NORTH CAROLINA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION: A HISTORY OF PARTNERSHIP

Mike Powell, Director of Forestry Programs

Amanda Murphy, Director of Communications North Carolina Forestry Association

The North Carolina Forestry Association’s (NCFA) partnership with Forestry Mutual Insurance Company (FMIC) began in 1971 with the inception of the NCFA’s self-insured fund. The mission at inception was to provide affordable workers compensation insurance for the forest products industry and develop safety programs to keep loggers safe and stabilize insurance rates. Over time, the self-insured fund evolved to become Forestry Mutual Insurance. While the structure of the fund has changed over time, their mission and partnership with NCFA has remained the same.

In 1994, the NCFA and FMIC teamed up with the North Carolina Department of Labor, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the North Carolina Forest Service to develop the ProLogger program, which promotes business, safety, and environmental stewardship in the logging sector. The ProLogger program continues to be first in class thanks to the data-driven contributions that FMIC brings to the table each year. FMIC’s analysis of claims and current incident trends in the industry helps to guide NCFA’s development of content that is timely, relevant, and reduces accidents and logger expenses every year.

One recent example of this approach is recognizing the need for additional Truck Driver Safety, which has recently been expanded on in both the base course and continuing education efforts. Each year, the NCFA adds approximately 100 new members to the ProLogger program and provides continuing education to 1,500 loggers. ProLogger’s success is dependent on the strong partnership and collaboration with FMIC.

In addition to FMIC’s commitment to the ProLogger program, the NCFA and FMIC are constantly looking for opportunities to work together for a common goal. Most recently, the NCFA, along with member companies, worked with FMIC on kickstarting a Truck Driver Appreciation Day held at Jordan Lumber Company. As drivers came into the facility, the FMIC team offered a brief safety meeting, while taking orders for a lunch provided on the outbound scales. We hope these efforts, and more in the future, shows our deep appreciation for those working this incredibly challenging job to keep our supply chain humming along.

FMIC and the NCFA maintain an extremely collaborative relationship throughout the year. FMIC remains active on NCFA’s board of directors and the Safety, Logging, and Transportation committee, and plays a role in the successful planning and production of the biannual Mid-Atlantic Logging, Biomass, and Landworks Exposition (EXPO).

Stay tuned for more details on the next EXPO schedule for November 2024: https://www.ncforestry.org/events/mid-atlantic-expo.