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Vol. 47, No. 2

(Founded in 1972—Our 545th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S out front:

C. McDowell Trucking Overcoming The Culture

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February 2018 A Hatton-Brown Publication

Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525

www.southernloggintimes.com Co-Publisher Co-Publisher Chief Operating Officer Executive Editor Editor-in-Chief Western Editor Managing Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Art Director Ad Production Coordinator Circulation Director Marketing/Media

David H. Ramsey David (DK) Knight Dianne C. Sullivan David (DK) Knight Rich Donnell Dan Shell David Abbott Jessica Johnson Jay Donnell Cindy Segrest Patti Campbell Rhonda Thomas Jordan Anderson

ADVERTISING CONTACTS DISPLAY SALES Eastern U.S. Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net

Representing three generations of Louisiana’s Sullivan clan, Joey Sullivan (standing, right) works with his parents, Veronica and Jerrel (sitting) and his son Parker (standing, left). With logging, trucking and a wood yard, they operate in several states. Story begins on Page 8.

(David Abbott Photo)

Bry Logging Successful Young Logger

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D E PA RT M E N T S Bulletin Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Industry News Roundup. . . . . . . . . . 40 ForesTree Equipment Trader. . . . . . 46

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Machines-Supplies-Technologies. . . 53

Special Focus Tires And Tracks

Coming Events/Ad Index. . . . . . . . . . 54

Midwest USA, Eastern Canada John Simmons Tel: 905-666-0258 • Fax: 905-666-0778 32 Foster Cres.

Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook Tel: 604-619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 Fax: +34 96 640 4331 Aldea de las Cuevas 66 Buzon 60 • 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Bridget DeVane

Tel: 1-800-669-5613 • Tel 334-699-7837 Email: bdevane7@hotmail.com

Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue.

All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $65 annually; $75 in Canada; $120 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries— TOLL-FREE 800-669-5613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.southernloggintimes.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe/renew via the web. All advertisements for Southern Loggin’ Times magazine are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Southern Loggin’ Times. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2018. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Printed In USA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Southern Loggin’ Times, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419 Member Verified Audit Circulation

Other Hatton-Brown publications: ★ Timber Processing ★ Timber Harvesting ★Panel World ★ Power Equipment Trade ★ Wood Bioenergy

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The ‘Last Ones’ Born in the 1930s and early 1940s, we exist as a very special age contingent. We are the ‘Last Ones.’ We are the last, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the war itself with fathers and uncles going off. We are the last to remember ration books for everything from sugar to shoes to stoves. We saved tinfoil and poured fat into cans. We saw cars up on blocks because tires weren’t available.

We are the last to hear Roosevelt’s radio assurances and to see gold stars in the front windows of our grieving neighbors. We can also remember the parades on August 15, 1945: VJ Day. We are the last who spent childhood without television; instead imagining what we heard on the radio. As we all like to brag, with no TV we spent our childhood playing outside until the street lights came on. We did play outside and we did play on our own. There was no little league.

The lack of television in our early years meant, for most of us, that we had little real understanding of what the world was like. Our Saturday afternoons, if at the movies, gave us newsreels of the war and the holocaust sandwiched in between westerns and cartoons. Newspapers and magazines were written for adults. We are the last who had to find out for ourselves.

As we grew up, the country was exploding with growth. The G.I. Bill gave returning veterans the means to get an education and spurred colleges to grow. VA loans fanned a housing boom. Pent-up demand, coupled with new installment payment plans, put factories to work. New highways would bring jobs and mobility. The veterans joined civic clubs and became active in politics.

In the late ’40s and early ’50s the country seemed to lie in the embrace of brisk but quiet order as it gave birth to its new middle class. Our parents understandably became absorbed with their own new lives. They were free from the confines of the depression and the war. They threw themselves into exploring opportunities they had never imagined.

We weren’t neglected but we weren’t today’s all-consuming family focus. They were glad we played by ourselves until the street lights came on. They were busy discovering the post war world.

Most of us had no life plan, but with the unexpected virtue of ignorance and an economic rising tide, we simply stepped into the world and went to find out. We entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where we were welcomed. Based on our naïve belief that there was more where this came from, we shaped life as we went.

We enjoyed a luxury; we felt secure in our future. Of course, just as today, not all Americans shared in this experience. Depression poverty was deeprooted. Polio was still a crippler. The Korean War was a dark presage in the early ’50s and by mid-decade school children were ducking under desks.

China became Red China. Eisenhower sent the first ‘advisors’ to Vietnam.

Castro set up camp in Cuba and Khrushchev came to power.

We are the last to experience an interlude when there were no existential threats to our homeland. We came of age in the late ’40s and early ’50s. The war was over and the cold war, terrorism, climate change, technological upheaval and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with insistent unease.

Only we can remember both a time of apocalyptic war and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty. We experienced both.

We grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better . . . not worse!

We did not have it easy. Our wages were low. We did without. We lived within our means. We worked hard to get a job, and harder still to keep it. Things that today are considered necessities, we considered unreachable luxuries. We made things last. We fixed rather than replaced. We had values and did not take for granted that “somebody will take care of us.”

The Dead Church A new pastor in a small town spent days making personal visits to each church member, inviting them to come to his first service. But it was to no avail. Months went by and, Sunday after Sunday, attendance was dismal.

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Iron Mule Days In Alabama Forty years ago, Gafner Manufacturing Co., based in Escanaba, Mich., was turning out one model 4000 Iron Mule pre-hauler (forwarder) a week at its relatively new plant in Eufaula, Ala. Gafner opened the plant to better serve its southern customer base in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi, and to strengthen its appeal to potential customers in the Southeast. Here, Jim Painter, left, Gafner dealer rep, pauses with plant manager Richard Puddy.

This led the pastor to place a notice in the local newspaper, stating that because the church was dead, it was everyone’s duty to give it a decent burial. The funeral would be held the following Sunday afternoon, the notice stated.

Morbidly curious, a large crowd turned out for the ‘funeral.’ In front of the pulpit they saw a closed coffin smothered with flowers. After the pastor delivered the eulogy, he opened the coffin and invited his congregation to come forward and pay their final respects to their dead church.

Filled with curiosity as to what would represent the corpse, the people lined up to look into the coffin. Each mourner peeped into the coffin, then quickly turned away with a guilty, sheepish look.

In the coffin, tilted at the correct angle, was a large mirror!

Miscellaneous Stuff For Laughs Last night my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, “I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.”

They got up, unplugged my computer and threw out my wine! l I don’t have an attitude. I have a personality you can’t handle. l May the fleas of a thousand camels infest the crotch of the person who screws up your day, and may their arms be too short to scratch. l Little cat to big dog: “Let me explain it to you. You’re big, I’m little.

You’re dog, I’m cat. That makes me the boss. Got it?” l

Achieving A Positive Outlook The secret to happiness and well-being is no mystery. All it takes is the ability to do the following: Forget.

Apologize.

Admit errors.

Avoid mistakes.

Listen to advice.

Keep your temper.

Shoulder the blame.

Make the best of things.

Maintain high standards.

Think first and act accordingly.

Put the needs of others before your own.

Forgive.

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Sullivan Legacy ■ Odell and Eva Nell Sullivan started a family business that now stretches into its fourth generation.

When Southern Loggin’ Times caught up with them a few weeks before Christmas, the crew was working on a wildlife cut for a hunting club in Mississippi.

By David Abbott ★ DELHI, La. elta Timber Cutting Co., Inc. may have started in 1979, but its roots go back much further. The husband/ wife team who founded it— Jerrel Sullivan, 67, and Veronica Sullivan, 64—were following in the footsteps of Jerrel’s parents, Odell Sullivan, Sr. and Eva Nell Sullivan, who started their own company in 1952. They first called their company Odell Sullivan of Sondheimer, La., but changed the name to Good Rich Road Logging, Inc., in 1969.

With their determination and character, Odell and Eva Nell set an example that has reverberated through the generations that followed, and their influence is still felt by their descendants today.

In his early years, Odell tried his hand at farming, Jerrel says, but decided quickly he didn’t like it.

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According to family tradition, he traded a cotton crop for a ’40 model truck and started hauling logs. Most all the old loggers, Jerrel says, were rough and rugged guys, but Odell was always easy going. “He always said he would rather have a man’s friendship than all his money,” Jerrel recalls of his father. “He never beat

anybody out of a penny, and that got him respect.”

And his wife was as big a part of the family business as he was. “She was front and center,” Veronica says of the clan’s matriarch. “She had no education, but she took care of all the numbers along with cooking all the meals. I don’t know how she did it; I

From left: Veronica, Parker, Jerrel and Joey Sullivan

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admired her so much.”

Eva Nell lived to the age of 73 in 2005, but Odell died in 1993, when he was 69 years old. One of Jerrel’s sons, Joey, recalls, “He was the kindest, most loving gentleman you’d ever meet, and family was his biggest concern and priority.” Jerrel adds, “He would stop and talk to anybody, he didn’t go for the rat race.” Joey mentions, “He would frown on some of this going on now.”

Odell and Eva Nell had nine children, eight of whom survived into adulthood—six sons and two daughters. All were brought up in the woods with their dad, and most of them have continued the family legacy in one way or another, though branching off in multiple directions. Four of Jerrel’s five brothers are in logging, like him; one went into farming instead of logging. Both his sisters married farmers also, but they came back into logging via trucking, running their own businesses. In all 18 of

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Maintenance costs have decreased since adding newer machines.

Crew, left to right: Francisco Angeles, Abraham Ceja, Mike Seccala, York Shephard

SLT SNAPSHOT Delta Timber Cutting Co., Inc. Delhi, La. Email: deltatimberest79@gmail.com Founded: 1979 Owners: Jerrel Sullivan, Sr. and Veronica Sullivan No. Crews: 5 Equipment: 2 loaders, 2 skidders, 1 cutter and 7 trucks, one dozer, one grader, plus spares on the wood yard Production: 90-100 loads a week Average Haul Distance: 100 miles Tidbit: The Sullivan family also owns a wood yard with a small sawmill.

This ’18 cutter is the newest purchase.

their descendants are still logging or in some way affiliated with logging.

For their own side of the logging family tree, Jerrel and Veronica have three sons, all of whom have their own logging and trucking jobs. Jerrel Sullivan, Jr., 47, runs A&H Logging; Neal Sullivan, 45, has Neal D. Sullivan Logging and Trucking; and Joey Sullivan, 41, has Ironwood Trucking, LLC. All of them work together with their parents as they operate Delta Timber and Delta Wood Yard.

As for the fourth generation, Joey’s son Parker is 18 and dead set on coming aboard when he graduates this May. Parker has always been gifted with machinery, Jerrel says: “When he was 9 he could operate about anything.” Veronica hopes he may still go to college, but Parker just shakes his head, “I’ll be fine.”

Odell Sullivan

Also, Jerrel, Jr.'s daughter Audrey manages her dad's timber company, and her sister Hope Sullivan helps Veronica at Delta Wood Yard. Neal's wife Jordan manages their trucking company with help from their sons, Alex and Neal David. Lastly, Joey and his wife Meredith have a new baby daughter, Vivienne.

Wood Yard Jerrel and Veronica established the Delta Wood Yard in Rayville, La. in 2013, though they say it really got rolling in 2014. It was something Jerrel had wanted to do for years. “It keeps our trucks going in wet months, when we can’t get out of the woods,” he explains. “It keeps drivers working so that prevents us from losing truck drivers, and it keeps us

Eva Nell Sullivan

steady so we don’t lose cash flow.”

Separate from Delta Timber, Delta Wood Yard is not yet officially incorporated, though they are working on that now. They store about 20,000 tons of pulpwood for Clearwater Paper Corp., as well as buying and selling cypress and oak to go to other mills. They also have a small sawmill on site, using a Wood Mizer LT40 to cut a little specialty lumber for some customers.

The Sullivans have dedicated four old Prentice loaders—two 384s, a 280 and a 210—to the wood yard.

Machinery Logging technology has come a long way since Odell started logging more than 65 years ago, but it’s debatable whether such “progress” is

actually an improvement. “I think we need to go back to the logger’s dream, crosscut saw and a mule,” Jerrel half-jokes. “Then maybe you could make some money.”

No mules or crosscuts are in site on the current Delta Timber crews, though. Instead, on the crew Southern Loggin’ Times visited, a 2018 John Deere 843L feller-buncher cuts down for a ’17 John Deere 648L skidder, which drags to two loaders, a ’10 Caterpillar 559B and ’06 Deere 437C, both with CSI 264 delimber/ buck saws. For road building and maintenance, the crew also has a ’07 Deere 700J dozer and an old Cat road grader from the 1970s that is still in use (it’s an 1800s model, Jerrel jokes). For backups, they keep two more Deere machines, a 648G-III skidder and

Joey also owns Ironwood Trucking and Logging.

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843H cutter, in reserve at the wood yard. Neither has ever had to have any significant work done to them.

Trucks are Peterbilt, Freightliner and Mack pulling Magnolia and Pitts trailers. All have Vulcan scales. The Peterbilts run with 565 Cummins X15 engines, while the Freightliners have 500HP Detroits, and all have Rockwell rear ends and Eaton transmissions. Fuel economy and accessibility of parts are of primary consideration in choosing truck brands, Joey says. The family is currently in the process of buying a 2018 Freightliner, as their CPA advised them to wait till after the new year.

Doggett Machinery (Deere) and Louisiana Machinery (Cat), both in Monroe, La., are their equipment dealers. “Doggett Machinery has treated us like kings,” Joey says.

“Like family,” Veronica agrees.

Doggett salesman Joe McCarver, they say, calls to check on them at least once a week. “If you have a tractor go down he is there within an hour trouble shooting the problem to see what it is, and if it is major he will send another one so you don’t lose production,” Joey says. “I have never been treated as well as we have at Doggett, and I would recommend Doggett to any other logger. Joe is an outstanding

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salesman, and Robert Reeves, the GM there, and Ken Bowen, the service manager, those guys take care of us.”

For financing, the company went through Delta Bank in Lake Providence (originally called Bank of Dixie) for 40 years. Odell and later Jerrel did business there with banker Joe Titone. “I could call him at home, and if I wanted to buy a new Doggett salesman Joe McCarver, left, with Joey Sullivan truck he would say write the check,” Jerrel recalls. and checked things out just to see “He was real good to us and to what is going on,” Joey says. daddy.” After Titone retired, and “Commerce Community is outespecially after Hurricane Katrina standing in helping small compain 2005, things changed. “It all nies or large, they don’t discrimiflip-flopped, and we needed to nate. I called him yesterday and make a move,” Veronica says. said I need $170 grand to bid on “When you are old school like we timber and he said, OK, done. are it is hard to make changes, but Banking at its best.” that is why we need young people The crew relies on Deere’s like our children and grandchildren JDLink information management to help push us.” system, which sends emails directly It was Joey who introduced his to their phones to let them know parents to Brian Ayers with Comwhen maintenance is due. It’s very merce Community Bank of Oak helpful, according to Joey. For rouGrove, La., and the company has tine maintenance and non-warranty worked with that bank ever since. repairs, the company has a shop and “He actually came out to our job a maintenance team. Jerrel also site and rode the loader with me, keeps busy these days in the shop or

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on the road running for parts.

Maintenance costs have gone way down since they started running some newer machines, Joey says.

“We weighed it out and decided it was better to buy new, when you figure in the downtime,” Jerrel nods. Joey adds: “As tight as logging has gotten, you have to stay productive to turn a profit. There is no room for downtime.” There is another benefit to Jerrel, he admits: “The older you get, the less you want to work on that stuff.”

Still, Jerrel likes to hold on to the older pieces, just in case. “When you crawl before you walk, you appreciate those things,” he says.

As a rule, they don’t trade their older pieces in. “They don’t give you enough for them, and besides, they’re still in good shape,” Jerrel argues. The only exception is old log trucks, Veronica says…unless her husband can find a use for them on the wood yard, that is.

Morris Tire in Rayville, La. and Southern Tire Mart in Monroe are the tire suppliers. The Sullivans prefer to buy Bridgestone or Firestone

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for their trucks, 11R245s. Joey says, “With the cheaper tires you just get what you pay for: they don’t last.

With Bridgestone you can get almost twice the mileage out of them, and the rubber on Bridgestone and Firestone doesn’t chip as much as on the cheaper tires.”

Woods machines also run on Firestone, size 30.5, and Joey believes it is well worth the higher price. He says one set of skidder tires ran 13,000 hours with no flats.

Hydraulic oil comes from Doggett in Monroe and NAPA Auto Parts in Delhi, La. They have always used Shell Rotella motor oil and never had any engine problems, running some machines more than 15,000 hours. They buy fuel from Pepper Oil Co. in Delhi and Scott Petroleum, Inc. in Lake Village, Ark. They take a 2,000-gallon fuel tank to the woods and keep a 5,000gallon tank at the Delta Wood Yard.

“Fuel is one of our biggest expenses,” Veronica says. “That’s where all our money goes,” Jerrel nods.

Office Trained by her mother-in-law Eva Nell, Veronica runs the office both for Delta Timber and for the Delta Wood Yard. She works directly with accountant Janie Neighbours of Nan

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H. Hopkins, C.P.A. (APAC) in Lake Providence, La. At the Delta Timber office, Veronica has an office manager, Timothy Frey, implementing a software program to work in conjunction with the accounting files at the CPA's office to facilitate the next generation's ability to compete. Up until about five years ago, she did everything by hand, but realized that was tedious and decided she needed to lead her family into a new way of management. “The new system alleviates most of that,” Veronica says. “Right now we still have to hand write tickets, and that is time consuming, but we are setting up the program to eventually handle that aspect.”

The Sullivans are members of the Louisiana Loggers Assn. and Louisiana Loggers Self-Insured Fund.

They also support Log a Load for Kids. Joey is master logger certified in Louisiana; Jerrel and Veronica are also members of the Arkansas Timber Producers Assn. and are master logger certified in both states.

Timber When Southern Loggin’ Times visited in December, the Delta crew was performing a select thinning for the Worthington Point Hunting Club

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in Mississippi, near the Arkansas line. They were taking out cottonwood, hackberry, sycamore and ash for improved deer habitat. They try to save tracts near river land for winter months, and often work around the Tensas Wildlife Refuge in the summer months.

Joey and Jerrel buy and sell timber for the company, meeting with landowners and making deals, shopping around to get the best price for the products. Neither has a forestry degree, just years of experi-

ence. “When you are raised up in family like daddy’s you learn a lot,” Jerrel says. “I cut timber for 25 years as a contract cutter, and you learn a lot from each forester and different mills. Each one has different ideas and you pick up on all that. Daddy could cut a patch and get closer to the board feet than a forester with a college degree. He came from the school of Odell Sullivan.” Jerrel can do the same thing, Veronica says. “I am always amazed at how he can know just by

looking at it.”

Even so, he’s not too proud to ask for another set of eyes from time to time. For the Worthington Point job, just to be sure everything was done to the owners’ specifications, they brought in a timber consultant, Jeff Denman. Jerrel has high praise for Denman. “He really knows the struggles and he guides us through the deer season with keeping the members happy. We really appreciate what he does for us.”

Delta Timber has a number of

mill outlets in multiple states. Oak goes to Jim Barnes at Quality Mill/ Timber Producers of Selma, Ark. Clearwater Paper Corp. takes pulpwood in Arkansas City and Warren, Ark. Cottonwood goes to both J.M. Jones Lumber Co., Inc. in Natchez, Miss. and Anderson-Tully in Vicksburg, Miss. Tallulah Hardwood in Tallulah, La., takes various species, as does M.D. Smith, a small sawmill in Clarks, La. They haul some pine logs to Graphic Packaging in West Monroe, La., and a mix of cottonwood, gum and sycamore to Texas Basket Co., Inc., in Jefferson, Tex. Most of their hardwood production goes to Rives & Reynolds Lumber Co. in Natchez, Miss.

Crew “Safety is our first priority,” Joey says. Jerrel adds, “We worked for Weyerhaeuser in Little Rock, Ark., for six years in the early ’90s, and they push safety.

We learned a lot from them. We were one of the first ones in the area to start wearing the orange shirts.” Everyone on the crew is CPR certified, even Joey’s son Parker.

Veronica counts the role of safety coordinator among the hats she wears. She oversees monthly meetings. “You’d think OSHA had shown up when Miss Veronica is coming,” Jerrel says. Joey laughs, “They call her Miss V. Miss V. is coming.”

Delta Timber looks to the Louisiana Loggers Self Insured fund in Winnfield for workers’ comp coverage. All other insurance comes from Lensing, Lensing, Cunningham and Hager, Inc. of Lake Providence, La. Their agent is Frances Lensing. “We have been with him since dad, way before us,” Jerrel says.

Though they say they are fortunate to have several good truck drivers, they admit that the insurance is high. “Now we pay $12,000 a year on one used truck—on a used truck,” Veronica emphasizes. “It’s ridiculous,” Jerrel shakes his head.

York Shephard, a crew supervisor for Delta Timber, has been with the family for eight years and has worked hard to assist in making the team successful. He is just one example of the many great people the business depends upon to operate daily, Veronica says. The family believes that without their employees, they would not have journeyed so far.

Delta Timber Cutting Co. begins and continues with a good family and the good people that surround SLT them.

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Beating The Odds ■ Toby McDowell didn’t let the doubters stop him from building his own logging company.

By Jay Donnell LOCUST GROVE, Ga. hen Corwillieous “Toby” McDowell ★ bought his first truck at the age of 18 he wasn’t sure where it would lead him. It was the late ’90s and the economy was doing well, as truckers and loggers alike were thriving in the state of Georgia. His father, Willie McDowell, taught him how to drive a truck at a young age and they eventually formed the company McDowell and Son Trucking.

McDowell hired his first driver at the age of 22 and starting building the business from there. He eventually built up a fleet of 20 trucks, mainly contract hauling for loggers in the Forsyth area.

McDowell’s father helped him get the business started and then his young and eager son took it from there, changing the name of the business to C. McDowell Trucking in the mid 2000s.

“Back then I was chasing money and numbers, but that was before I got older and wiser,” McDowell recalls. “I felt like if I could make one dollar with one truck then I could make two dollars with two.”

Everything was going great for C. McDowell Trucking up until 2008 when the economy went in the tank (no pun intended). At the time, McDowell had 22 employees and 20 trucks, but as fuel went up, he couldn’t afford to keep the business going. “The fuel went up, but the rate never moved and it just got to the point where by the time I paid the employees and bought the diesel fuel there wasn’t anything left.”

That’s when McDowell had to sit back and decide what to do next. He had to let his employees go and give up most of his trucking fleet. After that, he drove a truck by himself and hauled chips for Millwood Brothers Logging just so that he could feed his family.

Then one day he was getting his truck loaded with chips on a Millwood Brothers job and their cutter man quit so he decided to help them out for the rest of the day. McDowell had learned how to run logging equipment in his younger days from the teachings of his father and uncle, Jerry McDowell.

(Jerry is now deceased after fighting a courageous battle with cancer.) One day turned into a few months and Toby McDowell found motivation in others’ skepticism.

McDowell started to realize that he

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SLT SNAPSHOT C. McDowell Trucking Locust Grove, Ga. Email: mkimberly53@gmail.com Founded: 2016 Owners: Toby McDowell No. Crews: 1 Employees: 9 Equipment: 1 cutter, 2 skidders, 1 loader, 8 trucks Production: 9 loads a day and 60 loads of chips per week Average Haul Distance: 50 miles Tidbit: While many loggers will tell you it’s impossible to start a new logging business because of the rising cost of equipment, McDowell was able to make it happen with the help of Beard Equipment.

Tigercat feller-buncher was part of used equipment package.

really liked working in the woods.

He landed a job with Cox Land and Timber and ended up running a loader for four years. In his final year with Cox, he started focusing on building his own company. “I was driving to Alabama and South Carolina some days to look at equipment and figure out what I wanted to buy,” McDowell remembers.

Company Formation In August 2016, McDowell started talking with a salesman at Beard Equipment in Alabama. He had his eye on a loader, skidder and cutter that were for sale and still being used by another company. Now it was just a matter of getting the right deal to buy it. The first answer he got from Beard was not right now, the next answer was no, but the third inquiry was a charm.

“They came back to me with a number for a down payment, but I couldn’t afford it,” McDowell says. “Then they asked me what I could do to determine how serious I was. I gave them a number and they asked me when I could come up with the money and I said yesterday,” McDowell recalls fondly.

Even though Beard is a John Deere dealer, this was all used Tigercat equipment. McDowell got approved to purchase the equipment in November 2016 and he hasn’t looked back since.

Today his iron lineup includes a 2008

McDowell is in the market for a new loader.

Aging skidders are run hard and are well maintained.

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From left to right; Toby, Wallace, Michael and James McDowell

McDowell is happy to be running trucks again.

724E feller-buncher, 2008 234 loader, a 1999 630 skidder and a 2000 630 skidder. He uses a 1999 John Deere 650 dozer to build the roads on his tracts. Given that the equipment has some age on it, maintenance isn’t taken lightly.

McDowell prefers to grease his machines every two days and he acts as the head mechanic. Oil is changed every 350 hours.

McDowell still maintains a decent number of trucks with two Volvos, one Freightliner, three Internationals, a Mack and a Ken-

The business works on mostly thinning jobs, but does a good amount of clear-cutting. They average about nine loads a day and are capable of getting 12 while hauling 60 loads of chips per week from Jordan Lumber. Some of McDowell’s primary markets include Jordan Lumber and GP. Hauling logs is still somewhat new to him as his trucking business used to haul chips 95% of the time.

C. McDowell Trucking contracts with Gay Wood Co. out of Jeffersonville, Ga. “They’re an awesome

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worth. He had to sell the majority of his trucks after the recession so this is a totally different fleet. The company uses a total of eight McLendon log trailers. “I actually came across McLendon through a Southern Loggin’ Times ad,” McDowell says. “McLendon makes some really great trailers for hauling logs.”

The company also uses three Peerless open top chip trailers for hauling wood chips all over Georgia. When McDowell owned 20 trucks he was hauling 250 loads of chips per week.

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company and they’ve been around a long time,” McDowell explains.

“Evan and Eric Gay keep me busy and they’re very particular about who they hire.”

He adds, “I talked back and forth with them for several months and they needed someone in my area so that’s how I got on with them. They treat me right.”

Family Matters All of the crew members share the last name McDowell with Wal-

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lace running a skidder, James running a skidder and driving a truck, Michael James running the cutter and Toby running the loader and driving a truck. McDowell’s uncle, Wallace, has helped him out off and on for 15 years.

McDowell also employs six truck drivers. Carl Johnson, Jared Jones and Lestoney Thurman are on the chip haul while Charles Harrell, Willie Adams and Letrent Morgan haul the logs. Willie Adams has been with McDowell for 12 years

on the trucking side of things. Morgan has worked with McDowell in some capacity for nearly four years and does much more than just drive a truck. He helps with a lot of the paperwork and gets with all the drivers to collect their data. “He’s more than just a truck driver for us,” McDowell says. “He’s more like my go to guy with the way he helps out our truck drivers.”

Employees arrive on site at 7 each morning and get things rolling by 7:30. Quitting time is generally

around 5, Monday through Thursday. If they’ve had a good week McDowell will shut down his operation at 3. The company will work on Saturdays if necessary, but McDowell will take a vote to make sure everybody is on board. All of the employees, including the drivers, are paid by the hour.

The business closes down for all major holidays. This year McDowell had a company Christmas party for the employees and their families. They went out to a seafood

dinner and C. McDowell Trucking took care of the bill.

Each employee is subject to random drug testing, including truck drivers. Forestry Mutual handles McDowell’s workers’ comp insurance and Davis-Garvin out of South Carolina handles his general liability insurance. “My workers’ comp has a great safety score,” McDowell says. “We have a very good rate.”

McDowell is certified by the Georgia Master Timber Harvester program and he takes care of all the BMP and SMZ requirements in order to make sure that each tract is in good condition when he leaves it.

Big Picture McDowell is only 38 years old, which makes him one of the younger logging business owners in the area. He’s also one of the few African American logging company owners. Before he started his logging operation in 2016 he had many people doubt his ability to get things started. “I had a guy tell me that certain groups of people don’t want black people in logging,” McDowell explains.

“My first instinct was to take it as an insult, but then I let it motivate me.”

He adds, “Every day when I was trying to get this thing started and even when I was on the job I would play that back in my head.

The man who said it to me wasn’t racist, he actually helped me out a lot. I could go to him for whatever, but he was just being open. He told me I was capable of doing this, but said his friends would chew him out about it.”

McDowell has used those doubters as motivation and now he has himself a solid logging operation in the middle of Georgia. He’s planning to buy another Tigercat loader and this time it will be from Tidewater out of Forsyth. He’s been talking back and forth with a salesman at the business and hopes to add the new loader to his lineup soon to go along with his two skidders which he says “work me to death.”

In his spare time McDowell works as a pastor at a local church.

He puts God first in everything he does and credits Him with all of his success. He also credits his wife, Kimberly, with helping him make it and being there for him during the difficult times.

McDowell is a great success story and shows that no matter who you are or where you come from, if you work hard enough and believe in yourself anything is SLT possible.

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Firm Foundation ■ Young logger Bry Findley builds on his family’s half-century tradition of working in the woods.

By Jordan Anderson FT. DEPOSIT, Ala. ime flies, they say, and Bry (Bryan) Findley, Jr., might ★ agree. The young logger is already marking the fifth anniversary of his company’s inception this month. He was only 23 when he went on his own, starting Bry Logging LLC in February 2013. No offense to younger readers, but some folks in their early twenties seem barely competent to change a tire or balance a check book, let alone start, and then build, a successful business, especially in a field where even the savviest and most experienced can struggle to turn a profit.

The fact that this logger started a successful and growing logging business at such a young age is exceptional.

Now 28, Findley is the third generation of his family in logging. His grandfather, Bill Findley, began the family tradition in the early 1960s cutting and hauling shortwood. Bill eventually grew to two crews and

T

purchased Ft. Deposit’s Suling thriving logging compalivan Pulpwood in the late nies out of the Findley Tim’90s. Brian Findley, Sr., ber offices and shop, the Bry’s father, worked for Bill family tradition of logging until 1998 when he formed in the Alabama woods for his own company to help over 50 years shows no increase production for the signs of slowing down. family business, eventually adding a second crew himConsistent Markets self. Bill and Findley, Sr. When Southern Loggin’ would merge their compaTimes visited one of Bry nies in 2005 to form Findley Logging’s crews, it was on a Timber Co., which buys all 160-acre pine tract in of the timber that Findley Billingsley, Ala., performing Sr. and Jr. cut today. Bill a clear-cut for RMS. A heavy would go on to retire in rain had come through just 2013 but the second and two days prior, making third generations are still ground conditions soggy. going strong.

Bry Findley attributes his success to the people around him.

Several trucks leaving the Bry started working for landing had to either be pushed out Findley Timber Co. in 2008 right employees and three John Deere or pulled out by a skidder. Despite after graduating high school. He machines purchased from Findley the mud that day the tract offered operated equipment until 2011 when Timber. A second crew was added in good timber and good ground for the he began working as a forester for the 2014 when Chapman, Ala.’s Coastal company. When a contract crew Forest Products asked Findley to field winter, according to Findley. Pine sawtimber was going to Coastal Forworking for Findley Timber fell apart a crew cutting exclusively for them. at the beginning of 2013, Findley saw New Deere equipment was purchased est Products and pulpwood to International Paper in Prattville. his opening. “It seemed like the best from Flint Equipment Co. in Troy, Findley’s second crew was clearopportunity I’d have to go out on my Ala. for the second crew. Findley also cutting a 100-acre pine tract in Pike own and start a crew,” he comments. started adding trucks in 2014.

County, just north of Troy, for a priHe started his own company with two With father and son both operat-

Bry Logging mostly clear-cuts pine tracts purchased by Findley Timber.

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SLT SNAPSHOT Bry Logging, LLC Ft. Deposit, Ala. Email: bfindleybry@aol.com Founded: 2013 Owner: Bryan (Bry) Findley, Jr. No. Crews: 2 Employees: 15 Equipment: 2 cutters, 3 skidders, 2 loaders, 2 dozers, 5 trucks, 7 trailers Average Haul Distance: 60 miles Tidbit: Findley, a die-hard Auburn Tigers football fan, has had three of his five trucks painted in an orange and blue color scheme. War Eagle! vate landowner. From there logs were being hauled to M.C. Dixon Lumber Co. in Eufaula, Coastal Forest Products, IP-Prattville and Scotch Plywood Co. in Beatrice.

Findley says that his crews work mostly on pine tracts and don’t cut much hardwood. Any hardwood goes to IP-Prattville or H.E. Browder Veneer Co. in Lapine. About 80% of the tracts they work are clear-cuts and the rest are thinning jobs. Findley Timber typically buys from private landowners, citing less competition for private tracts. The average tract size is around 70 acres and Findley’s crews usually work within 60 miles of Ft. Deposit. Both crews combined average 83 loads per week, 110,000 tons hauled and 1,200 acres cut per year.

When his crews are finished where they are, Findley already has another three pine tracts lined up: 105 acres in Autaugaville, 80 acres in Ramer and 200 acres in Lapine.

Regarding his markets, Findley says, “2017 started off terrible but ended really well, so I’m optimistic going into this year. We’re always on quota at the mills but we stay busy. And our markets seem to be getting more consistent. Overall I’d say everything is looking up.”

The Billingsley site offered “good timber and good ground for a winter tract,” according to Findley.

Findley buys all his Deere equipment and parts from Flint Equipment and Warrior Tractor.

included Billy Findley, Bry’s cousin who operates a loader and helps supervise both crews, alongside Daniel Harris (feller-buncher), Neal Sellers (skidder) and Will Hamm (skidder). The other crew includes Scott and Derek White, first cousins who operate a loader and fellerbuncher, respectively, and Donald Harris, Daniel’s brother, on the skidder.

Truck drivers include Forrest Small, Charles Mansman, Randall Cauthen, Robert King and Sean Barr. Two full-time mechanics, Ken Green and Jason Sexton, handle

Manpower Findley fields two crews with a total of seven employees in the woods. The crew SLT visited

Findley tracks both of his crews’ production closely and tries to keep idle time to an absolute minimum.

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Heavy rains made for soggy ground conditions.

Several trucks had to be pulled or pushed from the landing.

equipment repairs and truck maintenance. Findley’s sister, Morgan Davis, handles all the administrative work at Findley Timber’s 40x80 shop and offices.

Safety meetings are held monthly and Findley makes sure at least one person on each crew is CPR certified. He keeps two pickup trucks with each crew, all Chevrolets, one with tools and supplies and the other for transportation and emergencies. No accidents have been recorded in the woods or on the road since the company started five years ago. Bry, along with Billy Findley and Scott White, are all PLM certified and the company is a

plan through Modern Woodmen of America.

When it’s time to hire someone, Findley prefers to find members of

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member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

Findley also offers health insurance to his employees and a retirement

the younger generation, whom he considers more teachable. “Whenever you’ve got somebody that knows how to do everything and they’re just leaving one job for another job over $10 more an hour, you’re usually getting a band aid instead of a permanent fix,” he explains. “For me it’s easier to train younger guys.”

Equipment, Trucks

From left to right: Billy Findley, Bry Findley, Will Hamm, Daniel Harris and Neal Sellers

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The Findley family has always run John Deere equipment, Findley says. He works with Jeff Stevenson at Warrior Tractor & Equipment in Montgomery, Ala. and Steve San-

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ders at Flint Equipment in Troy for all equipment and parts needs. “My family has always had an excellent relationship with Warrior Tractor and Flint Equipment,” he says.

“Their parts departments and service departments have never let us down.” His current Deere lineup includes 643L and 643K fellerbunchers, a 648H and two 648L skidders, two 437D loaders equipped with Rotobec grapples and 264 CSI delimbers, and a 650H dozer. He also has two ground

saws: a 4400 CSI and CTR. The odd machine out is a Cat D5K dozer.

When asked why he stays loyal to Deere, Findley answers, “Deere’s technology just seems to be more advanced than others.” Three of his machines are equipped with Deere’s TimberNavi Jobsite Mapping software and he uses the JDLink app to track equipment performance and efficiency. He places an emphasis on maximizing productivity and reducing idle time, so that warranty

hours aren’t wasted sitting still.

Equipment is traded in roughly every four years and repair calls to Warrior or Flint are a rarity, says Findley. Both dealers ensure as little downtime as possible and will loan equipment if something has to come into a service department, he adds.

With a fleet of five trucks, Findley has purchased a new truck every year since 2014. His most recent truck purchase was very recent indeed: on January 3 of this year. His first two trucks, Volvos, came from

Capital Volvo Truck & Trailer in Montgomery and the next three, Macks, came from Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. in Montgomery, where he works with Frederick Stimpson. Four of his five trucks are outfitted with Vulcan on-board scales from Magnolia Trailers, Inc. in Lucedale, Miss. Truck maintenance and repairs are handled at the Findley Timber shop and all trucks come into the shop every Friday for a full spec and safety inspection. A fully equipped service truck can be deployed from the shop for equipment or truck repairs. Findley contracts with SM&L Trucking, owned by employee Scott White, out of Danielsville and Brown Trucking out of Braggs as needed.

Qualified truck drivers with a valid CDL and a clean record are becoming hard to find, the young entrepreneur says. He’s considering adding dash cameras in all of his trucks in hopes that it will help with insurance costs, which he says have been going up about 3% every year. Danny Bush with Hawkins & Rawlinson, Inc. out of Auburn provides insurance.

Findley has a total of seven trailers: five Magnolia, one Pitts and a Nabors lowboy. Tires come from Chappell Tire Services in Montgomery. Findley uses Primex on all of his logging equipment and “whatever’s on sale” on his trucks. Oil, grease and DEF are supplied by Davison Oil, Inc. out of Mobile, Ala. Middleton Oil Co. in Greenville, Ala. is Findley’s diesel fuel supplier. For financing and accounting needs, Findley works with Mark Snead at Sterling Bank and Willis Teal at Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, both in Montgomery.

Bright Future Findley, one of four siblings, has been married to his wife Kristen, 26, for almost three years.

They have one daughter, Eva Adelle, who just turned one in December. When he’s not working, Findley enjoys spending time with his family at home, visiting Lake Martin, hunting and attending Auburn Tigers football games.

He and his wife and daughter attend Mountain Hill Baptist Church in Lapine. Findley also supports several local and state charities.

His success and growth can be attributed to his father and grandfather helping him get started and to “being surrounded by good people,” says Findley. “We’ve got some new mills coming into the state. Watching the stock market every morning, it always seems to be going up. Things are looking SLT bright,” he says.

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Ride On ■ Manufacturers present information on tires, tracks and chains.

Titan International

Forestry is one of the most demanding environments for tires.

Feller-bunchers and skidders are subject to muddy, steep slopes and sharp stumps while cutting and transporting trees to a landing site.

With one weak link in this chain of operation, there is no load to transport and no money to be made.

Tires greatly impact performance in the forest, but not every setup is ideal for every jobsite. Each logger has different needs, but they’re all looking for the same two basic things from their tires: durability and performance. However, many loggers tend to choose the lowest priced option without realizing the sacrifices they’re potentially making by doing so. Here are a few considerations to think about when selecting and buying forestry tires for your operation.

1. Heavier tires for heavier equipment. Forestry equipment has grown heavier and higher-powered — and as compared to a decade ago, many loggers are using bigger machines to do the work of two smaller machines.

Machines today are up to 40,000 lbs. and equipped with 12 ft., 10,000 lbs. grapples—whereas five years ago, machines were 25-30% lighter. Tire manufacturers have adjusted by introducing larger and higher-ply tires, yet OEMs still market the same ply tires they offered years ago for smaller machines in order to control the cost coming out of the factory.

Titan recommends tires with higher ply ratings—usually either 20- or 26ply in a 30.5L-32 or 35.5L-32 size.

Though more expensive, the return on investment justifies the cost over time because they last longer and help address the higher torque and load capacity requirements.

2. Designing for durability. In the last 10 years, steel-belt constructions have become the standard for forestry tires because of their ability 30

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to protect against punctures. Some of the most recent developments in the industry include a shift from two-belt to four-belt constructions and the production of steel belts that offer more flex and protection between lugs. Constantly running over sharp branches and stumps can cause the rubber to chunk and tear—a problem that tire manufacturers are addressing through the development of special rubber compounds designed specifically to meet the unique challenges faced in the forest.

3. Tube vs tubeless. Tube-type tires have been an industry standard for years. In recent years, more tires are coming out of the factory tubeless. While both types run at the same inflation pressures and load capacities, their major differences lie in cost and reparability. Tubeless tires are more expensive but easier to repair, as you can keep fixing them until they no longer hold air. A tube maintains the tire and keeps it going in harsh conditions that push the beads off the rim band, creating the potential for a flat tire. Tubes are a must-have with dual setups, as duals kick up a lot of debris between the tires and push on the inside of the tire. If the inside tire loses pressure, it will push that tire off the wheel and result in a flat.

4. Extreme flotation or duals?

Tire setup can be very weatherdependent and location-specific. In an area that doesn’t require flotation 100% of the time, duals may be a good option because of the flexibility to easily take the outer tire off and run the single when conditions don’t require it. However, because there is no way to access the inside valve unless removing the outer dual, most loggers won’t take the necessary time to take the outer tire off to check air pressures. In an area that requires flotation 100% of the time, running super singles is beneficial because they’re easier to manage inflation pressures. In order to increase flotation, ground-bearing pressure has to be decreased by spreading the pressure out over a wide area. There are flotation tires designed roughly 10 in. wider than standard forestry tires to help in wet or swampy forests.

5. Enlist the experts. A final tip is

to be sure to seek the advice of your local dealer. Sometimes the cheapest tire or the tire that came installed on the OEM equipment is not always the best option for durability and performance in your neck of the woods.

This article was supplied by Will Stoddard, forestry product specialist, Titan and Goodyear® Farm Tires. For more information, visit titan-intl.com/tires/forestry

Goodyear Farm Tires

Logger Lug III tires, from our Goodyear® Farm Tire (a brand under Titan International), roll over the forest industry’s worksite challenges. The tires feature specially constructed treads to reduce the risk of chunking, penetration and tearing. Their long service life comes from the proprietary compounds that we incorporate inside the treads. We offer a complete range of sizes to fit nearly any loader or other logging equipment.

Goodyear Logger Lug III LS-2 l Optimal lug angle provides optimized balance between traction and cut resistance l Special forestry compound for increased resistance to tread chunking and tearing l Steel belt construction provides excellent penetration resistance Goodyear Logger Lug III HD LS-2 l Twice as much steel armor construction as standard Logger Lug III for excellent penetration resistance l Same chunk and tread resistance tread l Improved lug stability and wear Goodyear Logger Lug III Flota-

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tion HF-4 l Extra wide tread for high flotation l Provides lower ground pressure l Special steel armor construction for increased penetration resistance l Tread compounds to increase resistance to chunking and tearing For more information, visit titanintl.com/tires/forestry

BABAC Multi Ring Chains

BABAC Multi® Ring chains offer superior performance for both mud and snow applications. The close pattern between rings offers the operator not only a smooth ride but also a constant traction—no slip and bite.

BABAC Multi® Ring chains are also offered in a dual side by side pattern for flotation tires in swamp applications. All BABAC tire chains are hand made in the USA, featuring through hardened boron alloy steel for long service life.

For the dealer nearest you contact BABAC’s marketing partner, Wallingford’s Inc., at 800-323-3708, e-mail info@wallingfords.com, or visit babactirechains.com to learn more about the full range of offering from BABAC tire chains.

Alliance/Primex

Primex and Alliance forestry tires from Alliance Tire Americas, Inc. (ATA) are purpose-built to perform in the challenging environment of the woods. They are engineered to deliver a light touch on the forest floor and a big boost to loggers’ profits, and constructed for out-

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standing reliability and long service life. Terry Goodwin, National Sales Manager for ATA’s Forestry Division, says the Alliance 342 Forestar is a great example of how the company created a skidder/forestry tractor tire for the specific needs of American loggers.

“The first thing we did was develop a tread pattern that would provide a reliable grip on slopes as well as flat ground,” Goodwin says.

“That shows in the details like the depth and curve of the lugs, the broad nose at the center line, the

space between lugs, and the amount of overlap between the lugs. On the Alliance 342, we added smaller lugs on the shoulder,” he adds.

“Those little lugs add traction on slopes and in slick or dusty conditions, help break up mud to keep the tire clean, and protect the shoulders from chunking and wear, without interfering with the space between the main lugs that provides the majority of your grip in normal conditions.”

Goodwin notes that some of the most dramatic features of the

Alliance 342 Forestar are out of sight, deep in the tire’s carcass. “We built a very deep undertread to increase tire life and minimize the risk of punctures, and we incorporated steel belts to add armor to the undertread,” he explains. “That steel also helps dissipate heat that builds up when that tire is working, which increases tire life. The other technological achievements are hiding in plain sight—the compounds we developed, which include chunk-resistant tread compound and a tough, heat-dissipating compound

specially engineered for sidewall strength and stability,” Goodwin says. “Especially with skidders, we need a sidewall that can handle huge shifts in load when the operators are skidding heavy logs across hillsides. The physics behind that movement are amazing, and the tire under that machine have to be just as amazing.”

Goodwin adds that hillside stability also requires special engineering and construction in the sidewall, from the layered belts and compound to the special wedges that resist puncture and help the tire maintain its shape under high loads. The sidewall plies wrap around the bead bundle, which is heavily reinforced in the Alliance 342 to help ensure that the tire will remain in firm contact with the rim, even under strain.

The Alliance 342 Forestar is just one of dozens of Alliance and Primex forestry tires, Goodwin notes. “There is an Alliance or Primex tire for every machine in the woods, from forwarders to skidders to CTL rigs,” he says.

“And every one of those tires is designed and built to make the logger money.” Loggers have to be able to rely on their tires to stand up to daily punishment, last a good long time, and deliver a great return on investment. “That’s what we build into every one of our tires.

We’ve got bias-ply and radial tires, high-flotation and conventional patterns, and belts made of durable synthetics, steel and even Kevlar®,” Goodwin says. “It’s all about providing the logger with the tire that’s going to keep him moving and help him make money.”

For more information on Alliance and Primex forestry tires, visit atgtire.com or call (800) 3433276 or (781) 321-3910.

Pewag

Pewag is the world’s leading manufacturer and technological innovator of round-link steel 32

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chain products. The Austrian company, with U.S. headquarters in Bolingbrook, Ill., leads the industry in chain innovation, including Grade 120 Chain—“The World’s Strongest Chain.” They manufacture three main product lines, including: traction or snow chains, industrial chains and tire protection chains.

Distributing chains in the United States since 1975, pewag is proud of its 538 year history, dating back to 1479—before Columbus discovered America! Pewag reinvest-

ed in the U.S. in 2014 with a new state-of-the-art plant in Pueblo, Colo., that manufactures snow chains for the North American market. Additionally, we now have three locations to serve you in Rocklin, Cal., Pueblo, Colo. and Bolingbrook, Ill. The pewag Star Stud® chain is made in the USA at our Pueblo, Colo. plant and is specifically designed for the forestry market.

The unique 8-sided design increases the surface area by 23% to provide superior penetrating traction in even

the most extreme conditions.

The all new bluetrack forestry tracks provide a unique track profile that adjusts itself to the tire contour, thus increasing the cost effectiveness of the machine in use. Bluetrack can be ordered in dual or single tire applications and is available in three different traction configurations: perfekt , ideal for steep, rocky territory; duro, universal track for standard forestry requirements; and flow, suited for easy terrain and sensitive soil conditions.

Learn more at pewagbluetrack.com

ECO-Wheel Tracks

ECO-Wheel Tracks from Olofsfors are an economical alternative to conventional tire chains. They are suitable for skidders and wheeled feller-bunchers with tire sizes ranging from 23.1 x 26 to 35.5 x 32 and metric tire sizes for cut-to-length machines. ECOWheel Tracks provide numerous benefits over chains including superior traction, longer lifetime and less maintenance. With smooth and consistent traction, ECO-Wheel Tracks reduce the “spin and grab” effect on the machine’s drive line. They fit new or used tires and, with proper maintenance, increase the overall tire lifetime. ECO-Wheel Tracks also increase the machine’s stability and mobility especially in hilly conditions. They are self-cleaning, produce less ground disturbance and can extend your operating season. Engineered for the toughest conditions, ECO-Wheel Tracks can lower operating costs and increase productivity.

For more information visit ecotracks.com or call 519-754-2190.

Clark Supergrip Wheel

Designed to improve productivity in demanding sites, SuperGrip single wheel tracks are an alternative to traditional tire chains for skidders. Wheel tracks provide numerous benefits including: l Less maintenance 34

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l Reduced

ground disturbance ride l Superior traction l Self-cleaning l Tire protection Clark Super Grip comes complete with fitting kit that includes joining links and track tensioner tools.

For the dealer nearest you, contact Clark’s marketing partner, Wallingford’s Inc., at 800-323-3708, e-mail info@wallingfords.com, or visit clarktracksusa.com to learn more about the full range of offering from Clark Tracks. l Smoother

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BKT Tires

The purchase and maintenance cost of tires is a large part of the production cost for loggers. Several fac-

tors are important to help loggers minimize their costs and maximize tire life. Using the correct ply of tire and air pressure is important to ensure longer tire life. By knowing the weight of the machine plus the load it is carrying, a tire with the correct ply rating can be chosen. Using the correct air pressure to carry the weight, and maintaining the correct air pressure, will ensure longer tire life. Overloaded and under inflated tires can cause excessive wear, sidewall cuts, and sidewall separations.

The tires will fail prematurely, and

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this can also result in early expensive replacement costs.

As in the case of a log skidder (which is heavy in itself), the tires carry the weight of the machine and a part of the weight of the load carried. The weight of the machine on the front tires shifts towards the back tires as a load is applied. In this case, not only are the rear tires catching the brunt of the work and load, they also must navigate through rough terrain. It is essential that the tires have adequate air pressure to handle this transfer of load.

Reducing site and soil damage is important, and can be reduced by using wider tires. Increasing tire widths to reduce ground bearing pressure has been used by manufacturers as logging machines have increased in size and weight. As the soil gets softer, the wider tires will produce better traction, better fuel economy and less soil disturbance.

As the terrain gets mucky to swampy, running duals will add traction and flotation. If the terrain is really swampy, as in some parts of the Southeast, it is practical to run a super wide tire, such as a 6643.00-25 or a 67-34.00-25. Traction doesn’t seem to be much of an issue in dry soils.

Tire chains are an option if more traction is needed. These can be used in mud, snow, ice and rocks.

There are several types of chains to choose from. Standard chain is good for use in mud and snow.

Studded chains are better for ice and some rock. Tire chains can give better traction in these conditions than the normal bars of the tire. Tire chains can be used for sizes 18.4-26 up through the 35.5L-32.

The terrain being logged is important to tire wear and mechanical wear on the machine. If the terrain is generally flat, it is easier on the machine and the tires. If logging in hilly and mountainous terrain, the load being dragged downhill (favorable slope) is preferred to having to drag the trees uphill (adverse slope). By using a favorable slope, this allows gravity to help move the trees. The ability to turn safely is reduced when the hills are steep.

BKT produces several tires to use in these applications. One is Forestech in 3 26.5 in. sizes, designed for forwarders. The bias steel belted tire provides excellent traction in heavy duty service. The strong bead and shoulder area ensure high puncture resistance as well as a longer tire life. Another BKT product is the FS216 for skidders, available in eight sizes (and variable ply ratings) ranging from the 18.4-26 through the 35.5L-32. The FS216 has a robust lug design with an optimum angle and a wider width to enhance trac-

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tion performance. It is steel belted and is made with a cut and chip resistant compound to ensure maximum protection.

For more information, visit bkt-tires.com or call 330-836-1090.

Forest Chain

Forest Chain Co.’s LaGrand skidder chains offer a wide range of ring skidder chains, available in fixed ring, multi ring, and Ushaped studded with 9/16", 5/8" or

3/4" tag chains to fit all popular tire sizes. Designed to give as much as 60% more traction to skidders, forwarders and wheeled loggers, Forest Chain skidder chains provide quicker skid times, more production and increased bottom line profits. Particularly effective in adverse conditions like mud and snow, deep biting lugs dig deeply into the terrain to keep production moving. Plus, heavy duty ring units put steel in strategic points providing protection from rocks, stumps and site debris, protecting expensive rubber tires.

Forest Chain log skidder chains are designed to wear out evenly, thus reducing costly maintenance, and repairs are simple, using common welding techniques and materials. Installation takes minutes, so downtime is minimized. Oversized high test shackles anchor all critical connection points so chains stay tight.

For more information, call 1-800288-0887 or email forestchain@gmail.com.

TRYGG Chains

Since 1939, the TRYGG Chain brand has been synonymous with quality and strength for forestry, logging, skidder and truck tire chains to flail delimber/debarker chains. Onroad or off-road, snow removal and even ATVs, resource industries rely on the quality steel and safety TRYGG chains deliver.

The quality and durability of a chain does not solely depend on the quality of the steel it is made from. It also depends on the production technology and the quality control procedures that are used on the way from raw material to finished chain. In this process TRYGG chains are market leaders with light chains to floating diamond patterned chains for heavy machinery and difficult conditions.

For more information contact: White Mountain Chain, PO Box 869 Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 USA, phone 1-800-439-9073, fax 1-877-492-8289, ed@whitemountainchain.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP

As We See It: Loggers Have A Seat At The Table

By Danny Dructor The U.S. forest products industry is very broad, with diverse and sometimes conflicting interests.

American Loggers Council (ALC) was formed in 1994 when it was clear our nation’s professional tim-

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ber harvesters needed a strong, consistent presence in order to impact issues on a national level. ALC is billed as the “National Voice for Professional Loggers.” We are loggers working for loggers, because if we don’t stand up and speak out, nobody else will.

ALC continues to grow after 24 years, and we are stronger than ever.

Just as importantly, policymakers are taking notice and recognizing our organization as an important source of information regarding many issues, including forest management, transportation and economic health

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Dructor interacts with high level officials in Washington.

in rural America. This was clear when ALC was invited to a special meeting in December with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Washington.

I attended this meeting along with Jim Geisinger, Associated Oregon Loggers Executive Vice President and ALC Policy Committee Chair. The meeting was organized as an inter-agency “listening session” on wildfires and involved other federal, congressional and state stakeholders. The cabinet members sought our input as the Trump administration seeks to change the way federally owned forests are managed.

Also attending the meeting was House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT) and Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR). Both were instrumental in writing and passing the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017 (HR 2936), comprehensive legislation to increase active forest management on federal lands and reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfires. Congressman Westerman, the only forester in Congress, also helped include language from ALC’s Future Logging Careers Act into HR 2936 that was approved by the U.S. House in October.

The listening session centered around fixing the wildfire funding problems, possible improvements to wildfire management, innovative ways to detect and suppress wildfires, and ways to improve cooperation among industry, state and federal authorities. It’s clear this administration is prepared to take action to improve the management of federal forestlands and promote timber harvesting and thinning to reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfires.

As a forest owner himself, Sec. Perdue has a strong interest in improving the U.S. Forest Service under the USDA. His new Forest Service Chief, Tony Tooke, is already working hard to improve the agency’s operations. Tooke has convened other key personnel within the Forest Service to find ways to develop and implement timber sales and forest health projects more quickly. The agency’s new mandate is to do more, and faster.

Interior Sec. Zinke in particular

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has a very strong understanding of our industry and way of life. Zinke was born and raised in Montana’s Flathead Valley and witnessed all the social, economic and environmental problems that occurred after timber harvests on federal lands declined dramatically. As a congressman, Zinke sponsored legislation to reduce catastrophic wildfire risks through active forest management. As Secretary, Zinke has invested much of his own political capital restoring multi-

ple-use management to federal lands under his department, including reviewing national monuments that were unilaterally established by presidents under the Antiquities Act. During the meeting, and in conversations afterward, Jim and I shared the loggers’ perspective on these important issues. We stressed the importance of protecting and strengthening the private-sector forest products infrastructure that is vital to the federal government’s mission to restore

federally owned forests. Without loggers, and without viable logging businesses, the feds will never be able to treat the 100 million acres that are at some risk of catastrophic wildfires.

The Secretaries took note of this perspective, and we have been invited to participate in additional conversations about how the federal government can work better with loggers and the rest of the industry to improve forest health and support American manufacturing.

In Washington, decisions are made by those who show up, and ALC will continue to show up so that loggers have a seat at the table as the federal government considers issues and legislation that affect us. But just as importantly, it is essential that all loggers participate in the process in some form, whether it’s being active in state logging associations or responding to action alerts. We must stand up and speak out for all loggers, because nobody else will.

Dructor is Executive Vice President for the American Loggers Council, a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade association representing professional timber harvesters and log truckers in 32 states. Visit amloggers.com.

Game Of Logging’s Soren Eriksson Dies Soren Eriksson, who founded the Game of Logging chain saw safety and training program, died in his home country of Sweden on Soren Eriksson December 26.

He was 79. Eriksson, who began using a chain saw as a teen while working with his father, began offering demonstrations and providing instruction throughout Sweden and Finland. Eriksson started traveling worldwide, including to the U.S. in 1978 to help Weyerhaeuser set up a thinning program. Eriksson eventually set up his own chain saw consulting and apparels firm, Swedfor. In 1985, while conducting a training program for dozens of cutters for

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Scott Paper Co. in Alabama and Mississippi, Eriksson approached Scott Paper officials with the idea of blending his chain saw techniques into a sawing competition.

He soon held such a multi-round event focusing on felling and limbing techniques and safety while offering grand prize money. The event took off from there, ultimately becoming the Soren Eriksson Game of Logging.

Today the Game of Logging program includes seven training organizations covering 30 states, and offers regional and national competitions.

Those wishing to express their condolences to the Eriksson family can do so by writing to Erikkson’s wife: Britt Eriksson, Gassarvett Mellanakersv 4, 79397 Siljansnas, Sweden.

form the group in 1989 and over the years served MLA in various positions, including president. He closed down his logging operation, founded in 1974, in 2012.

MLA president Ken Martin acknowledged Johnson’s tireless commitment to the organization and thanked him for his diligent service.

On behalf of the MLA board, Martin presented Johnson with a commemorative wooden plaque and the title to the latest MLA pickup truck Johnson

drove for the last two years.

Johnson was touched by the turnout. He thanked those in attendance and the MLA board for allowing him to serve Mississippi loggers in a leadership role.

Dr. George Hopper, Dean and Director of the Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources, was one of four guests who helped honor Johnson with brief remarks. Other speakers included Willie Huff, MDOT Chief;

Tedrick Ratliff, executive director, Mississippi Forestry Assn.; and DK Knight, co-publisher of Southern Loggin’ Times.

Not So Fast, My Friends Rentech’s previously reported sale of its chip mill manufacturer and operator business under Fulghum Fibres to an affiliate of Scott

Cecil Johnson Retires As Leader Of MLA

Cecil Johnson, left, and Ken Martin, right

Cecil Johnson celebrated his retirement as executive director of the Mississippi Loggers Assn. at a reception attended by some 100 friends and family members in Flowood, Miss. on January 20.

Johnson, 70, a former logger, led MLA for 10 years. He helped

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Davis Co. apparently ran into a snag. Rentech had reported the agreement along with an announcement that Rentech had filed for bankruptcy. But as the agreement entered the official disclosure and approval process with the bankruptcy court, The Price Companies, Inc., which is also a chip mill operator and contractor, filed an objection with the court in January, contesting Rentech’s disclosure statements for not containing

enough information on the transaction, why certain affiliate properties of Rentech had filed for bankruptcy and some hadn’t, and why it would be acceptable for Rentch to sell Fulghum Fibres for $2 million less than what The Price Companies reports it had earlier offered to buy Fulghum Fibres.

The Price Companies, based in Monticello, Ark., referred to itself as a creditor of Rentech in the objection. A court hearing was

expected to be held on the objection in late January.

Rentech had reported that its subsidiary had sold the Fulghum Fibres business to an affiliate of Scott Davis Chip Co., Inc. of Brent, Ala., subject to specified closing conditions including the approval of the bankruptcy court, for $28 million, including the assumption of $20 million of debt.

Rentech purchased Fulghum Fibres in 2013 for $112 million,

including 32 wood chip mills, six of which were in South America.

RoyOMartin Recognizes Woodlands Manager Mickey Rachal, woodlands manager, has been named the recipient of the 2017 RoyOMartin Innovation Award. Rachal and his team have successfully developed methods of forest renewal through “opti-stands” throughout the company’s large timber holdings in Louisiana.

Over time, Rachal and his woodlands group have found a way to optimize the use of the best trees, with new plantations called optistands. RoyOMartin foresters are growing two crops in one stand, targeting the appropriate families and seedling cost to each crop.

Gainesville Purchases GREC Biomass Plant The city of Gainesville, Fla. has purchased the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center biomass power plant for $750 million, though investment interest costs will increase it to $1.2 billion over the next 30 years. However, city officials say Gainesville will save $768 million over the next 30 years and lower electric bills.

Gainesville Regional Utilities, the city-owned utility, immediately changed the plant’s name to Deerhaven Renewable Generating Station.

GRU officials pushed the deal to exit a 30-year contract that called for the city to pay the GREC partnership $1.9 billion— about $70 million annual- ➤ 53

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PRINT CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Print advertising rates are $50 per inch. Space is available by column inch only, one inch minimum.

Click. Connect. Trade.

DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 10th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 12th of month prior to month of publication.

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CONTACT: Call Bridget DeVane at 334-699-7837, 800-669-5613, email bdevane7@hotmail.com or visit www.southernloggintimes.com

13288

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2013 John Deere 437D Log Loader

Logo indicates that equipment in the ad also appears on

good condition, tires @ 50%...... $110,000

2011 Tigercat 724E

Excellent condition, New Cummins QSB 6.7L Tier IV, Encompass eng. warranty exp 1/8/18, 18 tooth 560 Tigercat saw head, 28L tires @ 50%............................................................... $88,000

We now have Babac single ring chains in stock 28L x 26 3/4" ring chains........................... $2,550 3.5 x 32 3/4" ring chains............................ $2,875 35.5 x 32 3/4" ring chains.......................... $3,100 67 x 34 5/8" ring chains............................. $2,000 FREE FREIGHT when 2 pair bought together

TED SMITH

5840 Hwy 36, Russellville, AL Home: 256-766-8179 • Office: 256-766-6491 Fax: 256-766-6962 • Cell: 256-810-3190

KEVIN MONTGOMERY

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256-366-1425

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Call or email: Charles Woolard

252-946-9264 office 252-945-0942 cell

Washington, NC Email: easterneq@earthlink.net

Go to www.eebinc.com for details and pictures plus other equipment for sale

2010 Tigercat 234 Log Loader w/ CSI 264 2011 JD 648H S/A, 9800 hrs., 30.5 tires Delimber; rebuilt Cummins QSB 6.7 engine, ................................................. $60,000 3200 hrs, saw hookup, (CSI ground saw not included), Big John w/ hyd trailer... $102,500

2016 CAT Tier 4 engine, 1822 hrs; no DEF, climate control cab, saw hookups; equipped w/5055 grapple and CSI 264 Ultra delimber; warranty, 2-axle trailer with hyd trailer$189,000

1998 Timberjack 735 Shovel w/live heel and 2013 Tigercat 822C w/new Cummins 2016 Tigercat 620E w/dual arch, FPT Rotobec grapple, Cummins eng and turntable recon, 5703 sawhead w/110 degrees engine w/ 830 hours, winch, turn around replaced, 36" pads w/ high walker undercarriage seat, Tires: 30.5 x 32; warranty$$225,500 ............................................................... $69,500 rotating................................... $269,500

2012 Morbark 5500 3-Flail w/JD 2004 Timberjack 608S w/FS22 saw, 1999 Tigercat 640 Clambunk, Cum600HP, 5478 hrs., 3360 hrs grind time; 7341 hours, replaced John Deere 6081 mins power, good running condition .............................................. $88,000 remote control, 5th wheel............$Call engine; good 36" undercarriage PRICE, CONDITION &$115,000 AVAILABLE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

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2290

FINAN C AVAILA ING BLE

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www.equipmentandparts.com

Office : 903-238-8700 • Jason Bruner: 903-452-5290 Bill Bruner: 903-235-2805 H REDUCED PRICES H

SKIDDERS

2008 John Deere 648H Skidder – 9,300 hours, Good 30.5 x 32 tires Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! ...................................Reduced to $69,500

2005 Cat 525B Skidder - Engine and transmission rebuilt around 1,000 hours ago, 30.5 x 32 tires, Winch............ $49,500

FELLER BUNCHERS

2014 Cat 553C Mulcher - NEW FAE 200/U225 mulching head, NEW high pressure pump and hoses, CAT 6.6 TIER 3 engine ,Cab with air, Good 30.5 x 32 tires, ready to work! 200 hours since the conversion from a Feller Buncher. Monthly rental available.... $185,000

2017 Kubota SVL 95-2S Mulcher – 46 hours, Equipped with a New FAE mulching head. Rental available! Weekly / Monthly / Rent to own......... Call for price.

2013 Deere 753J Track Feller Buncher STK# LU240593; 4880 hrs $169,000

2015 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LT277817; 6797 hrs $128,000

2012 Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LT221130; 8940 hrs $68,000

2012 OT CD1 Delimber STK# LUD10329; 5587 hrs $50,000

2014 Deere 848H Skidder STK# LT655633; 9355 hrs $75,000

2015 Deere 748L Skidder STK# LT667903; 5143 hrs $166,000

2015 Deere 848L Skidder STK# LT669069; 3984 hrs $212,000

2016 Deere 648L Skidder STK# LT674101; 4012 hrs $168,000

2012 Timberjack 648H Skidder STK# LR649591; 8074 hrs $190,000

LOADERS 13189

2011 Cat 563 Feller Buncher – 7,400 hours, SC-57 Saw Head, 28L tires, Cab with air, Ready to work! .................$69,500

2005 Timberking TK350 Feller Buncher – 9,100 hours, Waratah FD22 Saw Head, 28L tires, Cat engine with new injectors, Ready to work!...............................$52,500

2014 Cat 559C Log Loader – 6,600 hours, Mounted on Hydraulic leg trailer with CTR delimber, Cab with air, Ready to work! ....................................................... $99,500

2011 John Deere 437D Log Loader Mounted on Hydraulic leg trailer with Riley delimber, Cab with air.................... $39,900

MULCHERS

Late model used Saw Heads – Good used take offs that came off of Cat 553C, Cat 563C, Cat 573C..............Call for price 2015 Cat 553C Mulcher – NEW FAE 200/U225 mulching head, NEW high pressure pump and hoses, Cat 6.6 TIER 3 engine, Cab with air, Good 28L tires, Ready to work! 400 hours since the conversion from a Feller Buncher.

Monthy rental available!................... $189,500

Visa and Mastercard accepted

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987

• 2016 TigerCat 234B, Live Heel, Slasher saw hydraulics, Delimber, Hydraulic legs, Pre-heater, 60in. Hood slasher, 740 Hours

Hose, Fittings & Crimpers

In addition to new machines, CHAMBERS DELIMBINATOR, INC. now has factory reconditioned DeLimbinators. These units have been inspected, repaired, and updated as needed. Call us and we will help you select a DeLimbinator for your need.

Cat 518 & Cat 518C skidders in TX, LA area Call Kent 936-699-4700 r_kentjones@yahoo.com

FOR SALE

2010 720E Tigercat, 10,000 hrs, exc shape, 1 operator.... $80,000 912-282-2550 or 912-293-2866 13476

• 2016 TigerCat 630E, EHS Transmission, Winch, 35.5 & 30.5 Tires, 1400 Hours

RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!! WANTED TO BUY 280

FOR SALE

WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS

Helping Loggers Save Money For Over 20 Years 8309

Contact: Chris Alligood 1-252-531-8812 email: chrisa.cavalierhose@gmail.com

Call: 662-285-2777 day, 662-285-6832 eves Email: info@chambersdelimbinator.com 1123

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EUREKA! EUREKA! EUREKA! OWNERS HAVE OVER 30 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE!

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FOR SALE FOR SALE

• 1993 RD truck, recent overhaul, Good condition! .............$12,500

2008- 648H John Deere, single arch with winch, recent new engine, tight machine, job ready!...................................$60,000

Call or Text Zane 334-518-9937

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• 2012 John Deere 843K Feller Buncher, 5,400 hrs., new front tires, back tires-60%, great condition.....................................$97,000

• 1998 CH Truck, New cam and lifters, Great shape, Owner driven... $20,000

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• 2003 CH truck, Great condition— Ready to roll, Air ride, Owner drivIF YOU NEED en.........$25,000 To buy or sell forestry, construction, • 1999 Service truck, complete fuel and utility or truck equipment, or if you just air ready....................................... $4,500 need an appraisal, contact me, Johnny Pynes with JM Wood Auction. Over 25 • Koehring twin post 20 inch sawhead......................................$4,500 years experience.

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44 ➤ ly—over the next 27 years.

As of early January the plant was running and receiving biomass. Plans are for the plant to run a regular schedule in 2018 at near full capacity.

GRU says the projection for fuel pricing and the unit efficiency make it one of the most cost effective in GRU’s generation fleet.

GRU is near the conclusion of testing that will determine what modifications to the plant are needed.

Meanwhile, BioResource Management remains the primary contractor for biomass procurement.

Enviva Plans More Expansion Giant U.S. wood pellet producer Enviva is purchasing the Colombo Energy wood pellet production plant in Greenwood, SC, and has plans to develop and construct wood pellet plants and deep-water marine terminals in the Southeastern U.S. to serve growing Asian and European electricity markets.

Enviva confirmed it planned to

develop a deep-water marine terminal at the Port of Pascagoula, Miss. and build at least two additional wood pellet production facilities.

The first investment will be the acquisition of the Greenwood (Colombo Energy) plant and related assets from The Navigator Company, S.A., a large Portuguese paper and pulp company.

Enviva is also currently constructing a wood pellet plant in Hamlet, NC. Enviva already operates six wood pellet plants in the Southeast that produce nearly 3 million metric tons for export.

Hazard Project Will Mix Coal, Sawdust The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) has received a $1.6 million U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) grant to develop an innovative partnership in Hazard, Ky. that could serve as a model for future energy projects in rural eastern Kentucky communities.

The grant will allow CAER and its

community partners to complete a front end engineering design (FEED) study for a 5 MW electric equivalent polygenerating unit utilizing waste coal fines and biomass sawdust as feedstocks to help create localized power generation in Perry County.

CAER will partner with several businesses based in Hazard, including Gay Brothers Lumber, Blackhawk Mining and the Hazard-Perry County Economic Development Alliance.

Canada Isn’t Sitting Still Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, announced that Canada has begun legal challenges under NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and through WTO (World Trade Organization), contesting the U.S. government imposition of countervailing and dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber companies that export softwood lumber to the U.S. “U.S. duties on Canadian soft-

wood lumber are unfair, unwarranted and troubling,” Freeland says.

“They are harmful to Canada’s lumber producers, workers and communities, and they add to the cost of home building, renovations and other projects for American middleclass families.”

In November the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that the U.S. softwood lumber industry is materially injured by reason of imports of softwood lumber from Canada. This determination confirmed earlier rulings by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce that Canadian softwood lumber is subsidized through Canada’s timber pricing policies and also sold in the U.S. at less than fair value, otherwise known as dumping.

In 2016, the Committee Overseeing Action for Lumber International Trade Investigations or Negotiations (COALITION) petitioned the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission to restore the conditions of fair trade in softwood lumber between the U.S. and Canada.

MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Improved Carrier Cab

a proprietary multi-axis grind technology and precisionground cutters to help the saw power through timber l LubriTec technology that keeps saw chain and guide bar oiled for less friction and longer life l improved grind shape profile to better match the shape of the file, making it easier to file a precise edge l Gold Loop Start Indicator that makes sharpening easier with start-stop identification l reduced force applied by the operator “Our aim with the upgrade is to create a chain that provides a faster, more powerful cutting solution and reduces the amount of operatorapplied force required to complete cuts,” says Brendan Griffin, global product manager for Oregon Products. Visit oregonproducts.com. l

Tigercat continues to evolve the purpose-built 855 forestry carrier platform with the introduction of an improved cab. The 855E machine platform can be configured as a harvester, fellerbuncher or shovel logger.

The 855 E-series carriers takes line of sight to the next level with larger side windows, narrower side posts, more cab lights and standard equipped skyVIEW and rearVIEW camera systems.

Ergonomic design is key to operator comfort.

With a redesigned hinge, the front access door now requires a lot less effort when entering and exiting the cab. The electronic control module is now a larger touch screen display on an adjustable mount and frequently used controls have been integrated into the joystick pods for ease of use.

Improved sealing around the exterior of the cab significantly reduces noise levels inside allowing operators to take full advantage of the new Bluetooth sound system with hands-free calling. Visit tigercat.com.

Intelligent Boom Control

Saw Chain Upgrade Oregon’s PowerCut 70-Series EXL saw chain for 50-100cc chain saws features a proprietary grind that provides increased performance with reduced operator fatigue.

The new saw chain features:

John Deere offers Intelligent Boom Control (IBC) on its 1270G harvester in North America.

IBC provides operators with increased accuracy and productivity.

“The 1270G harvester is known for its versa-

tility in a variety of logging applications. With the addition of IBC, the operator will have more precise control of the boom tip, and reducing the learning curve for new operators,” says Sakari Suuriniemi, product marketing manager for John Deere.

IBC is available exclusively for the CH7 boom with 10 m (32.8’) and 11.7 meter (38.4’) reaches on the 1270G models. With IBC, the operator controls only the harvester head while the system takes care of the boom’s movement. Designed specifically to suit the harvester work cycle, the boom’s movement and operation automatically adjust as the boom is taken to a tree and when the tree is in the grapple.

The 1270G harvester still retains the features from the original launch, including excellent fuel economy in both the 6- and 8-wheel models.

Visit johndeere.com.

Extended Boom Option John Deere offers an extended stick boom option for the 800MH-Series tracked harvesters. The new extended boom stick offers a longer reach option, enabling operators to minimize the number of cut trails.

Designed for use with smaller attachments, the extended stick boom option reaches 32.5’ (9.9 m).

The extended option features a narrow boom tip, allowing the operator to reach past standing timber in thinning applications. This also helps operators minimize damage to the trees being harvested.

Visit deere.com/en/tracked-harvesters/.

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COMING EVENTS February 9-11—South Carolina Timber Producers Assn. annual meeting, DoubleTree by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront, Myrtle Beach, SC. Call 803-957-9919; visit scloggers.com.

23-25—Carolina Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hilton Wilmington Riverside, Wilmington, NC. Call 828-421-8444; visit ncloggers.com.

March

mit, Richmond, Va. Call 804-2788733; visit vaforestry.org.

18-19—Expo Richmond 2018, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com.

July 16-18—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Westin Resort & Spa, Hilton Head, SC. Call 912-635-6400; visit gfagrow.org.

15-17—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. annual meeting, Okefenokee Fairgrounds and Exchange Club, Waycross, Ga. Call 904-8457133; visit swpa.ag.

20-22—Missouri Forest Products Assn./Missouri Loggers Council annual meeting, Old Kinderhook, Camdenton, Mo. Call 816-6305500; visit moforest.org.

21-23—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. National Conference & Expo, Hyatt Regency Greenville, Greenville, SC. Call 412-244-0440; visit hmamembers.org.

29-31—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Homestead, Hot Springs, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.

April

August

10-12—Kentucky Forest Industries Association annual meeting, Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Call 502-6953979; visit kfia.org.

23-26—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Colonial Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va. Call 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org.

16-18—Forest Resources Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La. Call 202-2963937; visit forestresources.org.

24-25—Arkansas Timber Producers Assn. annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501224-2232; visit arkloggers.com.

May

September

2-4—Virginia Forestry Assn. Sum-

9-11—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.

21-22—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org.

28-30—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni Amelia Island, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850222-5646; visit floridaforest.org.

October 2-4—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501374-2441; visit arkforests.org.

10-12—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Sheraton Hotel, Raleigh, NC. Call 800-2317723; visit ncforestry.org.

Listings are submitted months in advance.

Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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