area and elsewhere are ‘acceptable’ for consideration of afforestation as part of the Two Billion Tree Program, because while a parcel of land may be marginal for producing an agricultural crop, it may be quite suitable for establishing an afforestation plantation of fast-growing hybrid and select poplar or aspen clonal trees.

“Marginally productive land has no problem producing trees, can easily qualify as a natural carbon sink, and should not be ignored if it meets certain criteria,” Sidders says.

Because the purpose of these plantations is to mimic a natural forest, the first question is whether your area is capable of growing trees. Are there natural tree stands in your area already? If so, then you can probably successfully grow a plantation by matching your soil type with a correct selection of clonal species that will flourish in your particular bio geo-climatic zone.

CWFC has soil and clonal reference charts available, as well as a wealth of

Unacceptable wet site - This wet site would not be acceptable for an afforestation plantation.

Acceptable land - While the steep slope in the background makes the area unacceptable, the lesser sloped land in the foreground would be acceptable for an afforestation plantation. research experience, verifying what species are productive within each zone across Canada.

“We use the agriculture land classification of Canada and other national databases,” says Sidders. “It gives you the broad classifications, but it also gives you a percentage of physical impediments like stoniness.”

He says that for an agricultural piece of land, it is important to have few physical impediments but the site may still be suitable for a tree plantation, “although it doesn’t mean that you want to be on top of bedrock either.”

Secondly, are there tolerant softwoods like white spruce or white pine in the understorey of naturally occurring stands in your area? If there are, then it is highly likely that an overstorey hardwood over softwood mixed stand would succeed and deliver multiple values and benefits.

Sidders explains what generally would qualify as an acceptable afforestation candidate. In many cases, it is just common sense. It should not be a wet site; it should be a moderately drained site.

It should not be a stoney/gravelly site; it should be a site with moderate to fine soils, but not necessarily something as Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

large as 100 hectares. It could be as small as one hectare in size.

In many cases, an acceptable site could simply be a parcel of land that is difficult to farm for an agricultural crop perhaps because of topography, access, irregular shape, surface disturbances and soil variability, but it may be perfectly suitable for a fast-growing tree plantation.

Other considerations making marginally productive lands unsuitable are physical impediments like steep slopes, heavy woody material and organics within the top 30 centimetres of the soil horizon itself, and large stones and bedrock.

More specifically, the soil depth should not be less than 25 centimetres, slope should not be greater than 30 to 34 percent, there should be minimal woody cover such as scrubs and other non-merchantable wood species present because there is existing underground woody material; and the parcel of land cannot consist of an existing old forest, again, because of the presence of below ground woody material. All other sites have potential.

However, as with agricultural crops, there are extra costs related to establishment and management of afforested plantations on marginal land versus moderate to highly productive sites that landowners must consider as they evaluate potential plantation sites.

Yet there are benefits to selecting a marginal site for afforestation because it could deliver other environmental dividends besides being a natural carbon sink, such as enhanced habitat and biodiversity and increased productivity by making extra resources and nutrients available to the soil, which have a positive impact on GHG reduction. The addition of adjacent land wind protection and air and water management are additional co-benefits.

For more information about site selection to establish a fast-growing hardwood or mixedwood afforestation plantation, contact Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@ nrcan-rncan.gc.ca or Tim Keddy at tim. keddy@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

33

Resources Expo show

returns to Prince George!

Forest industry shows are back, including the Canada North Resources Expo show, which is returning to Prince George, B.C. next spring.

By Jim Stirling ark the calendar and begin the planning. The Canada North Resources Expo show (CNRE) is returning to Prince George next spring.

The premier showcase and business forum for central and northern British Columbia’s natural resource industries is returning to its historical springtime slot on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27 in 2023.

Logging and Sawmilling Journal will be a big part, and supporter of the show, as the Official Show Guide. The magazine has proudly been the Official Show Guide of this major show for the resource industries many times.

The last edition of the biennial CNRE was held in May 2019. The COVID pandemic caused cancellation of the scheduled 2021 event.

“Headlined by many large scale projects such as BC Hydro’s Site C dam in northeastern B.C. and the Prince Rupert liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, business is booming in northern B.C.,” observed Mark Cusack, national show manager for Master Promotions Ltd, based in Saint John, New Brunswick and the prime organizer of the CNRE. “The logging industry is strong, mining projects are active and mining exploration projects are being planned,” says Cusack.

“Construction equipment is everywhere in the region.

“This is very promising for our 2023 CNRE exhibitors as there will be lots of qualified buyers looking to upgrade equipment and see what’s new on the market to help get these jobs done. If you work in the natural resource sector, make sure to check out the CNRE May 26 and 27 at the CN Centre in Prince George.”

The regional B.C. forest industry has never stopped working—and contributing—despite the challenges imposed by

the COVID pandemic, and all the issues presented by the warming climate.

The forest industry remains a cornerstone of the provincial economy. A stack of statistics supports the contention. The B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI)— an organization which has conducted considerable research on the topic—says that B.C.’s forest sector supports more than 100,000 jobs, generates over $13 billion in GDP and nearly $8.5 billion in wages, salaries, and benefits. Additionally, the COFI study found that between 2009 and 2019, forest industry companies invested about $14 billion in their B.C. operations.

The industry spends about $7 billion annually on local goods and service purchases and contributed $4 billion to municipal, provincial and federal governments. These are monies which contribute significantly to the provision of public services like health care, schools and infrastructure upgrades. In other words, the forest industry continues to play a major role in keeping the provincial economy performing.

Health experts say the pandemic is gradually waning but hot spots continue to flare up around the world. And ramifications from them are still being felt in northern B.C., along with fallout from events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Canfor, the largest regional forest company, announced in late May its regional sawmills would continue operating at reduced production levels. The company explains demand for lumber products remains high and so are inventories. The company says supply chain issues are continuing to constrict the ability to transport wood to markets. Canfor predicts the status quo will continue into the fall. Other regional lumber producers, such as West Fraser, are experiencing similar issues.

The two mega construction projects in northern B.C. which Master Promotions’ Mark Cusack alluded to are continuing

34

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

M

despite being plagued by delays of various kinds. Site C, for example, is more than a year behind schedule and at $16 billion and counting is costing more than twice as much than originally announced. But peripheral construction projects continue to provide work for the small and medium size construction companies which predominate in the region.

The Port of Prince Rupert is continuing expansion of its capabilities as Canada’s premier northern gateway to Asia. The CN Rail line connecting Prince Rupert with the rest of North America is being steadily upgraded to meet the challenge.

For example, rail line twinning projects are helping relieve transportation bottlenecks along the mainly single line railway.

The projects permit a smoother and faster flow of container traffic from Asia and outbound commodity shipments like lumber, grain and mineral products. Prince George plays a growing role as an “inland port”, capitalizing on its strategic central location in B.C. to distribute containers and other cargo in four directions.

The 2023 Canada North Resources Expo is returning to the province at the right time for these and other resource projects and developments. And the right time, too, for people working in the sector. Locals are anxious to return to the familiar face-to-face way of doing business. That was demonstrated by strong attendance at COFI’s annual convention and the Interior Logging Association (ILA) AGM. The trend is poised to continue at the CNRE in Prince George next May. Check the web site. www.cnre.ca, for the latest show information and registration details.

As mentioned, Logging and Sawmilling Journal will be the Official Show Guide of Resources Expo, and further information about the show will also be available in future issues of the magazine.

SUPPLIERNEWSLINE Microtec announces new branding strategy for FinScan and WoodEye

Microtec, a global leader of scanning and optimization solutions for the sawmilling and wood processing industry, has announced the official integration and inclusion of FinScan and Woodeye within the Microtec family.

Going forward, the two companies, situated in Finland and Sweden, will work under the common corporate brand of Microtec, reflecting the merger and enhanced co-operation between the companies.

The new Microtec organization will consist of different competence centres and offices in six countries. The headquarters are in Bressanone and Venice, Italy, there is a Microtec office in Vancouver, as well as Lucidyne, a division of Microtec, which is situated in Corvallis, Oregon.

Customers will have access to an extended product portfolio based on integrated scanning and optimization solutions through all the woodworking processes from the log yard to the sawmill, planermill and remanufacturing applications. www.microtec.eu

Clear the way for a new generation of Diamond Mowers drums

Available in 60” and 72” cutting widths, Diamond Mowers’ new drum mulcher OD Pro X is the first in a new line of drum mulching attachments that the company expects to roll out.

This versatile, cost-effective utility tool can tackle virtually any mulching job and

and compact tail-swing make the 822E the perfect choice for selective felling where minimal site impact is important.

The harvester configuration is available with a fixed or leveling undercarriage.

High horsepower and harvester head optimized hydraulics provide responsive control, quick feed speed and powerful delimbing capability for high performance and productivity.

The 822E series carriers can be equipped with the Tigercat FPT N67 Non-certified, Tier 4f or Stage V engine, producing 282 hp. A redesigned engine enclosure provides improved roof access for clearing debris.

A larger, spring-assisted pump cover improves service access to the hydraulic pump area. Hydraulic improvements include quicker anti-stall response, consistent anti-cavitation flow and improved heat rejection.

The updated E-series cab includes a new parallel action air ride seat with integrated heating and cooling. www.tigercat.com

accommodate three tooth options, which allows users to interchange teeth for different applications. Compatible with most skid steers and compact track loaders, the OD Pro X is factory-set to match each carrier’s specified pressure and flow.

In addition to the new drum mulcher, customers can anticipate enhancements to Diamond’s existing depth control drum, as well as a new low-flow skid drum, boom drum and excavator drum that will be designed for use with midi excavators. With these new attachment options, Diamond will be a complete source for any mulching need, says the company. www.diamondmowers.com

Weiler Forestry names senior management

New features and upgrades on Tigercat 822E series feller bunchers and harvesters

Weiler Forestry has appointed three key employees to senior management.

Bill Radeline, Ian Enger and Noah Zehr are long-term forestry team members who have been integral to Weiler Forestry’s success.

Weiler Forestry, based in LaGrange, Georgia, designs and manufactures purpose-built forestry products including wheel skidders, wheel feller bunchers, track feller bunchers, track harvesters, knuckleboom loaders and a mulcher.

The 822E is the most compact track feller buncher and harvester platform in the Tigercat track carrier line-up.

The powerful machine is versatile for challenging thinning and final felling applications. Tigercat says that the strong lift capacity, tight-tuck ER boom geometry,

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

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classified Bill Radeline has been a member of the Weiler Forestry team since the transition of the Forestry Products from Caterpillar Forest Products to Weiler Forestry in September 2019. As the Director of Engineering, Radeline plans, organizes, and directs the company’s product engineering activities to meet customer expectations for design, through new product development and improvement of existing product lines.

Noah Zehr joined the Weiler Forestry Team in September 2019 as Plant Manager with 12 years of experience in forest products. As Director of Operations, Zehr will lead the Operations, Quality and Warehousing functional areas.

Ian Enger joined the Weiler Forestry Team in September 2019 as Manufacturing Engineering Manager. As the Director of Manufacturing, Enger leads the manufacturing engineering, facilities, maintenance, indirect material, production control, information technology and purchasing functional areas.

“Bill, Ian and Noah have done an incredible job of managing the functional areas of the business,” says Pat Weiler, Weiler Forestry President and CEO. “Their business acumen has been tested and proven through the transition from Caterpillar Forestry, a global pandemic, workforce and supply chain issues. They continue to rise to the challenge and show their passion for products our customers can be proud to own and operate.” www.weilerforestry.com

Pewag Group acquires forestry specialists Wallingford’s and BABAC

Pewag Group, a global leader in traction chain devices and industrial chain solutions, has completed the acquisition of Wallingford’s Inc and BABAC Inc. The companies are leading, U.S.-based providers of forestry traction devices, forestry supplies and snow chains. They became part of Pewag’s Traction and Forestry segment at the end of 2021.

Founded in 1975, Wallingford’s Inc is an international wholesaler of tire chain, logging and industrial supplies. It has Canadian distribution centres in Edmonton and Montreal.

Pewag’s business is mainly snow chains, forestry traction, hoist and conveyor chains, do-it-yourself products, engineering, lifting and lashing chains and accessories, and tire protection chains. It has manufacturing facilities in Colorado and in Europe. The high-quality forestry traction devices, developed and manufactured by Pewag in Austria and the Czech Republic, will be integrated into the portfolio of Wallingford’s. www.pewag-group.com

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37

thelastword

Days of B.C. forest land use policy favouring the interests of the forest industry are long gone

By Jim Stirling

R

ecent announcements have reinforced the status of First Nations as the alpha driver of forest land use policies in British Columbia.

The trend has been evolving for years. It was formalized in 2019 when the provincial NDP government aligned B.C.’s forest land policies to the guiding principles and perspectives of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Successful milestone court decisions in B.C. and Canada in recent years have marked the aboriginal communities’ long struggles for recognition and acceptance as equal partners.

A concern for today’s forest industry is the blinkered approach the government is taking toward implementing new forest land policies in B.C. These concerns were undercurrents during the 2022 B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention held in Vancouver at the end of April. Both B.C. Premier John Horgan and Forests Minister Katrine Conroy addressed the approximately 750 delegates attending the convention.

For years, individual forest companies have read the signs and developed working relationships with First Nation groups across the province. In most cases, these alliances have benefited both parties. Forest companies get an additional timber source, much-needed in the post-mountain pine beetle era. First Nations gain a meaningful say in what happens on their traditional territories, work experience for their members and funds for band improvement projects.

The value and scope of these forest industry/First Nation partnerships may well grow in importance.

Prior to the COFI convention, the government announced a boost in resource revenue sharing for First Nations. The province will pay $131 million in 2022, a $72 million increase from the previous

year. Much of the funding comes from stumpage payments to government and B.C. Timber Sales. The new fiscal arrangement with First Nations is a further expression of the UNDRIP commitment, and will increase in the future.

Looking back, a recurring pattern emerges in B.C. politics: a dominant group or industry has more influence with government more of the time. For years, the forest industry played that role. As the prime generator of provincial wealth and reputation, the forest industry held sway in Victoria. Most publicly-owned forest land use decisions of the day favoured the interests of the powerful lumber industry lobby.

Those days have gone.

Since then, the public has demanded and received more from the provincial forests than just a storehouse for future 2 x 4s. Environmental awareness in several forms became imprinted on the forest landscape. New parks, reserves and protected areas resulted.

The implications of global warming, the COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine overshadow many domestic issues. Uncertainties have replaced the familiar and predictable. Meanwhile, First Nations are wisely taking their opportunities to further their interests within the B.C. forest industry.

B.C. is one of a growing number of jurisdictions around the world with a keen interest in wildfire control technologies.

The warming climate is fueling more unpredictable and violent weather patterns, which are spawning mega forest fires. A team at the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver is examining cultural burning techniques to see what lessons they might provide. The UBC work indicates cultural burning is a forest fire prevention strategy rather than a control measure. Fire in the cultural context is viewed on a much broader scale as a tool for ecosystem

38

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - May/June 2022

management. The process includes a host of values ranging from enhancing species diversity to improving water quality.

But it is the future of log harvesting in ‘old growth’ forests that is the touchstone issue in B.C. early in 2022—and the role of First Nations is at its heart.

Early in May, activists were frustrating commuters by blocking bridges and gluing themselves to the surface of arterial roads in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. The demonstrators demand a permanent halt to all logging in old growth forests. The forest industry’s response is ‘hold on a minute, let’s talk about this.’

But the provincial government has responded in effect that it will be the First Nations which will decide if and where logging is permitted and under what levels of restriction.

The old growth issue burst into public prominence in November 2021. A government-appointed panel identified 2.6 million hectares of provincial forest lands as ‘old growth’. It is off limits to log harvesting consideration, to give First Nation groups time to decide if they support a permanent logging ban. More than one million hectares of land had been deferred by April 2022. The deferrals are scheduled to last two years to allow further consultation with First Nations.

The forest industry recognizes the significance of many ‘old growth’ stands across the province. But all old forests are not equal. Some older forest systems can be rejuvenated with the application of forest management techniques.

Under the present government formula, consultation with other groups affected by the old growth harvesting decision—including the forest industry— will only come after the fact. The key decisions will have already been made by the government and First Nations. Surely the best way to avoid past errors is not to repeat them.

With time being so valuable, it is more important than ever to invest in equipment that will save time and money. At Bandit, we pride ourselves by producing tough, reliable, easy to maintain equipment that will serve you on a consistent basis reducing manual labor and unnecessary downtime. Therefore, allowing you to move on to the next job quicker or enjoy some well-deserved time off.

A highly trained dealer network with dedicated parts, sales, and service personnel are committed to providing top notch support from the initial purchase through the entire life cycle of the machine increasing uptime and reducing downtime.

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