4 minute read
Partnerships in Forestry: North Carolina
Carolina Loggers Association
Jonzi Guill, Executive Director, Carolina Loggers Association
The Carolina Loggers Association (CLA) is a nonprofit corporation formed to help associate loggers for their benefit. Our mission is to promote logging professionalism and business opportunities for the entire forest products network that logging supports by representing a specific and unified voice for timber harvesters in North Carolina.
Becoming a member of the CLA as a logger or partner member comes with great representation and many benefits. CLA members have access to discounts such as Goodyear tires, International and Kenworth trucks, hydraulic hoses, and Vestige GPS forward and rearfacing video cameras, to name a few items. During 2022, many loggers faced difficult challenges in their businesses, and the CLA worked hard to establish savings that would benefit our loggers in any way. Unfortunately, some of the same challenges will also find their way into 2023.
The CLA is very fortunate to have such a valuable partnership with Forestry Mutual Insurance Company (FMIC). FMIC provides a CLA membership for all North Carolina logging and trucking companies with their workers' compensation insurance through Forestry Mutual. Forestry Mutual realizes CLA's value for the logging industry and what our endorsement adds to its marketing strategy.
Forestry Mutual pays $300 of the $350 annual dues required for CLA membership for nearly 400 of its policyholders. The CLA is most grateful for FMIC's contribution. To honor this contribution, the CLA does an annual Forestry Mutual promotion for our members. We bill our members for the remaining $50 of their membership and offer options for different levels, and in return, they receive CLA and Forestry Mutual logo gear. Those participating will be named in the Carolina Logger magazine and placed in a drawing for a door prize. This is a great way to help both organizations in advertising promotions and see the value that our members receive.
The CLA Annual Meeting is right around the corner, March 31st through April 2nd, 2023. This year's event will be held in Wilmington, NC, at the Hotel Ballast. Each year the CLA strives to have a bigger and better event than the year before, and so far, we have been successful. We encourage logging members to attend, especially if you have never been. People only realize the benefit of these events once they have attended one. Not only do you learn a lot from our speakers about the logging industry, but networking with others in the industry experiencing the same challenges you are has proven to be invaluable.
We have a great line-up of speakers and entertainers for this year's meeting that you will not want to miss. Not only will you gain valuable information attending this event, but you will also have a large time! Most use it as a weekend getaway. Each year the CLA holds an auction to benefit Log-A-Load For Kids. Last year the CLA raised over $30,000 to benefit local children's hospitals through Log-A-Load. This is always a humbling event to witness and be a part of. Registration is now live on the CLA website www. ncloggers.com/2023-annual-meeting.
The CLA is excited to continue our partnership with Forestry Mutual in 2023. FMIC has big plans with new leadership for the future of their company, and CLA is very fortunate to be included in their future. My goal as Executive Director is to continue promoting Forestry Mutual to our current members and the entire logging industry in a way that will continue to grow both organizations. We all face the challenges this industry has together in our daily businesses, and I plan to devote my time to being a voice on behalf of our loggers while they spend their days in the woods growing their own business. The CLA's partnership with Forestry Mutual will allow me to do that productively.
To learn more about the outstanding partnerships Forestry Mutual has with its regional associations and their letters of endorsement, visit www.forestrymutual.com, email us at info@forestrymutual.com, or call 800-849-7788 Today.
