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FEATURES
On the Cover: Unlike other regions of North America, there is plenty of timber in the U.S. Southeast, and a relatively new sawmill is now tapping into the plentiful timber basket of the state of Mississippi, joining three other Big River Forest Products mills—and the mill was built on a greenfield basis by British Columbia based Comact. Representing a capital investment of $200 million (U.S.), the new Gloster sawmill is truly a super-mill, and can produce up to 300 million board feet of dimensional lumber and timber annually. (Cover photo and story photos courtesy of Big River Forest Products).
4 Spotlight: New Brunswick forest industry ready to embrace change
The New Brunswick forest industry stands ready to embrace change as it— like all provincial forest industries—faces an uncertain political situation, with tariffs on Canadian wood products.
8 New sawmill features the latest in technology, including AI capabilities
A new greenfield sawmill in Mississippi built for Big River Forest Products by B.C.-based company Comact features the latest and greatest sawmilling technology, including making use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
14 New generation firmly planted at Scott and Stewart
The reins have been passed to a new generation at Nova Scotia’s Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants, which is set to continue to offer high level services, from planting and forest management, through to harvesting.
20 From forest ranger… to sawmiller
Gerald Sambrooke—a retired Chief Forest Ranger in Alberta—had a desire for hands-on involvement with the forest resource, and that has led to a successful custom sawmilling venture.
DEPARTMENTS
24 Walking softly—but carrying plenty of power
Quebec logger Miguel Faucher focuses on sensitive thinning and harvesting, and he’s found that moving to using a Rottne H21D harvester—which has a gentle footprint but packs a good amount of power—has been a solid business move.
30 Log truck platooning continues to roll ahead, with new on the road studies
Ongoing studies of log truck platooning technology show it shines in all types of weather and time-of-day conditions—but it’s still a ways off from being rolled out in the forest industry.
38 Water cannon ready to fire, to fight wildfires
The Fawcett Cannon made its debut at the recent Minerals North Conference and the Canada North Resources Expo in Prince George, B.C., and its inventor, Ron Fawcett, hopes it can be an effective addition to the tool kit of forest firefighters.
37
Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, is a story from the Canadian Forest Service.
46 The Last Word
Will the B.C. government increase the provincial timber harvest? Maybe—maybe not, says Jim Stirling.
The forest industry is New Brunswick’s largest industry, and plays a vital role in the economic health of the province.
New Brunswick forest industry: READY TO EMBRACE CHANGE
The New Brunswick forest industry stands ready to embrace change as it—like all provincial forest industries—faces an uncertain political situation, with tariffs on Canadian wood products.
By George Fullerton
This spring, Forest NB welcomed a good turnout to their Annual General Meeting and Industry Forum in downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick, with a very appropriate theme considering the times: Embracing Change, Growing Impact.
Speakers focused on developments in the forest industry, the province’s largest industry. During breaks, the informal conversations were decidedly focused on the impact of Trump tariffs and the White House trade war with Canada—and the world, for that matter.
Forest NB is a non-profit industry association representing the forest sector. The membership represents lumber, pulp and paper, pellet, composite panel and specialty wood product producers. Additionally, the membership includes representatives from industry related equipment and machinery suppliers, service providers, academia and research, forest certification, energy, safety and finance.
New Brunswick’s Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister, John Herron, spoke on behalf of the provincial government.
Herron’s message was direct: “We are all in this together”.
“The political landscape has been
fundamentally changed, and it will not soon return to the norm we had become comfortable with,” he said.
Herron said the threat of additional tariffs has created a seismic shift for the forest industry in particular. He noted the New Brunswick government is working on plans for support to the industry, to keep all plants and mills operating, as well as harvest and trucking operations.
Looking down the road, Herron restated that New Brunswick and Canada have to look toward diversifying trade, and reduce their reliance on the U.S.
Herron reassured the Forum that the provincial government was already working on financial assistance programs to
support businesses and workers directly impacted by tariffs.
Crystal Gauvin with industry consultants Forest Economic Advisors (FEA) reviewed that their normal service is to provide monthly analytic reports on the forest industry and global markets for their clients. She shared that because of the rhetoric about tariffs and trade war, analysis regarding wood products trade and markets has been changing—by the hour.
Gauvin explained that while the Trump administration suggests that the U.S. does not need Canadian lumber, it would be an insurmountable challenge for the American lumber industry to fill current domestic demand. She cited the challenge to build milling capacity, gain access to available timber, not to mention address the labour challenges that would be required to turn standing trees into lumber. It would, she said, take several years to displace imported building products.
Gauvin questioned how long additional tariffs on Canadian lumber could stay in place. She pointed out that Scandinavian lumber exports to the U.S. had recently been cut back, and the domestic market will have to get supply for the construction season from some source.
Matt Fox with Opportunities New Brunswick reviewed his department’s focus on economic development, attracting new investment to the province and helping existing businesses grow.
Fox said that prior to Trump’s second term in the White House, Opportunities NB’s value proposition was “invest in New Brunswick and sell into the U.S. market” as a key strategy. He added that after just a few months of the Trump administration, the business climate has dramatically cooled in New Brunswick, and that has financially impacted investment.
Fox said that the provincial government supports efforts to increase interprovincial trade, as well as promoting a “Made in New Brunswick” campaign to make it easier for consumers to identify locally manufactured and produced products, and the opportunity to support local industries and businesses.
A report on Roadmap for Productivity Improvement in New Brunswick was presented by Guilherme Simon and Jack Lonsdale, of AFRY Management Consulting.
Simon reviewed that it was evident that productivity in the New Brunswick forest industry had stagnated in the last decade, while the sector has seen many changes
to page 6
At a recent New Brunswick forestry conference, the province’s Natural Resources Minister, John Herron (inset photo above), said the threat of additional lumber tariffs from the U.S. has created a seismic shift for the forest industry.
While the New Brunswick forest industry has seen many changes and challenges, a recent industry conference presenter said the industry has clear opportunities for improving its productivity, including through data management and optimization, operational improvements and adopting new technologies, as well as training and skill development.
from page 5
and challenges relating to technologies, legislation, conservation, and forest management, to name only a few.
The concept to look at the opportunity for productivity building through digitalization in the forestry sector came about through a workshop presented by NRCAN in Fredericton in 2020. The workshop brought together stakeholders in the industry, and the result was interest in looking toward opportunities in regards to digitalization.
While digitization is basically a process to convert physical (paper-based) data to digital (computer-based) data, digitalization is also understood as a system to transform business processes and operations using digital technologies to enhance those processes and operations.
One of the main outcomes of the workshop was to form a steering committee to look at opportunities for digitalization for the New Brunswick forest sector. The stakeholder group included First Nations, small and large forest industries, government, the woodlot sector, research and academia.
In 2023, funding for a project was earmarked, and the stakeholder committee
prepared a RFP (Request For Proposals), which ultimately resulted in a contract with AFRY, to proceed with the project in 2024.
The stakeholder committee assigned Gaetan Pelletier, Executive Director of the Northern Hardwood Research Institute based at the Universite du Moncton in Edmundston, to liaise between AFRY and the stakeholder committee, to ensure the project aligned to the needs of the industry.
The project began with a review of the current forest industry value chain, and an evaluation of the current level of digitization.
The second stage of the project included interviews with stakeholders to evaluate the current level of digitization, identify areas that would benefit with digitalization and identify challenges for adoption.
AFRY went on to evaluate and benchmark the ‘best in class’ digital practices in forest industries worldwide, and highlighted best practices that would be applicable to the New Brunswick forest industry, and mitigate challenges facing the industry.
The fourth stage selected and prioritized initiatives to digitize the sector, combining the best in world practices to address specific New Brunswick challenges. These
include data management and optimization, operational improvements and adopting new technologies, as well as training and skill development.
The fifth and final stage for the project ‘put the rubber to the road’ and implemented each prioritized initiative; identifying the investment required, establishing a timeline for implementation, identifying the value at stake, and implementing a roadmap.
Pelletier said that stakeholders are impressed with the roadmap for implementation, which identifies more than 40 identified inefficiencies in forest management and industrial processes. The report proposes 18 recommendations that have the potential to generate savings, amounting to tens of millions dollars yearly. AFRY suggested that by embracing digitalization, the industry could realize annual savings in the range of $50 million.
The AFRY report allowed that managers and business owners are generally aware of technologies and processes that would enhance productivity, but they also recognize various barriers to adoption, which include legislative, institutional, cultural, tenure, ownership and interorganizational collaboration.
The forest industry stakeholder group
will receive the final report in a few months, and take the opportunity to digest it and then forge a plan to move on the recommendations.
Troy Adams, Director of New Brunswick Wildfire Management, and Lisa Walker, Director of Resiliency and Partnership, with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, made a tag team presentation to the NB Forest forum on forest fire risk and preparedness. The presentation included a description of the New Brunswick – Canada $40 million funding agreement to implement the FireSmart Canada program in New Brunswick.
The two-pronged program is aimed at forest fire preparedness for individual homeowners, as well as communities. The funding will also support certain equipment acquisitions and personnel training.
The Fire Smart for Homeowners program advises steps to reduce wildfire impact by undertaking activities including clearing combustible material near the home, using fire-resistant building materials and having a plan for evacuation.
Fire Smart for Communities includes education about forest fire behavior, and planning and integrating (with forest
management) vegetation/fuel management in proximity to communities with the aim to protect lives and property.
Walker delivered a detailed review of the forest harvesting and fuel management activities undertaken for the Whitehorse, Yukon, community protection plan.
With climate change, it’s understood that forest fire behavior has changed and has become increasingly devastating, as fires invade urban space.
Jeff Yeomans, of the NB Power Belledune Clean Fuel Project, presented on the transition to clean power conversion of the Belledune Electrical power plant, from coal to wood pellets. The Belledune plant was built in 2019 to generate power to meet increased winter demand for electricity (heat). The plant is scheduled to be off coal by 2030.
NB Power has conducted several test burns of torrefied wood pellets, which indicated that by adjusting systems, they can achieve 85 per cent of the power production of coal. It’s estimated that pellet demand will be 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes annually, with opportunity for the pellet supply manufactured in eastern Canada.
July 31-August 3
Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival, Squamish, BC www.squamishdays.ca
August 5-7
Association of Equipment Distributors (AED), Leadership Conference, Austin, TX 630-574-0650, www.aednet.org
Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, Escanaba, MI 715-282-5828, www.gltpa.org
October 22-24
International Conference on Wood Adhesives, Vancouver, BC 706-443-1337, www.forestprod.org
THE LEGENDARY FORESTRY GRAPPLE
Hultdins has long been a world leader in highly engineered by-pass style grapples. SuperGrip SG Grapples are the forest industry standard on log trucks and forwarders. Our traditional SuperGrip SG Grapple models have become common on excavators for tree service, land clearing, feeding chippers or grinders, and part time logging. All SG Grapples are equipped with Indexator GV Rotators. Links are available to match any forwarder, log truck, or excavator mounts. Since its launch in the mid-1990s, we’ve continually improved the SuperGrip to meet increasing productivity demands.
The Gloster sawmill marks the first greenfield build for Big River Forest Products— previous projects have all involved mill acquisitions and capital upgrades. As a result, Gloster could be designed and built from scratch and features the latest sawmill technology—including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
One of North America’s most modern sawmills— the Gloster sawmill of Big River Forest Products— has seen a very smooth start-up thanks to the joint efforts of company management and greenfield project builder, B.C.-based Comact.
By Paul MacDonald
Unlike other regions of North America, there is plenty of timber in the U.S. Southeast, and a relatively new sawmill is now tapping into the plentiful timber basket of the state of Mississippi, joining three other Big River Forest Products mills—and the mill was built on a greenfield basis by British Columbiabased Comact.
The new Gloster sawmill is now the largest facility within the Mississippi-based Big River Forest Products group of mills. Completed in the first half of 2024 and
representing a capital investment of $200 million (U.S.), this greenfield build is truly a super-mill, and can produce up to 300 million board feet of dimensional lumber and timbers annually. It requires upwards of one million tons of timber annually, which is sourced in the region.
It employs over 130 people, and supports an additional 200 indirect jobs, such as in logging. These are significant numbers regardless, but especially so as the town of Gloster where the mill is located has less than 1,000 residents.
Based in the state capital of Jackson, Mississippi, family-owned Big River Forest
Products now operates four Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) lumber manufacturing facilities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. Its operations, including the Gloster facility, have an annual production capacity of over 650 million board feet.
Gloster is located in southwest Mississippi, one of the richest timber baskets in the U.S., and adjacent to a large-scale pellet manufacturing facility.
Big River Forest Products believes the facility is in an ideal location. The surrounding region has large amounts of sustainably-grown Southern Yellow Pine on both public and private lands. The facility also has solid transportation links to large U.S. lumber markets by truck, and the company is assisting the Town of Gloster to restore the Gloster Southern Railway, which will provide service to multiple industrial customers in the area.
Big picture, some 65 per cent of Mississippi contains forest, approximately 7.9 million hectares of the state. Hardwood makes up the largest concentration of forest in the state at 45 per cent of available timber, but there is also a major supply of SYP throughout the state. A large portion of Mississippi’s timber is actually located in the southern part of the state, where Gloster is located.
The Gloster facility sits on 65 acres of land, which includes a former GeorgiaPacific mill site.
Dave Gillespie, who worked for Tolko Industries mill facilities in Canada for close to 30 years, was part of the team that oversaw the building of the Gloster facility. Gillespie is now Vice-President, Operations and joined Big River in January 2024.
Gillespie’s first exposure to the southeast came when he was appointed General Manager, U.S. Operations for Tolko’s U.S. operations in 2021, and was involved with the company’s joint ventures there: Southeastern Timber Products, LaSalle Lumber Company and Jasper Lumber. He was involved in the design/development/ construction of a greenfield sawmill project in Bienville, Louisiana which provided him with Comact project services experience that was utilized with Big River Forest Products on the Gloster project team.
Gloster marks the first greenfield build for Big River—previous projects have all involved mill acquisitions and capital upgrades. As a result, Gloster could be designed and built from scratch and features the latest sawmill technology—including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
millconstruction
from page 9
The company’s sawmill in Vicksburg, Mississippi was originally a hardwood sawmill—formerly the Vicksburg Anderson Tully hardwood mill, it was the largest volume hardwood mill in the U.S. After it shuttered, Big River purchased the mill and converted it to SYP. “Vicksburg was a large brownfield investment,” says Gillespie.
As a hardwood mill, annual production topped out at 60 million board feet and it now has the capacity to produce 180 million board feet of SYP. As part of the switchover, they installed a new planer mill from Miller Manufacturing, which is part of the Comact group.
Then came the acquisition of mill operations in Coushatta, Louisiana and Carthage, Arkansas. The Louisiana mill was already a SYP mill, and the Arkansas mill was rebuilt after a fire that occurred shortly before purchase.
When Big River decided to build a greenfield facility in Gloster, they reviewed their options in terms of a building partner, and were familiar with a number of projects Comact had built in the U.S. southeast.
“We wanted to partner with a group that had the experience and capacity to take on a project of this scope,” explained Gillespie. “Comact had the track record and experience of completing greenfield projects the size of Gloster, so we decided the Comact team would be our build partner.”
“We are excited to partner with the Comact team to expand our manufacturing capacity with our first state-of-the-art greenfield lumber facility in the U.S. South,” said Billy Van Devender, CEO of Big River associated company, Claw Forestry Services. “This project will employ the best complement of modern technologies to meet our growing consumer demand for the highest quality product. Working with an industry leader like Comact provides the confidence that this major project to further enhance our vertical integration will be done right and delivered on time.”
Through its wood processing technologies and project services offering, Comact subsequently managed, designed, built, equipped, and provided full start-up services for Gloster.
“It was true project services, with
Comact managing the civil as well as the equipment build,” noted Gillespie. “We essentially turned over the property to Comact to complete all of the civil, storm water requirements, concrete work and the traditional building and equipment installation.” When Big River says Gloster was a Comact greenfield project, they mean greenfield.
The Georgia-Pacific plywood facility that had been located on the site of the new mill closed permanently in 2008 and was destroyed in a fire in 2012.
Gillespie explained that as a result, there were no standing structures on the site. “It was essentially a flat piece of land.” Sometimes, new projects can make use of the infrastructure that might have been in place for previous facilities but that was not the case with Gloster.
“The short answer is no, there was no infrastructure there,” he says. “This was a greenfield project from all aspects.”
Gillespie said that Comact did a lot of civil work on the site, to meet Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality permit requirements to manage all storm water outflows. The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance for
pewag forestry chains are held to the highest
of quality and craftsmanship. Each step of production is carefully controlled to meet the highest industry standards.
Forestry Traction Chains
The Gloster sawmill incorporates the full spectrum of Comact’s best-in-class wood processing technologies including equipment, software, automation systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled optimization, and its plant-wide Industry 4.0 solution, OPER8. Comact’s project services team provided the design, engineering, planning, fabrication, and installation.
infrastructure improvements and site development. Amite County also assisted with the project. Southwest Electric supplied the 5 MW load required for mill operations.
Gillespie says he and the other managers at Big River are very familiar with what Comact brings to the table, in terms of sawmill expertise, and equipment.
“They are a fantastic, highly skilled group at what they do,” he said. He added that one of the attributes of a strong partnership involves how build partners handle challenges—and potentially bring resources to the project, to deal with those challenges.
“It’s one thing to oversee things on a big sawmill build when things are going smoothly—it’s when the wood chips hit the fan, so to speak, that companies show what they are really made of—and Comact delivered,” says Gillespie.
“We’ve been very pleased with how Comact has shown up as a partner, throughout the build. Since the mill has started, they are continuing to support both education and knowledge to the mill team. That’s a big part. You can build a state–of-the-art sawmill, but if you are unable to tool up the management and workforce to be able to operate and maintain that mill, well, you have some challenges.
to page 12
Completed in the first half of 2024 and representing a capital investment of $200 million (U.S.), the Gloster sawmill is truly a super-mill, and can produce up to 300 million board feet of dimensional lumber and timbers annually. It requires upwards of one million tons of timber annually.
millconstruction
“That’s really where the rubber hits the road, providing the technical skillset and knowledge transfer to support the mill team quickly growing into the roles and knowledge for the mill to be successful—and Comact has been a great partner on that.”
The Gloster operation incorporates the full spectrum of Comact’s best-in-class wood processing technologies including equipment, software, automation systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled optimization, and its plant-wide Industry 4.0 solution, OPER8. Comact’s project services team provided the design, engineering, planning, fabrication, and installation.
The sustainment of the plant’s operational life cycle is being supported by Comact’s Aftermarket Team which is providing its Reliability Program, parts, consumables, and services.
In terms of mill equipment details, after logs are delivered to the mill site by truck, they are handled by two Fulghum radial cranes in the log yard. The cranes feed wood to the mill and its single merchandizing line. The mill has a Comact VTO high speed single ring debarker—they also opted for the Comact flare butt reducer on the debarker. The four-saw merch operation feeds two saw line infeed decks, with standard sorting by diameter, with a large diameter sort deck and a small diameter sort deck. The saw line is fully optimized with turn correction. It features a two-sided canter with quad profiling and the gang is a Comact TBL4, the newest generation of curve sawing gangs.
There is a single sawmill trim sort line—the sawmill has a 75-bin drag type sorter. The operation has three Comact Deltech continuous dry kilns all powered by natural gas.
The Comact Miller planer features hydraulic tension, and Gillespie says the planer outfeed is standard for a Comact build, a deep pile outfeed that infeeds a transverse GradExpert optimizer with AI capabilities. The planer operation features all Comact double fork stackers.
In general, it’s thought that AI will play an increasingly important role in sawmilling. It helps make sawmills like Gloster more efficient, and will have a place in future mill upgrades, and as new sawmills are built.
The planer has two sorters, a full-length sorter and a 12-foot sorter, which Gillespie says gives them virtually unlimited cutn-two opportunities to maximize grade extraction. Often, new mills would have
The Gloster operation has three Comact Deltech continuous dry kilns, all powered by natural gas. With the addition of the Gloster sawmill, family-owned Big River Forest Products now operates four Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) lumber manufacturing facilities, and its operations have total annual production capacity of over 650 million board feet.
a 12-foot stacker and a 20-foot stacker, but Big River decided to put two 20-foot stackers in the operation, with a rollcase that can transfer between the stackers.
“We did that from an uptime and productivity perspective, to not isolate either sorter to a single stacker—we can transfer unstacked bundles between either stacker and maximize uptime in the planer.”
There are two Samuel strappers. Samuel and Fulghum (millyard cranes) are among the few non-Comact companies involved in the Gloster project.
In the yard, Gloster has all Taylor equipment for its forklifts and grapple loader. Like Big River, Taylor is also a Mississippi company. It is, in fact, just up the highway from the Big River office. Big River has Taylor equipment at its other mill operations, and is very happy with the performance of the equipment, and its relationship with Taylor, says Gillespie.
While it may seem like history at this point, conditions related to the COVID pandemic had a ripple effect on the project, which was started in 2022, and completed in 2024.
“I wouldn’t say COVID was in the rear view mirror at the time,” said Gillespie. The contract to build the greenfield mill was signed in September 2022—before, Gillespie noted, a shovel was even in the ground—and the date the sawmill started was, indeed, the start date stated in that contract— April 15, 2024.
“We were able to do that by shifting around some of the phases in the construction milestones—working together
with Comact, we were able to successfully start it up on time.”
It was a significant accomplishment, considering the delays COVID had on the supply chains in all industries, at the time.
Part way through the build, both Big River and Comact identified that the schedule completion date was going to be a challenge. “We were all committed to hit the sawmill start-up date,” says Gillespie.
To keep things on track to that date, Comact added resources and additional construction crew shifts. “At one point, I believe Comact had the largest construction workforce they have ever had on a project site. They were as committed as we were to starting the sawmill on schedule.”
The operation was started in phases, with the sawmill starting in April 2024, the kilns in late May, and the planer in June. The project start-up came together well, again a significant accomplishment considering all the moving parts involved in building a mill with a capacity of 300 million board feet.
“Even though the project was completed, with a greenfield project you are not buying a new car and turning the key—it’s a sawmill,” explained Gillespie. “But within weeks of start-up, Gloster was achieving shifts at pro-forma levels. The mill has continued to run at expected performance levels since then.
“From our perspective,” he added, “the commissioning and ramp-up process has been a great success.”
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NEW GENERATION FIRMLY PLANTED
at Scott and Stewart
The reins have been passed to a new generation at Nova Scotia’s Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants, which is set to continue to offer high level services, from planting and forest management, through to harvesting.
By George Fullerton
After four decades in business, Nova Scotia’s Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants Ltd. has now passed on the day-to-day business management to a new generation.
Shaun Scott and Ralph Stewart established Scott and Stewart Forestry Consul-
tants Ltd. back in 1985, and took a planting contract with Stora Enso, which then operated the pulp mill at Port Hawkesbury.
Soon after incorporation, they added manual harvest chainsaws and skidder/ forwarder work to their services to woodlot owners, and the forest industry in and around their base in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Ralph Stewart is now retired from the company, while Shaun Scott maintains an active interest in the Christmas tree part of the business. Shaun’s sons, Ryan and Adam, have assumed management responsibilities.
“Officially, Shaun is semi-retired, but he will never really retire,” explained Ryan. “His current focus is on our 100acre Christmas tree operation, but he is still an important sounding board for business decisions and new ideas for the business. He brings an astute understanding of the forest industry, and we value his insight.”
Currently, Scott and Stewart offers a full range of forestry consultation services and contracting, from seed collection and propagation, through nursery production, planting, tending and thinning, and on to full-scale woodlot management, to final felling and log delivery. They employ 40 people on a permanent basis, and expand to around 150 through the nursery/silviculture season.
The Scott brothers gained practical forestry experience tree planting through high school and university. At the family kitchen table, they gained a broad understanding of forestry and business challenges.
Ryan Scott (left) and Adam Scott, the sons of company co-founder Shaun Scott, have now taken on management responsibilities at Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants.
“When we approached the age to choose careers, our father actively discouraged us from pursuing forestry,” says Ryan. “The Nova Scotia forest industry had experienced the MacTara sawmill shutdown which took a lot of capacity out of the industry, and he advised us strongly not to pursue an education in forestry.”
Following Shaun’s advice, Adam studied to become a radiologist and found work in Toronto. Ryan studied physics and had a career in underwater surveying, living in Texas and working around the world.
Wishing to return to live in Nova Scotia, neither brother could immediately find employment there in their chosen careers, but they did see opportunity to join Scott and Stewart.
“Scott and Stewart continues to be a tree seed collection to log delivery operation,” explains Ryan. “We collect certain seed species for our own nursery production, as well as purchasing seed from other seed producers.” They generate seedlings for woodlot and industrial reforestation and the Christmas tree industry. In recent years they have witnessed an increased demand for deciduous species grown for riparian afforestation and programs like Canada’s Two Billion Trees program.
eastcoastforestry
“In the past few years, we have been getting calls from across Canada, looking for tens of thousands of seedlings,” says Ryan. “The proponents have projects ready to go, but don’t understand it takes at least two years to grow seedlings that are ready to plant.
“We speak with tree nurseries across Canada, which are fielding similar requests, and have to explain that supplying seedlings would require ramping up nursery capacity. Projects like Two Billion Trees are good programs to help meet climate change goals, but the government should have had some insight into the capacity of the tree nursery industry to meet the demand for seedlings.”
Scott and Stewart operate 21 greenhouses, (200,000 square feet). In 2017 seedling production was around 2.5 million, production was 4.2 million in 2024, and the plan for 2025 is to produce 6.5 million seedlings.
Through the winter months, one employee remains on staff at the nursery, to manage seed stratification.
Nursery operations get underway in March in a handful of greenhouses with
Scott and Stewart operate 21 greenhouses, with a total of 200,000 square feet. In 2017, seedling production was around 2.5 million, production was 4.2 million in 2024, and the plan for 2025 is to produce 6.5 million seedlings.
From seedlings through to harvesting: Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants offers a full range of forestry consultation services and contracting, from seed collection and propagation, through nursery production, planting, tending and thinning, and on to full-scale woodlot management, to final felling and log delivery.
eastcoastforestry
The final felling team at Scott and Stewart includes a John Deere 1270/Waratah (above). The Deere 1270/Waratah is operated by Kenny Langille (in below photo), who counts 35 years’ experience in mechanized harvesting. Commenting on the 1270, Langille says he likes the harvester and says it is well adapted to the terrain and tree/piece size in the northern Nova Scotia region.
from page 15
supplied heat, which ensures the inside temperature remains above freezing. As spring warms up, other greenhouses come into production.
Key nursery staff includes a team of eight temporary foreign workers, who come for the season which extends into late autumn. At the height of the summer nursery operation, staffing climbs to around twenty people.
“Coniferous tree seed ‘cold’ stratification (break seed dormancy and trigger germination) is pretty straightforward,” explains Ryan. “However, stratification of deciduous tree seed is a bit more complex. We are currently stratifying Ironwood seed and it requires a three-phase warm stratification process.
“Fortunately, there is a good deal of published research on deciduous seed stratification and we get a lot of support from staff at the National Tree Seed Centre (Natural Resources Canada) in Fredericton, New Brunswick.”
Ryan pointed out that Scott and Stewart are members of the Canadian Tree Nursery Association, and that it’s been a positive opportunity to share knowledge and lobby as a group to address issues facing all nurseries.
For most planting projects, Scott and Stewart prefer to scarify the sites with their Bracke scarifier, mounted on a skidder. Scarification starts in April, and depending on the weather and soil types, it continues through to November. A float is dedicated to the scarification operation because the unit moves often, as most of the planting areas on woodlots are small.
“For every planting season we welcome some experienced crew and introduce some new workers to tree planting,” says Ryan. “The entire crew joins a training session to cover work technique and health and safety issues.
“One reason we like the Bracke scarifier is because it simplifies the planting site choice for new planters. Rather than search for a planting site in a block where scarification chains were used, with the Bracke the planter can focus on getting the seedling properly planted in the mineral soil mounded up by the Bracke.”
Ryan added that scarification with the Bracke generally reduces early vegetative competition for the seedlings, compared to chain scarification. Additionally, exposed mineral soil reduces the impact of hylobius warreni weevil larvae on small seedlings. The larvae feeds by cutting galleries beneath the bark of seedlings
and girdling and killing the seedlings. The weevil avoids mineral soil, so as a result the Bracke scarification mitigates the impact of the hylobius weevil
“When reforestation of cutovers is required, we like to plant in the first or second year after harvest, in order to reduce the challenge presented by vegetative competition,” explains Ryan. “Chemical competition control is not supported by our Nova Scotia silviculture program, so for the most part there is no chemical control for plantations. As a result, we plant early, before the competition gets developed, and rely on manual tending later on.”
With their woodlot owner clients, they sketch out a reforestation plan before they do any harvesting. They do pre-harvest evaluations for existing regen and then consider stand type, soil quality, and other elements so they can predict, to a certain degree, what will happen once harvest goes ahead.
Following the harvest, they check the site to see if their predictions manifested and followed plan—or if the prediction was off, they might simply have to come up with a new plan. “We have to work
with nature, and we can only figure nature out to a certain degree,” says Ryan.
For the silviculture season, Scott and Stewart manages a 14-saw pre-commercial thinning crew. As with rookie planters, new thinning saw operators participate in training and work a four-week rampup period, which provides a base wage. Following the ramp up period, the new workers get paid on quality and production. Scott and Stewart also support a mentorship system where experienced workers observe and offer advice with the rookie planters/thinners.
For commercial thinning, Scott and Stewart rely on a Rottne H11, an Eco Log 550 and a Tigercat 822, all with LogMax heads.
Ryan explained they like middle weight harvesters for commercial thinning because they can also be operated with straight clearcut harvesting. He allowed that while they may not be as cost effective as larger class harvesters, they do get the job done. Forwarding in commercial thinning is done with a pair of Rottne F15 forwarders. All operate a single twelvehour shift.
The final felling team is a John Deere
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1270/Waratah and an Eco Log 860/LogMax. Additional harvest power is available by way of a pair of Tigercat 860s/LogMax and a twenty-tonne TimberPro forwarder.
“The older Tigercats burn considerably more fuel than the newer wheeled harvesters, but when the push was on to clean up Hurricane Fiona damage, they were producing,” says Ryan.
The Fiona push included a Tigercat 870 and a Tigercat 845 buncher to take on large tangles of downed and leaning trees, where processors and their operators could not produce much wood comparatively. The Tigercat bunchers are available for special harvest operations, as is a cable skidder.
The TimberPro forwarder has also become an exclusive tool for bridge construction, since the cab-mounted loader can reach out without getting its wheels in the water. Scott and Stewart employ forestry staff who are certified to deal with watercourse alterations.
While the equipment line-up includes three excavators with mulcher heads,
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Scott and Stewart typically contract out roadbuilding to experienced roadbuilding contractors.
The excavator mulchers work on rightof-way, doing land clearing and roadside brush control. The equipment line-up includes a pair of CMI mulchers used for land and right-of-way brush clearing. The CMI mulchers have also seen work in extremely dense pre-commercial thinning, mulching 6- to 7-foot wide alleys, providing an open face for manual thinners to fell into.
Hurricane Fiona swept across Nova Scotia in September 2022, resulting in flooding and considerable damage, including in the forest. Windthrow ranged from large tracts of forest to intermittent sites. Following the event, woodlot owners and industrial owners focused on salvaging damaged and downed trees, employing Nova Scotia-based contractors as well as out-of-province contractors. The Nova Scotia government, through the industry-supported Association for Sustainable Forestry, offered funding to help cover the increased cost of operating in damaged stands.
Two years out, isolated downed trees from Fiona have deteriorated to the point that the fibre is not acceptable for processing.
Visiting one of their woodlot harvest
operations, Scott and Stewart’s John Deere 1270 harvester, working with a Rottne F15 forwarder, were producing four log sorts. The scattered Fionadowned balsam fir was being sorted for biomass and shipped to the power plant at Point Tupper.
Ryan explained that the seven-acre block was a typical size for many of their woodlot owner clients. The better spruce trees produced a premium nine-foot stud log for Ledwidge Lumber, while the balance of the spruce and fir produce eight-foot stud logs for both Ledwidge and Scotsburn Lumber. Spruce and fir pulpwood is directed to the Port Hawkesbury pulp mill.
If the harvest generates long sawlogs, they truck them to Elmsdale Lumber, the Williams Brothers mill at Barney’s River, and hardwood logs are delivered to Groupe Savoie, all in Nova Scotia.
Pointing out that balsam fir is susceptible to a number of pests, the management strategy is to try very hard to eliminate fir in the next rotation. Ryan said that there will be a post-harvest regen assessment, which he expected would recommend planting spruce. Because the site was small, it would probably not be scarified, and an experienced crew would get the planting assignment early in 2025, to get the jump on vegetative competition. He pointed out that experienced planters can find micro plant sites and achieve a
good level of reforestation success without scarification.
The John Deere 1270 with Waratah head was operated by Kenny Langille, who counts 35 years’ experience in mechanized harvesting. Langille works a single ten-hour day shift, and consistently surpasses production goals. Commenting on the 1270, he likes the harvester and says it is well adapted to the terrain and tree/piece size in the northern Nova Scotia region.
Irvin Miesner was on site as harvest supervisor and mechanic, while Sandy Stewart, on the F15 forwarder, landed logs roadside.
Trucking is handled by their own truck, along with a contracted truck that is hired irregularly to meet trucking demand. Headquarters in the town of Antigonish includes a shop which sees the truck brought in for a weekly maintenance check, as well as servicing other gear.
Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants’ new management continues to provide comprehensive forest management products and services throughout northern Nova Scotia and beyond.
“We are committed to continuing the quality service the previous generation delivered and as we go forward, we look at the evolution of the industry and when we see a gap or need for service, we will work to solve issues and fill service gaps,” says Ryan.
With their woodlot owner clients, Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants sketch out a reforestation plan before they do any harvesting. They do pre-harvest evaluations for existing regen and then consider stand type, soil quality, and other elements so they can predict, to a certain degree, what will happen once harvest goes ahead.
SAWMILLER From forest ranger…to
Gerald Sambrooke—a retired Chief Forest Ranger in Alberta—had a desire for hands-on involvement with the forest resource, and that has led to a successful custom sawmilling venture.
Retired Chief Forest Ranger Gerald Sambrooke can now say that he has had the full forest industry experience, given the success of his custom sawmilling venture.
By Tony Kryzanowski
Gerald Sambrooke, a retired Chief Forest Ranger in Alberta, and his wife, Teresa, like to travel. That should come as no surprise given his 76 years of age. But he is also a bandsaw mill owner who hates to see a good log go to waste.
A graduate of the Forest Technology School at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in 1969, Sambrooke, over his decades of service as a professional guide, timber management technician, assistant forest ranger, and then one of three Chief Forest Rangers for an area southwest of Rocky Mountain House as far as Banff National Park, experienced nearly every aspect of forest management —except one.
In all those years, one experience was missing: how it felt to saw a log into lumber.
“I knew how to scale timber, assess a mill, and gather and evaluate data, but in all those years, I had never sawn a log,” he says.
That changed when he retired in 2008, starting with a Wood-Mizer LT15 band sawmill he borrowed from a neighbour, leading to the purchase a few years ago of a new Timbery M285 band sawmill.
Operating as Baseline Forest Services Inc. with a partner, Steven Haupt, his custom sawmilling and wildfire consulting business is headquartered about 15 kilometres southwest of Rocky Mountain House. Haupt has been more of a silent partner and helped with the purchase of the Timbery sawmill. He operates his own business, but now in his sixties, he hopes to be more active in the sawmill business in future.
Baseline produces mainly rough framing lumber for Sambrooke’s own use and for a wide range of customers, and he initially promoted his business by using the motto, ‘no order too small’. Sambrooke says that motto and a bit of advertising initially kept him busier than he wanted to be. So now, at 76-years-old, he has adopted a lower profile so that he can fulfill orders, work on personal projects on a schedule more favorable to him—and also travel.
Among his personal projects has been production of tongue and groove poplar flooring and ceiling material for an apartment above his shop, producing all of the framing and appearance lumber for a log cabin on a recreational property, as well as all the lumber for two storage sheds and a shelter for his firewood. He hopes to sell one of the sheds.
Gerald Sambrooke became expert in the operation of his Timbery bandsaw mill by first producing wood products for his own use, like this poplar tongue and groove flooring for the apartment above his shop.
Meeting Sambrooke in person, it’s obvious that he’s mentally sharp and a walk around his yard demonstrates that he is definitely project-driven. His sawmill production numbers are neatly collated on a laptop computer, along with a record of production by blade used or resharpened.
“There is a certain amount of mental activity that goes into sawing, and to me that was just a challenge that I had never done,” says Sambrooke. “It’s still a challenge.”
Baseline Forest Services produces a wide range of wood products, but primarily 1” and 2” dimensional lumber stock up to 16’ long. Products range in size from 2” x 6” planking to material as small as 3/4” and 1/2” thick, used by beekeepers for bee boxes.
Sambrooke even produces a specialty lap siding product, having discovered how to manipulate cants through his bandsaw mill to achieve the angle cut he requires. A lot of his wood products are sold to local farmers and ranchers. For production of his own tongue and groove and planed material, Sambrooke uses a Delta 12” portable planer set up in his shop.
Over the years, Sambrooke has spent
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hours experimenting and expanding his knowledge of how to optimize his use of his bandsaw mill as well as its accompanying equipment. He has learned some hard but valuable lessons along the way of how to sharpen and set his own sawblades, and operate the bandsaw mill to consistently produce accurate lumber.
He began his custom sawmilling venture with a good foundation, as he harvests timber from about a 90-acre woodlot he owns, supplementing that by salvaging blowdown and damaged timber on neighbouring properties. He manufactures about 95 per cent of his wood products from spruce and pine, with a bit of poplar mixed in, bucking logs to about a 5” top and up to 22” at the butt. Recently, he moved the bandsaw mill in close prox-
As with many custom sawmilling operations, Gerald Sambrooke is highly valued locally for his ability to saw and deliver lumber products to many customers right in his own backyard. When he needs planed lumber for customers, Sambrooke leans on his small-scale Delta-brand portable planer (above).
imity to a two-year supply of spruce and pine logs and what he describes as, “a huge supply of large aspen waiting to be turned into firewood.”
However, he has set aside that firewood processing project for now, as he has plenty of work making dimension lumber.
Even at his age, Sambrooke still falls, delimbs, and skids trees, using an older Wallenstein FX8000 cable skidder attached to a tractor. It lets out about 100’ of cable and he can choke up to three trees per drag. Recently, he purchased a four-wheel assist John Deere tractor to help him move logs and lumber around in his mill yard.
When he began shopping for a new bandsaw mill, Sambrooke discovered that the Timbery line offered many attractive features, one being that the dealer and parts supplier, Western Sawmills, was relatively close. They used the Timbery product themselves. Sambrooke’s sawmill was purchased from Western Sawmills, located in Brule, Alberta and their representative, Dave Flato. He describes their service support as excellent. Timbery itself is based in Indiana.
The Timbery M285 bandsaw mill he purchased is mounted on a trailer for portability. He chose the 16’ deck because that was about as much weight as he can handle manually at his age, although a deck extension is available. Loading logs on the sawmill deck and the movement of the sawing unit back and forth is all manual, requiring a fair amount of physical labor, although Timbery offers many models with more hydraulic and electronic features, which obviously impacts the cost of the sawmill. For orders of lumber longer than 16’, he still has access to the Wood-Mizer LT15, which can manufacture wood products up to 42’ long.
Sambrooke describes the Timbery M285 as having a sturdier steel frame than other brands he investigated, with sawdust blown on the opposite side of the operator. The sawing unit is powered with a Robin/Subaru 20.5 horsepower EH64 gasoline engine, equipped with an electronic starter. Sambrooke says the engine starts quickly in all weather conditions, has a built-in oil change indicator, with easy access to the air cleaner designed with a pre-cleaner.
“It also has a good log dogging system that is easy to use,” he adds.
The blade he uses is a standard 1-1/4” Wood-Mizer bandsaw blade with a .042 pitch. He recently purchased the Timbery Sharp-n’-Set blade sharpening unit. Sambrooke discovered that it was a
worthwhile investment as he does a better job sharpening his own blades, achieves much better production, produces more accurate lumber, and earns a longer lifespan on the blades by managing this function himself versus sending them out for custom sharpening.
Sambrooke is always thinking of new challenges, and the Manitoba maple log he delivered to his yard donated from an old farmstead by a neighbour has him intrigued.
Next year he hopes to return to Australia where he will make a point once again of visiting a few local sawmill operators and observe the hardwood timber that they are sawing. He’s already done it once and recently returned from Hong Kong.
“I saw some trees there that I’d love to mill,” he says. “The food was not my normal sawyer’s diet, but I can sure operate a pair of chopsticks now.”
WALKING SOFTLY— but carrying plenty of power
Quebec logger Miguel Faucher focuses on sensitive thinning and harvesting, and he’s found that moving to using a Rottne H21D harvester—which has a gentle footprint but packs a good amount of power—has been a solid business move.
Quebec logger Miguel Faucher evaluated many harvesters, and the decision to go with the Rottne H21D was based on the machine’s qualities, like the high flotation provided by the double bogie configuration and its power characteristics.
By George Fullerton
Miguel Faucher’s harvest contracting business focuses on sensitive thinning and harvesting for private woodlot owners in the Centre-duQuebec region, around the city of Drummondville, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.
Faucher’s home base is in Sainte-Sophie-d’Halifax, east of Montreal. His operation moved from tracked harvesters to a new Rottne H21D double bogie harvester in 2022, and he remarks that the move has proved to be a good business decision.
Through the auspices of Groupement Forestier Arthabaska-Drummond, Faucher provides his private woodlot clients with silviculture services on plantations, natural stands and maple sugar operations, and undertakes clearcut harvesting, in some circumstances.
The Groupement Forestier ArthabaskaDrummond has provided woodlot management service to its members for 45 years. Currently, the Groupement has 800 shareholders/members, and manages some 46,000 hectares of privately owned forest land.
The Groupement forestry staff prepare a woodlot management/development plan which allows private woodlot owners to access forest management programs offered by the Quebec government. Management plans guide the landowners to make informed decisions, to improve the quality, productivity and sustainability of their forest resource.
Faucher’s operations are all on private woodlots. The Groupement organizes wood supply contracts with regional mills, to market wood generated on their members’ harvest/silviculture activities.
For several years, Faucher’s harvester equipment capacity included a Timberjack 608 with Log Max 5000D and a Tigercat 822C with Log Max 6000B head. While his machines were productive, increasingly he found many woodlot owners did not want to have tracked harvesters working on their woodlot, citing concerns about compaction and rutting, regardless of the high quality stand improvement work that Faucher could reference.
Faucher explained that land owners decried tracked harvesters because they figured they caused increased ground disturbance and root damage in partial cut operations, compared to wheeled harvesters.
When the decision was taken to seek to page 26
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Miguel Faucher says that many woodlot owners are cautious about the size of the H21D machine at first glance, but they are impressed and sometimes left speechless with its effectiveness in navigating through the forest with a modest ground impact.
Miguel Faucher went looking for increased forwarding capacity for his logging operation, and opted for a new Rottne F15 forwarder.
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a wheeled harvester, Faucher wanted a machine that offered high floatation, yet had the power and capacity to operate effectively for either commercial thinnings or clearcut applications.
After considering a wide array of harvesting equipment, he came to the decision to purchase a new Rottne H21D.
Faucher explains that he evaluated many harvesters, and the decision to go with the H21D included qualities like the high flotation provided by the double bogie configuration and its power characteristics. The deal was made with Anthony Pelletier, Sales and Service rep with Didier Equipments, located in Causapscal, Quebec.
Faucher explained that the H21D has the power and traction comparable to tracked harvesters, and the floatation provides great operator comfort—and it is said to provide the most powerful hydraulics available in a wheeled harvester configuration.
The H21 sports 710–55x28.5 tires and they are dressed with Olofsfors tracks, with the front set only in easy terrain, and then on all four corners in difficult and soft ground conditions.
The initial impression of the H21D is that it is a physically large machine. Overall length is 364 inches or 33 feet. Width is 118 inches or nine feet.
Faucher says that many woodlot owners are cautious about the size of the machine at first glance, but they are impressed and sometimes left speechless with its effectiveness in navigating through the forest with a modest ground impact.
The H21 features a 549 cubic inch turbocharged John Deere diesel engine which generates 305 horsepower at 1700 RPM. The engine tuning provides a healthy torque curve at low RPM. The hydrostatic transmission features three speeds.
Fuel consumption for the big harvester averages at 19 litres per hour.
Hydraulic power comes from a 298 litre per minute pump dedicated to the crane and a 357 litre per minute pump dedicated to head functions, in addition to a third pump supplying the three-speed hydrostatic transmission and ancillary hydraulic functions.
The crane operates from a tilt base platform and with its parallel jib 7.2-foot extension, provides thirty-six feet of reach, with power to reach and fell trees at full extension.
The machine features large side panel openings, to access the engine, and a rear tilt hood provides access to radiators and
pumps. A hinged belly pan provides convenient access for service.
Its Can-bus machine control system allows the operator to monitor all temperatures and fluid levels and, additionally, to troubleshoot machine functions.
Harvester operator Vincent Bilodeau counts nine years of harvester experience with Faucher. He graduated from forwarder operator to harvester operator, after Faucher injured his wrist and was unable to operate the harvester.
Bilodeau demonstrated his talents handling large and limby hardwoods. Peeking into the H21D cab, it’s very impressive to see Bilodeau and Faucher maintain the interior in showroom condition. Interior accoutrements include a tray for dirty or wet boots.
Bilodeau begins his work shift with the H21 at 7 a.m. through to 5 p.m. Faucher then operates the harvester through to 1 a.m.
The landscape of the Centre du Quebec includes extensive agricultural areas interspersed with woodlands on hilly and less productive lands.
During a recent visit, Faucher’s H21D was operating in a mixed tolerant hardwood/softwood natural stand and in an adjoining softwood plantation. The partial cut operation had been marked by Groupement Forestier Arthabaska-Drummond foresters. Faucher commented that tree marking is an option that the landowner may subscribe to, but contends that many years of partial cut and thinning experience allows himself and Bilodeau to harvest to the specification required, without tree marking.
Groupement offers a full range of management services for woodlot owners including development plans, supervising road construction, silviculture and harvest supervision.
Selecting a harvesting head for the H21D, Faucher settled on the Log Max 6000V.
He commented that the head has proved to be strong and fast, and true to the ‘V’ designation, very versatile, working effectively for either thinning or clearcutting applications. He remarked that the head delivers accurate and consistent diameter and length measuring.
The 6000V will cut stems up to 71 centimetres in diameter, and will hang on to stems and process down to 1.5 cm. The head is most productive with stems in the 14 to 44 cm. diameter range.
When selecting a harvesting head for the Rottne H21D, Miguel Faucher (below, carrying out a bit of daily maintenance) decided on the Log Max 6000V. The head has proven to be strong and fast, and true to the ‘V’ designation, very versatile, working effectively for either thinning or clearcutting applications.
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For the 6000V, Log Max incorporated many improvements including on the measuring wheel cylinder and the hydraulic circuit, as well as reinforcing the measuring wheel arm and mounting attachment. A larger diameter measuring wheel follows stem contours more effectively, resulting in greater performance.
Additional improvements included reinforcement to the frame, which includes a mounting area for the upper delimbing knife. Head tilt has also been increased, which adds versatility and overall performance of the head. Bucking functions is handled with a Dasa Forester control system.
The Rottne H21D features a swivel cab with suspension and levelling feature. Faucher and Bilodeau have become quite fond of the cab features, noting that it provides great operator comfort, resulting in less physical stress and stiffness at the end of the operating shifts. The windshield is long and tilts to the rear providing a good view of tree crowns and surrounding stands, allowing Bilodeau and Faucher to make competent selection and harvest decisions. The cab swivels ninety-degrees to either side from the forward facing position. The ninety-degree position provides the operator with a great rearward view for backing the machine up, and avoiding crop trees or other obstacles.
Bilodeau’s commercial thinning left a good distribution of healthy immature tolerant species, presenting a partially open crown closure which will encourage the establishment of shade tolerant species. The stand will be scheduled for a re-entry
During a recent visit, Miguel Faucher was operating in forests that had been marked by Groupement Forestier Arthabaska-Drummond foresters. The Groupement Forestier Arthabaska Drummond has provided woodlot management services to its members for 45 years, and currently has 800 shareholders/members, and manages some 46,000 hectares of privately owned forest land.
in 10 to 15 years, and will offer quality sawlog production. It offers great potential to evolve to an multi-age stand.
When the H21D began operating, forwarder capacity was handled with a John Deere 1210G. As the production potential of the H21D was reached, it became apparent that the old forwarder could not
keep pace. Subsequently, Faucher went looking for increased forwarding capacity. At the end of the exercise, Faucher made a deal with Didier Equipments for a new Rottne F15 forwarder.
Faucher explained that he is very happy with his Rottne H21D. “It’s very comfortable to operate and to carry out maintenance,” he says. “It has great strength for handling big heavy trees, more than equal to the power of big tracked machines, and it is very fuel efficient in comparison, and it has a much more gentle footprint.
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“We can operate with it very efficiently for first thinnings, and still work it very productively where the prescription is to clearcut. We have built a good reputation for the quality of our work with the H21, both with the Groupement and our woodlot owner clients. We look forward to continuing to do good business with the H21.”
TECHUPDATE
By Tony Kryzanowski
Skidders
Weiler Forestry
The new Weiler Forestry S240 and S340 wheel skidders are designed with simplicity, performance, comfort and serviceability in mind, says the company.
Weiler says that the ’40 series will grow to include multiple size classes to satisfy all types of logging applications, from thinning to large scale final fell in the most severe and remote locations. Offering the largest operator cab in the market with industry leading visibility and best in class serviceability, the simple refined layout is a game changer for the forest industry, says the company.
John Deere
Tougher than the terrain, more powerful than opposing forces—John Deere says that its range of L-II Series skidder sizes and options equip loggers with advantages in the woods. The machines‘ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) combines the efficiency of a direct drive transmission with the smoothness and operating ease of a hydrostatic drive. Choose from a range of box-style tong grapples with serious power and stability. Plus, John Deere’s skidders are built on more than 180 years of groundbreaking innovation, and backed by over a half-century of experience in the woods.
Running a C7.1 Caterpillar engine and a continuously variable-speed hydrostatic ground drive makes operation simple and efficient. The ’40 series are lighter, well balanced nimble machines that have the power to get the load moving and can sustain pulling power over long distances.
Strong multi-functioning hydraulics improve productivity, allowing operators to steer and operate other functions simultaneously.
www.weilerforestry.com
Tigercat
Tigercat says that its six-wheel skidders are field proven with 25 years of development and real-world applications in the most demanding extraction operations. The 635H is Tigercat’s highest capacity skidder. With six-wheel drive and a massive grapple, the machine is built for extreme duty and super high production logging operations. The 635H swing boom skidder is the newest addition to the six-wheel skidder line up. With a 210-degree rotation, the swing boom increases the working envelope of the skidder, which means the operator spends less time maneuvering the machine. Tethering device set-ups are reduced due to the wider working range. Dual rotate motors and a large swing bearing make gathering and moving bunches effortless on steep slopes, says Tigercat.
www.tigercat.com
Demonstrating its commitment to delivering top tier forestry equipment to create an unmatched customer experience, John Deere now offers extended transmission coverage, at no additional cost, through its skidder transmission assurance program. This new program provides coverage up to six years or 12,000 hours on all eligible skidder models, and helps to maximize the machine lifespan with warrantable transmission repairs and replacements. The assurance program applies to all qualified skidders built on or after January 1, 2020 and is transferrable to subsequent purchasers.
www.johndeere.com
Awassos
Developed to meet the needs of those seeking a skidder comparable in size to the JD 440-B, the Awassos MD80 offers a modern design, a superior capacity, and much more, according to the company. With a reversible work station, a hydrostatic transmission, and a rugged cast iron chassis, it is described as the ideal machine for big jobs, without sacrificing the low impact benefits to the forest environment.
Awassos believes that forests are treasures to be preserved. This is why it strives to design and manufacture a line of forestry equipment that can handle challenging work situations, but are gentle in execution. It also offers additional options to equip its machines to accommodate various types of forestry work.
www.awassos.com
LOG TRUCK PLATOONING
continues to roll ahead, with new studies
Remote resource roads offer the best opportunity for deploying log truck platooning technology, to overcome a shortage of qualified log truck drivers and unpredictable log haul seasons in some areas of the country.
Ongoing studies of log truck platooning technology show it shines in all types of weather and time-of-day conditions—but it’s still a ways off from being rolled out in the forest industry.
By Tony Kryzanowski
Log truck platooning—where two or more log trucks transport logs from harvest sites on resource roads with only one qualified log truck driver in the lead vehicle and the following vehicles responding through the use of drive-by-wire communication technology to his driving behavior—is technically viable.
That’s according to an ongoing study on this novel concept of log delivery being conducted by FPInnovations, Canada’s forest products research institute.
The next study phase is to identify road networks where this technology could safely be deployed. Given Canada’s size, there are a large number of sparsely-used resource roads throughout the country which are used almost entirely for log transport.
This research is being supported by three industry partners, those being Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries (Al-Pac), which operates a large pulp mill near the town of Athabasca in north-central Alberta and has the largest Forest Management Area (FMA) in the province, West Fraser, which operates a number of sawmills in Canada primarily in B.C. and Alberta, and sawmill owner Chantiers Chibougamau, in northcentral Quebec.
All partners supported the research financially, but also provided dedicated stretches of road, staff for testing and
safety, and input regarding operational requirements for the various operations across the country.
FPInnovations has been pursuing this technology because of a severe shortage in Canada of qualified log truck drivers, to the point where they say some sawmills have shut down due to a lack of wood delivered to the yard, “and as the situation worsens, these supply chain disruptions could become more frequent.”
Also what’s becoming noticeable is that winter weather is no longer as predictable as it has been in the past, potentially because of a changing climate. At one time, loggers in many parts of Canada could anticipate frozen resource roads usually from at least the end of November till early to mid-March, providing a window for log delivery for many companies. However, in recent years, roads have frozen much later and thawed earlier, with frequent freeze/thaw events in mid-winter, making it significantly more difficult to retrieve the required volume of logs needed by mills. The ability to platoon two or more trucks, even to a central, more accessible staging area close to better roads and highways at a time when more remote resource roads are frozen, could mean a lot to maintain a steady log supply.
During the most recent three-week study and demonstration where log haul contractors were present to observe the
platooning log trucks in action, FPInnovations partnered with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, which has experience developing truck platooning technology for use by the U.S. military in harsh environments. The goal was to demonstrate the robustness and adaptability of autonomous systems.
There was a qualified driver in the lead truck with a safety driver in the driver’s seat of the following truck in the event that there was a need to take manual control. A total of 2,000 kilometres were driven at speeds of up to 70 km/h on resource roads and 113 km/hr on a highspeed paved test track.
FPInnovations reports that the follower truck faithfully reproduced the actions of the lead vehicle in complex situations, including lane changes, speed adjustments, variations in spacing distances and management of vehicles inserted between the leader and follower trucks. And it worked equally well with empty and partially loaded trucks.
Testing was also conducted in difficult and extreme conditions with heavy dust, different times of the day, rain, and temperatures as low as -6°C.
Although this research phase conducted in winter 2024 was successful on
industrytransportation
Both empty and partially loaded log trucks were evaluated for performance in a variety of weather and time-of-day conditions in the testing, with only a qualified log truck driver guiding multiple vehicles from the lead vehicle. Trucks were also tested in how well they performed with other vehicles positioned between them.
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an actual remote resource road network in Quebec and in a small trial on a closed gravel road in Alberta, researchers believe that they are still two to three years away before this technology could be legally deployed on specific resource roads.
“Resource roads represent an interesting first step for deployment because they have low traffic and many have limited access to the public,” says Christoph Schilling, Business Development Manager at FPInnovations.
Schilling adds that part of the challenge at this stage is that technology is outpacing regulation, as it is evident that there are a number of suppliers on the autonomy side and also truck OEMs gearing up for production of autonomy-ready vehicles. So predicting timelines when this technology could receive the green light from regulators is difficult. Also, part of the challenge for gaining approval is that there are different transportation rules and regulations among the provinces.
This year’s target for FPInnovations is to develop what it calls, ‘Autonomous Transport Corridors.’ Schilling described them as essentially defined areas where autonomous transportation will be trialed and tested in a more operations scenario.
“These corridors will be stepping stones and will come with all the necessary safety cases fully developed,” he says. “They are an opportunity to collect data and proof out these safety cases for an eventual driverless deployment. Developing these corridors will also allow us to engage provinces across the country—together with our members and technology providers—to hopefully align somewhat on an approach for future deployment.”
Deployment of this technology is expected to be particularly valuable in more remote communities where there is a limited pool of qualified log truck drivers. One scenario being contemplated is having a qualified log truck driver in the lead vehicle and lesser qualified safety drivers in the following vehicles whose main function will be to monitor their truck’s operation and take control if something unexpected or dangerous occurs. In this scenario, it would give log haulers in remote communities—where qualified drivers are few—the ability to widen the labour pool by not having to depend on fully qualified log truck drivers in every vehicle.
“The challenges to recruit and retain log truck drivers has increased exponentially over the past few years,” says one of the northern Alberta partners supporting
the FPInnovations research. “Pending industry and safety acceptance both provincially and federally, we have hopes that this technology will one day help offset driver shortages and add another resource option for the movement of forest products.”
The company adds that they deem that this technology’s development is, “progressing at a decent pace.”
“It is still early to predict potential viability, but this technology is something to monitor closely.”
Schilling says that response from participants who observed the demonstration
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of the technology was “very positive.”
“The majority of the trials were successful and showed that the technology is on a good path. Operational implementation is something that will be a challenge and different on a case-by-case basis. Working with technology providers and forest companies on tackling these challenges will be crucial.”
Aisha Manderson, Senior Engineer and Project Manager on the FPInnovations autonomous driving initiative, has said that one of the main driving forces behind developing this technology is safety, indicating that the Institute is taking a very
incremental, graduated approach to testing, to ultimately achieve a safe product.
A driving principle behind the most recent research phase was to test the technology at all times of the day in a variety of road and weather conditions— and it passed those challenges.
Log truck platooning on public roads like highways is still in the more distant future, but the Institute says it intends to use the same rigorous research approach to make the case down the road with an emphasis on safety for potential use on highways.
Canadian Companies and Customers link up at
The massive LIGNA show held in Hanover, Germany in May celebrated its 50th anniversary, and it continues to be a leading platform for forest industry equipment suppliers—and Canadian companies received their share of interest at the show.
LIGNA 2025 once again proved to be the leading platform for the international woodworking community, featuring 1,433 exhibitors from 49 countries.
From May 26 to 30, it brought together the global woodworking and wood processing industry in Hanover, provided a significant boost to the sector, ignited fresh momentum, and laid the foundation for future investments.
“LIGNA has impressively reaffirmed its unique position as the world’s leading trade fair for the industry. Around 78,000 visitors from 156 countries came
of seeing machines in live operation at a trade fair. I would like to thank all LIGNA exhibitors who demonstrated this so clearly here,” Köckler continued, adding: “The combination of innovation, technological progress, and passion is the best foundation for renewed investment.”
Whether in forestry, sawmilling, production, manufacturing, or craft industries, exhibitors presented solutions spanning the entire value chain, showing how current challenges can be addressed and turned into opportunities. The spotlight was on digitalization, automation, Artificial Intelligence, smart production, sustainable and climate-friendly construction using wood and wood-based materials, and the responsible, future-oriented use of wood as a resource.
Köckler stated: “What makes LIGNA unique worldwide is its role as an interna
and enables global business at the highest level.” The largest groups of international visitors came from Poland, Italy, and Austria, followed by the Netherlands, France, and Belgium.
A clear trend at LIGNA 2025 was the redefinition of the human role amid the technological revolution driven by AI and machine learning. Contrary to many expectations, humans are neither being marginalized nor replaced; instead, they are given more space to develop their creativity. Genuine emotionality is becoming an indispensable complement to artificial intelligence. Jochen Köckler commented: “The cohesion and cooperation within the woodworking community at LIGNA was clear evidence of this. Trade fairs are meeting places for people in a community that cannot be replaced. Genuine closeness cannot be streamed or replicated by AI.”
for reliable debarkers, but also the strength of its global support network. While customers around the world trust its equipment, they also expect responsive, local service—and that’s something the company has prioritized. Nicholson highlighted its international partnerships spanning Chile, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Germany and France, along with its team in Canada, and the U.S.
There was strong interest in its MLX additive manufacturing process, and the company was pleased to sell its display debarker right off the booth floor. Thanks to the visibility and engagement at the show, it is now actively following up on several mill projects involving Nicholson debarkers. LIGNA remains a fantastic opportunity to connect with customers, partners, and suppliers from all over the world in one place, says the company.
www.debarking.com
Webco Mill Supply
Webco Mill Supply is a Canadian company that manufactures quality replacement components for debarkers, chippers, and hogs, and this was its first time attending LIGNA.
Webco Mill Supply showcased an assortment of debarker tips and arms at Ligna for various makes and models of machines. Over the years, it has developed an extensive database of designs for various European machines such as Segum, SGM, Baljer Zembrod, Nicolini, Matelest, Bargar, to name a few. All these European manufactures had debarkers on display for attendees to inspect.
What made this exciting for Webco is that they had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time and speak with ongoing customers that use quality Webco parts in their European machines. Interestingly, Webco says it is one of the only companies in Canada making replacement parts for European machines and LIGNA gave it the opportunity to further grow its customer base.
The first of two popular discussions that came about during the show was around the newly designed VK26 and VK32 arms Webco had on display. Customers running these machines are currently using arms which require manual repairs, buildup and sharpening on a daily basis as the arm and tip are one piece. Webco has designed a solution with a strong but yet lightweight arm which accepts an interchangeable four sided tip. This greatly reduces maintenance for its customers and improves debarking efficiency.
And its second popular discussion
At LIGNA: Webco Mill Supply
was regarding the fabricated Webco arm designed to replace the cast Soderhamn Erikson arm from USNR. Webco’s quality steel puts the strength where it’s needed the most, without adding unnecessary weight to the assembly. In addition, a “sharp carbide” lead edge to protect the arm and maximize its life was an eye-catching feature among potential customers.
www.webcomillsupply.com
CARBOTECH
CARBOTECH was proud to take part once again in the 2025 edition of
LIGNA—widely recognized as the premier trade fair in the industry. This outstanding event provided an excellent opportunity to connect with many of its existing and prospective clients from around the globe.
The company was especially pleased to see strong representation from North American sawmills, reflecting the growing international reach of its brand. With successful projects already completed in regions such as South America, Scandinavia, and Oceania, CARBOTECH continues to
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strengthen its global presence. LIGNA offered the ideal platform to expand its network, engage with key decision-makers, and showcase its proven technologies.
The event facilitated valuable discussions about industry trends and innovations, allowing CARBOTECH to present its latest advancements and recent projects in log and lumber handling. These innovations—driven by its high-performance AI systems—have significantly enhanced the operational efficiency of clients. The show provided a remarkable opportunity to explore new markets and support more customers in achieving their goals.
www.carbotech.ca
Comact
LIGNA 2025 exceeded all expectations for Comact, says the company. From the very first day, it was clear that the company’s technologies and approach were resonating with a global audience. Visitors showed strong interest in its full range of solutions, including optimization products, Smart Vision technology, AI-powered robotics, and high-performance sawlines.
Comact’s presence at the show led to valuable conversations about the future of smart sawmilling. Attendees were especially interested in the company’s expertise with greenfield projects. Over the past decade, it has delivered 20 fullscope sawmills and played a key role in shaping some of the most advanced production facilities currently in operation.
At LIGNA: Comact
This proven experience stood out to many in the industry looking for complete, integrated solutions.
Comact also presented its OPER8 platform, a powerful IoT solution that provides real-time operational visibility and AI-driven insights. Designed to connect and optimize every part of a mill, OPER8 helps teams increase uptime, reduce costs, and make better, data-informed decisions.
For Comact, LIGNA was more than just
At LIGNA: TS Manufacturing
an opportunity to exhibit. It was a moment to engage with sawmillers, technology partners, and integrators who share a vision for a smarter, more efficient, and digitally connected future for the wood processing industry.
www.comact.com
TS Manufacturing
TS Manufacturing was part of LIGNA once again, alongside its partners at Automation & Electronics (A&E). It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with industry leaders and showcase how TS Manufacturing’s Canadian-built solutions are supporting sawmills in achieving greater efficiency, reliability, and productivity, says the company.
This year at LIGNA, TS Manufacturing focused on the latest advancements in automation, controls, and electric drive technologies—innovations that are helping customers reduce downtime, lower labour needs, and increase production capacity. From its patented VersaCam Lug Loader to the company’s all-electric Tilt Hoist and servo-driven Package Makers, TS Manufacturing machinery is built for performance, efficiency, and long-term durability, says the company.
The connections the company made and conversations they had highlighted just how respected Canada’s sawmill equipment sector is worldwide—and that’s something they’re proud to be part of.
www.tsman.com
Canadian Forest Service‘s Knowledge Mobilization Group leveraging its legacy silviculture and forest management practices development
BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI
Given Canada’s stronger focus on market diversification related to its abundant natural resources, the effort and investments made in sustainable Canadian forest management practices over the past half-century—led by research and development conducted right across Canada by the Canadian Forest Service (CFS)—represents a strong foundation from which to seek those new opportunities.
As we continue to transition toward managed natural forests, that research focus has been balanced to consider opportunities to enhance the commercial value of Canada’s vast forest resources as well as the social and environmental values that this largely public resource provides to both Canadians and to the global environment. And this proven balanced and sustainable approach to forest management could be the price of admission to certain key markets.
“Canadian forest species are extremely desirable internationally and the Canadian forest is one of the major protectors of the air, water and land in the world,” says Derek Sidders, Program Co-ordinator and Advisor, Forest and Afforest Practices Technology Development at CFS.
“As we move forward, we can take advantage of what we have learned and the advanced practices that we have developed to advance our science and adopt novel concepts to adapt to evolving issues that will reduce risk, enhance product values, expand our forest and grow faster fibre sources in new locations in close proximity to final users.”
Much of the forest science and technology development conducted and promoted by CFS has been in partnership with a variety of provincial, institutional, and industry collaborators across Canada, with the primary goals being enhanced
forest development, conservation and economic stability.
Now, a changing climate—which has significantly impacted wildfire vulnerability—has become another priority driving CFS R & D, with protection and security being a key element in the development of Canadian forest management practices.
Among the practical strategies being considered and technical development practices being shared with practitioners, regulators, and industry are related to site preparation, tree planting, seeding and other regeneration practices—often in combination with pre-commercial thinning, mixed species partial harvest systems and commercial thinning of single species stands for value and forest health enhancement. Technology development has also been directed toward the establishment of mixedwood stands and high yield afforestation for value diversification, GHG emission reduction, forest health and vulnerability reduction.
“The focus on eliminating the significant wildfire hazard as the climate changes in Canada and around the world is a major driver of both climate change initiatives like the federal Two Billion Tree Program—looking at addressing wildfire regeneration, afforestation and other natural disturbance reclamation reforestation—as well as regional protection of communities and infrastructure using FireSmart and other selective partial harvest systems to reduce fuel loading, risk and sources of high flammability, as well as spread potential,” says Sidders.
Today’s harvest systems are now encountering first generation managed natural forests, and as such, by taking advantage of many forest management practices often researched, developed and disseminated by CFS and its partners through quality forest science, industry is able to improve efficiency, reduce risk,
and enhance commercial recovery often through stand manipulation.
It has also become possible to recover multiple values such as renewable biomass for energy in concert with large stem commercial softwood and hardwood species. This has contributed toward a wider variety of commercial options for this wood fibre, leveraging new technologies in the production of innovative valueadded products such as glue-laminated timber (Glulam), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), cross-laminated timber (CLT) and other engineered wood products.
In combination with enhancing and diversifying commercial values, these management practices have also paid a dividend in enhanced natural values related to wildlife habitat as well as air, water, and soil cleansing and protection, while also delivering both social and recreational value.
This balanced approach will serve Canada well as it seeks market diversification for its wood products going forward, says Sidders.
“Our research trials, field demonstrations, technical developments and large compendium of data will be incorporated into our designing and prescribing of forest practices, silviculture and regeneration systems going forward, aimed at maximizing this resource for Canadians both socially and economically at the community level and in remote areas like indigenous communities,” he adds.
For more information or to identify a forest practice issue of concern, contact Derek Sidders, Legacy Program Co-ordinator and Technology Advisor, Science Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization Division, Canadian Forest Service, at derek.sidders@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
Conifer Under Planting
WATER CANNON READY TO FIRE, to fight wildfires
The Fawcett Cannon made its debut at the recent Minerals North Conference and the Canada North Resources Expo in Prince George, B.C., and its inventor, Ron Fawcett, hopes it can be an effective addition to the tool kit of forest firefighters.
“My idea is simply to get more water on to a fire faster and more safely," says Ron Fawcett—and the delivery vehicle is the Fawcett Cannon.
By Jim Stirling
You learn a thing or two about it after you’ve been fighting forest fires for 45 years. Ron Fawcett knows the key is to prevent a small fire from growing into a larger one.
“My idea is simply to get more water on to a fire faster and more safely," he explained. He calls the delivery vehicle the “Fawcett Cannon” and he had one on display and attracting considerable at-
tention during the recent Minerals North conference and trade show and Canada North Resources Expo in Prince George, B.C. Fawcett is president of White River Contracting based in his home town of Vanderhoof, B.C.
Back in the day, it wasn’t unusual for the forest service to come knocking on the door during the heat of summer to borrow the heavy equipment and local expertise and knowledge of regional log harvesting contractors. Today’s steadily
warming and more erratic weather patterns means logging contractors have steady work on the fire lines.
It was during a recent bad forest fire summer south of Vanderhoof that the winds suddenly got stronger and the dry fuels exploded. And so did the fire. About the same time, news broke of more loss of life on the fire lines elsewhere in Canada. That was a turning point for Fawcett.
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The ‘cannon’ part of the Fawcett Cannon system is a highly directional water system located on the roof of the carrier. It can be used to direct water on hot spots and other potential ignition areas.
The all-terrain Fawcett Cannon vehicle is built with a loggers’ combination of ingenuity and practicality. It’s deliberately been kept simple with easy to access and replacement components. The machine is a Cat skidder, and in place of the grapple is a weight centred water tank capable of holding 2,250 gallons. It’s fitted with a 3.8-metre-wide blade on the front end, wide enough to protect the unit’s tires.
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“I sold off my log harvesting equipment a couple of years ago and started full time on wildfire control,” he recalled.
Fawcett’s all-terrain vehicle is built with a loggers’ combination of ingenuity and practicality. It’s deliberately been kept simple with easy to access and replacement components, explained Fawcett. The machine is a Cat skidder with the grapple configuration amputated. In its place is a weight-centred water tank capable of holding 2,250 gallons. It has the capability of directing water up to 900 metres in 10 minutes
The skidder has been re-plumbed to accommodate a hydraulically operated pumping system readily accessed at the rear of the machine. The ‘cannon’ part of the system is a highly directional water system located on the roof of the carrier. It can be used to direct water on hot spots and other potential ignition areas. The cannon can also be used in a wide arcing mist mode, and is operated from within the ROPS cab safeguard. The operator has the benefit of two 360-degree rooftop lights. It means this initial attack tool isn’t forced to shut down at night.
The Fawcett Cannon only requires a single machine operator, so no auxiliary ground crews are exposed to toxic smoke, poor visibility and a hazardous environment.
Fawcett says his namesake is a breeze to operate. “If an operator can run any machine on a logging show, he can run this,” he claimed. “I taught someone who had never run a forest machine before to proficiency within two days.”
Re-filling the machine’s water tank is straightforward, he continued. “It takes about 10 to 12 minutes to load depending on how close the water source is.” The water intake system is designed to take advantage of what’s available. For example, it can pump water from a culvert. It doesn’t draw water from the bottom, sourcing it instead through a screening system designed to remove rocks and debris that could damage the machine’s hydraulic system.
A much larger water tanker can act as a
“Mother Ship” to augment back-up water supply.
The use of a skidder carrier is well chosen. It can roll over stumps and small standing debris while accessing hot spots. It can go where other types of vehicles can’t. The Fawcett Cannon is fitted with a 3.8-metre-wide blade on the front end, wide enough to protect the unit’s tires. It also speaks to additional operator safety and another key element in the machine’s efficacy as an effective initial attack tool in wildfire control and prevention.
SUPPLIERNEWSLINE
Strategic expansion for Comact in South Carolina
Comact has announced the expansion of its operations with the lease of a 48,000-square-foot facility at the Port 95 Business Park in St. George, South Carolina.
This strategic move marks Comact as the first tenant in this state-of-the-art industrial park, positioning the company to better serve its growing customer base, it says.
“We are excited to expand our operations in St. George,” said Simon Potvin, CEO at Comact. “The new facility at Port 95 will enhance our spare parts service offerings and support our customers with greater efficiency. Its strategic location near Interstate 26 and Interstate 95 benefits our manufacturing and distribution, being close to our plant and our southern U.S. clientele, in addition to allowing us to ship efficiently across North America.”
John Truluck, Director of Economic Development for Dorchester County, expressed his enthusiasm for Comact’s expansion, stating, “Janko/Peakline’s investment in new speculative buildings at Port 95 is a game changer for economic development in western Dorchester County, much like Comact has proven to be a pivotal asset for the community of St. George. The fact that the two have teamed up, as Comact becomes the first tenant at Port 95, is special.”
The expansion highlights Comact’s commitment to delivering top-tier facilities and exceptional service, reinforcing its mission to provide clients innovative solutions and superior support, it says. www.comact.com
Komatsu America Corp announces CEO transition
Komatsu America Corp has announced that Rod Schrader has stepped down as Chairman and CEO, and will fully retire effective June 30. Rod Bull became CEO of Komatsu North America Corp on April 1.
Bull previously served as Executive Vice President of Komatsu’s North America region. He brings nearly 25 years of leadership experience in the heavy equipment manufacturing industry, including 14 years with Komatsu.
He has been with Komatsu since 2011 and has held numerous senior leadership roles, including General Manager of the Western U.S. region, Vice President and General Manager of Loader Parts and Vice President and General Manager of the North America Mining Division. Prior to joining Komatsu, he had 10 years of experience within the industry in various commercial roles.
“I want to thank Rod Schrader for his outstanding leadership and commitment to Komatsu over the past 38 years. His contributions have been innumerous, and we congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement,” says Hiroyuki Ogawa, President and Representative Director, CEO of Komatsu Ltd. “We are confident that Rod Bull is the right person to guide the company into its next chapter and are looking forward to his leadership.” www.komatsu.com
By Tony Kryzanowski
Remsoft acquires Lim Geomatics to advance forest intelligence platform
Remsoft, a leader in forest intelligence solutions, has acquired Lim Geomatics, a forestry software innovator specializing in geospatial and operational analytics. The partnership expands the Remsoft platform with geospatial intelligence, LiDAR, and forest machine telematics capabilities that deepen insights into forest operations.
The company says that this investment and acquisition furthers Remsoft’s vision of a fully integrated forestry intelligence ecosystem. Providing a seamless, data-driven approach to forest value chain management—from planning to operations, compliance, and ESG reporting within a unified platform—enhances decision making, reduces risk, and drives new efficiencies.
Through this acquisition, Remsoft gains additional resources to accelerate its technology roadmap, pursue strategic acquisitions, and empower forestry management from seedling to mill.
www.remsoft.com
John Deere enhances tracked feller buncher, harvester and shovel logger line
John Deere has introduced new operator assistance features and enhancements for its 900 M-Series tracked feller bunchers, 900 MH-Series tracked harvesters and 900 ML-Series shovel loggers.
With a focus on customer productivity, the updates include an enhanced Dedicated Travel System which has been updated for greater efficiency and is now a new feature on the 900 M-Series machines. Additionally, the new Return-to-Level functionality and further undercarriage improvements help to enhance durability.
John Deere says that these operator assistance feature updates help improve the overall customer experience in variable operational applications.
The Dedicated Travel System isolates the travel functions from the other functions on the machine. This enables the operator to focus on the task at hand by not allowing boom and swing operations to interfere and slow down the travel functions. The new one-touch Return-To-Level functionality combines multiple leveling system adjustments into one push-and-hold operator input. As the machine moves to a different slope, the rotating upper can be brought to a level position, based on the parameters of the leveling system, by using a simple button function on the joystick. The individual leveling control buttons will remain.
In addition to these new performance and productivity features, all 800 and 900 Series leveling feller buncher, harvester and shovel logger models received improvements to the leveling system cylinder pin joints.
www.johndeere.com
Two Tigercat carriers feature new sloping tail platform for steep slope logging
Tigercat has released two new track carrier models based on its new sloping tail platform for steep terrain harvesting operations.
Both the L857 feller buncher and LH857 harvester are powered by the Tigercat FPT N67 engine. Power is delivered to the track drives via a refined, efficient open loop hydraulic system, providing high tractive effort and excellent performance on steep slopes.
Tigercat says that the sloping tail platform takes ground based steep terrain logging to the next level. Optimized weight distribution and low centre of mass, along with Tigercat’s patented super duty leveling undercarriage, provide the operator with comfort, stability and confidence on steep terrain.
The sloped tail profile provides increased leveling capability to 26 degrees and better cable clearance in winch assisted applications. For roadside processing applications, the sloping tail with its ability to clear obstacles allows the LH857 to work more effectively on smaller, congested landings.
The harvester can be equipped with several Tigercat boom and harvesting head options including the 573 and 575 models. The feller buncher is well suited to the 5702 and 5702-26 felling saws and 5185 fixed felling saw. www.tigercat.com
Cooks Saw Manufacturing’s AC-36 portable bandsaw mill caters to solo milling
Although sawmills are designed to operate with small teams of up to four people, many work with a single operator. As a result, Cooks Saw Manufacturing says that a growing number of sawyers are adopting portable sawmills specifically optimized for solo operation.
The AC-36 sawmill from Cooks Saw Manufacturing can process timber up to 36” in diameter and is engineered to handle substantial log weights up to 10,000 lbs. According to the company, the AC-36 sawmill cutting speed allows a solo operator to process logs as quickly as every 10 seconds.
They add that the AC-36 and other models have efficient, user-friendly features that enable a single operator to manage the milling process effectively.
The units help reduce operator fatigue through features like hydraulic log loaders, drag-back systems, and remote controls. With integrated hydraulics, a single operator can efficiently manage thousands of pounds of logs with minimal manual setup and physical strain.
When production demands increase, the same equipment can be operated by up to four individuals simultaneously, boosting productivity in larger scale operations. www.cookssaw.com
Behringer Saws advances bandsawing of bundled and solid materials
Behringer Saws Inc, describing itself as a global leading manufacturer of high performance bandsaws, circular cold saws, and structural fabricating equipment, says that its HBE663A Dynamic automatic horizontal bandsaw is designed to deliver maximum performance for sawing bundled materials with a unique clamping device design.
The HBE663A Performance features a double clamping vice, which offers process reliability by securely clamping both the starting material and the finished cut, making it ideal for bundle cutting or single cuts. The retracting fixed vice jaws enable precise positioning of even strapped bundles, enhancing overall cutting accuracy.
Robust vertical clamping devices ensure that bundles are securely held during sawing, providing precise and repeatable cutting operations. The saw’s servo downfeed system, powered by a ball screw and servo motor, significantly reduces idle times and enhances feed precision. This results in higher cutting performance and extended band life, contributing to increased productivity and efficiency. The automatic guide arm ensures optimum sawing results without adjustments, even with frequently changing material sizes, making it versatile for diverse production needs.
The HBE663A Performance offers a cutting range of 26” for round materials and 28” x 26” for flat materials at 90 degrees, allowing it to handle large work pieces efficiently. It can accurately process round materials as small as 0.8” in diameter and flat materials down to 0.8” x 0.8”, providing flexibility for various material sizes. The machine is equipped with a drive power of 7.4 hp and adjustable blade speeds from 33 to 360 fpm, ensuring efficient cutting across different materials.
www.behringersaws.com
Italian company acquires wood scanning solutions provider MiCROTEC
Clessidra Private Equity SGR, one of the largest Italian private equity firms focused on the upper-mid market and part of the Clessidra Group, a leading alternative investment operator in Italy, has announced the acquisition of MiCROTEC.
Described as a leading player in wood and food scanning solutions, it was acquired from the Austrian company, GSS GmbH. Federico Giudiceandrea, founder and Chairman at MiCROTEC, will retain his stake in the company and continue his involvement in the company’s R&D strategy, shepherding the business through its next wave of innovation.
Since its foundation, MiCROTEC says that it has secured its
suppliernewsline
competitive edge thanks to complete in-house development conducted by a skilled team composed of more than 150 engineers of all relevant key components and software solutions.
Volvo brings hydraulic hybrid technology to next generation excavators
Volvo Construction Equipment is bringing its hydraulic hybrid technology to the newest generation of excavators with the EC260 Hybrid, EC300 Hybrid, EC370 Hybrid, EC400 Hybrid and EC500 Hybrid.
Today, MiCROTEC is able to offer integrated scanning solutions for both the wood processing and the food quality control markets. The company’s flagship product, with integrated computerized tomography technology, is unique in the market and its technology was recently in the spotlight thanks to its contribution in the identification of the most suitable oak trees required to rebuild the spire of the medieval Parisbased church, Notre Dame. MiCROTEC’s technology allowed the foresters to make informed decisions and guide the selection process with precision without wasting any trees.
www.microtec.com
CBI launches ChipMax 364T whole tree chipper
The CBI ChipMax 364T whole tree chipper is an industrial wood chipper built from the ground up with input from forestry and wood waste professionals.
Designed to excel in real world applications, including land clearing, biomass production, pulp and paper, forestry and wood processing, mulch production, and landscaping, the ChipMax 364T is described as the ideal solution for operators seeking high performance chipping with low maintenance costs.
Powered by either a 755 hp or 550 hp engine, the ChipMax 364T whole tree chipper features an improved chute geometry, enhancing chip throw for more efficient trailer packing. A standard chip accelerator optimizes performance by providing consistent output across varying chip sizes. Additionally, the service platform next to the engine provides a convenient space for routine maintenance, simplifying oil checks and upkeep for operators.
Volvo says that its hybrid excavators provide a competitive edge with the OEM’s pioneering hydraulic hybrid technology. It works by harvesting “free” energy generated by the down motion of the excavator’s boom. The machine uses this boom-down motion to charge the accumulator; then uses the stored energy to drive the assist motor when needed, in turn powering the engine system.
Not only do these 26ton to 50ton crawlers represent the future of excavator design, but the EC400 Hybrid and EC500 Hybrid also become the biggest models in Volvo’s hybrid portfolio.
These new models deliver up to 20 per cent better fuel efficiency than the previous series’ conventional models and a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, without sacrificing highperforming productivity.
“Our hybrid excavators are designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact while maintaining high performance,” says Sejong Ko, Product Manager—Large Excavators. “These excavators lower a fleet’s emissions, making them a more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient choice.”
www.volvoce.com
UBC researchers test ground-based drone for use in wildfire mitigation
A new research initiative at UBC Okanagan in British Columbia is using robotics and artificial intelligence to address two of Canada’s biggest challenges: wildfire mitigation and sustainable agriculture.
Mohamed Shehata, John Braun and their UBC Okanagan student recently received a Husky A300 Starter Kit through the 2024 PartnerBot Grant Program to advance this research.
The ChipMax 364T also offers flexibility with two rotor options alongside the innovative CBI rotor design, which allows for quick and easy rotor swaps. This makes it simple to adjust chip sizes for operators to produce a range of materials as needed, from consistent micro chips to larger 30 mm chips, catering to diverse market demands.
www.terex.com/cbi/en/
“The Husky A300, a ground-based drone, allows us to develop and test our navigation algorithms in real conditions,” says Shehata, a Professor of Computer Science with the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science. “It’s not just theoretical anymore—we can take it into the field, collect real data, and refine how these robots can work in challenging environments.”
One of
the most effective ways to control wildfires is to use a fire line, a cleared strip of land where vegetation is removed or burned down to bare mineral soil. This creates a barrier designed to stop or significantly slow the progression of a wildfire by depriving it of fuel to burn across.
Shehata’s team is exploring how autonomous robots, guided by AI and drone-assisted navigation, could perform these high risk tasks. For example, the Husky A300 could be equipped with fire ignition tools or high-pressure water hoses, reducing the need for firefighters to enter high-risk areas.
Working alongside drones, which provide real-time data and mapping, the robot could navigate rough landscapes and assist in targeted fire suppression, making wildfire management safer and more precise.
“We’re looking at how we can send these robots into difficult terrain and control them remotely,” Shehata says. “Instead of putting firefighters at risk, we can use AI-powered navigation and realtime data visualization to guide operations from a safe distance.”
The team is collaborating with wildfire researchers at UBC Okanagan and an Alberta company specializing in highpressure water delivery systems to explore how robots could complement existing aerial firefighting tools like helicopters.
www.ubc.ca
Equipment controls provider breaks ground on facility in B.C.
Bailey International’s electronics division, formerly known as Sure Grip Controls, a provider of custom control solutions for over 30 years, has announced the groundbreaking of its new state-ofthe-art facility in Victoria, B.C.
Once completed, this project will integrate the division’s operations under one roof, paving the way for enhanced efficiency and innovation in serving the heavy equipment industry.
Bailey Electronics specializes in designing and manufacturing custom controls for heavy equipment manufacturers in industries such as forestry, agriculture, construction, and transportation. Renowned for its lean manufacturing and advanced engineering capabilities, the company says that it consistently delivers solutions that exceed even the most demanding safety and performance standards.
Ken Baker, CEO of Bailey International,
suppliernewsline
emphasized the significance of this milestone. “Breaking ground on this facility reflects our long-term commitment to technological excellence in the Victoria, B.C. area,” Baker says. “This facility will stand as a foundation for our future success, enabling greater operational collaboration, production capacity growth, and further strengthening our partnerships with the manufacturers we’re proud to serve.”
www.baileyhydraulics.com
FAE offers forestry mulcher for powerpack vehicles and wheeled excavators
FAE technology is now available for powerpack vehicles and wheeled excavators from 10 to 15 tonnes with the new RQL/HY forestry mulcher.
The RQL/HY can shred grass, shrubs, and trees up to 6” in diameter.
Its direct drive motor minimizes maintenance and allows for a highly compact machine design, enhancing maneuverability. The head’s clean profile and compact build are further achieved through the integration of a hydraulic block with a flow regulator valve built into the motor, along with a thumb bracket in the frame.
The head is designed for high productivity, durability, and easy maintenance.
The new RQL/HY can be equipped with C/3/MINI teeth and BL/MINI blades, and it is available in widths RQL/HY-125, RQL/HY-150 and RQL/HY-175.
www.fae-group.com
Allied Blower
Burton MIll Solutions
Hansler
Leavitt Machinery
Lumberline Laser
McDougall Auctions
Northern Plastics
Optimil
Pat’s Driveline/ Gear Centre
Petro Canada
Sennebogen
Springer
Tanguay
USNR
Vermeer Canada
CANADIAN MILL MAP
Will the B.C. government increase the timber harvest? Maybe—maybe not
By Jim Stirling
For a scary moment, it appeared that British Columbia’s enthusiastic new forests minister was poised to urge delegates to link hands for a rousing chorus of “Kumbaya”. Mercifully, it didn’t happen.
Instead, Ravi Parmar, the selfproclaimed “kid from Langford” and just five months on the job, gamely did his best to raise the optimistic tempo of the proceedings throughout his presentation. Parmar was addressing the more than 600 delegates and suppliers attending the B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention at the Prince George Civic and Convention Centre in April.
Parmar assured his audience that he gets it; that he understands the complex issues and roadblocks which daily confront the forest sector in B.C. He told them the messages have been emphasized throughout his meetings and travels around the province.
More importantly, he assured delegates remedial measures for at least some of the issues are underway. He cited the example of B.C. Timber Sales (BCTS). A provincial government appointed committee is working on ways to repair or replace the dysfunctional Crown corporation.
But the forests minster predicts a broader-based future for BCTS. “We see a more active leadership role in forest management,” he told the COFI audience.
He talked about how a newly minted BCTS could reduce wildfire risks through silvicultural techniques like partial cutting while boosting biodiversity and increasing forest resilience in the process.
Those are all laudable objectives. But first things first. A shiny new BCTS must first prove it can fulfil its primary function. It must consistently demonstrate that it can fairly administer and deliver in timely fashion timber sales available for bidding to only qualified bidders on the 20 per
cent of B.C.’s publicly owned forest lands for which the organization is responsible. At the moment it isn’t—and can’t.
Conference delegates were regularly reminded throughout the presentations about the necessity of First Nations inclusion in all aspects of re-constituting the provincial forest industry. Minister Parmar, for example, declared First Nations as “full partners” in B.C.’s forest industry and “indigenous involvement is not a threat.”
True. But full partnership brings with it the obligation of reciprocal co-operation. First Nations governments present a further layer of often glacial bureaucracy. It all contributes to preventing logging machines from working and forestry communities from healing.
There was a business session at the conference subtitled “The Elephant in the Room”. It was a reference to wood fibre security and the present lack thereof. Now, there’s also a belligerent hippopotamus at the watering hole. U.S. President Donald Trump’s bouncing tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber imports necessary to meet American demands are unfairly damaging the economies of both countries. But the hippo has its head under the water.
George Abbott was one of the panelists in the “Elephant in the Room” session. The former B.C. cabinet minister is a member of the government-appointed task force charged with recommending changes to the BCTS structure. Abbott said the task force was in its public consultation stage. “We have seen some great thoughts coming through,” he reported.
And he reminded conference delegates: “There’s never a deadline for a good idea.”
Abbott also spoke about “drive for 45.” It’s apparently a reference to a provincial cut target of 45 million cubic metres set by Premier David Eby in his “To Do” list
to Parmar on assuming the forest minister portfolio. It’s a pretty modest target and speaks to the government’s present lowly assessment of the forest industry’s economic potential.
And as fellow panelist Nick Arkle, CEO of Gorman Bros Lumber Ltd, noted drily, “you can’t run a mill on air”.
COFI signaled the industry’s opinion when the provincial government introduced its 2025 budget. “We are disappointed by the absence of dedicated support for the forest sector,” said Kim Haakstad, the organization’s relatively new president and CEO, in a statement.
As Premier Eby and Minister Parmar have acknowledged, the forest sector will be particularly hard hit by the new tariffs at a time when the industry is already facing significant challenges, she added. Trump’s latest round of tariffs apply to the gamut of wood products. The pressures are compounded on forest workers, companies and communities already reeling as a result of earlier duties.
Haakstad said the 2025 budget projects a declining provincial harvest each year to 29 million cubic metres in 2027/28, well below the allowable annual cut of 60 million cubic metres.
“Increasing the actual harvest to 45 million cubic metres would not only stop further job losses but create the conditions to add jobs and generate hundreds of millions in additional tax revenues and stumpage fees,” pointed out Haakstad.
It might also help create the base to inject much needed investment and innovation into B.C.’s forest sector. Were that to happen and be sustained, a future COFI audience might be more inclined to participate in Scout Master Parmar’s singalong.
THE BIGGER YOU ARE, THE EASIER TREES FALL.
The new H-Series.
More capacity. More reach. More stability. Less fuel.
