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Vol. 45, No. 2
(Founded in 1972—Our 521st Consecutive Issue)
F E AT U R E S
February 2016 A Hatton-Brown Publication
Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525 www.southernloggintimes.com
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Randolph Logging Back In The Saddle
Meadow River Historic WV Sawmill
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
out front:
DISPLAY SALES Eastern U.S.
Alabama-based Mid Star Timber is one big family business. Its founders, Mitchell and Wanda Presley (center), continue to grow their already expansive group of companies with an eye to building a legacy and passing the torch down to future generations, starting with their sons Doug (left side) and Steve (right). With $16 million invested in equipment across multiple logging, chipping, trucking and road-building crews, not to mention a procurement team and a fuel station, the family invested $2 million—its largest single-year capital expenditure—in 2015. Story begins on PAGE 8. (Natalie Presley photo)
Kathy Sternenberg Tel: 251-928-4962 • Fax: 334-834-4525 219 Royal Lane Fairhope, AL 36532 E-mail: ksternenberg@bellsouth.net 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
D E PA RT M E N T S Southern Stumpin’ .................................................................................................6 Bulletin Board .......................................................................................................34 Industry News roundup.......................................................................................42 At The Margins .....................................................................................................52 IronWorks ..............................................................................................................53 Machines-Supplies-Technologies .......................................................................61 Coming Events/Ad Index .....................................................................................62
Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca International Murray Brett Tel: +34 96 640 4165 Fax: +34 96 640 4022 Aldea de las Cuevas 66 Buzon 60 • 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
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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 nonqualified 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—TOLLFREE 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 ® 2016. 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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SOUTHERN STUMPIN’ By David Abbott • Managing Editor • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: david@hattonbrown.com
Perseverance Pays ell, well, well, it seems my little plan looking in, it seems like Coker does. Instead of worked. At the end of this space in the quitting, or pouting, he worked harder, earned his last issue, I wrote: “In last year’s Januplace—and won a national championship. Obviary issue, I made a comment about hoping that ously, I’m biased, but I think there’s a great lesthe Alabama Crimson Tide would have won the son there. national championship by the time you read it. Wait, what’s that you say…I’m writing for That…turned out not to be the case. So, this year, Southern Loggin’ Times, not Sports Illustrated? I am not going to predict an Alabama victory. Well, just hold on…it all ties together... I’m just going to say that I hope Michigan State, Clemson and Oklahoma will have all lost. Let’s Overcoming Obstacles see if that works better.” A couple of weeks ago, I visited Mid Star TimWell… ber in Toxey, Ala. It’s the cover story on page 8 this Look, I’m not saying I deserve credit for the win or anything, I’m just saying if Nick wants to issue, and it’s kind of an extra-long double feature, share some of his bonus with me, I wouldn’t feel because there is so much to tell about this company. With a $16 million investment and over half a as though it was undeserved… million tons of wood hauled annually, we think In all seriousness—it was an amazing game, they might be the largest logging company in the Clemson is incredible—but I don’t bring this up state, in that these are Mid Star’s company-owned to gloat. At least, not just to gloat. There is a point. I have to admit that, early on this season, I crews, not contractors. Framed on the wall of their office is the was one of the people who didn’t expect much from the Crimson Tide this year. I was critical of March/April 2005 issue of our companion publication, Timber Harvesting, featuring Mid Star on the Lane Kiffin’s offensive style. I was skeptical cover. That issue was the first Hatton-Brown magaabout Jake Coker at quarterback. zine given to me to read the day I started this job in I started to feel better about my preferred March 2005. I still have it. The article on Mid Star team, ironically enough, after their 43-37 loss to was written by my mother-in-law, retired HattonOle Miss on September 19. Before that loss, I Brown scribe Jennifer was worried. By the time McCary. At the time, Mid that game ended, I felt conStar was only a six-year-old fident, despite the loss. company, had just started its Why? Alabama was down third crew (it now has seven), most of the game, but they and was experimenting with rallied back from 20-point night logging. deficits, not once, but The company has grown, twice, and, but for a few but what hasn’t changed since costly mistakes, came very that story 11 years ago is its close to pulling off a latecommitment to business mangame win. agement based on getting the That game was symbolic numbers right. It’s a very proof Coker’s whole college fessionally-run company. I’ve football career. His journey talked with owner Mitchell makes a great story. First he Presley in the past, and he’s lost the QB job to Jameis always struck me as a highly Winston at Florida State in intelligent, thoughtful, articu2013. Then, after transferlate man. He reminds me of ring, he lost out again to Looking ahead, 11 years ago... country crooner Don Blake Sims at Bama in Williams, the “gentle 2014. He finally got his giant”—soft-spoken, introspective, a deep thinker. chance to be the starter in 2015, then got Given his manner and the way he runs his combenched in favor of Cooper Bateman for the start pany, I assumed he was formally educated, probaof the Ole Miss game. What’s fascinating, and instructive, is how this bly with a business degree. But that’s not the case. “I couldn’t learn from an academic standpoint,” young man responded to all these setbacks. I’ve Presley told me during our visit. His sister graduattried to instill in my young nephews the importance of perseverance and teamwork. On a team, ed valedictorian and earned a degree in engineering, and his brother in chemical engineering. But you do what’s asked of you, for the good of the team, because it’s never about you being the star. Mitchell says he had a learning disability. “I can’t spell or pronounce words through phonics, only A lot of people don’t seem to get that. through memorization. And algebra was something I don’t know the guy, but from the outside
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that just could not work in this brain.” After a few years working in the oil field, Presley got a job running a chain saw for Scott Paper Co. He describes a day when he was felling timber in the hills of Choctaw County when he experienced something of an epiphany. “I could hear my heart beating in my ear muffs, and I was thinking, time is passing by. Here I am, and what skills do I have? I can run a saw, and I’m good at it, but I can’t do anything else.” He began to wonder where his life was heading. Scott Paper had a program wherein employees could further their education at night at the company’s expense. Presley enrolled in classes at Alabama Southern Community College in Gilbertown. He had to work 11 hours a day for his paycheck to support his wife and kids, and classes started at 6:30, so he brought a change of clothes to the woods with him, but there was a bigger problem. At 23, he could only read and write on a second grade level. Until he overcame that deficit, he couldn’t receive any credits for the classes he took. He didn’t let that stop him. “It was painful,” he recalls. “Man, I wanted to quit.” But he didn’t. It took him six years to get a two-year forestry degree, but he got it. His wife, Wanda, supported his efforts. Having had to quit school to go to work when she was 16, she understood how important this was to him. “That’s the kind of person she is,” he says, gratefully. It didn’t stop there. At 30, he was promoted to a manager position at Scott. The company offered training in computers, accounting, and business management, and Presley took advantage of every opportunity he could to further his education. The man who could once barely read became a heavy reader. He studied Zig Ziglar and Stephen Covey, whose book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” influenced Presley greatly. Then, Scott—having been purchased by Kimberly-Clark—shut down Presley’s division. He was suddenly unemployed. “If I had not gone to school—if I had said, I have a learning disability, I can’t do it—where would have I gone?” he reflects. “What would I be doing now? Would I be driving a skidder? Running a crew for somebody else?” Instead, he and Wanda started Mid Star, and you can flip a few pages to see how that went for them. Without a high school diploma, she runs the books like a pro, and he, who struggled to read, now researches the market on the internet before making big investments. “If we’re going to chip for a pellet plant, I want to know how stable that group is, who are they trading with, how is the strength of the dollar and currency exchange going to affect exports?” he cites an example. Much like Coker, Presley credits persistence SLT with getting him to the top.
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Pass It On Down ■ The Presley family has designed its ever-growing business to thrive from one generation to the next.
Mid Star has a massive operation, with four logging crews, three chipping crews, two trucking outfits, a road crew, fuel station and support staff.
By David Abbott TOXEY, Ala. iversified southwest Alabama company Mid Star ★ Timber Harvesting, Inc., just had its biggest year yet for capital expenditures, according to its owner, Mitchell Presley. With the addition of two new operations last year—a third chipping crew and a second trucking outfit—the company invested over $2 million in 2015. Partnered with his wife Wanda, Mitchell, 54, started Mid Star in 1999, and 17 years later they own three companies: Mid Star Timber,
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which includes seven harvesting crews—four roundwood, three chipping—as well as procurement and support; Mid-Star Wood Haulers, the transportation component for the timber side; and their most recent baby, Mid Star Express, the cross-country trucking company they started last year. The business also includes its own company fueling station and a road building crew. Taking into account equipment investment alone, Mitchell figures replacement value at $16 million, and last year the company hauled more than a half million tons. Of course, Mid Star didn’t start out this big. Before starting the company, Mitchell spent 16 years
with Scott Paper Co. While going to school at night for a forestry degree, he worked his way up from a chain saw operator to an operations manager. (For more on Mitchell Presley’s early years, see Southern Stumpin’ on page 6 of this issue.) In late 1995, Scott Paper merged with Kimberly-Clark, and a few years later that company opted to divest itself of its southeast timberlands group—leaving Mitchell without a job. He and Wanda decided to buy some of the logging equipment from his former employer, and with that, they were in business for themselves. Back then it was just one crew—Mitchell and his nephew felling, skidding and
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loading in the woods, with two truck drivers, cutting for Lower Dixie Timber Co. in Thomasville. The growth over time was driven by market opportunities, Mitchell says. “We didn’t make moves just to make them. We looked at how it fit into the operation—what diversity did it offer the company. We needed more pieces to have a little more control over our destiny. For example, we needed to buy timber in order to have options for tracts and markets.” The company expanded as opportunity presented itself, and, he admits, they did at times court that opportunity. The investments last year represented a bit of both scenarios.
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Solvay Biomass Energy presented Mid Star with an opportunity to supply its Quitman, Miss. pellet plant with chips. Thus, after careful consideration, Mid Star added its third chipping crew in September. The other investment in 2015, the addition of Mid Star Express, fell more into the courtship category. That was Mitchells’ brainchild—it came about during a week he had off for a medical procedure, affording him some time to think. “They give you good drugs when you’re sick,” he jokes. “Then the prescription runs out and you wonder…where did this come from?” In fact, in a 17-month stretch since 2014, Mitchell had three different surgeries—one on fused discs in his neck, one to remove his appendix and one for prostate cancer. After each one, the company added something new—a correlation that has not been lost on his wife. “I’m trying to keep him healthy, because we need to slow down the equipment purchases,” Wanda says with tongue at least partially in cheek. “He’s been complaining of his back, but I told him to suck it up. No more drugs for you!”
Legacy The growth was not for its own sake, but for the sake of diversity, and the purpose of the diversity was to steer the company towards its ultimate goal since day one: longevity. “Early on, I didn’t want this to be a one-generation business,” Mitchell relates. “What is our succession plan?” he asks Wanda back at the office, just across the road from their home and from the shop. She introduces herself as the Boss’ Wife, but the man himself just calls her The Boss. “Mine is to retire,” she answers with a grin and no hint of hesitation. The truth is, retirement is not on the agenda yet for this power couple, but it is in the long-range plan. “Unfortunately, the business tells Wanda and me when we can be off,” Mitchell says. “This is the part she is tired of. It tells us when dinner is going to be, and if we are working this weekend. Our vacations are not weeks, they are days, and they are dictated by the business.” A wise man has said that when you own a business, it owns you, too. “I had neck surgery, that was one week off,” Mitchell continues. “Prostate cancer, I was in the bed one week, the next week I was in this pickup. Wanda and I pay ourselves really well and the business has done really well, but we don’t get to go on those vacations that we can afford to go on. We have the financial means; we just don’t have the time. It will come, though, because the boys are learning this thing.”
The Mid Star office sits just across the street from the shop and from Mitchell and Wanda Presley’s home.
The boys to whom he refers are his sons with Wanda—Doug, 33, and Steve, 31. Both act as operations managers—Doug oversees the roundwood logging crews, Steve is in charge of the chipping side. They both manage production and transportation in their respective areas. Both knew they wanted to work in the family business after school, so they trained, starting on a cutter, and worked their way up to the positions they now fill. It takes time, the elder Presley believes. He was 30, close to their ages now, when he got to the management level, like them. He was 38 before he took the helm of his own
company. “I had a lot to learn between 30 and 38—and I learned on somebody else’s dime. You might say, let your people make mistakes. Well, they’re very costly. I’m not a guy who doesn’t allow people freedom and flexibility— don’t misunderstand—but I am a guy who has done it from the ground up.” The next generation— not just Doug and Steve, but others in the company as well—can still benefit from his experience. Part of the process, he stresses, is for the up and comers to transition from following his lead to making decisions on their own. “They were taught all their lives to mind. Now I
have to teach them to manage. Don’t do it just because daddy said.” For now, they can still access Mitchell’s input; eventually, that won’t be the case. “Those are things that are not fully developed yet, so it keeps me staying in the middle of it.” It isn’t only for his sons that Mitchell feels a duty to leave a legacy through Mid Star. In his mind, that responsibility extends to the rest of his team as well. “We have good, competent people like Lyle and Frank,” he says, referencing Lyle Broughton and Frank Mozingo, two key players in management. “They helped us get where we are. I owe it to them to
Management team: Frank Mozingo, John Johnson, Wanda Presley, Mitchell Presley, Natalie Presley, Lyle Broughton
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make it as great as it can be, along with their help. We have the same motives and goals—the desire to go beyond one generation with it.” That multigenerational goal is already being realized. Along with the Presley boys, there is Mozingo’s son Colton, who works with his father on the procurement team, and one of the crew foremen, Wayne Turner, has three sons working on different crews or in the shop.
Teamwork There are other family connections. Broughton’s wife Alana handles billing for Mid Star Express. Wanda’s two sisters both work in the business, and the sisters have two sons-in-law working for the company, one as a crew leader and the other as shop manager. Doug’s wife Kelli and Steve’s wife Natalie both work for the company, and Natalie’s brother-in-law, John Hutto, is also a core member of the team. With such a wide range of operations, obviously Mitchell and Wanda can’t manage it all themselves, so they have assembled a team of supervisors for each department. This includes Doug Presley, logging operations manager; Steve
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The company has a mix of all brands, but leans most heavily to Cat machines.
Presley, chipping operations manager; Lyle Broughton, HR and Mid Star Express operations manager; Frank Mozingo, procurement team manager; Natalie Presley, safety manager; and John Johnson, safety coordinator. “We look at our numbers in two ways,” Mitchell explains. “The first
we call managerial accounting. We track everything from cost per mile to cost per ton and what our P&L (profit and loss) is on a weekly basis.” Broughton, who is said to wear many hats, plays a key role in managerial accounting. “He’s the scorekeeper for our numbers,” Mitchell says.
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The second method is financial accounting, and that is the area Wanda most directly supervises. She works with a CPA to pay the bills, balance the budget and ensure all is in full compliance with tax laws. The team reviews both sets of numbers weekly. “We call that our steering wheel,” Mitchell says. “We
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use it to guide the company in better decision making.” The young management team is just reaching its stride, Mitchell believes. “The knowledge, awareness and commitment to move the company forward is reaching a new level.” He regards this as the most promising development for the company moving forward. “We have learned that ‘me’ and ‘I’ are not part of a successful team,” he says. He references Tom Kelly, his former manager of operations at Scott Paper, who taught him: “As a manager, when you get people doing exactly what you say, you have just screwed up—none of us know as much as all of us.”
Safety Program Note that Mid Star has not one but two people with the word “safety” in the job title. That was another aspect of Mid Star’s recent expansions: a renewed emphasis on safety. With the rapid growth of the company, the team realized it needed to upgrade to a more robust safety program. To that end, Natalie and Johnson work together to ensure that all personnel, as well as the equipment and shop, are fully in compliance with OSHA standards. One of Natalie’s goals is to pro-
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The track cutter floats among the seven crews as needed.
mote safety awareness through weekly meetings. The operation is so spread out, running in 10-11 counties, that getting everyone together for a single safety meeting would be impractical. So, Natalie provides materials to the crew leaders and relies on them to conduct meetings. She offers the foremen a
monthly prize—a Wal-Mart gift card, for instance, or a nice pocketknife—to ensure that the meetings take place and that all the paperwork is documented properly, recording employee participation. Under Johnson’s purview is an effort to track and measure the financial cost of accidents and near
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misses. If, for example, operator mistakes cause a machine to become stuck or damaged, and in the process of fixing it someone is perhaps even slightly injured, the management team wants to know how that affects the business in terms of machine down time, manhours lost, fuel consumption. “It’s a
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cost to the company in lost production, in resources being funneled into a non-productive area,” Mitchell explains. Moreover, he adds, he wants to raise awareness among the operators about the consequences of their actions. “We try to get our folks to consider, if I do this, what will be the end result?” Along with the usual safety videos and paper handouts, Natalie and Johnson have worked with truckers on defensive driving techniques and brake training. For the woods and shop crews, they focus
training on PPE (personal protective equipment) and fire extinguisher, first aid and spill kit use. The safety team has also started placing a card of emergency contacts in all crew trucks. Timber buyers, as part of the pre-harvest checklist, now give crews the GPS coordinates of the tract so that if there is an accident they can tell emergency responders where to go. One of the challenges, Natalie admits, can be re-educating experienced operators who have developed bad habits working for timber com-
panies that lacked safety programs. A recent hire, she relates, had been a foreman for another company, but had never worn a hard hat. “That’s a problem we face when we try to push PPE and they haven’t done that before,” she says. “But they are doing really well with it.” The team has also been working with an OSHA consultant, Tom Reed, who has conducted a mock audit on all operations. Reed is also helping the company get its SDS (safety data sheets) and fuel station policies up to date. They have also
contracted a CPR/first aid specialist for special training. “If anything we might be guilty of some overkill right now,” Natalie says. “But we are just trying to be proactive, to head off a problem before there is one.” The company has its equipment and general liability insurance with BITCO (Bituminous Insurance Companies), and its workers’ comp with Hawkins and Rawlinson.
Stake Holders Another priority for the Presleys has been to turn employees into stakeholders in the company. “A skidder operator is a stakeholder at one level, and the crew manager is a stakeholder on another level,” Mitchell explains. He uses for an example the truck leasing program Mid-Star Wood Haulers offers, which he describes as a “creative partnership.” “Our lease program takes top notch people and the truck is leased to them, a continuous lease, where expenses are met on the truck and money is put aside in a maintenance reserve,” he says. “This guy creates his own little company. We own the tuck and provide the wood for him to haul. He becomes an integral part of our business, and he can make a darn good living. Those guys are your most efficient. They’re moving way more wood than a company truck, which gets paid by the hour. He’s a stakeholder, because he knows the more efficient he is, the more profitable he is, and guess what? The more efficient and profitable he is, the more efficient and profitable I am.” Mitchell adds that this has proven itself a good employee retention program as well. Including harvesting crews, logging and long haul truck drivers, contractors, road building, shop support, administrative and management, the three companies combined employ 90. Finding and retaining quality employees is of course a challenge, but not an insurmountable one; there are certainly good ones out there, Mitchell is confident. For one thing, the still dropping price of oil over the last year has put a lot of people in the region back on the job market—a reversal of the previous trend, when many were leaving the woods to seek work in the oil fields. “We have gotten one or two from there, but we have been fortunate not to have a lot of turnover,” Mitchell says. Still, due to the company’s growth, it has had job openings. A person seeking a job with
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Mid Star fills out an application, and the management team works together on the interview and hiring process. ”Certainly you’re looking for someone with particular skills, but you’re also looking for someone who can fit into the existing operation,” Mitchell believes. “You want a good person who would make the company a good employee—even if he may not be able to perform the job you want him to do right then.” When training is needed, the company always has a few spare pieces for just that purpose.
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“We are always working a least one person extra, and that person is in training,” Mitchell expounds. “You have more people than you have a seat for so that you are in continuous training mode; otherwise you find yourself with nobody to go in that position.” He views this as a cost of doing business. In addition to the department managers, each crew has a foreman, who usually mans the loaders. Wayne Turner, Johnny Hollinghead, John David Pruitt and Bobby Turner are the roundwood crew foremen. Chip-
ping crew foremen are Orum Snow, James Young and Ronnie Lindsay. David Todd is described as a floater and an integral part of the logging operation. Kenny Dixon heads up the road building crew. Jonathan Boyd manages the shop. Each crew has at least one member who is PLM (Professional Logging Manager) trained, and more are in training.
Equipment Mix Most of the crews are three-man operations, except for one, the “big
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crew,” which is set up with two skidders and two loaders. In all, the company has in active use nine skidders, nine loaders, nine rubber tired cutters and one track cutter that floats as needed among the seven crews. The equipment mix is heavy to Caterpillar with some Tigercat, Barko and John Deere as well. A Peterson 4300 micro chipper, Woodsman 437 and Morbark 40/36 chippers are used on the chipping crews. The equipment is also a mix of newer-to-older pieces. Mitchell says the management team has studied and adjusted its capital expenditure plan over the years. At one time, they wanted to run only a few newer machines amid a fleet of paid-off pieces. “The efficiency on the paid-for stuff is not as good,” Mitchell realized. “You find yourself with down time and high maintenance costs. So we adjusted that approach to try to hit that right mark, where the machine has some equity.” The balance they eventually settled on was to have a majority of the machines at around the three-year old mark at any given time—a few newer, a few older, but most in the middle. And, depending on its application, they want to keep some pieces running even longer. On the chipping side, for instance, the skidders are under less strain than on the roundwood crews, because they’re pulling smaller wood. “We found we can run older machines there and still be efficient.” Mid Star also has a road crew using six dozers, two motor graders, a backhoe, track hoe and dump truck—a mix of John Deere and Cat machines. That equipment works to support the logging crews, but also performs jobs for large landowners that want erosion control, roadwork or gravel hauled, as well as for local individuals, building roads or ponds. “So when it’s not supporting Mid Star, it is still generating income,” Mitchell notes. The company buys Cat machines from Thompson Tractor in Thomasville, Ala., Tigercat from B&G Equipment in Philadelphia, Miss., and John Deere from Warrior Tractor in Monroeville, Ala. On the forestry hauling side, Mid-Star Wood Haulers runs 33 trucks—26 company-owned and seven contractors. That includes 16 Kenworth W900s, with three Freightliner Coronados, six Mack CH and one Peterbilt. All trucks use SI and Vulcan scales. The company has several Magnolia four bolsters, a few pole trailers, and has most recently added some ➤ 20
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The crews average 60 loads a week; in all, that totaled more than 500,000 tons last year.
Pitts Ultra Load Payin’ series to the mix. The chipping crews use Peerless walking floor and ITI chip vans.
Equipment Maintenance Mid Star has six full-time mechanics working in the shop,
with two fully equipped service trucks: a Ford F550 with a crane, and a F450. Along with routine maintenance scheduled in the shops, the mechanics make trips to the job sites as needed, when a repair is beyond what the operators are equipped to perform.
Trucks return to the shop every 15,000 miles for service, and harvesting equipment every 300 hours. On some of the newer machines, the crews use John Deere’s JDLink or Cat’s VisionLink to track service hours. “If you plug in the information when it’s serviced, it will send
Three generations of the Presley family; on the back row, the grownups, left to right: Kelli, Doug, Mitchell, Wanda, Steve and Natalie; on the front row, the grandkids, Caden, Lizzie, Kooper, Makayla, Kenzie
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you a reminder 50 hours before it’s due again,” Doug says. Also, he adds, “We use it to measure efficiency of the operator, to measure gallons per hour and the number of hours worked, how many days it ran in a month, how much idle time.” That information is useful in training mechanics, he says. The shop crew always takes oil samples to send to the dealers. They also keep detailed records of all repairs and maintenance performed on every machine and truck. That’s necessary for the DOT and warranty claims, as well as for internal use. Tier 4 and DEF have certainly caused some frustration, though how much depends on the machine. Trucks, Mitchell thinks, have seen more improvement in this area than woods machines. “A lot of the problems with the mid-generation emissions packages have been solved,” he says. Still, he adds, “There’s no such thing as DEF problem-free. It’ll make you say some bad words.” In all they use about 750 gallons of DEF a week, Broughton says. Rotella T 15w-40 is the preferred oil for forestry trucks and equipment, along with Chevron ISO 68 hydraulic fluid. For skidders, Mid Star uses 35.5x32 tires, and 30.5x32 on cutters, usually Primex and Goodyear. Steer tires on trucks are 24.5 Firestones or Yokohama. The company spends about $1 million a year on parts, repairs and maintenance.
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Equipment Breakdown John David’s crew Loaders: 2013 Cat 559C 2015 Cat 559C Skidders: 2012 Tigercat 620D 2014 Cat 545D Cutters: 2013 Cat 521B 2013 Cat 563C
Wayne Turner’s crew The fuel station, built in ’06, saves the company thousands of dollars a month.
Procurement The five members of the procurement team purchase the overwhelming majority of Mid Star’s timber. Up until just a few months ago it was 100%. Recently, though, Weyerhaeuser contacted the company about cutting a few tracts. “They had some good tracts, so we have continued to cut for them,” Mitchell says. “I don’t know if it will be a permanent arrangement, I don’t know if that’s what they want. It really doesn’t matter, because we aren’t dependent on them. We have a procurement group and timber on the books to cut.” The company buys timber from a range of sources—REITs, Plum Creek, Weyerhaeuser and smaller private landowners who own 210,000 acres on down to individuals who only own 20-30 acres. Because it is located so close to the state line, in Choctaw County, Mid Star cuts in both Alabama and Mississippi. For the chipping crews, the procurement team seeks out young plantation material or, for one crew that mixes chipping and roundwood, they look for tracts heavy to pre-commercial material with scattered roundwood. “The 300-acre tracts seem to be gone,” Mitchell says. The typical tract now, he says, is 20-60 acres, so the crews move through those very quickly—sometimes in under a week. Because of the frequent moving of machinery, Mid Star has one employee who runs a lowboy full time. “Downtime is what kills you,” Mitchell says, referring specifically to the downtime of moving. It involves an opportunity cost in terms of what everything could be doing—the equipment isn’t producing, and a truck that could be hauling wood is instead hauling machines. “A truck needs to generate about $700 a day to be profitable. So that lowboy truck, from that standpoint, costs you roughly in that range. It is an inevitable cost.
There is no getting away from the expense, but one of the keys is to minimize it.” That minimization requires a lot of constant communication among the various managers and foremen. “We turn down timber that is beyond our market,” Mitchell says. The procurement and dispatch personnel make a concerted effort to keep the crews working within 50 miles of the delivery point. All of that is figured in at the procurement level, he says. “We are conscious of the delivery point but we are also very conscious of how far the crews have to drive,” Mitchell says. “If you have to drive two hours there and two hours back, that’s four hours. Eight hours (in the woods) gives you 12 total. I am paying them riding time, not 100% but part of it. So out of 12 paid hours I can only have eight productive hours. That won’t fit.”
Pennington, International Paper at Pine Hill, and various WestRock and Boise mills in both Alabama and Mississippi. “We haul a wide range of products,” Mitchell says. In 2015 Mid Star moved 540 thousand tons of wood products. That broke down to 19,285 loads averaging 28 tons each, for an average 385 loads a week—60 loads per crew. Most of that, he points out, was produced with only six crews—the seventh wasn’t added until the fourth quarter. Because the crews are so widely scattered, backhauling opportunities are rare. “We may float trucks for efficiency purposes but for the most part the trucks are committed to one crew,” Mitchell says. He adds that it is best to keep drivers hauling the same product consistently—chips or roundwood—because it is what they know, and there are slight differences between them.
Markets
Fuel Station
Trucking destinations include Georgia-Pacific’s Alabama River Cellulose mill at Perdue Hill, G-P at
One thing helping with the cost of transportation is the fuel station Mid Star built in 2006, when fuel
Loader: 2014 Cat 559C Skidder: 2014 Cat 525D Cutter: 2015 John Deere 843L
Johnny Holinghead’s crew Loader: 2014 Cat 559C Skidder: 2014 Cat 525D Cutter: 2014 Cat 573C
Bobby Turner’s crew Loader: 2015 Cat 559C Skidder: 2014 Cat 535D Cutter: 2014 Cat 573C
Orum Snow’s crew Chipper: 2012 Morbark 40/36 Loader: 2012 Barko 495 Ml Skidder: 2014 Cat 525D Cutter: 2010 Tigercat 724E
James Young’s crew Chipper: 2013 Woodsman 337 Loader: 2012 Barko 495ML Skidder: 2014 Cat 525D Cutter: 2015 Tigercat 720G
Ronnie Lindsey’s crew Chipper: 2014 Peterson 4300 Loader: 2005 Deere 437C Skidder: 2014 Cat 525D Cutter: 2015 Tigercat 720G
Procurement team, left to right: Colton and Frank Mozingo, Justin Bonner and Jeremiah Russell
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Presley believes in constant communication and hands-on management.
The crew works a wide variety of tracts in both Alabama and Mississippi.
prices were getting painfully high. The station carries on-road and offroad diesel, gasoline and DEF. Trucks can refuel here, and crews refill fuel trailers for in-woods equipment. Mitchell says close to a million gallons a year flow through the station. “We are using roughly 20,000 gallons a week with all crews combined, and you get a nice discount on that,” Mitchell says. If it’s true
Maples Gas Co., Inc., in Meridian, Miss. is the distributor for fuel and gasoline, while McPherson Oil Co. in Mobile, Ala., supplies DEF. Each driver keys in his driver and truck number along with a security number and the current mileage on his truck to access the automated system. Woods crew leaders use a similar system to obtain off-road fuel and gas. Wanda reviews a weekly report from the system to
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that a penny saved is a penny earned, then the station either saves or earns Mid Star around $20,000 a month. It all comes down to volume. “You save pennies but if you use a tremendous amount and save a few cents per gallon, it adds up. If it saved you even ten cents a gallon, at 20,000 gallons, that’s $2,000.” The cost of operation per gallon is relatively low now that the station is paid off, he adds.
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ensure each department is charged with the correct amount of fuel. The station has security cameras to help prevent theft.
Long Haul Mid Star Express, the over-theroad trucking company started in May last year, uses a mix of flatbeds and vans to haul anything from A to Z, but it’s not totally unrelated
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to the transportation side of the timber business, Mitchell asserts. “When you have as many trucks as we have, you know something about cost per mile, cost per ton, drivers, training and all that goes along with it.” For now, the venture has five trucks, five drivers and a dispatcher. It’s been profitable, but growth is in the plans. “With five trucks, you have one level of committed hauls you can possibly connect with,” Mitchell explains. “At 10 trucks it’s another level, and at 20 and so on.
Companies that do a lot of shipping are looking for that consistency. To be really successful in this long haul stuff, we will need to continue to grow to attract those kinds of clients.” Drivers are on the road from Sunday night till Friday every week. The territory is mainly in the Southeast, from the Carolinas to Texas, but trucks do make some runs up to the Midwest. Distinct from most of the forestry trucks, the cross-country trucks are equipped with GPS systems from Teletrac.
Concerns One of the major obstacles, Broughton says, is the amount of regulatory red tape and paperwork. He points to all the stages of emissions packages in trucks alone. “One government regulation has cost and continues to cost us in changes and in repairs,” Broughton explains. Quoting Mitchell, he adds, “We have learned over the years to deal with rain and quotas and price, and all the standard problems but if we don’t get the regulatory part
right, then it doesn’t matter how well we understand our side of it, because the government can change it all on us.” Johnson concurs, adding, “The level of paperwork, all the documentation now required for chain of custody takes so much time. Our business is driven by the mills and their requirements, and they are coming up with more every day. Guidelines are being handed down to them—SFI, BMPs, PLM. It’s getting tougher on the mills, they are being dictated to, so we have to satisfy their needs, and we don’t get another dollar for it. They want more from you for less money.” Mitchell has another concern that, in many respects, is even more specific to an operation of this size—being spread too thin. “One of the reasons Hitler lost the war was that he fought on too many fronts,” he explains. “We have stumpage price, rising equipment costs, increases in labor— operating costs are always higher. If we focus too much of our resources in one area, then we get tripped up.” Following the same train of thought, he compares the business to a plate spinner. “He gets all these plates spinning steady, and if one goes wild over here, he runs to it, then he runs to another. How do we know how many we can keep in the air at once? That is our biggest challenge, how to juggle all that.” There is no silver bullet for it, he notes—the balancing act is a continuous struggle. As busy as they are running all this, the management team somehow finds time to be as active as they can be in both the Alabama Loggers Council and Mississippi Loggers Assn., Mitchell says. They are also involved with WSRI (Wood Supply Research Institute), and Frank Mozingo serves on the board of directors for the Alabama Forestry Assn. Looking at this business that’s grown so much in barely a decade and a half—$16 million in equipment alone—Mitchell says that if someone offered him that amount for it, he’d have to smile, shrug and say, “Thanks, but no thanks. Keep the money, I’ll keep working.” A lot of people, he considers, are in the logging business just because they love it. Others are in it just to make money. He describes himself as something of both. “I am that guy who loves it, but if I can’t make money at it, I’d rather do something else. It’s got to be profitable.” SLT So far, so good. Contact Mitchell and Wanda Presley by email: wandap@millry.net
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Stepping Up To The Plate ■ Harold Kleckley has his business rolling along in Randolph County.
New Tigercat cutter, added in December, has been very good for business.
By Jay Donnell CUTHBERT, Ga. hen Harold Kleckley decided to get ★ back into logging in 2005 he knew there was plenty of opportunity for him in the woods. He had worked in logging his entire life and worked many years for Highland Timber Co., which was owned by his uncle, C.L. Jones. Highland Timber was sold in 1997. After working in the construction industry from 19992005, Kleckley knew he wanted to get back to his first love, logging big pine timber. On February 14, 2005 Harold, C.L. Jones and Shane Yelverton started up Randolph Logging, LLC, named after Randolph County which is where the town of Cuthbert is located. The county has a long history of logging and is home to several strong logging operations. Randolph Logging hit the ground
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running. By June 2005 the company was expanding to two crews due to a high demand for production in the area. Unfortunately, in December 2005, Shane Yelverton had to get out of the business due to an illness, but that didn’t slow down the Cuthbert-based business. A couple of years later CatchMark Timber, a
timberlands management and investment business based in Atlanta, Ga., approached Harold and C.L. about logging for them and the rest, as they say, is history. “They needed some super crews to move a bunch of wood,” Harold says. “We started with G-P and that was good for a couple years, but we
C.L. Jones, Harold Kleckley and James Kleckley
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were cutting a lot of wood in Alabama and G-P was a little far away so our wood was higher priced.” In 2010, C.L. Jones sold his share of the company to Harold. “I stayed out there for eight years, but once I turned 65 I told them I wanted to go back to the house,” C.L. says with a smile.
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Forest Operations Harold Kleckley and his two crews harvest 200-250 loads per week on flat terrain and rolling hills. They mainly clear-cut in the winter and thin in the summer months. The company cuts timber on private land and works exclusively for CatchMark, formerly known as Wells Timber. The working relationship has worked out well for both parties. “They have a lot of land so they’ll find you somewhere to go work even when it’s wet,” Jones says. “CatchMark will work you as hard as you want to work.” When Southern Loggin’ Times visited Randolph Logging they were clear-cutting a 200-acre private timber tract and making several sorts including pulpwood, stringers (small chip-n-saw), chip-n-saw and sawlogs, with a small amount of hardwood. The tract was only about 12 miles away from their shop in Cuthbert. Log roads are usually already in place, but sometimes the roads aren’t good enough so Harold, James Kleckley (Harold’s son) or Rusty Lovering will build them up with a D6K Cat bulldozer or 700J John Deere dozer. Forest Resource Consultants (FRC) out of Macon, Ga. manages all of CatchMark’s land and has the tracts ready to go. They also clean them up when Randolph Logging moves onto another site. “FRC usually takes care of everything for us,” Harold says. “They do a really good job of making sure everything is in order and they’re very strict about streamside management.” The company generally works pretty close to home with hauls ranging from 45 to 75 miles away from the shop in Cuthbert. They haul pulpwood to WestRock in Cottonton, Ala. and Abbeville, Ala.; and sawlogs to Interfor in Preston, Ga., WestRock in Cottonton, Aa. and Dixon Lumber Co. in Eufaula, Ala. “We have a good working relationship with all of our mills,” Harold says. Randolph Logging harvests pine 98% of the time but hasn’t gotten
The company is named for its location in Randolph County.
Randolph has long partnered with Atlanta-based CatchMark Timber.
into the biomass business because the market just isn’t very big in their area. “It could be there any day, but right now there just isn’t a big enough market around here for it,” Jones says. Employees arrive on site at 7 a.m. and end their days at 5 p.m. Most of the maintenance work is done on Saturday. Workers are granted personal time for sickness and family emer-
From left, Henry (Boone) Gainer, Leon (Frog) Parkman, Jack Callaway, James Kleckley, Noah Smiley, Harold Kleckey, Tommy Parkman
gencies. Each employee receives a $10 bonus each day if their load goals are met. Safety has not been an issue for the company because it gets discussed every morning and has been the number one priority since the business began. Randolph Logging has 38 employees. James Kleckley, Harold’s son, is a crew foreman and so is Rusty Lovering. Harold has two full
time mechanics, Andy Christian and Harold’s brother Joel Kleckley. Willie C. Burkes (truck driver) and Melvin Johnson (timber cutter) have been with Harold/C.L. for more than 30 years. Harold’s wife, Debra, just retired from 31 years with Randolph County Farm Service Agency. She took a week off before coming on board to help Harold with day to day operations. ➤ 28
All of Randolph’s truck drivers have been with the company since it started.
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Randolph Logging Employee List Randolph Logging’s impressive employee roster is as follows: Foreman Rusty Lovering’s crew: Bobby Rogers (skidder), William “Ball” Rogers (skidder), Drake Merritt (cutter), Eddie James Ivory (loader), Eddie Will Parkman (loader), Kyle Brigham (cutter), Joshua Cobb (set out truck), Melvin Gibson (set out truck), Nicholas “Army Boy” Mercer (set out truck). Foreman James Kleckley’s crew: Leon “Frog” Parkman, skidder; Roger “Straw Man” Payne, skidder, Greg Nix (loader), Henry “Boone” Gainer (loader), Joel Giles (loader), Melvin Johnson (cutter), Jeffrey “Knot” Parkman (set out truck), Noah Smiley (set out truck), Tommy Parkman (set out truck), Jack Callaway (wherever needed) Drivers include Antwain “Big Block” Davis, Arthur Mathis, Bobby Williams, Charlie “Stone” Frank Davis, James Spann, John “B.J.” Thomas, Jr., Loyd Rachel, Mike Bullock, Timmy Williams, Willie Burkes and Willie Turner. Joel Kleckley (mechanic), Andy Christian (mechanic), Larry Jackson (shop), Mike Mainor (maintenance). Debra Kleckley and Brenda Jones are secretaries; Freddy Gannon SLT works in the office. 27 ➤ The company requires a formal application to be filled out for new employees and random drug testing is administered every six months. There are many logging operations in Randolph County so finding experienced employees isn’t a huge challenge for the business. One area where Randolph Logging sets itself apart is in the trucking side of the business. All of the
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truck drivers except for two have been driving for them since the business started in 2005. “We pay our drivers extremely well,” Kleckley says. “They get a percentage of whatever the truck brings in.”
Equipment Randolph Logging has a large fleet of equipment in order to meet
The fleet includes 14 trucks.
the demands that CatchMark sets for them. Equipment is almost all Tigercat and includes two 2014 720E feller-bunchers, 2015 720E feller-buncher, 2016 720G fellerbuncher, 2010 620C skidder, 2013 620D skidder, two 2014 620E skidders, 2015 620E skidder, 2011 234 loader, 2014 234 loader, 2013 Tigercat mounted on a KE48-D Kodiak delimber trailer and a 2013
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Tigercat mounted on a KE48-D Kodiak delimber trailer. They also have a 2009 John Deere 700J bulldozer, 2005 John Deere 160C excavator, Cat D6K dozer, Cat 120G motor grader and a Mack CH dump truck. Log trucks include three 2014 Kenworth W900 gliders, two 2015 Kenworth W900 gliders, 2010 Kenworth W900, three 2007 Ken-
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worth W900s, two 2006 Kenworth T800s, 2006 Peterbilt and two 2005 Peterbilts. They have 27 Pitts plantation trailers and two Pitts lowboys. The 2016 Tigercat 720G fellerbuncher was purchased in December and has provided a huge production boost for the business. The machine was purchased from Tidewater Equipment Co. out of Thomasville, Ga. “We feel like Tigercat is more dependable and heavier duty,” Harold explains. “Matt McCluney, better known as
The Kleckley clan are big fans of Tigercat equipment and dealer Tidewater.
‘Top Gun,’ is the salesman we deal with and he’s done an excellent job for us. We couldn’t be happier with Tidewater and Tigercat.” Equipment is traded or rotated every four or five years. The company purchases Firestone tires and Chevron Delo oil is used on all the equipment. Machines are greased once a week and oil is changed every 250 hours. “Firestone just seems more dependable in my experience,” Harold says. Four men work at the shop to handle incoming tractors and rigs. Vandalism hasn’t been too big of a problem for the business, but they have had a few minor issues. About three months ago they had some batteries stolen from them and when fuel prices were much higher they had problems with people stealing tanks of fuel. “We caught the guy that stole the fuel with a deer camera set up by James,” Kleckley says. Harold reports that they have around $2 million worth of insurance on the equipment and it is insured by Westcott & Associates of Atlanta, Ga.
Miscellaneous In many parts of the South logging business owners have reported a decline of loggers in their area, but that’s not the case in Randolph County where the logging industry appears to be thriving. Harold reports that he’s seen a few new companies appear in the past few years. “The industry has really held its own around here,” Harold explains. “Luckily we don’t have to compete with other loggers in the area because of our relationship with CatchMark.” The past month has been extremely wet so that has slowed business down a bit, but there has still been plenty of work. Fuel prices are as low as they’ve been in a decade and that has helped the business generate more profits. “The fuel prices have been helping us out a lot,” Harold says. “We save at least $8,000 a week with fuel prices being as low as they are.” Randolph Logging is a member of the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. One of Harold’s favorite hobbies is collecting vintage John Deere 4020 tractors. These tractors were only made from 1964-1972. Harold has one from each year plus five more from various years for a total of SLT 14 4020 tractors.
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You Find It, We Grind It Last year Rotochopper, Inc., marked its 25th year as a grinder equipment manufacturer, posting on its web site some of the strangest and most challenging raw materials it has been called upon to process since 1990. The list included: 1. A dead full grown sperm whale that washed ashore in Nova Scotia 2. Uranium-contaminated trees in Ontario 3. Pallets of unopened beer cans in London 4. Confiscated marijuana in California 5. Blobs of chewing gum the size of refrigerators in Iowa 6. Millions of mink carcasses in Nova Scotia 7. Contraband cigarettes in Ontario 8. Dead pigs in Indiana 9. Thousands of Viet Nam War ammunition boxes in Nevada 10. Fiberglass windmill blades in South Dakota 11. Millions of dead quarantined turkeys and chickens in Iowa 12. Blobs of licorice waste in Minneapolis 13. Truckloads of reject McDonalds Happy Meal toys in Pennsylvania 14. Hospital mattresses, gowns, and operating room medical waste in Minnesota 15. Pen compacted straw and calf manure in Nebraska 16. Entire mobile homes in Indiana 17. Tumbleweeds in Nevada
5th Generation Logger?
18. Roadkill animals in Ontario 19. Reject Snickers candy bars in Iowa 20. Compacted, hardened balls of breakfast cereal (2–5 ft. diameter) in Michigan 21. Reject dog food biscuits in Missouri 22. Dead dogs from a dog pound in Texas 23. Sleeping bags in Oregon 24. Reject gummy bears in Iowa 25. All returned 1996 phone books for the entire country of Australia in Queensland
The Perplexing Debt Ceiling Democrats don’t understand the complicated federal government debt ceiling. Liberals don’t understand it. Republicans don’t understand it. Conservatives don’t understand it. Let’s say you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood. Your home has stinking sewage all the way up to your ceiling. Do you raise the ceiling or pump out the sewage? Remember this on election day come November.
God Loves Drunk People Too
A Little About Ash
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 a.m. by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door, where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, asks for a push. “Not a chance,” says the husband, who slams the door and returns to bed. “Who was that?” asks his wife. “Some drunk guy asking for a push,” he answers. “Did you help him?” she asks. “No, I did not, it’s 3 in the morning and it’s pouring rain!” “Well, you have a short memory,” says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself! God loves drunk people too.” The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the rain. He calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?” “Yes,” comes back the answer. “Do you still need a push?” calls out the husband. “Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark. “Where are you?” asks the husband. “Over here on the swing set,” replies the drunk.
Although it has no showy flowers, brilliant foliage, sought-after fruits or strange bark, the white ash is a prime example of simply beauty. Strong, tall and modestly clean of line, it makes its seasonal changes with dignity and reserve. White ash is the largest of the ashes—it can reach 80 ft. or more in height and 3 ft. in diameter—and one of the most important commercial hardwoods. Green and pumpkin ashes are part of the family, as are less familiar subspecies. The white ash qualities of lightness, toughness and pliancy make the wood a natural for sporting equipment such as baseball bats, and it is often used for flooring and cabinetry. (Source: Workman Publishing)
our financial burden; we have such a large and loving congregation. Life could not be any better than it is right now.” One woman was mending the seat of her husbands pants, the other was mending the knees.
Chinese Proverbs A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers. A book holds a house of gold. A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
Pastors’ Wives James Brantley Bond may visualize becoming a logger, but he may be thinking its a little above his head, especially on a muddy Monday. The two-year-old toddler is the grandson of Bubba Bond (papa), of Bubba Bond Logging, Winona, Miss. Brantley says he is going to be a logger like his daddy, papa, pappaw, and great-great granddaddy.
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Two pastors’ wives were visiting and sewing their husbands pants. One wife said, “My husband is just beside himself, he does not know what to do anymore and he is so tired and depressed he said he is ready to just give up and resign.” The other wife said, “I am sorry to hear that because my husband has never been happier. Our membership is growing and we are out of
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Mountain Steamer ■ A glance at southern West Virginia’s Meadow River Lumber Co. eadow River Lumber Co., formed in Rainelle, WV in 1906 by brothers Thomas and John Raine, operated what was touted as the largest hardwood sawmill in the world. It had three 9 ft. band mills operating under one roof. In 1928, during peak production, its 500 employees produced 31MMBF of lumber and other wood products. The sawmill’s log appetite required the cutting of about 3,000 acres of timber a year. Previously, the Raine brothers had joined another lumber firm operating in Randolph County, WV. In 1906 they began acquiring holdings—ultimately at least 100,000 acres—containing one of the last large stands of virgin hardwood in the One characteristic of Meadow River’s steam-powered sawmill, rebuilt in 1924, was its expansive lumber yard. country, mostly on the Meadow River drainage in into the Meadow River Railroad. September 1910. The plant included western Greenbrier County, WV. This spur was initially used to haul a large planer mill and 14 large dry Since the mill site was 20 miles to building materials into the remote kilns. Three miles of lumber stacks, the nearest railroad mainline, the area and eventually to haul the some 40 ft. high, occupied an area Raines first formed the Sewell Valmill’s products to market. that stretched for 1,300 ft. From the ley Railroad Co. to construct a spur Mill construction began in 1909, early 1930s until the 1960s the mill line, and this eventually evolved and the first board was produced in processed various species, sawing
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Some remaining company dwellings are still occupied.
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an average of 20MMBF per year. Meadow River Lumber Co. was known for the quality of its oak flooring, which was shipped around the world. The company’s oak flooring was ordered for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel’s ballroom in
Meadow River discontinued rail log transport in the 1960s.
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New York City. The company also made many other products, including trim, door jambs, window frames, stair treads, siding, paneling, and more. Some of its most unusual products were chestnut coffins, crates for crystal glass, white ash frames for Packard cars, maple for Ford car bodies and long ship beams for British submarine chasers. It also operated a furniture plant until World War II. In addition, the flooring plant averaged one million feet per month, and a shoe heel plant produced up to six million wooden heels (for women’s shoes) per year.
Town Of Rainelle The firm created the nearby town of Rainelle and erected housing and other buildings and provided services, including water and electricity, for Rainelle’s citizens, most of whom worked at the mill or in nearby logging camps. Company-owned houses were plastered and papered inside, Some lumber stacks were 40 feet high. painted white outside, and
The Raine brothers: Thomas, left, and John
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had indoor plumbing and electricity. The town included a school, hotel, commissary, boarding house, theater, fraternal lodge, bank, and golf course. The brothers later erected a Methodist Church and parsonage for their employees and the church pastor. Built in 1914, the church building is thought to be the largest structure in the world built entirely of American Chestnut lumber. The original mill building was destroyed by fire in 1924, but employees were set to work building a new one, which began producing lumber by March of the following year. From 1906 until 1912, Thomas Raine was president of Meadow River and Sewell Valley Railroad.
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Some of the steam-powered sawmill gear was massive.
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In 1912 he retired and John Raine took over as president. Thomas died at his home in Fairview, Pa., in 1933. Unlike many absentee lumber barons, John Raine lived in the town and took a genuine interest in the welfare of the people. Each company house had its own lawn and garden plot. Raine even provided pastures for employees who wanted to keep livestock. The company erected the first school and supplemented the salaries of teachers. John Raine stepped down as president in 1938, and died in 1940. Howard Gray, who started to work for Meadow River in 1910, succeeded him. When he died in 1961, his son, Robert, became the
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company’s final president.
The Logging Side Meadow River Lumber Co. operated a system of portable camps built on railroad cars that could be moved to new timber supplies. In addition to logging its own timber, the company bought timber from nearby coal and land companies. Teams of horses skidded logs to the railroad until 1930, when the company
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switched to overhead cable skidders mounted on railroad cars. These skidders could move logs within a three quarter-mile circle to a central point for transport to the sawmill. In 1939, Meadow River broke with tradition and started logging treelength timber. The shop crew designed and built a special heavyduty diesel loader capable of handling any length log. Meadow River Lumber is said to have operated West Virginia’s
largest logging railroad, and also its last. It discontinued railroad logging in the 1960s. It operated Shay, Heisler, and Climax geared steam locomotives and in the latter years also operated diesels.
Epitaph
A historic marker tells the church story.
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Progress finally caught up with Meadow River. While it pioneered many logging practices, it later clung to obsolete and expensive logging and manufacturing methods. Also, Meadow River management was not known for its generosity. In 1939, general labor paid 25 cents an hour for the first 30 days and 30 cents after that. In 1970, general labor was $2 an hour. A lengthy strike in 1969 and another threatened for 1971 had the owners running scared. In 1970, Meadow River’s owners sold out to Georgia-Pacific Corp. for $7 million. G-P found the old steam sawmill could not be operated at a profit and silenced the mill whistle on December 28, 1970. It razed the mill in 1975 and built a new single-band electric sawmill just outside the northern city limits of Rainelle. This mill currently employs about 50 and has an annual production capacity of 15MMBF. The old Heisler and Shay logging engines and machine shop were donated to the Cass Scenic Railroad. The power plant was dismantled and shipped to Haines, Alaska. Many of the artifacts from the mill are now in the state archives in Charleston, WV. A shopping center, bank and armory now occupy the mill site and fast food restaurants operate on the former site of the mill’s huge SLT lumber yard.
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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP are enjoying the benefits of the Understanding Tier 4f Engines, DEF gines new technology as well as improved By Chris Rowan he U.S. Environmental Protec-
T tion Agency’s (EPA) Tier 4f
emission standard for diesel engine emissions took effect for forestry equipment at the start of 2014 and since then equipment manufacturers have begun to introduce machines
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that comply with the new standard. There has been some reluctance in the forestry industry to embrace the new technology—a reluctance attributed in part to the fact that some new engines require the use of diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF. However, loggers who are making the transition to machines equipped with Tier 4f en-
fuel economy and quieter engines. The EPA began setting emissions targets in 1996 for diesel engines sold in a particular model year. Since then, there have been a series of increasingly strict requirements for emissions from engines used in various industries. The EPA standards are based on industry, horsepower, model year, and engine design.
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The chief air pollutants regulated by the Tier 4f emission standard are particulate matter (PM), or soot, and two oxides of nitrogen, Nitric Oxide (NO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), collectively known as NOx. The standard results in a 99% reduction in PM and NOx from typical emissions compared with 1996. Prior to Tier 4f, about 85% of the reduction was achieved through engine design improvements, such as electronic fuel control, advanced turbocharging, combustion chamber design, and higher pressure injection. The additional reduction imposed by the emission standard has been achieved by aftertreatment systems—treating emissions after combustion. Because the standard varies depending on industry and other factors, aftertreatment systems use different components to reduce emissions, even if they are produced by the same manufacturer. Most forestry equipment manufacturers have included Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) as a component in their emissions strategy. It requires the use of DEF, which has been a concern to some loggers. Selective Catalytic Reduction technology with DEF reduces NOx in the engine exhaust. DEF is a water-based solution consisting of 32% urea. (The remainder is deionized water.) Urea is a chemical compound containing nitrogen that converts to ammonia, which reacts with the catalyst in the SCR system to convert the NOx compounds into plain nitrogen and water. There is a separate tank or reservoir for DEF. Manufacturers designed the size of the DEF reservoir to require a fill-up whenever the fuel tank needs to be refilled, or to last for multiple fuel refills. DEF can be purchased from equipment dealers, auto parts stores, and even places like Walmart stores. Prices range roughly from less than $10 to about $20 for a 2.5-gallon container. It is also available in bulk, which is the most economical path. DEF can be impacted by temperature, so it is important to store it properly. It freezes below 12ºF, although the containers it is sold in are designed to allow for expansion. More importantly, the machine’s DEF reservoir is designed to allow the fluid to freeze, and the machine will thaw it automatically after the engine is started. At the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, DEF can degrade over time if exposed to high temperatures. For example, if the temperature exceeds 90ºF for
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an extended period, DEF shelf life can drop from the maximum two years to less than one year. Proper storage of DEF and following normal machine fluid cleanliness precautions will prevent problems. Here are some other key things to remember about Tier 4f engines and DEF: Pay careful attention when your dealer rep explains what strategy your Tier 4f engine uses to achieve the emissions reduction requirement. Do not assume that one machine uses the same strategy as another, even if they are made by the same manufacturer. A small utility machine like a backhoe or skid steer is in a different horsepower class from a skidder or knuckleboom loader, and may employ distinctly different emissions reductions strategies. Many machines will require a cooldown period, and DEF lines are purged before the engine shuts down. The machine will automatically shut down once this is done. Cycle the key to off, then allow the engine to shut down automatically after it properly cools the emissions components and purges the DEF lines. Resist the temptation to force a shutdown of the machine and be sure to train your
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Last Rites Conducted For Terry Roberson Last rites for former western North Carolina logging equipment business owner Terry Roberson were held in mid December in Asheville. Roberson, 67, died December 9 as a result of injuries he sustained during a fall at his vacation home in Wilmington. Roberson was a principal in Farm Equipment Co., a Franklin and Prentice dealer; and Forest Equipment Co., a Roberson manufacturer of slashers and delimbers, both located in Asheville. He and his cousins liquidated the businesses in the mid ’90s. Gifted with an outgoing personality, Roberson, an avid golfer, was a devoted father and active participant in the lives of his children. He was a highly respected community leader, serving for nine years on the Buncombe County School Board. He earned a BS in business from Western Carolina University after serving in the U.S. Army and pulling duty in Vietnam. Survivors include his widow, Ellen—they were married for 43 years—three children, eight grandchildren and one sister. Memorials may be made to Memory Care, 100 Far Horizons Ln., Asheville, NC 28803; or to Newbridge Baptist Church BAFC, 199 Elkwood Ave., Asheville, NC 288904. operators to do the same. Pay attention to warning signals, such as lights and audible alarms. The machine logs emissions-related faults and events has a number of timers mandated by the EPA that will cause the engine to derate (reduce horsepower) and ultimately shut down if warning signals are ignored repeatedly.
Remember, the DEF used in new Tier 4f engines in forestry equipment is the same DEF that has been used in truck diesel engines. On-highway trucks have been using DEF and very similar components and emissions reduction technology for years. Now, loggers get the benefit of these years of experience.
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Rowan is product support training manager for Thompson Machinery in Belden, Miss. Thompson Machinery is a Cat dealer and has locations in Mississippi and Tennessee.
KFIA Will Meet In Louisville Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. (KFIA) will hold its 51st Annual Meeting April 5 -7 at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville. The association plans to host more than 400 company representatives from throughout the region. The meeting will get under way with the John Smith Invitational golf outing at the Oxmoor Country Club Golf Course in Louisville. The exhibit area will be open throughout the meeting and the Tree Farm Awards Luncheon will recognize outstanding individuals for their achievements in the forest industry community. Topics for discussion will include updates on the Forest Health Center and logging Best Management Practices changes, American Chestnut Restoration as well as discussions on the current White Oak Market and the Tall Timber Buildings for the future. ➤ 46
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44 ➤ For information on exhibiting or attending, call 502-695-3979; e-mail: michele@kfia.org or visit kfia.org.
Hood Industries Purchases Miles
Former Miles Lumber operation at Bogaulsa, La.
Hood Industries, Inc. has ac quired the Joe N. Miles & Sons lumber company. Miles Lumber operates two southern yellow pine sawmills in Silver Creek, Miss. and Bogalusa, La. The acquisition of Miles Lumber adds strategic capacity to Hood Industries’ existing lumber operations and increases the overall product mix available to the combined customer base, according to a Hood Industries statement. Hood Industries operates saw mills in Waynesboro, Miss. and Metcalfe, Ga. Kevin Berkey, Vice President of Lumber & Procurement for Hood
Industries, emphasizes that the Miles Lumber sawmills are well managed, efficient operations, and the two companies share similar operating strategies and core values such as safety, environmental compliance, sustainable forestry practices, customer satisfaction, efficient production processes, and a re spect for the value of all employees. “The Miles Lum ber business is an excellent geographic and cultural fit for Hood Industries,” Berkey says. Former Miles Lumber shareholders, David Miles and Johnny Miles, who have managed the Miles Lumber operations, will remain with the business in connection with the transaction. The Miles family lumber tradition began with portable sawmilling in 1933 before establishing their first stationary mill following World War II in Lumberton, Miss. They built the Bogalusa mill in 1972 and added the Silver Creek operation in 1975. They shut down Lumberton in the late 1980s. In addition to its lumber operations, Hood Industries operates two southern yellow pine plywood plants in Mississippi and 14 distribution centers which supply hardwood lumber, hardwood plywood,
As We See It: Special Thanks To All ALC Sponsors By Danny Dructor, ALC Executive Vice President s the American Loggers Council enters its 22nd year as
A “The National Voice For Professional Timber Har-
vesters,” we want to give a special “Thank You” to all the sponsors who have helped us to survive financially and otherwise added substance to our efforts through their participation at various ALC meetings over the years. While the list of names is not uncommon to anyone familiar with our industry, oftentimes this editorial is Dructor read by those outside of the industry who are not aware of the impact that the timber harvesting profession has on communities that may or may not have wood consuming processing facilities in their area, yet are dependent on the manufacturing and service sector jobs that support our industry. The American Loggers Council remains committed to being the only national organization solely dedicated to representing the independent logging contractor, but in doing so, will continue to benefit the goods and services that our sponsors provide. The following organizations recognize that their businesses are supported by loggers, and the loggers of the ALC support them as well: American Loggers Insurance, Bandit Industries, Inc., Barko Hydraulics, LLC, Bitco Insurance Companies, Caterpillar Forest Products, Forest Insurance Center Agency, Inc., Forestry Mutual Insurance, Hatton-Brown Publishers, Hawkins & Rawlinson Insurance, John Deere, Komatsu America Corp., Loggers World, LogMax, Morbark, Peterbilt, Peterson, Ponsse, Rotochopper, Southern Loggers Cooperative, Stihl, Inc., The Lyme Timber Co., Tigercat Industries, TimberPro, TimberSure Insurance, Vermeer, and Wallingford’s. We sincerely appreciate the support and teamwork that each one of these sponsors have shown for the American Loggers Council in 2015 and are looking forward to seeing this list grow in 2016. Working together, we can and will make a difference. The American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states. To learn more about the ALC visit amloggers.com or phone 409-625-0206.
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import lumber, decking, and cabinetry components to the millwork and cabinet trades.
Washington Tribes Take On Salvage Officials with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation in northeast Washington are ramping up a major salvage logging effort following a disastrous fire season for the tribe and for Washington state overall. Eventually,
more than 20 logging contractors will join the effort. On the Colville Indian Reservation, two major wildfires, the North Star and Tunk Block, burned more than 270,000 acres, more than 20% of total reservation acreage. As much as 400MMBF of timber burned, much of it in remote, inaccessible areas that cannot feasibly be accessed. Tribal officials hope to harvest at least 25% of the total volume before it loses much of its merchantable value. According to Phil Wapato, a
forester with the Colville Confederated Tribes out of Omak, Wash., one difference with the size and intensity of 2015 fires from fires in the past is larger areas of complete devastation. “In a lot of burns you’ll have patches of green throughout the area, but with this fire, there are more 5,000 to 10,000 acre blocks that are completely burned,” he says. Through mid December, between 15-20 contractors were working the salvage project, with tribal officials hoping to expand that number. Loggers from Idaho, Montana and west-
ern Washington are participating. Plans are to initially target the easiest to access timber, using existing and decommissioned roads that can be reopened relatively easily. Areas that can be tractor-logged will take priority. While the tribe can typically move on projects faster than the U.S. Forest Service, its logging activities still fall under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and there are tribal considerations concerning stream buffers, watershed management and land use priorities. According to tribal reports, the salvage effort moved 8.5MMBF in November and was expected to harvest 10MMBF in December. Officials are hoping weather conditions will allow harvests to continue at that level through January and February before traditional spring breakup in March and much of April halts or greatly reduces log hauling until late spring. (Felling, skidding and decking will continue wherever possible.) The pine available for salvage will lose its solid wood merchantability by this summer; the Douglas fir and some whitewoods will retain much of their value for around two years. Most of the material coming off the salvage project is sawlog and plylog quality.
NC Loggers Meeting To Dwell On Trucking Trucking issues will dominate the conversation at the annual meeting of the Carolina Loggers Assn. (CLA), set for February 2627 at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, Wilmington, NC. Perhaps the most significant presentation will be that of Jimmie Locklear of Forestry Mutual Insurance. Locklear will dwell on multiple challenges facing the transportation segment. He will demonstrate “how we are all in this together” and point out how logging and trucking companies with poor safety records have a negative impact on the industry. “Ultimately, the driver is the most important element and training drivers is job one,” he maintains. “In order to change course we must work together on a national level to improve the industry’s sustainability and profitability.” Forestry Mutual is spearheading the TEAM Log/Chip Truck Initiative, a consortium designed to heighten awareness of these collective issues and to help identify and implement solutions. (Locklear can be reached at 910-733-3300 or jlocklear@forestrymutual.com). For more information, visit ncloggers.com or phone Jack Swanner at 828-421-8444. 48
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AT THE MARGINS
How To Make Equipment Purchasing Less Stressful By Jamie Kane Product Marketing Manager John Deere Financial ne of the most basic yet arguably most important components of a successful logging business is having reliable equipment to maximize daily productivity and uptime. However, every owner comes to the point where he or she can no longer put off the inevitable: replacing a machine or adding a new one. Purchasing new equipment may seem daunting and overwhelming at first, but careful preparation is the best way to take the stress out of the purchasing equation. At John Deere, we recommend setting a strategic plan to make the process as easy as possible, and here are a few tips to get you started. Have A Long-Term Plan—The worst time to start thinking about buying a new machine is when a machine begins to give trouble or worse, breaks down completely. In addition to causing unwanted downtime, it can create a panicked, frustrating situation that is undesirable for making big purchases. Before you get to this point, sketch out a rough plan to help guide these types of decisions. Rather than just flagging immediate replacements, consider the bigger picture and formulate a road map to replace all of your equipment, whether it’s next year or in five years. Having this long-term strate-
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gy enables rational decisions. It replaces immediate concerns and worries with the confidence to make smart, affordable business decisions. Identify A Replacement Cycle— Part of effective plan development is identifying a replacement cycle for each piece of equipment, considering factors like daily use, terrain, and new technologies. Generally speaking, equipment is built to last 10 years or more, depending on specific applications and working conditions. However, 10 years may be a stretch when it comes to minimizing repairs and downtime. Many implement a replacement cycle in the 3-5 year range. New Or Used, Know What’s Best For You—It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of buying new or used to be sure you’re getting the dependability you need for daily operation with the least amount of downtime. While buying equipment, new will certainly put a bigger dent in the bank account, but the peace-of-mind that the machine will run smoothly with fewer breakdowns may save you more money in the long run. It’s all about what’s right for you and your business. Choose A Long-Term Financial Partner—Another way to reduce the stress is to pick a financial company you can trust. A few factors to look
for when considering your finance company options are stability, reputation, and flexibility. Lastly, it’s important to work with a company that is familiar with leasing or financing forestry equipment. Industry knowledge is important.
Your business goes through peaks and valleys and may need flexible arrangements for the best cash-flow position. Look for demonstrated flexibility to structure the contract the way you need it—whether it’s access to a seasonal payment schedule, securing the best interest rate for an installment plan or utilizing a revolving line of credit account for parts and service offers. Secure Credit Approval—The perception that strict lending requirements have made it nearly impossible to get credit approvals has kept people from pursuing new equipment purchases, despite an abundance of attractive financing options. Be upfront and honest about your
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current credit status and business position. In order to make informed decisions, lenders must first gain an understanding of your credit standing, and they are less likely to provide assistance if they uncover unfavorable information on their own. On the other hand, don’t hesitate to highlight the bright spots in your business. A good rule of thumb is to provide as much meaningful financial information upfront as possible. In addition to our competitive rates and flexible terms and payments, we can design any of these special solutions to fit your unique business needs. Your local dealer can and should play a large role in your equipment purchasing process. Some financing companies offer special payback options or deals to make financing more enticing and beneficial and your dealer can help you uncover those opportunities. Examples of flexible financing options offered by John Deere include: 1) Accelerated payments—You begin with a smaller down payment, then make larger payments for the first few months to build equity quickly. 2) Alternate collateral—By pledging a “free and clear” machine as additional collateral, you provide increased security with no out-ofpocket costs. 3) Skip payments—If you experience a period of decreased workflow, you can avoid monthly equipment cost concerns by scheduling skip payments. The equity you build during your busy season carries over into the downtime. 4)Variable-rate contracts—This type of contract generally provides lower payments than a fixed-rate contract, improving your cash flow. And even though rates fluctuate with market changes, your monthly payment will remain the same. If an adjustment is needed, it will be calculated at the final payment. You have plenty of challenges to address when managing your business every day, but not having the proper equipment to maintain high levels of productivity shouldn’t be one of them. If you plan ahead, discuss options with local dealers and partner with a company that will be with you through thick and thin, you can stop worrying about your fleet and get back to running a sucSLT cessful business.
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Want To Place Your Classified Ad In IronWorks? Call 334-699-7837, 1-800-669-5613 or Email: class@southernloggintimes.com
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RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!! In addition to new machines, CHAMBERS DELIMBINATOR, INC. now has factory recondi2000 Freightliner Service Truck tioned DeLimbinators. These units have with crane, welder and air combeen inspected, repaired, and updated as pressor ...........................$28,500 needed. Call us and we will help you select Financing Available a DeLimbinator for your need.
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I OFFER same day while you wait OR 2-day service on straightening and balancing all types of Feller Buncher sawdisks. Tooth holder repairs. Complex or severely bent sawdisks no problem, approx. 14years experience CALL CARLTON CARVER CARVER SAWDISK REPAIR Washington NC • (252) 945-2358
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EUREKA! EUREKA! EUREKA! OWNERS HAVE OVER 30 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE!
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IRONWORKS RATES; Space available by column inch only, one inch minimum. Rate is $50 per inch, special typesetting, borders, photo inclusion, blind ads, $10 extra each. Deadlines: By mail, 15th of month prior to publication. Place your ad toll-free 24 hours a day from anywhere in the USA (except Alaska and Hawaii) 1-800-669-5613 ask for Classifieds 8:30-5 pm CST. After business hours our automatic ad taker will take your ads.
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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 724E Feller Buncher New 28L tires, 5702 Head, 6400 hours Just traded for!............CALL FOR PRICE
2008 Tigercat 720E Feller Buncher 2002 Tigercat 724D Feller Buncher 30.5 tires, 5702 Center post head, 5702 head, Just traded for ! IN SHOP Cummins engine, Coming in soon ................................CALL FOR PRICE ................................CALL FOR PRICE
2012 John Deere 748H Log Skidder Dual arch, NEW 30.5 Firestone Tires, COMPLETE MAJOR ENGINE OVERHAUL BY DEERE IN OCT 2015 ...........................................$159,000
2009 John Deere 748H Log Skidder Dual arch, NEW 30.5 Firestone tires, 2500 hours on crate engine, SWEDA axles, COMING IN SOON ..................................CALL FOR PRICE
2004 John Deere 648G III Log Skidder New Center Pins, New Pins & Bushings: Blade, Arch, Steering, Good 30.5 x 32 tires ...................................$72,500
2011 Prentice 2384B Log Loader CTR 426 delimber, 8600 hours ...........................................$115,000
2008 Prentice 2384 Log Loader CTR 426, Resealed the hydraulic collector, New radiator, Cold a/c .................................................$79,500
2004 Prentice 384 Log Loader 11,400 hours, CTR 426 Delimber .................................................$59,500
2014 Trelan 23WRC Whole Tree Chip- 2006 Tigercat T250 Track Loader w/live per, CAT C27 w/880HP, 2397 hrs., 2 heel and Rotobec grapple, Cummins 8.3 yrs. unliminted warranty.............$ Call enging; saw & delimber hookup ...............................................$139,500
2011 Tigercat 718E w/TC5000 sawhead; Cummins 6.7 engine w/8500 hours, Widerange drive, 28Lx26 tires ............................................$135,000
2009 Tigercat 720E w/TC5600 sawhead, Re-Con Cummins w/1200 hours on engine; 28Lx25 tires ..............................................$75,000
2012 John Deere 437D Log Loader with CSI 264 Ultra Delimber mounted on Big John trailer; 5500 hours ............................................$115,000
2014 Tigercat 250D Super Duty w/36' boom w/live heel & grapple, saw & delimber hookup, warranty thru 10/17 ............................................$285,000
2013 Tigercat 724E with Tigercat 5702 2000 John Deere 748GIII D/A Grapple, 2014 John Deere 843K with FD22 sawsawhead; Cummins w/5500 hours; delimbing rake on blade, Tires head, John Deere Ties II 6068H with 73x44x32.5 tires ..................$139,500 50'sx32.5...............................$39,500 1600 hours, pre- emission engine, no DEF fluid; Tires: 73x44x32, warranty ..............................................$215,000
3723
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2012 John Deere 748H Grapple Skidder – 7,800 hours, 2 new, 2 good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! .....................................................$139,500
2011 John Deere 748H Grapple Skidder - 8,300 hours, Good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! ..$129,500
2013 Prentice 2470C - 3,934 hours, Cat C6.6 Tier 3 engine, SC57 Center post saw head, very good 28L tires, Cab with air, Ready to work! ............................$165,000
2012 Cat 573C – 5,200 hours, SC-57 Center post saw head, Cab with air, 28L tires, C7.1 Cat engine, Ready to work! .....................................................$149,500
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MULCHER
2012 Cat 535C Dual Arch Skidder – 5,800 hours, 3 New, 1 very good - 35.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch. Ready to work!.............................................$149,500 2014 Barko 930 Mulcher - 1,048 hours, Powertrain warranty, FAE 300U smooth drum mulching head, 28L tires, Cab with air. Rent to own with approved credit ($20,000 per month). ..................$269,500
LOADERS 2012 Deere 843K—22" Deere Felling Saw; 2011 Tigercat 724E—5700 sawhead; 30.5x32 tires; New saw teeth, 5,307 hrs. 30.5x32 tires; Tier 3 eng., 8,863 hrs ......................................................$124,500 .......................................................$134,900
2010 Prentice 2432 Grapple Skidder 6,779 hours, Good 30.5 x 32 tires, Winch, Cab with air, Cummins engine, New hydraulic pump, Ready to work! .$79,500
FELLER BUNCHERS 2005 Barko 495ML – Trailer mounted with CTR 426 delimber, Cummins engine, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! ....$69,500
2008 Tigercat 724E .........................$79,500 2013 Tigercat 620D—Warranty good until July 2016; Dual arch; 30.5x32 tires; Turn around seat; 3,065 hrs..................$195,000 2013 Cat 563C – 3,900 hours, SC-57 Center post saw head, Cab with air, 30.5 x 32 tires, C7.1 Cat engine, Ready to work ......................................................$165,000
3191
2012 Prentice 2384 Log Loader – 7,310 hours, Mounted on trailer with CTR 426 Delimber, Cab with air, Cummins engine. Ready to work! ...........................$129,500
Visa and Mastercard accepted
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FOR SALE
FOR SALE FOR SALE
Weigh boy in woods scales, used 6 months ...............$12,500 f.o.b.
EXTREMELY NICE 1997 Pitts plantation log trailer. New paint, 8 new tires, new 2006 TimberPro 840 Clambunk, wiring and new LED lights, new decals & mud 9500 hours, very good condition, flaps. 4 new out side chrome wheels$16,500 .......................................................
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804-586-7198 13223
6209
4433
duals included ...................$130,000 251-513-7001 945
256-479-5036 near Huntsville, AL
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FOR SALE n
NEW 2015 Barko 595ML Loader w/ Cummins Tier 3 Engine , CSI PTD 264 Ultra Delimber, Kodiak Hydraulic Delimber Trailer POR
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New 2016 Barko 495B Loader, CSI 203 Delimber, Big John Delimber Trailer ................................POR
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New CSI DL-4400 Slasher w/ Extended Chassis Frame ........POR
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USED 2011 Barko 495ML Loader, CSI PTD 264 Ultra Delimber, Big John Delimber Trailer .........$97,500
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USED Rotobec Grapple Saw .POR
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Used Waratah 4300 Delimber .............................................$3,000
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New Rotobec 4042 Grapple w/ RT252 Rotator .........................POR
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New Kioti Tractors End of Year Closeouts
7195
Prattville, AL
(334) 365-5192 676
IF YOU NEED
To buy or sell forestry, construction, utility or truck equipment, or if you just need an appraisal, contact me, Johnny Pynes with JM Wood Auction. Over 25 years experience.
7393
6288
770
Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net
FOR SALE
1982 Ford F700 Fuel Truck (Bear Creek)
Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________________________ State________ Zip ______________________ Phone____________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________
Please send me _______ bumper stickers at $5 each. Enclosed is $__________ total.
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1400 gallon single product tank. Only 90k miles on it. Everything works on it we just don't use it anymore. Can be used for logging or farming. It has offroad diesel written on it but you could put any kind of fuel you want in it. ..............................$4,500 or best offer
919-770-1486 553
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FOR SALE
LOGGING MATS 18 Feet long x 4 feet wide, All in good condition, Courtland, VA ..................$100 each 213
757-377-9487
2290
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2012 John Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LU225667; 6,080 hrs $124,000
2012 John Deere 643K Feller Buncher STK# LU645108; 4,716 hrs $108,000
2011 John Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# LU638319; 7,536 hrs $89,000
2007 Prentice 2470 with Mulcher STK# LUVB1971; 3,992 hrs $155,000
2009 John Deere 437C Knuckleboom Loader STK# LV173899; 8,433 hrs $54,000
2013 John Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# LU652894; 4,916 hrs $110,000
2013 John Deere 848H Skidder STK# LU652358; 4,892 hrs $165,000
2013 John Deere 648H Skidder STK# LU654754; 4,267 hrs $168,000
2013 John Deere 748H Skidder STK# LV649870; 5,775 hrs $159,000
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FOR SALE
CONTACT: 706.326.3000 – HUGH 706.741.4677 – KEITH
OLIVER LOGGING COMPANY
TAKE A LOAD OFF! TIGERCAT 718: BQ006 OPERATOR SEAT........................$950 JOHN DEERE 643H: AT262229 OPERATOR SEAT.....................$1,050 HYDRO-AX 411EX: 10024673 OPERATOR SEAT........................$450
CONTACT: 478.550.2330 - Keith 478.256.4063 - Gary
FORESTRYPARTSRESOURCE.COM
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PETERSON 4700B GRINDER (27B-64-1155) C16 CAT, EXCELLENT CONDITION PETERSON 4800E DEBARKER (1E1611689) C9 CAT EXCELLENT CONDITION 5) OPEN TOP CHIP TRAILERS: 3–PEERLESS 2–CRESCENT
MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY Log Max 7000XT Head
With a Log Max 7000XT fixed head, operators have ultimate control, placing trees exactly where they want them. The latest fixed mount configuration, the 7000XT fixed head utilizes the design and durability of the 7000XT, giving the owner/operator the versatility of controlled felling and bunching. The hydraulically operated rotation unit with positioning and free-floating function is attached directly to the frame. The frame of the 7000XT fixed head features a top saw, a minimized saw box and a fixed protection plate. A control felling unit, the fixed head is designed to help with tough jobs by enabling the operator to control, fell, bunch and process timber up to 28” (710mm) diameter with a maximum cutting capacity of 31.5” (800mm). Visit logmax.com.
RSN Harvester Bars
Oregon’s new Harvester Replaceable Sprocket Nose (RSN) bars have motor-mount configurations to fit the most popular applications and deliver superior performance in high-speed conditions common to mechanical harvesting. The RSN maximizes bar life because felling mishaps and nose failures no longer mean incurring the expense of replacing the entire bar.
Key features include: —Fusezone, a methodology that varies the induction hardening process in different zones of the bar rails. This minimizes rail damage and cracking while allowing the bar to be straightened and reused after being bent. —Lubridam, an oil retention feature that reduces the amount of oil lost. Lubridam improves lubrication, resulting in reduced bar/chain wear. —Solid bar body made from highgrade, alloy steel. —Rigid, durable design. —Large diameter rivets that reduce the risk of rail spreading at the nose. Visit oregonproducts.com
Chipper Knife Package
Rotochopper and Key Knife announce the launch of the Key Knife chipper knife package, which allows horizontal grinder owners to chip and grind with a single machine. The chipper knife package is a bolt-in option that works with the standard patented replaceable mount rotor for the Rotochopper B-66 and B-66 E. This chipper knife system makes it simple to diversify into chipping applications without a complex conversion kit or a second machine. “Unlike other grinder to chipper conversion packages, the Rotochopper Key Knife system is simple, reliable and adds more flexibility to our B66,” says Steve Marks of Marks Lumber in Clancy, Mont. “Because this system is simple, there are fewer problems the operator has to deal with when downtime occurs. Also, with this system we can add more
value-added products to our line of products made with our B66. Simply said, as with other Rotochopper equipment, there is great value in the Rotochoppper Key Knife package.” To switch from grinding to chipping, the operator does not need to swap the whole rotor drum or assemble a complex overlay onto the grinding rotor—the operator simply swaps the grinder tooth mounts with chipper knife mounts. A single operator can switch from grinder teeth to chipper knives quickly and easily: No rod pullers or other specialized tools required (just a torque wrench). No need to swap rotors, re-align sheaves, or re-tension drive belts. Just two bolts per knife mount and two bolts per knife clamp. This system utilizes patented Key Knife technology to minimize knife replacement costs. Key Knife chipping inserts are indexable (reversible). By simply loosening the knife clamp bolts, the operator can flip the knife to utilize a second chipping edge. A Key Knife insert uses significantly less steel than a traditional chipper knife, making handling and replacement easier. The chipper blade on each mount is much narrower than traditional chipper knifes, helping to minimize the maintenance costs that can result from rocks, metal, and other contaminants. Visit rotochopper.com.
EMTEK Logging Mats EMTEK mats are helping timber companies keep logs moving despite inclement weather and its toll on access roads. Traditional matting techniques have been a desperate measure and marginal investment, but durable and lightweight EMTEK technology is changing these economics. EMTEK mats can provide year-round harvesting access, which helps sawmills and other wood products plants stay supplied with logs
during periods of extended inclement weather. These engineered mats have a laminated hardwood core that has twice the strength of sawn lumber. Protective steel edges and treatment with copper to fight rot and decay combine to extend their life two to three times that of traditional timber mats. EMTEK mats weigh only half as much as traditional timber mats but last twice as long. This enables timber companies to reduce hauling costs and spread their mat investment over more harvests. “We have made continuous developments to the construction of our EMTEK products over the years to help extend the life of our own rental inventories. These same benefits are helping timber companies reduce overall costs of operations”, states Jon Fiutak, general manager of Anthony Hardwood Composites. Companies like Plum Creek have made this work to their advantage. “We can haul more than twice the amount of matting with EMTEK and the mats show no signs of wear with the protective edges,” says Kris Pope, Resource Supervisor with Plum Creek. EMTEK mats have been manufactured exclusively by Anthony Hardwood Composites, Inc. in Sheridan, Ark., since 2004 under four U.S. patents. With a state-of-the-art facility and flexible manufacturing capabilities, custom sizes can be produced to match existing logging equipment capabilities. For more information, visit anthonycomposites.com or phone 870942.4040.
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COMING EVENTS February
June
25-28—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Annual Meeting, Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Naples, Fla. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.
10-11—Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. Trade Show and annual meeting, James H Rainwater Conference Center, Valdosta, Ga. Call 904-845-7133; visit swpa.ag.
26-27—Carolina Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hilton, Downtown Wilmington, NC. Call 919-2719050; visit ncloggers.com.
July
March 9-11—Hardwood Manufacturers Assn. National Conference & Expo, Worthington Renaissance, Sundance Square, Fort Worth, Tex. Call 412244-0440; visit hmamembers.org.
April 5-7—Kentucky Forest Industries Assn. annual meeting, The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Call 502-6953979; visit kfia.org. 20-22—Virginia Forestry Assn. Summit, Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel, Virginia Beach, Va. Call 804-278-8733; visit vaforestry.org.
May 13-14—Expo Richmond 2016, Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond, Va. Call 804-737-5625; visit exporichmond.com.
Check us out online at southernloggintimes.com
8-9—West Virginia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Canaan Resort Conf. Center, Davis, W.Va. Call 304-372-1955; visit wvfa.org. 23-25—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478992-8110; visit gfagrow.org. 23-26—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org. 29-30—Missouri Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, The Elms, Excelsior Springs, Mo. Call 417336-5400; visit moforest.org.
August 25-27—Virginia Loggers Assn. annual meeting, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, Va. Call 434-589-1942; visit valoggers.org. 26-27—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouthforestry.org. 30-September 1—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni at Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850-2225646; visit floridaforest.org.
September 11-13—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org. 29-October 1—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach, Fla. Call 409-625-0206; visit amloggers.com.
October 4-6—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Chancellor Hotel, Fayetteville, Ark. Call 501-3742441; visit arkforests.org. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
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