Missouri logger Isaac Dotson, like much of the rest of his family, diversifies his business, Crooked River Enterprises, by working on natural disaster cleanup/salvage jobs wherever and whenever needed all around the country. This fall and winter he’s been working in Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and brought a new Ponsse Scorpion with him to handle the job. Story begins on Page 8. (David Abbott photo)
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End Quotes
game. Operators have full control of the machine, including key features like locking differential and auto-tongue. Camera views automatically adjust on the computer screen when the direction of machine travel changes, and throttle control is managed using the controller’s trigger buttons. Two joysticks allow the operator to control the skidders’ steering while also using the boom and blade. There are also buttons on the interface to track production metrics.
don’t love it, don’t do this, because it’s not about the money; it’s about doing what’s right for the forest. My worst days, whether we had a hose bust and I had to crawl up under loader and be covered in hydraulic oil, or bust a tire, in the mud and got something broken in the pouring down rain, when I go home, I think I’ve had the best day of my life and I can’t wait to get back to it the next day. Other than when it’s very cold, I have never dreaded leaving home to come to the woods.”—Maryland’s Frankie Eure, August issue, p. 11
“Back then everyone was poor, but we were so poor that we didn’t know we were poor. When you’re raised poor, you’ll want something in life and you’ll hold on to what you get. You have to work for it to appreciate it. We have too many people being given too much by the government. The government can’t give anybody anything they didn’t take from a working man.” —West Virginia’s Jack Griffin, September issue, pp. 11-12
Skidders On Autopilot
We saw Kodama System’s Autopilot demonstrated live at the ALC annual meeting in California this fall, and I bet many of our readers would like to learn more about the company and its product. We asked Kodama to share their story, and here is what they sent:
Kodama Systems was founded in 2021 by two engineers, Merritt Jenkins and Matt Verminski. Jenkins and Verminski were drawn to logging because they cared about active forest management. After founding Kodama, they spent nine months visiting loggers to better understand the industry. After meeting with dozens of industry professionals, they concluded that remote controlled machinery had the potential to attract a broader workforce, reduce operating costs, and increase production.
“With Autopilot, we want to enable logging
businesses to increase productivity, lower harvest costs, and give machine operators the flexibility to work remotely,” says Jenkins, Kodama’s CEO. “Autopilot lets you control machines from hun-
Kodama first integrated Autopilot onto a 2012 Caterpillar 525C skidder, testing and refining the system on the steep, rocky slopes of the Stanislaus National Forest for two operating seasons. As the Kodama team worked on this prototype system, they learned that integration on a modern skidder would accelerate product development. They connected with Weiler Forestry about collaborating.
In partnership with Weiler, Kodama publicly demonstrated Autopilot at the American Logger Council meeting in Sonora, Cali., this past October. Since then, the company has been remotely operating a 2024 Weiler S340 skidder on a salvage logging operation at the site of the Park Fire, the largest wildfire in California this year. The S340 is considered a versatile mid-size skidder, well suited for variable terrain. Pat Weiler, owner and founder of Weiler Forestry, had this to say: “We’re excited to see Kodama’s Autopilot technology integrated with our S340 skidder. This collaboration represents a meaningful step forward in leveraging technology to enhance safety and efficiency in the forestry industry.”
Kodama is addressing critical challenges in the logging industry. One of the most pressing issues is workforce availability. With Autopilot, operators can run their machines from an office or home, improving quality-of-life and enabling business owners to access a wider pool of prospective machine operators. Additionally, removing machine operators from worksites reduces workers’ compensation costs and helps lower overall harvest costs. Machines can be run during hours previously lost to commuting, and machine uptime can be maximized with extended or double shifts. Autopilot offers a backup option if someone calls out sick or needs to stay home to care for a family member.
Kodama Autopilot consists of an after-market computer system and suite of sensors integrated into the machine. This hardware enables operators to control the skidder over satellite internet through a secure computer interface, similar to a video
All of this is made possible by a combination of cameras, sensors, and wireless communication technology that send live data from the skidder to the operator in real-time. The operator can see the trail, tires, grapple, and blade through high-definition video feeds. They can also hear the machine through an external microphone. The system is supported by satellite internet, which streams everything to the operator anywhere in the world.
Importantly, the skidder has a toggle switch in its cab that enables a manual operator to take over control at any time. “We understand that certain skidder movements are best performed with an operator in the cab, such as driving onto a low bed or crossing a stream. Our goal is to enable remote control of 98% of operations on the site, and the remaining 2% can be handled by the on-the-ground crew,” Jenkins says. Daily refueling and greasing is also to be performed by the on-the-ground crew. Despite its advantages, Autopilot has some areas of additional development. Kodama is actively working on how to replicate the “butt feel” operators experience when driving in a cab, adapting it for remote operation. This added feedback from sensors and other machine data will help operators drive more safely and efficiently on job sites. Remote operators may also experience a “re-learning” curve when using Autopilot; however, Kodama has seen experienced operators pick up teleoperation with ease.
Since the start, Kodama has grown to a team of 15 engineers, logging advisors, and field personnel that support the machine deployed on projects. Kodama is currently running Autopilot on the Park Fire burn scar in Lassen National Forest, Cali. The company is skidding logs alongside other machines on the project site. Other operators have noted it’s strange seeing a machine driving with no operator in the cab but that they are interested to see how the technology works out. Kodama plans to expand its operation to the southeastern U.S. in 2025 to offer skidding-as-a-service for loggers.
Kodama’s team will work with prospective customers to assess their needs and discuss how skidding-as-a-service will integrate into their existing operation. Kodama will provide its own Weiler S340 teleoperated skidder, a trained remote skidder operator, and field support. Anyone interested can call or email the Kodama team to learn more about what a pilot looks like for their operation. SLT
Remote operator’sAutopilot screen view
Storm Chaser
Atimber damage assessment report released on November 5 by the Georgia Forestry Commission and the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry, Hurricane Helene impacted more than 8.9 million acres of timberland in the state, which is right at 37% of Georgia’s total timberland. Of that, 1.5 million acres suffered severe damage. The economic impact is estimated at $1.28 billion.
It’s a mess someone has to clean up. Even such a massive catastrophe presents opportunity. Every year, whenever and wherever Mother Nature strikes, response teams come from all over the country to help with cleanup and salvage efforts, and it can be good business for those with the experience and preparation to specialize in the work.
One such case: Isaac Dotson’s Missouri company, Crooked River Enterprises, spends several months a year working on storm cleanup jobs around the country in addition to their logging work at home. Isaac, 42, is just one of many loggers in the Dotson family who headed southeast from Missouri to Georgia and Florida in the wake of Helene in early October. Isaac’s dad, Mike Dotson, uncle Tim and cousin Matt are all working in the region this fall, as is his uncle
“Storming,” as they call it, has been a key part of the Dotson family’s business plan since the mid-’90s, when an ice storm hit near Kansas City. “All of the storm debris trucks had loaders behind the cabs and they only ran single boxes,” Isaac recalls. “Well, all of our log trucks had log bunks on the trucks and pulled pup trailers. We decided we’d be able to double what they were doing because they just ran single boxes. So we threw some container boxes on our trucks and away we went.”
Isaac was still a kid then, helping his dad and uncle during summer and Christmas breaks. He would join the family business full-time after graduation in 2000, and started his own logging crew, Isaac Dotson and Sons Logging, in 2002. Two years later, he set up Crooked River Enterprises, LLC as a land clearing and disaster services company.
Dotson looks back on the move toward storming as a turning point for the family. “It kind of changed our lives,” he reflects. “Before that we were just regular loggers. Getting into the storm scene allowed us to be able to make enough money to buy better equipment, and step up our logging game at home.”
Dotson now spends 6-8 months a year on storm cleanup jobs away from home, and his company gener-
Isaac Dotson,center,with his partner Cara,left,and Ponsse operator Brad Gustafson,right
Helene left timber bent,broken off,blown over and uprooted.
n Hurricane Helene brought Isaac Dotson and family from Missouri to Georgia for storm cleanup.
ates more revenue from storm work than from logging. “If I pushed it a little harder we could probably stay busy year round storming,” he thinks. “But we try to make our good money and go back home. Everyone has their family and they don’t want to be gone all the time. My boys are grown now, but a lot of my guys still have kids at home. It’s a rough life being on the road, away from family, so I try to balance it and make enough money to keep everyone happy.”
Dotson and his dad get most of their storm cleanup jobs as subcontractors under Texas-based TFR Enterprises, Inc., which specializes in disaster debris removal. The other Dotsons contract under similar disaster response/recovery specialists like Alabama-based CrowderGulf, Missouri’s Herzog Solutions and Florida’s AshBritt Inc. “Those guys are big hitters in the storm cleanup industry, so no matter what, when a job hits, we all get work,” Isaac says.
Georgia Job
In this case, TFR has contracted Crooked River strictly to remove debris from rights-of-way on Emanuel County-maintained roads. Dotson and crew arrived October 10, setting up base camp for trucks and equipment on a gravel lot rented from local businessman Russ Yeomans of Yeomans Wood and Timber in Swainsboro.
All the paperwork has to be properly filed before they get the goahead to start working, or to get paid. “Unfortunately it’s just not as easy as jumping in there with a chain saw and equipment and getting the debris out.” Dotson is paid by the cubic yard of debris removed, monitored by a third party to ensure everyone is honest.
The first priority is to clear impassable roads so first responders can get through; much of that was done the first week after the storm, before Dotson got here. “They hired contractors to push debris out to the roadside, and we’ll come get that,” he explains. “We do one pass to get everything out of the road and everything that causes an imminent danger on the road side. At the same time, bucket trucks are continually cutting and trimming hazardous trees or limbs hanging. So we go back for a second pass to pick up that debris.”
Dotson has in turn subcontracted Timber Wolf Land Clearing from Texas to mulch that material in a Peterson 5710E horizontal grinder. Timber Wolf owner Alan Byars says about 30% of his business is in storm cleanup around the country.
Dotson brings on these extended jobs a trailer full of spare parts, tires, and everything needed for machinery R&M. “If you can think of it, we bring it with us,” he says. It’s a neces-
sity because local supplies often aren’t available. “A lot of times if we go to ground zero where a hurricane has hit, there’s nothing.”
What made this hurricane different was just how widespread the damage is. “I’ve never been six hours inland doing hurricane work,” he notes. Many of the usual subcontractors for these jobs haven’t been available because they’re all spread thin on other jobs stretching from middle Florida into Tennessee and North Carolina. Typically Dotson would expect a job this size to be a threemonth project, but he believes this one won’t be finished that quickly. “I’d say six, seven months.”
Dotson’s sons, Jacob, 28, and Drystin, 21, are on this job with him, and Jacob brought two trucks of his own under his separate company, Twisted Timber.
This Georgia job is the first time Dotson’s girlfriend Cara has gone on the road with him. “She’s doing all the paperwork on the bucket trucks, up to 95 tickets a day per truck, with 45 bucket trucks running at the peak,” he says. “She’s also making breakfast and lunch for the guys, so we’re definitely happy she’s here.”
America in Wisconsin. So far, he says, he’s been thoroughly impressed with the machine, which seems well suited for roadside work, processing fallen and often mangled wood fiber on the ground.
“A lot of this area is too hazardous for my guys with skid steers and chain saws,” Dotson explains. The Ponsse is both safer and more efficiently productive, he asserts, easily doing the work that five men with chain saws and five skid steers could do.
To run the machine, Dotson brought in Brad
the Ponsse into some ground where we typically can’t run to see how well it does,” Dotson says.
Home Work
When they’re not working storm recovery jobs, the Crooked River crew uses John Deere 548 and 648H skidders and 437 loaders, along with the TimberPros, back home in Missouri. The Deere machines are 20142016 models with under 6,000 hours. “We don’t put the hours on equipment there like they do here,” Dotson says.
His trucks are all 2006 and older so R&M can be handled internally. He still has his first truck, a 1998 Peterbilt 378 Dotson acquired in 2002. All his new-hire drivers train on that truck. “I’ll never get rid of it,” he insists.
The crews cut a lot of low-grade cottonwood and sycamore for Amish pallet mills, walnut for export markets, and white oak for staves. Along with standard select cut jobs, Dotson also keeps busy with KDOT (Kansas Dept. of Transportation) right of way maintenance. “The markets right now are pretty soft,” Dotson admits. “If it wasn’t for this storm hitting, I was starting to stress pretty hard about what to do.”
Two key employees are TimberPro operator Clint Riddle (“My number one logging guy and number one mechanic,” Dotson says) and log hauler Curtis Brewbaker. “I don’t even have to ask him; he’ll come to work at 3 in the morning or run all night long. It doesn’t matter; he
Back home in Missouri, Crooked River logs with TimberPro tracked feller-bunchers, which are ideal for the rocky and hilly land there. “This down here is a different terrain, and our equipment isn’t meant to run up and down the road,” Dotson says. So for this job, Dotson bought a new Ponsse King Scorpion harvester with H7 head direct from Ponsse North
we can make money at it, I’ll let him.”
Otherwise, the Missouri crew is eager to try the Scorpion on their home turf. “These machines are better for conditions when it’s wet, with less ground pressure, so that is something we are excited to try when we go home, to put
Missouri. “Logging here is everywhere,” he notes. “In Missouri if you see two log trucks in a day you’ve really seen something, especially where we are in Southern Loggin’ Times
Curtis Brewbaker piles debris for the grinder to mulch.
Sweet Carolina
n Mid-Atlantic Show returned this fall, hinting at better days to come.
Those who attended the MidAtlantic Logging and Biomass Expo in Laurinburg, NC on November 1-2 could scarcely have asked for more agreeable weather, especially on the second day. Temperatures were mild, the sun was mostly shining and the rain stayed at bay. Just barely a month after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, many loggers and their families from throughout the region gathered to check out exhibits and grow connections in their shared community. Despite all the bad news of late, recent developments have many in the industry feeling optimistic for the future, and it’s always healthy for people with common interests to come together
The panel (from left,ALC Chairman FreddyTidwell, Jimmy King,Chris Langley andAFA President Chris Isaacson) closed out the meeting with a discussion of business innovation and succession planning.
Movin’ Up
n Alabama Loggers Council held its annual meeting at a new venue this year.
The Alabama Loggers Council continues to put together an impressive program for its annual meeting, one that seems to get better each year. When the group convened for this year’s event on October 19, loggers from throughout the state came together in a different location further north: Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, located adjacent to Jefferson State Community College’s Clanton campus. The venue afforded more space for sponsors to exhibit machines and trucks outside in the parking lot.
The day’s agenda featured an impressive lineup of speakers presenting on pertinent topics like workers’ comp, workforce education, truck driver training and succession planning. The Loggers Council and Alabama Forestry Assn. also recognized ALC’s 2024
“To celebrate the best of the best in our logging community is something we greatly prize,”AFA's Chris Isaacson said when presenting the Outstanding Logger of theYear award to Jared (center left) and Donald (center right) Douthit,the son-father team behind Calhoun County's DouthitTimber Co.,LLC,pictured here with their family.“Their work ethic and positive attitude is something we could all emulate,”according to Smurfit/WestRock procurement manager BradyAdams,who nominated the Douthits for the honor. “It's pretty contagious.”The Douthits themselves say trucking is their first passion and that logging grew from it.“We take logging very seriously,”Jared,the younger Douthit,says.“This is not a profession for us.It's a lifestyle.”
Between sessions, attendees went outside to check out vendor exhibits and network with each other.
Isaacson delivered an overview of the state of forestry inAlabama."Things we don't even know about impact us," he said,pointing to factors like consumer demand and regulations for exports into European markets.
Tidwell,right,catches up with logger Michael Hutchins,left, of Hutch Trucking,based in Livingston,Ala.
Sponsors likeWarriorTractor,Equipment Link,Inc.,Thompson Cat,B&G Equipment,Forestry 21,JMWoodAuction,Southern Loggers Co-op and others were on hand with tables indoors and equipment outside.
Stephanie Fuller fromAlabama's Forest WorkforceTraining Institute discussed forestry's impact on ruralAlabama.
Pulpwood Deserts
■ Decreased demand for fiber has many loggers scrambling.
By Patrick Dunning
NOTE: A version of this article previously appeared in the December issue of Timber Harvesting, another Hatton-Brown publication.
Especially in areas where roundwood consuming pulp and paper facilities have either closed machines or closed outright, the timber industry’s ongoing pulp and paper realignment is substantial and has initiated a domino effect with dire implications for an already strained raw material supply chain as markets for low-grade roundwood and chips disappear across the country.
Since 2022 alone, Fastmarkets RISI has been tracking 32 major pulpwood-consuming mills in the U.S. that have permanently shut down or idled machines indefinitely, eliminating over 6.1 million green tons of pulp and paper
capacity from the market. A reduction of that magnitude has sent massive ripples through a fragile timber industry and is creating pockets of pulpwood deserts in affected procurement areas where fiber outlets are greatly reduced or no longer exist.
Fiber mills still operating in 2024’s volatile climate struggle to turn a profit due to limited demand despite less competition, resulting in quotas for loggers desperate to survive low cut-and-haul rates by increasing their volume. Add in the rising cost of woods equipment, repairs, fuel and insurance, pulp producers can barely justify accepting a job even if there’s a market for pulpwood within 100 miles. The logger’s only justification to avoid a net loss is to take from the landowner’s already limited profit margin to break even because his overhead to operate is inflating faster than markets can correct.
If there isn’t a reliable outlet in range, landowners who rely on lowgrade fiber markets to thin their timber stands to improve its value are unable to effectively preserve their investment. If a stand’s timber is harvested, in some cases residual tops and limbs are deemed unprofitable and left in piles on the property and later burned.
The trees themselves are prone to decay and pestilence without proper sustainable forestry practices, which will impact the final stumpage price down the road. This largescale reduction in available capacity affects both small-acreage
32 pulp and paper mill closures have eliminated 6.1 million green tons of capacity from U.S.markets since 2022.
Landowners bear the brunt of soft pulp/paper demand.
biomass is
pulpwood market in the South. In From Brewton, Ala., along north-
that does make it to the wood yard is purchased for pennies on the dollar.
logging capacity accordingly. The company’s forester, Eric Handley, says trying to get rid of byproducts has become more expensive lately
pop sawmills accepting our residual byproducts, we’d have nowhere to haul our chips,” Handley explains. “Luckily, we diversified and were
Pulpwood
able to stay afloat. The cost of production trying to get rid of byproducts has gone up. I can’t see this continuing a whole lot longer. We’re one mill away from the timber business in Florida shutting down.”
Loggers north of I-20 in Mississippi are regularly hauling pulpwood 100 miles to fiber outlets and losing money in the process. David Livingston, Executive Director, Mississippi Loggers Assn., believes loggers are going to have to be paid more to compensate for the cost of handling pulpwood or they’ll be forced to park their equipment and retire early.
“There’s a huge vacuum of pulpwood markets north of Jackson. Some loggers are losing less money bringing their equipment to the house and parking it versus going to work and hauling 100 miles. With how much trucking costs now, hauling anything north of 75 miles, you’re losing,” Livingston says.
“For every ton you haul you have to deduct a dollar from the logs to make up for the cost of handling that pulpwood. Loggers are going to have to get paid more because they’re not going to lose everything to keep working. Especially the operators five to six years from retiring; they’re going ahead and selling their machines and getting whatever equity they can.”
International Paper’s containerboard mill closure in Orange, Tex. at the end of 2023 eliminated nearly 800,000 green tons of fiber capacity in the region and is the largest pulp and paper facility of the 32 to shut down lately.
Dave Duren, coordinator of the Texas Logging Council, says the state still has mixed feelings about how the IP mill closure has impacted loggers in the procurement radius, but industry professionals have relayed to him an unfortunate reality for pulp in southeast Texas.
“The loggers have to grade their wood very close to separate post (material), chip-n-saw, and six in. logs to reduce the pulpwood supply. Delivery prices have dropped about $3 ton and haul distances have doubled what they were. A few small-scale loggers have even shut down,” Duren says. “Most loggers will not haul pulpwood because of the distance. Procurement foresters aren’t buying pulpwood tracts because it’s hard to find a logger willing to cut it. The tracts that they do, they make an agreement with the landowner that pulpwood won’t be cut and left in a pile when necessary.”
Outlook
Hopefully, new pulp-consuming mills will eventually enter the market and demand will stabilize,
but loggers that survive this economy will have a hard time increasing production to meet the demand for wood.
In an age where utilizing renewable energy and carbon-neutral initiatives are everything, there’s a window of opportunity to push the envelope and boost support of fiber as a dependable and affordable natural resource for powering more biomass facilities.
Six companies have announced new wood biomass projects in the
U.S. since 2023, which will add three million green tons of available capacity. Four other projects started in the last two years, consuming 735,000 green tons annually for various uses. This won’t fix the U.S. pulpwood problem everywhere, but more capacity will offer some relief to pulp producers in those procurement regions.
Loggers operating within these pulpwood deserts can expect a long, turbulent recovery in their local wood market. Overall, U.S. demand
for pulpwood is up. Since 2021, 106 mills plan to open or expand in the South and 24 mills closed or plan to reduce wood use by 2026, according to a Forisk Consulting report.
“The paper side of the industry seems to be running more consistently in response to steadier demand from end-markets. Most roundwood pulpwood consumers are starting to build winter inventories, increasing demand,” says Brooks Mendell, President and CEO, Forisk Consulting. SLT
Help Wanted
l Now Hiring: People Who Show Up
l My grandpa was responsible for downing 25 German planes in WWII. Still to this day he is remembered as the worst mechanic the Luftwaffe ever had.
l By replacing your morning coffee with green tea, you can lose up to 87% of what little joy you still have left in your life.
l My brain says Alaska; my heart says Caribbean; my wallet says back porch.
l Pro Tip: If you want to sleep in while your kids are home, try telling them this: “Wake me up in 30 minutes so we can clean the house.” They’ll then do literally anything to avoid waking you up.
l My fitness trainer asked me, “What kind of a squat are you used to doing?” I replied, “Diddly.”
l Today I’m doing nothing, because I started doing it yesterday and I wasn’t finished…and I’m no quitter!
l “Never put off till tomorrow that which can be put off till the day after tomorrow.”— unknown, but often wrongly attributed to Mark Twain (though it sounds like something he would have said).
l “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”—actually Mark Twain
l “All I want is the chance to prove that money can’t buy happiness!”— Bill Abbott
Things to Remember in Life
1. Money cannot buy happiness, but it’s more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.
2. Forgive your enemy but remember his name.
3. Help someone when they are in trouble and they will remember you when they’re in trouble again.
4. Many people are alive only because it’s illegal to shoot them.
5. Alcohol does not solve any problems, but then again, neither does milk.
6. “Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”— Leo Tolstoy
7. “Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.”—Fyodor Dostoevsky
8. “We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.”—Denis Diderot
9. “Many are destined to reason wrongly; others, not to reason at all; and others, to persecute those who do reason.”—Voltaire
10. “The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.”—Rabindranath Tagore
How To Write Gooder
1. Always Avoid Alliteration
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid clichés like the plague. They’re old hat.
4. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
5. Be more or less specific.
6. Writers should never generalize.
Seven: Be consistent!
8. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.
9. Who needs rhetorical questions?
10. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
Deep Thoughts with SLT
1. So, now cocaine is legal in Oregon, but straws aren’t. That must be frustrating.
2. Still trying to get my head around the fact that ‘Take Out’ can mean food, dating, or murder.
3. Dear paranoid people who check behind their shower curtains for murderers: If you do find one, what’s your plan?
4. I, too, was once a male trapped in a female body, but then my mother gave birth.
5. If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
6. When I lost the fingers on my right hand in a freak accident, I asked the doctor if I would still be able to write with it. He said, “probably, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
7. Weight loss goal: To be able to clip my toenails and breathe at the same time.
8. Some of my friends exercise every day. Meanwhile, I’m watching a show I don’t like because the remote fell on the floor.
9. Apparently, exercise helps you with decision-making. It’s true. I went for a run this morning and decided I’m never going again.
10. I just got a present labeled, “From Mom and Dad.” I know darn well Dad has no idea what’s inside.
11. Someone said, “Nothing rhymes with orange.” I said, “No, it doesn’t.”
12. There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator. Only a fraction of people will find this funny.
13. Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
14. I have many hidden talents. I just wish I could remember where I hid them.
15. My idea of a Super Bowl is a toilet that cleans itself.
Big Brains
l “Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.”—Elbert Hubbard
l When I get a headache, I take two aspirin and keep away from children, just like the bottle advises.
l Never confuse education with intelligence.
l Did you hear? Wal-Mart had to remove 50,000 milk cartons from the store. The labels had to be changed from “Open Here” to “Open at Home.”
l Those who confuse “burro” and “burrow” don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground.
l We were doing home renovations and, incredibly, when we knocked down a wall, we found a whole secret, fully furnished room! And then I remembered: we live in a duplex.
l Two women on a bus were fighting bitterly over the last seat. After several unsuccessful attempts to intervene, the driver shouted, “Let the ugly one take the seat!” Both women stood for the rest of the trip.
l Pro Tip: Save the business cards of people you don’t like. If you ever hit a parked car accidentally, just write “Sorry” on the back of the business card and leave it on the windshield.
INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP
South Beats Canada In Lumber Production
According to early November reports from London-based commodities pricing data analytics agency Fastmarkets, current trends indicate that the U.S. South will likely surpass Canada’s softwood lumber capacity, which has historically dominated North American lumber production, for the first time since 1970.
Wood products producing mills all over have struggled with increased costs and decreased revenue, but even more so in Canada’s BC. In total, North America lost 4% of its sawmill capacity in 2024; more than 40% of that loss was in British Columbia, according to Fastmarkets economists. It appears that Canada’s production capacity loss may turn out to be the U.S. South’s gain.
Among other factors, the shift is largely attributed to restrictive U.S. trade policies. The Biden administration increased import duties (aka tariffs) on Canadian softwood lumber by nearly 81% in August; these levies are currently at 14.54% and some analysts predict that rate
could double again in 2025.
In a trade dispute that has been ongoing for four decades, the U.S. has long argued that Canada effectively subsidizes its industry and dumps low-priced wood into the U.S. market.
According to Georgia-based timber market analyst Forisk Consulting, faster-growing private forests have helped the South become North America’s largest wood basket. Even so, the U.S. will almost certainly still need to import some wood to meet rising demand. Analysts believe that overall North American lumber production may not keep pace with demand for the first time since the pandemic home improvement boom almost five years ago. If inflation and interest rates keep falling, the National Assn. of Home Builders expects a rise in new single-family home construction to continue at least through 2026 as builders continue to respond to the home inventory shortage. If that demand recovery does continue, and if it outstrips supply, it could turn around Canada’s decline, and of course, a supply shortfall relative to demand should increase prices.
ResourceWise Offers Forest Market Analysis
In an October post, ResourceWise analyst Justin Barnes offered some insight into the current state of the U.S. forest products market against the backdrop of the wider economy.
The overall U.S. economy has proved resilient in a steady rebound from ongoing pandemic impacts, Barnes explains. Since the precipitous drops of 2020, GDP growth rates have continued to stabilize. Regardless, fluctuating price trends have plagued the forest products sector, especially in softwood lumber and pulpwood.
Affordability and availability of homes, coupled with interest rates, caused a slowdown in housing starts in Q2 2024 that reduced lumber demand, and mills have adjusted production capacity accordingly.
“As the use of sawmill byproducts like chips and residues for pulp feedstock increases, the demand for traditional roundwood pulpwood and whole tree chips has sharply declined,” Barnes writes. “This shift has created significant challenges for
landowners, loggers, and wood dealers, particularly those dependent on pulpwood sales to support forest thinning and timber stand improvement efforts.”
He continues, “With fewer buyers in the pulpwood market, landowners are often left with underperforming timber stands, while suppliers face reduced opportunities to sell lowergrade materials. The result is mounting pressure on the entire wood supply chain, threatening both profitability and long-term forest health.”
Obviously, regional differences are to be expected, an assumption supported by ResourceWise data. For example, saw log prices have been more volatile in the Northwest than in the South.
Barnes notes that the consolidation trend—big companies absorbing smaller ones—may benefit those companies via economies of scale, but it also reduces competition (the linchpin of free market economies) and makes it even more difficult for small independents to operate.
There are hopeful signs. Engineered wood products have experienced increasing demand, and observers anticipate that demand to
continue rising for products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam beams. Barnes also considers emerging non-traditional wood markets beyond pulp and lumber, pointing out that the forest products industry can potentially play a pivotal role in the green energy market through sustainable aviation fuel, biochar, wood pellets, carbon capture storage and e-fuels. Government incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), he says, are opening new revenue streams for producers.
“As the United States maintains its status as the world’s largest exporter of pellets, this market presents a significant opportunity for growth and innovation,” Barnes writes. “With heightened regulation and a global shift towards sustainable energy solutions, the demand for pellets, biochar, and SAF is expected to positively impact the forest products sector.”
The post also acknowledges that many forest products companies are relocating to the U.S. South, which offers good timber supply and cheaper labor and energy compared to other regions. “This strategic shift is spurring reinvestment and revitalization in the area, making it a significant player in the forest products sector,” Barnes reports.
Sierra Pacific Opens New Alabama Facility
California-based Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is opening its new $60 million manufacturing facility in Phenix City, Ala. The 610,000-sq. ft. plant will produce high-end windows and doors. Converted from a former textile mill, the site is meant to serve as SPI’s Southeastern hub to meet rising demand.
“Sierra Pacific’s decision to expand here is a vote of confidence in Alabama’s economy and in our people,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by company and government officials in late October.
First announced in May 2023, the Alabama plant joins Sierra Pacific’s existing facilities in California and Wisconsin to bring the company’s total manufacturing space for its window division to more than two million square feet. SPI CEO Mark Emmerson said the Phenix City facility will become the “flagship of our Windows division.”
The operation currently employs 43, but SPI plans to hire 100 more in 2025, up to 300 by 2026 and perhaps as many as 500 eventually. Sierra Pacific Windows President Tom Takach says that jobs for technicians, managers, engineers, machine operators and maintenance workers can start around $20 per hour and go up to over $30 an hour depending on skill level.
Burton Mill Acquires Quitman Saw Firm
Burton Mill Solutions announced its acquisition of Industrial Cutting Tools (ICT) of Quitman, Ga. ICT specializes in reconditioning cutting tools for sawmill, chip, and pellet operations throughout the Southeastern U.S. The acquisition significantly expands Burton’s geographic footprint and enhances its technical capabilities, enabling better service to primary wood producers who outsource the reconditioning of their circle and band saws and machine knives.
Chuck Wert, Senior Vice President of Burton, expresses enthusiasm for the acquisition, “We are thrilled to join forces with ICT. Our teams share a dedication to innovation and excellence, and together we will set new standards in the industry.”
Walter Cowart, General Manager of ICT, will remain with ICT’s prior owner, The Langdale Co., while longtime employee Scott Mathis has agreed to take on the role of Operations Manager.
ICT was originally established in 1978 as an offshoot of the Langdale Co., but has since expanded and diversified to become a regional leader in cutting solutions.
Weyerhaeuser Plans New Plant In Arkansas
Weyerhaeuser announced plans to invest $500 million to build a new TimberStrand engineered wood product facility near Monticello and Warren, Ark. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 10 million cu. ft., comparable to the company’s existing TimberStrand facility in Kenora, Ontario, Can. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the goal of starting operations in 2027.
TimberStrand is made by taking logs, debarking them, and cutting them into small strands which are then oriented and pressed together using a steam injection process, bonding them with adhesives to create solid sheets of wood with consistent strength and stability; this process allows for the use of smaller, faster-growing trees that might not be suitable for traditional lumber production on their own.
The new facility will support an underserved and growing market for TimberStrand in the U.S. South, according to the company. Leveraging its proprietary TimberStrand technology, the company is combining institutional expertise from Kenora with extensive research and development to manufacture TimberStrand with southern yellow pine
as the primary feedstock. Given the company’s sizeable timber holdings in Arkansas, the Monticello facility is strategically located to source most of its fiber log requirements from Weyerhaeuser timberlands in the region. Additionally, the plant will include a biomass-fueled cogeneration system, which will fully supply the plant’s electrical needs and significantly reduce its environmental footprint.
The new facility will double
Weyerhaeuser’s North American TimberStrand capacity and enhance the company’s EWP offerings in the U.S. South. It will enhance the company’s product offering to the mass timber market as it continues to grow and mature. It’s also expected to add nearly 200 jobs in Monticello and the surrounding area once fully operational.
Weyerhaeuser already has a sizable footprint in Arkansas, with a lumber mill in Dierks and a plywood/veneer plant in Emerson, as
well as 1.2 million acres of timberlands, a seedling nursery and several offices. The company currently employs more than 700 across the state.
IP Closes Georgetown Mill in South Carolina
Officials with the International Paper Co. mill at Georgetown, SC wasted no time after announcing on Halloween the imminent closure of the facility by the end of the year. On November 1, the mill took delivery of its last load of logs, blowing a huge hole in the local logging economy as the mill took up to 400 loads daily.
The more than 6,000 loads a month that the mill paid for helped support hundreds of loggers and their employees who worked in its procurement area. Local economic officials say the impact in the logging industry alone could be more than 1,000 jobs in addition to the 674 high-paying jobs lost at the mill.
The Georgetown facility had been a major direct and indirect employer for the regional timber industry since 1937. One local offi-
cial estimated the plant also worked with and provided opportunities for more than 200 local and regional contractors and suppliers of all kinds.
The Georgetown mill produced about 300,000 tons of fluff pulp annually as well as uncoated freesheet paper to fill a sales contract that expires December 31.
The company is keeping a box plant open in Georgetown that will operate with raw material shipped from Louisiana. Due to general labor concerns in many industries, local economic officials say they have been contacted by multiple companies that would like to possibly hire former IP employees.
The Georgetown closure is the latest of several announced by IP including a packaging facility in Kansas City, a container plant in Statesville, NC, a container plant in Cleveland, Tenn., a corrugated sheet plant in San Antonio, plus plans to lay off 400 employees at IP’s Memphis, Tenn. headquarters.
Crad Jaynes, President and CEO of the South Carolina Timber Producers Assn., called the decision “heartbreaking,” adding that the significance of the move can hardly
be understated. While the mill hasn’t run at full capacity in a while, he said, the thousands of loads still delivered there every month play a huge part in the regional timber economy.
“This changes the profile of the timber industry in this state,” Jaynes says, noting that he’s hearing of loggers that worked with the facility parking multiple crews immediately. It also comes on the heels of the WestRock plant closure in North Charleston in 2023.
South Carolina logger Bob Lussier says that the impact on his company, Great Woods Companies, is major. “It happened so quick,” he said. “By 6:30 that morning it was on social media, and they were tak-
ing no more deliveries after 10 a.m.” The full effects of the closure won’t really be felt until late spring, Lussier predicts. “The tsunami hit, but the wave won’t be here till April or May.”
With so much wood now looking for a home, Jaynes notes that remaining markets are already reducing cut-and-haul rates. “It’s a ripple effect that’s devastating for the whole supply chain in that area,” he adds.
Lussier admits he’s already heard of price drops. “Our backs are against the wall with hardwood, and now the pie just got smaller. Now there aren't as many slices to go around but there's still just as many people needing to eat.”
MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY
John Deere Auto Pickup
John Deere announces its latest forestry technology feature with the rollout of Auto Pickup for its skidder lineup. Industry-exclusive Auto Pickup within John Deere TimberMatic Maps makes it easier for skidder operators to collect production information while enhancing the ability to monitor job progress. Without using Auto Pickup, operators must manually interact with the display to show the production completed on the job. This timesaving feature requires less engagement from the operator
“This brand-new feature was developed to help meet our customer needs and boost efficiency and awareness in the woods, and we are confident that Auto Pickup will improve job sites and operator performance upon first use,” says Matt Flood, Deere product marketing manager. “The technology will automatically collect critical job site data, taking the guesswork out of the collection process.”
Helping to simplify collection, Auto Pickup can be activated at the beginning of a shift by simply tapping an icon on the TimberMatic Maps display. Once engaged, the Auto Pickup feature stays on between key cycles unless manually disengaged. With no need to frequently turn the feature back on, the operator is more free to focus on the job.
Once activated, the operator simply selects the appropriate landing where loads need to be placed, and using machine intelligence, Auto Pickup will continually monitor machine functions to determine if a bunch is properly being picked up. As the operator picks up a bunch, Auto Pickup will automatically select it, and after an adjustable, preset amount of time, the bunch is added to the chosen landing. This new feature helps simplify the collection process, and is ultimately a hands-free method, requiring less engagement from the operator.
While using Auto Pickup, skidder operators no longer need to pause and track their production. This helps confirm that production information and
inventory moved to the loader is up to date in live time, instead of calculated hours after collection. As the job progresses, production data and logging routes are updated in real-time on TimberMatic Maps, displaying the actual status of the job site, helping to minimize guesswork. While Auto Pickup data is being collected, owners, supervisors and foremen can monitor live progress remotely using TimberManager. This provides full visibility of a job site from any remote location, minimizing the need to be present on the logging site to monitor operations.
Auto Pickup is now available on existing machines where TimberMatic Maps is installed. Contact your local dealer or visit deere.com/en/technologyproducts/forestry-and-logging-technology/ to learn more about Auto Pickup technology, as well as the full suite of John Deere forestry solutions.
New Tigercat Equipment
Tigercat has unveiled an upgraded knuckleboom loader, new skidder model and harvesting head.
Tigercat’s long-standing 234 series knuckleboom loader has been upgraded to the new 234C with a new boom system, new cab, an improved hydraulic system and more swing torque.
The 234C boom system provides increased lift capacity, and quicker boom speeds. The boom cylinders are cushioned at the end of stroke for smoother boom operation. Hydraulic hoses to the grapple are now routed through the boom tip for increased hose protection.
The new 234C operator’s station is more comfortable with 16% greater internal volume, increased width, and more leg room. Joysticks and switches are mounted on the armrests within comfortable reach.
Operator visibility has been improved with larger front and side windows. The wiper motor, radio and touchscreen display control system have all been relocated for improved sightlines. In addition, a redesigned swing motor cover further improves the operator’s line of sight to the work area.
Hydraulic system improvements include a new, larger main pump, and a new boom valve providing smoother boom control and improved flow sharing. Swing torque has been increased by 13% over the 234B for improved pull-through delimbing performance.
front knife arms provides accurate measurement. An efficient high-flow hydraulic system matched to Tigercat carriers provides excellent performance and outstanding fuel economy.
Visit tigercat.com.
Tigercat’s new 610H cable skidder aims to be a simple, lower cost addition to Tigercat’s highly regarded H-series skidder lineup. The Tigercat FPT N6.7 engine delivers 202 HP to the same hydrostatic driveline as the other H-series skidders. The machine is equipped with 620H sized axles for added durability.
The operator’s cabin is simplified compared with the other H-series machines. Rather than Tigercat’s signature Turnaround seat, the 610H is fitted with a fixed position seat angled at 30°.
The heavy-duty winch provides maximum line pull at any engine speed. The winch can drop loads and drive away and reel in a load while driving using a wet-disk dynamic clutch. It also has very low free spool resistance for easier cable extraction using a mechanical jaw clutch.
The new 544 is Tigercat’s lowest weight class harvesting head for track harvesters.
Based on the proven 534 design, the 544 is a three-wheel drive head with triangulated wheel arm geometry. The chassis, covers and tilt frame are designed to handle the rigors of track carrier operating conditions. Four cast steel knife arms and fixed front and back knives provide excellent delimbing quality.
Targeting trees in the 6-20" diameter range, the 544 has a maximum main cut capacity of 31" along with a 31" feed wheel opening, and 30” maximum knife arm opening to handle the occasional larger tree. An optional 22" cut capacity top saw is available.
The hydraulically actuated measuring wheel promotes positive contact and reduces component wear. Diameter measuring on the wheel arms and
January
Southern Stumpin’: What Year Is it?
Living Legacy
J.D. Gordon Logging, LLC, Gray, Georgia
Multigenerational Gordon family stays the course after losing their founder and father.
By David Abbott Page 8
Auto Focus
Georgia-Pacific, Madison, Georgia
Georgia-Pacific plywood mill aims for competitive edge with automation in high-turnover positions.
By David Abbott
Page 16
February
Southern Stumpin’: Life Coach—a look at the living legacy and life lessons from retiring Alabama Coach Nick Saban.
Third And Long
G3 Timber, LLC. Forsyth, Georgia
From a decidedly non-logging background, Trip Glidewell found his true calling in the woods.
By David Abbott
Page 8
CTL In Bama
KSC LLC, Fitzpatrick, Alabama
Kirk Sanders is deploying Ponsse cut-to-length machines on Southern hardwood jobs.
By Patrick Dunning
Page 18
Fair Wages
How much are good operators, drivers and other employees worth?
By Joe Conrad
Page 24
March
Southern Stumpin’: Crime And Punishment—a look at folks breaking the law in the timber industry.
2024 Editorial Index
Like Father…
Jarman Logging, Inc., Slayden, Tennessee
Shannon Jarman works to pass on his family legacy to the next generation.
By David Abbott
Page 8
…Like Sons
Jarman and Son Logging, LLC/Yates Forestry and Land Management, Vanleer, Tennessee
In their own ways, both of Shannon Jarman’s sons carry on the family tradition.
By David Abbott Page 14
April
Southern Stumpin’: Open Canopies—a look at wolf trees.
High Ground
Robertson Logging, LLC, Ramer, Tennessee
2023 Tennessee Logger of the Year Scottie Robertson’s roots run deep.
By David Abbott
Page 8
Adaptability
Lucas Barden Logging, Inc., Cross City, Florida/Flagstaff, Arizona In response to sawmill closures, the Bardens moved from Florida to Arizona.
By Teresa Hannah
Page 14
May
Southern Stumpin’: Yee-Haw!!—a look at the day Dave met Daisy Duke at Richmond Expo.
New Toys
HX2 Logging, Ripley, Mississippi
There isn’t much terrain Mississippi’s Brian Hickox can’t handle now with his harvester, forwarder combo.
By Patrick Dunning
Moving Time
Expo Richmond made the move to a new home for the 39th version of the esteemed show.
By David Abbott Page 12
June
Southern Stumpin’: Alarming Bells Toll—a look at the rash of mill closures.
Uphill Climb
Zach Hubbard Logging, Inc., Lewisburg, West Virginia
Taking over from his parents, Zach Hubbard invests in tethered steep slope logging.
By David Abbott Page 8
Home Run
Valdosta, Georgia
Tigercat dealer Tidewater’s Demo Day 2024 saw big turnout. Page 16
July
Southern Stumpin’: Outside the Pine Box—a look at Doug Stone’s Bobcat/DFM demo in Starkville, Mississippi.
Live, Love, Log
Olive Brothers Timber Co., Kosciusko, Mississippi
That’s the motto for the many branches of the Olive family tree.
By Patrick Dunning Page 8
Good Example
Mid Mississippi Land & Timber, LLC, Hesterville, Mississippi
The oldest Olive brother branched off to find his own niche in smaller timber.
By Patrick Dunning Page 12
August
Southern Stumpin’: Women!—a look at women in the world and in the timber industry for Women’s Equality Day.
All In
F.D. Eure, Inc., Hebron, Maryland
Frankie Eure focuses less on production and more on doing right by the land.
By David Abbott Page 8
Different Kind
Timbersmith Logging, Bluemont, Virginia
Kevin Smith approaches logging with a focus on land management more than high production.
5-7—Forest Resources Assn. Joint Annual Meeting and Southeastern Region Spring Meeting, The Hilton Sandestin Golf Resort, Miramar Beach, Fla. Call 202-296-3937; visit forestresources.org.
7-9—2025 Virginia Forestry Summit, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va. Call 804-278-8733; visit vaforestry.org.
19-22—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianhardwood.org.
20-24—SLMA 2025 Annual Conference, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 504-443-4464; visit slma.org.
25-26—Missouri Forest Products Assn. summer meeting, Chateau on the Lake, Branson, Mo. Call 573634-3252; visit moforest.org.
August 2025
6-8—Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo, Music City Center, Nashville, Tenn. Call 504-4434464; visit sfpaexpo.com.
22-23—Southwest Forest Products Expo, Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Ark. Call 501-2242232; visit arkloggers.com.
September 2025
4-6—Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, U.P. State Fairgrounds, Escanaba, Mich. Call 715-282-5828; visit gltpa.org.
April 2026
Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 334-834-1170; visit
Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
