LOGGER OF THE YEAR - Virginia

Forestry Mutual Insurance Company honored its Virginia Loggers of the Year with our E.K. Pittman Award for 2020 on July 23, 2021, in Alberta, Virginia. The honorees were Brian and Buck Calhoun, along with all the employees of Calhoun Enterprises of Alberta, VA.

The award is named in honor of the first Chairman of the Forestry Mutual Board of Trustees and presented to those companies chosen by the president and staff of Forestry Mutual based on their safety record and continued emphasis on safety in the workplace. This is Forestry Mutual’s most prestigious award. Mr. Pittman served from 1971-1984 and was a strong proponent of Safety Training & Education and the use of Personal Protective Equipment.

The Logger of the Year Award recognizes only those top-performing logging companies that show a genuine concern for the safety of their organization and employees, as well as going above and beyond the basic safety requirements to ensure a safe and productive work environment.

Brian Calhoun, Keith Biggs, Buck Calhoun & Shawn Faulks Logger of the Year ceremony Alberta, Virginia

Calhoun Enterprises staff, Logger of the Year ceremony Alberta, Virginia

Forestry Mutual staff photographer

Calhoun Enterprises has been a Forestry Mutual policyholder since 2015 and employs nearly 70 people. Their safety record speaks for itself. Over the last six years as a policyholder, Calhoun Enterprises has had a loss ratio of under 3%. An impressive feat for a company that runs five crews, chips, grinds, buys timber, operates a mulch plant, runs 30 trucks with mechanics that keep the operations running. Calhoun Enterprises is one of those operations you immediately recognize as you are drive by. With all their moving parts on a logging site and the number of employees, you can see the value they have for safety.

Logger of the Year ceremony Alberta, Virginia

Shawn Fulks & Brian Calhoun. Logger of the Year ceremony Alberta, Virginia

Before starting out in his Logging venture in 2005, Brian had built up a Landscaping business that he started when he was 16 years old. This business led him to purchase a mulch plant in Alberta, which has more than doubled in size. From Calhoun Enterprises’ humble beginning by following local loggers with a chipper and grinder, cleaning up cutovers, to where they are today, with five logging crews, is a testament to what excellent work ethic and dedication can accomplish. Great work ethic, faith, and determination to succeed, as well as Buck’s excellent managing skills, have made Calhoun Enterprises a well-known and respected Timber, Mulch, and Logging operation in Virginia.

Forestry Mutual provides extensive loss control services and is proud to serve Brian and Buck Calhoun, their family, and employees. It is just not every day that a policyholder can guarantee the service in return. Calhoun Enterprise exemplifies how a logging company can be productive and safe through proper and stable safety programs. ~FMIC