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Vol. 45, No. 7

(Founded in 1972—Our 526th Consecutive Issue)

F E AT U R E S

July 2016 A Hatton-Brown Publication

Phone: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525 www.southernloggintimes.com

Pitts Trailers Marks 40th Anniversary

Fly Timber Logger Turned Sawmiller

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

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

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

Kip Smith Forester Turned Logger

SWPA Meeting Expo In Valdosta

D E PA RT M E N T S

out front: Young Virginia logger Hunter Williams knew he wanted to be a logger since he saw a crew working when he was a child. He started out in mulching and gradually evolved that operation into a logging crew that averages 90 loads weekly. Story begins on Page 8. (David Abbott photo)

Southern Stumpin’.................................6 Bulletin Board ......................................34 Industry News Roundup.....................42 Machines-Supplies-Technology .........50 ForesTree Equipment Trader.............53 Coming Events/Ad Index ....................62

John Simmons Tel: 905-666-0258 • Fax: 905-666-0778 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com Western Canada, Western USA Tim Shaddick Tel: 604-910-1826 • Fax: 604-264-1367 4056 West 10th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6L 1Z1 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca 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

Bridget DeVane

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

Southern Loggin’ Times (ISSN 0744-2106) is published monthly by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Subscription Information—SLT is sent free to logging, pulpwood and chipping contractors and their supervisors; managers and supervisors of corporate-owned harvesting operations; wood suppliers; timber buyers; wood procurement and land management officials; industrial forestry purchasing agents; wholesale and retail forest equipment representatives and forest/logging association personnel in the U.S. South. See form elsewhere in this issue. All 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 Jordan Anderson • Marketing & Media Coordinator • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: jordan@hattonbrown.com

A New Service ttentive readers like you may have noticed the cryptic ads that started running in Southern Loggin' Times last October, vaguely teasing that “Something Is Coming” and “We’re Growing.” Each month these ads, shrouded in mystery, hinted that something new was on its way. If those ads had their intended effect, you may have wondered what in the world we were talking about. Those who attended the Richmond show in May were privy to a little preview, but for the rest of you, it's finally time to tell you. Read on... Like most stories that appear in Southern Loggin’ Times, this one begins in the woods. Let me set the scene for you…It was June of 2015. Hatton-Brown Publishers, the parent company of SLT, was co-sponsoring InWoodsExpo, which was held on a tract just outside Hot Springs, Ark. Several Hatton-Brown employees and SLT staff were on site to handle registration, visit with and interview attendees and exhibitors, take photos and video, and to enjoy the great outdoors on a typical summer day in the South. The highlight of these shows for most of us is seeing the logging equipment in action. It doesn’t matter if you’re five years old or 50 years young, there’s just something about seeing these heavy machines handling towering trees like they’re twigs that draws and excites a crowd. I think it brings out the kid in all of us. During a break in the action, a conversation started just outside the registration tent at the entrance to the show site. Standing under the hot Arkansas sun were SLT managing editor David Abbott with Jordan Anderson, Hatton-Brown marketing director (that’s me), and industry veteran, longtime logging business advocate, and SLT executive editor/co-publisher DK Knight. The conversation began with show-related small talk—the attendance, what people we’d seen, the site—but it quickly turned to a new topic: the equipment. All major logging equipment manufacturers were represented at this show, as well as some prominent logging equipment dealers. While many dealers do great business selling

new machines, most also have an inventory of used equipment that they need to sell. That, we decided, was a niche that needed our attention and expertise. Southern Loggin’ Times has always had a very popular classified ad section in the back of every issue, under the name Ironworks. It features quality pre-owned equipment, parts and components from dealers and other companies all over the South. We’ve had many loggers over the years tell us how helpful these classified ads in every issue of SLT are to them and their business. The classified ads section is a staple for this beloved magazine, and that’s exactly why the H-B group thought it was fitting to take it beyond the pages of SLT and onto the World Wide Web (is it still even called that?). So, after several months of endless emails and casual conversations, we set a meeting for sometime in the fall of 2015 in which the Hatton-Brown marketing, sales, web design and IT, graphic design, and executive teams would plan our new venture. The first meeting lasted close to four hours, with ideas, concepts, logistics, costs, and much, much more being discussed. One of the first things decided on was that this new venture needed its own identity. We wanted to go beyond just calling this ‘Southern Loggin’ Times Online Classifieds’ and really create a new brand. So allow me to formally introduce you to…

Pretty catchy, no? We think so. ForesTree Equipment Trader is our new online marketplace for anyone wanting to buy, sell or trade quality pre-owned logging equipment, parts, components and other related services. It was created and is operated by a team of people who have been involved in the logging industry for decades. Whether you want to buy, sell or trade something online, ForesTree Equipment Trader

Come by and visit us at the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show in Starkville, Miss. on August 26-27! We’ll be right behind the registration tables at the main entrance. Grab a tote bag, see a demo, get more info, sign up for our email list and get your FREE custom FET wood coaster, and enter for your chance to win a Yeti Cooler to be given away at the show! 6

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will become the place to do it. We here at SLT have invested a lot of time, effort, resources, research, a whole lot of sweat, maybe a little blood, and possibly a tear or two, into developing ForesTree Equipment Trader. From deciding on a name, to designing a logo, to designing the web site itself and making sure everything works and functions properly, to photo and video shoots, ad design and other marketing efforts, to extensive research into all types, makes and models of logging equipment, to trademark, copyright and legal details, to long, sometimes exhausting meetings to make sure all bases are covered and all pieces are in place, and much more, we’ve done the very best we can to create a service certain to become a valuable resource for hardworking loggers everywhere. ForesTree Equipment Trader will officially launch on Friday, July 15 and can be found at ForesTreeTrader.com. If you visit the web site before July 15, you can enter your name and email address to join our exclusive email list. Once you’re on the list, you’ll be the first to know once the web site goes live and will receive monthly emails after that with updates, news, featured equipment listings, and some useful and just plain entertaining information. On or after July 15, take some time to visit ForesTree Equipment Trader at ForesTreeTrader.com to check out all it has to offer and to learn more about how it can help you. We promise you won’t be disappointed. Oh, and don’t miss our ad with more details on pages 36-37 in this issue. Oh, and if you’re worried about the printed classified ads section in Southern Loggin’ Times, don’t fret—it’s not going anywhere. We are, after all, a logging magazine. Paper helps keep us all in business! It will, however, appear under a new name. A huge thank you to everyone on the HattonBrown team who all worked so hard to make ForesTree Equipment Trader a reality: DK Knight, Dianne Sullivan, Christy Sparks, Bryan Carter, Bridget DeVane, Phil Grissett, Rhonda SLT Thomas, Shelley Smith, and yours truly.

Check out our ForesTree Equipment Trader video on YouTube! Visit YouTube.com/ ForesTreeEquipmentTrader Montgomery

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Living The Dream ■ Young Virginia logger Hunter Williams attained his childhood aspiration. By David Abbott CHESTER, Va. here’s a certain youthful ★ exuberance evident in Hunter Williams, 28, the owner of Williams Tree Harvesters LLC. The fresh-faced entrepreneur has a big, enthusiastic smile when he talks about the first time he saw a logging crew working when he was only a child. That was when he knew what he wanted to do with his life. “When I was a kid we had a piece of land behind where I grew up and they came and logged it,” he recalls. Though not a logger, his dad worked for International Paper, so he had

some connection to the business. But this was the first time Williams had actually seen a logging operation in action. “I sat there and watched how that job was done and ever since that it always fascinated me. I always wanted to get into it.” Still, it wasn’t a sure thing, or a straight line to his goal. First he went to college in South Carolina. He studied business but says he didn’t really know what he wanted to pursue there. A year before he would have finished his degree, he moved back home to help care for his mother, who had become ill. That meant getting a job. “In college I realized I didn’t want to work for anybody,” he admits. “This is what I wanted to do, so I

made the leap and hoped for the best. I didn’t need a degree to do this.” Intent on going into business for himself, he bought his first forestry mulching machine at age 22. Williams did private land-clearing jobs and right of work way work for power companies for three years. “It got to be a real competitive business with lots of people going in it, so prices started going down,” he relates. “My intention with mulching was to get into the logging side.” The transition was gradual. “The amount of money to get in logging, it never seemed possible. As I started growing slowly through the clearing side, though, it started to seem attainable.” Over the next few years, the mulching/land-clearing company

Williams became fascinated with logging as a child when he watched a crew work near his home.

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evolved into a dedicated, fullfledged logging crew. That was four years ago when his childhood dream became a reality. “All the pieces aligned themselves in the last seven years.”

Team The crew sets up with two loaders, one feeding a chipper and loading trucks while the other merchandises logs. Kurt Dunn, who has been on the job for two years, oversees operations when Williams can’t be on-site. He runs the loader and does all the processing and much of the mechanical work. Brent Berngquist runs the other loader, the one that feeds the chipper. Father and son team James Harvey,

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Sr. and James Harvey, Jr. drive the two skidders. James, Sr. also handles any manual felling when required, and both of them can fill in on the loader if Dunn needs to be out of the machine. Johnny Dunn, Kurt’s brother, mans the track feller-buncher. Company truck drivers are Kenny Baylor, Keith Neal and Chris Ferguson. Williams also hires a regular contract truck driver, Courtney Duncan. Another, Mike Stebbins, also sometimes sends some of his trucks if Williams needs some extra hauling capacity. Williams has downsized the trucking side of his operation for the time being in response to higher trucking insurance rates. “It saves me money to have a few contract drivers I can depend on and to run my own for half the trucks I need.” Also, he has parked a few trucks for now because the operation is currently consolidated into one crew; on certain jobs, it splits into two. Williams has all his insurance bundled under Forestry Mutual, through agency Gaines & Critzer Ltd. Forestry Mutual offers safety training as part of the workers’ comp package. “They are awesome,” he says. “Brian Wagner does chain saw training for them, and assists with safety training and answers any questions we have.” The crew studies a safety manual furnished by the insurance carrier, going over it at weekly meetings. They also have special meetings when moving onto a new tract to go over any potential hazards on that job site.

The young logger sets up two loaders, one to load, one to process.

Williams is loyal to Carter Machinery, running mostly Cat iron.

Equipment In-woods machinery is mostly from Caterpillar, including three Cat 545 skidders (2012-2013 models), ’16 Cat 559C loader, and a ’16 model 521B tracked feller-buncher with Quadco head. A D5K dozer, Tigercat 234 loader, Bandit 2590 chipper and Barko 595 track loader round out the lineup. Williams has eight company-owned trucks, including four Kenworths and four Peterbilts. Trailers are all from Pitts. Williams’ investment stands at $3.5 million, or so it was “the last I looked,” he says with a grin. Carter Machinery in Richmond is the dealer for all his Cat machines, while Williams bought his Tigercat loader from fellow logger Binky Tapscott’s Forest Pro, Inc. in Scottsville. As with many loggers, Williams’ brand loyalty comes down to a strong relationship with the equipment dealer. “Carter Machinery has stood behind me from the beginning and gone above and beyond anything you could ever hope for,” he says. “They are the reason this is possible for me; without them, this wouldn’t work. When my cutter breaks down at 5 o’clock, someone is out here that night making sure it

Front row, left to right: Kurt Dunn, James Harvey, Sr., Courtney Duncan, James Harvey, Jr., Hunter Williams; back row, left to right: Johnny Dunn, Chris Fergusson, Kenny Baylor, Brent Berngquist, Tony Winston

Half of the crew’s production goes into the chipper.

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is running the next morning.” Williams also credits his friend Phillip Matthews at Middleburg Bank. “I was dealing with bigger banks and it was hard to really get any help out of them,” he relates. “I went to Middleburg and they really helped out with some key parts of getting financed for things. They have stood behind me just like Carter Machinery has. It’s a hard business to get into and so to have those two lifelines is instrumental.” When it comes to maintenance,

the routine Williams settled upon was to service two machines every Friday. That rotation works out such that all the machines get oil changed once a month, or at 250hour intervals. To track it, Dunn keeps a written logbook of service hours and any repairs for all machines and trucks. When repairs have to be done in the field, Williams keeps a 45 ft. trailer that he has converted into a mobile shop on the job site. It is always fully stocked with spare

parts and supplies. For skidder tires, Williams prefers Primex, saying he’s had more luck with that brand than any other. “Primex has been a really good tire because we get a better life out of it,” he says. Total cost for maintenance was $120,000 last year.

Markets With its operations based in Chester, about 15 miles south of Richmond, the company works pri-

marily for John Rock, Inc. That company, which makes pallets, has two sawmills in Virginia to supply its pallet operations 200 miles away in Pennsylvania. One sawmill is in Caroline County, between Richmond and Fredericksburg, and the other is in Dillwyn, 60 miles west of Richmond. The sawmills operate under the name Rock Wood Products. The John Rock company chose this area because it is rich in hardwood. “We supply all the stumpage for the Caroline mill,” Williams says. He estimates that 75% of what his crew cuts in a year is stumpage Rock Wood has bought. Aside from John Rock stumpage, Williams buys 25% of his own timber each year. John Rock buys both pine and hardwood saw timber, and a lot of stands are mixed. Pulpwood is common, but Williams rarely hauls it as such. “We don’t do much pulpwood,” he says. “We separate logs and chip the rest. Tops and pulpwood both go in the chipper, unless there’s a problem at Enviva, then we will haul pulpwood.” He explains that consistency—every chip load can always be 32 tons— and higher productivity make this method more profitable than hauling pulpwood at current prices. Of the 90 average loads his crew hauls weekly, Williams says about half are chips and half are logs. Logs go primarily to John Rock/Rock Wood in Sparta, Va. (Caroline County) and chips go to Enviva in Hopewell and some in Southampton. When he occasionally hauls some pulpwood he sends it to West Rock in West Point. It’s nice working for a sawmill, he says, because there is no quota. Rock Wood is always wide open. He also credits the company for its proactive involvement in sustainable forestry. “They do a very good job by sending their forester, Daniel Jones, out to looks at each job to make sure the BMPs are done correctly. They really stress sustainable forestry to ensure the future. It’s cool to see a mill take the time to work with loggers to make sure it’s done correctly. They want to plan for a long future and so do we.”

Looking Ahead As far as future plans go, Williams is already working on one of his: starting his own wood yard. The goal is to create a buffer against a logger’s oldest enemy: the weather. “Sometimes loggers can’t get in the woods for weeks in the winter. I want an inventory on the wood yard to sell in those times.” He has a space for it set up at his shop, with an extra loader, an older Cat 559B, in place. He plans to start building inventory this summer, and will eventually 10

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With eight trucks, Williams averages 90 loads weekly.

install a sprinkler system. His goal is to keep about 100 loads stored. “It’s like a piggy bank. Instead of missing two days of work when it’s too wet to get in the woods, you don’t really miss anything because you can keep trucks on the road moving wood.” In six months to a year, he says, he will start buying outside wood and other products as well. Though he says the business is right at the size he wants it for now,

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he does hope to branch out into buying his own land over the next decade. “I want to manage and create something so that, when I do have kids, we will have a good size of land we can fall back on as another investment. I’d rather invest in trees than the stock market.” Profit, he says, has been on par with investment last year, even after purchasing several new trucks and pieces of equipment in that time frame. A reasonable percentage to

Williams equipped this 45 ft. trailer to function as a mobile shop, with everything the crew needs for routine repairs and maintenance on-site.

his way of thinking is 6-8%. “It is hard to hit that every year. There are so many variables you can’t control,” he admits. He references limitations due to weather and mill closures that can restrict production. “That’s the nature of the business.” Even so, his company has grown every year since it started. So far, he says, 2016 is on track to be one of his best years yet. “We are already sitting far above where we were this time last year.”

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As far as hobbies, Williams, still a bachelor with no children, calls himself obsessed with duck hunting. “Unfortunately, this is getting bigger,” he laments, gesturing towards the job that embodies his childhood dream come to life. “So my time for hunting is more spaced out, but if it’s not duck season, we are out here working on something SLT every day.” Contact Hunter Williams by email: williamstreeharvesters@yahoo.com

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Ahead Of The Curve ■ Pitts Trailers marks 40 years of pioneering innovation and success.

By David Abbott PITTSVIEW, Ala. ust west of the Georgia state line, the town of ★ Pittsview is an unincorporated community in Russell County, Ala., with a population just north of 1,300; that’s a density of about nine people per square mile. It was originally called Pittsboro, but they had to change it because railroad travelers

too often got it confused with the next town down the line, Hurtsboro (population as of the 2010 census: 553). They kept getting off at the wrong stop, stranding themselves in the wrong town. Thus, Pittsboro became Pittsview. The Pitts family founded the town in 1890, building the first house there in 1891. It served as both the local schoolhouse and the hospital, and was the home of John “Boozer” Pitts, who served as head

football coach at Auburn University in 1923-24 and part of 1927. By 1982 the house had been unoccupied for years and had fallen into disrepair, so Andrew Pitts bought it, renovated it and converted it into the home office for Pitts Enterprises, Inc., the company he had started just six years earlier. The old house still serves as Pitts HQ today. That year, 1982, was also when Andrew’s son Jeff, barely 20 at the time, joined the family business as

The Pitts crew, left to right: Justin Bridges, President; Jeff Pitts, CEO; JP Pierson, Vice President

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sales manager. Now the CEO—he bought Pitts from his dad in 2002— Jeff has seen the company grow into the largest forestry trailer manufacturer in the country and the 13th largest trailer manufacturer of any type as of 2015 rankings; Pitts manufactured 4,200 trailers last year. This year, Pitts Enterprises is celebrating 40 years since its inception in a little shop across the street from its current office in that tiny little town of Pittsview.

Jeff Preslar, Pittsview plant manager, has been with the company 26 years.

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Rapid Rise Like the town in which it is based, the company that takes its name and got it start from the Pitts family started out with a different name. Andrew Pitts, a timber dealer and farmer at the time, started East Alabama Trucks in January 1976 to haul chips, bark and other residuals for local sawmills, like Garrison Lumber Co. in Eufala. It was Garrison that asked Andrew to find them a used log trailer. He, in turn, asked if he could just build them a new trailer with a used tandem. They agreed and that was the first Pitts trailer. Andrew was able to fabricate the trailers in the maintenance facility at his two-bay truck shop. He started building more, just a couple each month at first, but by 1981 they were producing more than 100 a year. By 1982—when Jeff came on board— they ceased hauling activities to focus exclusively on manufacturing trailers. That was also when the name changed from East Alabama Trucks to Pitts Enterprises, Inc. From 1982-1988 Pitts turned out up to 300 trailers a year. In 1989 the company began to focus aggressively on expanding its dealer network; sales jumped to 720 a year. Jeff says that, along with building a brand, building that dealer/customer base was one of his main goals in his early years. Looking back, he now believes it has contributed to setting Pitts apart from the pack. “They still maintain a lot of direct customer sales,” Pitts Vice President JP Pierson says of the competition. “We really try to rely on our dealers, who resell our trailers to the end user. That allows us to have more trailers on the ground.” Justin Bridges, Pitts President who came on board when Jeff became CEO in 2002, agrees, adding, “The dealers give us a lot bigger footprint than we could ever do out of one office.” “We owe a lot of our success to our dealers,” Pierson continues. “Last year we focused on advertising that we have you covered, not only with our products but with our dealer representation. It is an extremely important part.”

It was Preslar’s idea to have the trailer mounted up high, so it would be visible to those driving down highway 431 past the Pitts plant.

Pitts has advertised in at least one trade publication, like this one, every month since 1980. The company was still small then, and many companies of its size couldn’t afford an advertising budget. Advertising is costly, but in Jeff’s estimation it was a worthwhile, even necessary, investment. Pitts needed to

be a name that everyone knew. Of course, that meant not just advertising, but coming up with an ad people would notice and remember. Enter the famous, occasionally infamous, “Pitts Girl.” The concept was simple but brilliant: a female model, usually in short shorts, posed on the back of a Pitts trailer

with the double entendre slogan, “You’re ahead with a Pitts behind.” The ads started running on the interior pages of Southern Loggin’ Times in the early ’90s (page 7 of the February, 1990 issue). Since March 1993, Pitts has had the back cover of SLT as its permanent residence. “We’ve never given up that

Brand Building Jeff has always believed that advertising was central to the company’s rapid growth. He was keen on getting the name out there and building awareness of the brand. To that end, Pitts representatives attended trade shows heavily by the mid 1980s, and it helped. “My focus was building a dealer network and building a brand through trade shows and by advertising in the #1 publication in the industry, Southern Loggin’ Times,” he recalls.

One of the earliest examples of a Pitts Girl ad, from February 1990

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Two trailers will be stacked for transportation to the dealer.

Each trailer is fabricated right in the Pittsview shop.

spot,” Jeff says. It has been a big part of establishing Pitts as a recognized brand name, he believes. As for the Pitts Girls, they starred in those back cover ads less frequently in recent years, but Jeff predicts a possible return this year in honor of the 40th anniversary.

concept from the flatbed trailer industry. Prior to that, the log trailers were built using heavy structural steel, with a 20 in. beam weighing 50 lbs. per foot. It was 36K material, not high tensile strength. Pitts was able to get the same structural strength with a lot less steel—high grade 100K steel. “Using high tensile strength steel and advanced beam fabrication processes allowed us to build a trailer significantly lighter than others, but still as strong or stronger,” Pierson explains. “That is what separated us from the competition.” But, having achieved that suc-

Load Payin’ Of course, all the brand building and dealer networking, the clever advertising, witty slogans, eye-catching photos and trade show appearances wouldn’t be enough to sustain a

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company 40 years if it didn’t have a quality product to back it up. According to Pierson, “Success came not only from building a quality product and building a great brand, but also from pioneering and leading the development of the industry. When we really jumped ahead of the game was with the development of the Load Payin’ series in 1994, which is now an industry staple and our flagship. That was where we really gained a lot of market share. It just exploded after that.” The idea for the lightweight trailer was Jeff’s and he says he copied the

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cess, the Pitts crew didn’t just rest on their laurels. They continued to innovate. “Once we lightened up the trailer, we then went another step forward with the Ultra Load Payin’ series,” Bridges notes. “We could have just stopped right there, but we continuously try to improve what we are doing and to find ways to be the innovator in the industry.”

Crawler Pierson says that commitment to innovation continues today with the newest Pitts product, the patent-pend-

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ing “Crawler” suspension for knuckleboom loader carriers. “That suspension is specifically designed for that application,” he explains of the Crawler’s development. Knuckleboom loader trailers for years have been built with rigid axles welded to the frame bottom. Considered off-road vehicles by the federal government, they did not require any suspension. The problem with that, Pierson says, is when the loader has to be transported on the highway. “We, for years, have transported trailers from here to Prentice, Wisc. to mount a loader on it, and then send it back down to the South—a 40,000 lbs. loader sitting directly on top of two axles with no suspension. It actually created a bounce if it hit a bump and it would continue to bounce. That did a lot of damage to tires.” The Pitts team had been considering a solution for years, but there were several problems caused by adding a suspension. Cost went up by as much as 15%. The trailer lost 6 inches of ground clearance, and the frame height went up over 4 inches. Their eventual solution for all of it was the Crawler: a rigid rocking beam suspension that gives a seesaw effect but also has an oscillatory movement, allowing it to move left and right. It got its name because, in

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Branding was instrumental to Pitts’ success.

motion, the trailer appears to be crawling in the woods. The Crawler suspension not only eliminates the highway bounce, it provides equalization of weight distribution, has better ground clearance than other suspensions and, combined with the low profile radial tires included in the package, it only raises the frame height 1 inch. The benefits don't end with the blacktop, however. The Crawler is also said to make it easier to move the loader on the landing. After only two years on the market, demand for the Crawler has grown rapidly. There are an estimated 300 in use now.

Expansion Another big step for Pitts was the 2007 acquisition of Dorsey Trailers and its manufacturing facility in

Elba, Ala. That expanded Pitts’ product offering to include chip vans and moving floor vans as well as flat bed trailers. The Dorsey brand, of course, hasn’t disappeared. Branding depends largely on geography. “The Dorsey name and the dealer representation Dorsey has in the Northeast works better than the Pitts brand,” Jeff says. “But in the Southeast, Pitts is better known.” The company has undergone six plant expansions in the last 24 months. Pitts log trailers, lowboys (fixed neck and detachable gooseneck), and knuckleboom loader carriers are all manufactured at the Pittsview plant, while flatbeds and chip vans, with multiple sub categories in each, are produced at the Elba in Dorsey plant. Pierson notes that Pitts bought

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Dorsey just before the recession hit. Ironically, he says, that turned out to be good timing, because it took them about four years to get the Elba plant how they wanted, just in time for the recovery to start in 2011. Although it, like many companies, was forced to lay some people off during the lean years, Pitts Enterprises was able to retain the bulk of its personnel, including many who now have more than 20 years with the company. All told the company employs 450. And they’re not just employees anymore. Since 2014, Pitts has participated in an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), allowing the employees to become vested stake holders, and stock holders, in the company as well. “It was a severe recession for us as well as our customers,” Jeff admits. “But thanks to a great dealer base, and thanks to being a family-owned business with a lean top end, we were able to weather the storm, and now the recovery has been robust. The last two years have been the strongest we’ve seen in forestry.” Though the upward trend of the last two years will inevitably level off sooner or later, if past is prologue, then Pitts Trailers will be around for another 40. SLT Visit pittstrailers.com

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Built To Last ■ Ricky Fly has built an impressive hardwood lumber sawmill with leading edge equipment in Mississippi. By Jay Donnell GRENADA, Miss. hen young Ricky ★ Fly founded Fly Timber Co. in 1981 in Coffeeville, Miss., the thought of operating a modern hardwood sawmill wasn’t on his mind— yet. In addition to running his own logging crew, he became a wood dealer for International Paper, overseeing up to nine jobs. Back in 1984, Fly Timber appeared in Southern Loggin’ Times. Fly tried the sawmill business in the mid-’80s but didn’t stay in it long. But when the economy took a down turn around 2000 many local hardwood sawmills and other markets began shutting down, leaving Fly in search of log buyers. He decided to expand his operations to take up some of the slack and before long was running a small mulching system, a Hurdle hardwood sawmill in Oakland and a scragg mill in Winona. Near the end of 2008 Fly decided to modernize his hardwood sawmill business and found a site at a former

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IP wood yard near Grenada. It took more than two years to get the financing done and Fly spent two and a half years traveling across the country and into Canada, looking at different sawmills and deciding on what kind of equipment and layout he wanted for his mill. The vast majority of equipment was purchased as new. Construction began in November 2011. An engineer out of Ohio, Martin

Quanci with Mill-Quality Equipment and Designs, helped to design, lay out and build the mill. Fly also received considerable assistance from Billy Humphreys with M&H Builders. Fly Tie & Lumber LLC, owned by Fly Timber Co., Inc., began operation in April 2014, bringing railroad ties and timbers into the product mix, along with various grades from FAS

to frame stock. Species include ash, cottonwood, gum, hickory, poplar, red oak, white oak and mixed hardwoods and some cypress as of late. Fly ceased operation of his two original sawmills. “They told me it would take a year to get the kinks out of it and they weren’t lying,” Fly says. “Everything seems to be working out fine now.”

Fly Tie & Lumber has 80,000 tons of pulpwood storage capacity at a yard in Como, in addition to the yard at the sawmill in Grenada.

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Fly estimates annual production in a normal year to get up to 20MMBF.

Logs, Mill Flow Fly Timber no longer runs its own logging crew but continues to manage contract loggers. Fly, who also buys and sells timberland, purchases the logs and sells them to Fly Tie & Lumber. The operation also sells pulpwood logs and maintains an 80,000 tons pulpwood storage yard in Como, Miss. about 60 miles north of the sawmill. Logs roll in to the new mill from within a 130-mile radius. Fly says log supply has been decent in the area as of late. Logs are brought in short length. These are 17.5-18 ft., but also some 9-10 ft. as well as 14-16 ft. for grade sawing. Fly Tie & Lumber’s operation includes two McDonough bandmills, one 6 ft. and one 7 ft., with USNR optimization. Both of these are double cuts with Cleereman carriages. The tilted carriage is for larger grade logs, while the non-tilted side saws smaller logs. Downstream is an adjustable PHL 10 in. optimized gang saw, a McDonough optimized edger, double end trimmer and grading station. A Sennebogen 830 mobile knuckleboom loader and Fuchs-Terex MHL350D loader unloads trucks and separates by species. John Deere wheel loaders move the logs into whatever row they go into and also feed logs onto the mill infeed deck. The knucklebooms loaders have 45 ft. booms for a higher stack. Logs run through a Mellott rosserhead debarker, with the bark traveling on a vibrating conveyor and to a belt feeding the hog. The byproduct is loaded into trailers and is all used as fuel wood. Logs proceed through an MDI TWA 2000 HD metal detector. The mill has two sides, both with Cleereman carriages; a McDonough 6 ft. bandmill on the right side processes smaller logs and a 7 ft. on

Deere wheel loaders move logs to the infeed deck.

Each log passes through MDI metal detector before proceeding to Cleereman carriage.

the left handles bigger logs. Each has USNR’s MillExpert Log Optimizer package with front-side LASAR scanning.

Fly’s daughter Jessica worked in construction before coming back to the family operation.

Lumber comes off and is directed to a McDonough linear optimized edger. When the cant gets down to a 9x18 or less it kicks off and goes to

a PHL gang. If it will make a tie the gang operator will push the button to open the saws up to get a tie in the center and the lumber will go

Cants flow from Cleereman carriage to PHL gang saw.

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McDonough provides both the small and large log bandmills and the linear optimized edger.

Lumber is dried in fan sheds as well as contracted out for kiln drying.

off the sides. Or he’ll push another button and bring all the saws together so that there will just be pure lumber coming out. The ties go uphill on a deck and go to a lift where they go out on the north side of the mill. The lumber moves on the other deck, which is the lower deck, and it comes out to the east side of the mill. The lumber goes through a drop sorter and then circles around to be graded and is pulled off the green chain. The ties go to the tie sorter where there is a trim saw. The operator will either

lumber (no ties) per week. Two workers do maintenance on the night shift and some maintenance is done on Saturdays. The filing room includes Armstrong grinders, Hanchett leveling bench/stretch roller and a Simonds leveler. Most saws are Cut Tech. Taylor T180 forklifts load lumber onto trucks. Fly Tie & Lumber sells its lumber to flooring plants in Arkansas and Mississippi and upholstery stores in east Mississippi. They have 10 company trucks which include two Kenworths, two

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trim it on both ends or if it’s 17.5 ft. he’ll cut it in half to make two short ties. Ties move out to sorting bins and onto rail cars or trucks. Fly sells its ties to Stella-Jones Corp., shipping cross ties by rail to Alexandria, La., and shipping switch ties to their Alexandria, Fulton, Ky. and Russellville, Ark. locations by truck, and in the past by rail to Bangor, Wis. Lumber is dried in fan air sheds and some is sent out for contract kiln drying. The planer mill and its Newman EPR-24 electric double planer processes 150-160MBF of

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Freightliners and six Peterbilts. The oldest is a 2011. Fly reports that he has a strong stable of drivers. “There’s so much liability out there on the road so I’m a lot pickier than probably some people are with my drivers,” he explains. “We drug test them and I have some drivers that have been with me for 12-15 years.” The mill operates one shift from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., but they shut down the mill at 3:30 to perform necessary maintenance. Sometimes they’ll run the mill for half a day on Saturday.

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Personnel Fly was able to bring in some experienced personnel, such as Mill Foreman Phillip Clark, but he notes that turnover is a regular issue. “It’s pretty tough finding new employees who want to work,” he says. “We’ve got a little too much labor right now, but you never know who’s going to work out. We cross train a lot of people.” The two operations employ 57. The company holds monthly safety meetings at the mill and has a monthly safety lotto. The lotto is based on lost time. After 30 days of zero lost time, a drawing is held for two winners of $100 each. After 60 days of zero lost time, there are drawings for $200 and $100. After 90 days, the drawings are for $300 and $100 and it continues to go up until it caps at $500 and $100 for two drawings. When SLT visited, the monthly lotto drawings had reached $500 and $100 because of the excellent lost time record. They also have supervisor bonuses of $500 for every 90 days with zero lost time. This program was initiated May 2015 and has been very successful. They have had less than $300 in workers’ comp claims and zero lost time. New employees fill out a job application and then go through training. If they don’t have any experience they’ll start on a cleanup crew and gradually work where they can to see what they can pick up on. After employees have been with the business for 90 days they receive holiday pay and the company recognizes all major holidays. They’ll occasionally work on a holiday, but when they do they receive holiday pay plus whatever they would normally make. After employees have been there for a year they get a week of paid vacation and the business also offers a 401K plan. Ricky’s wife, Dotty Fly, runs the office. She knows a little bit about the timber business, having married Ricky in July 1981 a month before Fly Timber began operations. They went on their honeymoon to find a truck to mount a loader on. Fly’s daughter, Jessica, is the compliance officer and also oversees the safety program, balances the general ledger and assists with daily operations. She enjoys working with her father on a daily basis. “I’ve been working here since May of last year and I love it,” Jessica says. “I went into construction, but then I came back home right after they opened the new mill and the timing worked out perfectly.” Jessica’s husband, Gerald Payne, is the head saw filer. After being in logging and

sawmilling for many years Fly leans toward the latter. “Sawdust is in my bloods,” he says. “I think I like running the sawmill more than I like running a logging crew.” Fly believes the housing market is doing a little better. “It’s better than it was last year, but it didn’t jump like some thought it would. It looks like it’s gaining a little bit each year which is probably for the best.” Although Fly is pleased with his new sawmill, it wasn’t an easy adventure. “Getting this new sawmill

up and running has been stressful,” he says. “It took a while to put it together, but everyone is starting to settle into their roles. We have a lot of debt to get down at this new mill, but we’re doing all right.” Grenada County Economic Development District and Mississippi Development Authority worked closely with Fly to facilitate the project and extend a rail spur. Key employees include Josh Angle and Mac Burnett, timber buyers; Eugene Hall, lumber sales;

Phillip Clark, mill foreman; Gerald Payne, head saw filer; Matt Turner, controls engineer; Dotty Fly, secretary-treasurer; and Jessica Fly, compliance officer. Fly doesn’t have much time for extracurriculars, but when he does have some spare time he enjoys watching the Mississippi State Bulldogs play football and he makes it to a game occasionally. Fly Tie & Lumber is a member of the Hardwood Manufacturers SLT Assn.

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Building A Brand ■ After just a few years in logging, Kip Smith is quickly making a name for himself.

Kip Smith started out as a forester but went into logging in 2013.

By Jay Donnell HADDOCK, Ga. ip Smith had ★ made a good living cruising and buying timber as a consulting forester ever since he graduated from the University of Georgia in 2000. But he was always drawn to the logging end. Once he had enough timber bought he decided to start his own logging business. “I began with $90,000 worth of equipment,” Smith says. Smith, 39, started his company, Kip Smith Forest Services (KSFS), in May 2013. Not long after, he hired Michael Allen who now serves as the harvest operations manager. “Within the first week I realized that he was awesome,” Smith says. “He just has that mechanical ability and can figure things out, whether it’s running

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He believes in a mix of brands, with both a Tigercat and a John Deere cutter on his crews.

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equipment or fixing it. He and I patched up old equipment until we were able to move up to good equipment.” Today, Smith runs two crews and has 12 employees. He has built his business into an impressive operation over the last three years and looks to continue his company’s momentum despite many mills having him on quotas as of mid-year.

Forest Operations Smith buys most of his timber and a lot of his business is generated through word-of-mouth. He is gaining a strong reputation in middle Georgia and has found a niche. KSFS is thinning 70-80% of the time. Most clear-cutting is done during the winter and when it’s wet on the ground. They typically find themselves in hilly terrain where many ditches are encountered. When Southern Loggin’ Times visited KSFS, one crew was working on a second thinning on a 600acre tract. The two crews move about 100-120 loads of logs a week on average. KSFS is cutting pine the majority of the time. Smith buys a good bit of stumpage from F&W Forestry Services regional manager Nathan Fountain. Smith and Fountain graduated from UGA together. “We do the quality logging job that he’s looking for,” Smith says. When moving to a new tract the roads are built and cleaned up with John Deere 700K and 700H dozers. Smith likes to move a feller-buncher to a new tract first so that they go in and cut out a loading dock. When KSFS gets to a tract they make sure to find out if the landowner wants their slash piled up or distributed through the woods. “We know what they want when we get there,” Smith explains. “We like for whoever we’re working for to have their finger on the pulse of the job.” He adds, “There are some consultants that come out there the day you start and then don’t come back until a couple after you’ve already left. Then they’ll have a gripe about something. I like it when people are proactive.” The company generally works within an hour and a half of Smith’s home office in Haddock. They haul sawlogs to the Jordan Forest Products sawmill in Barnesville, Interfor sawmill in Eatonton, and GeorgiaPacific in Madison; pulpwood to Graphic Packaging in Macon, and fuel chips to Piedmont Green Energy in Barnesville and Pratt Recycling in Conyers. Smith says one crew generally services the Graphic Packaging pulpwood market and the other the Weyerhaeuser Flint River operations. KSFS has run into quotas at some of their bigger mill markets since February. They hope

Top row left to right: Jesse Johnson, Sam Farley, Charles Evans, Kip Smith; Bottom row left to right: Michael Allen, Mikey Davis

A Caterpillar 559C loader works on both of Smith’s two crews.

Cat and Tigercat skidders pull to the loading deck.

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CSI 4400 slasher merchandises at the landing.

The Morbark, added in 2015, produces 600 tons of fuel chips weekly.

that the trend doesn’t continue into the second half of 2016.

newest piece of equipment purchased by KSFS. “The new Deere feller-buncher has been a heck of a machine,” Smith raves. “I’ve been very impressed with the new cutter and the operators love it. It’s faster, stronger and more operator friendly.” The addition of the Morbark 30/36 has been a big help to the company with the recent quota situation, but some of the company’s fuel chip markets have them on quota as well. KSFS’s chipping operation produces about 600 tons of fuel chips per week. The company got into

Equipment When Smith first got into logging he was using older equipment but today the business has newer machines that keep operators happy and production up. One thing that separates Smith from some loggers is his belief that you don’t have to buy only one brand of equipment. “I’ve tried to be diverse with my equipment,” Smith explains. “A lot of loggers

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are really into one kind, but I feel like they pigeonhole themselves with financing. I feel like when you have a mixture you have a little bit of a trade advantage. They all make good equipment.” KSFS’s diverse equipment lineup includes a 2015 Morbark 30/36 whole tree chipper, ’15 Cat 559C loader with a CSI DL-4400 slasher saw, ’15 Cat 535D skidder, ’15 Tigercat 720G feller-buncher, ’14 Tigercat 620E skidder, ’14 Cat 559C loader and ’16 John Deere 643L fellerbuncher. The L series feller-buncher is the

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chipping in March 2015. The addition of the chipper has meant the difference between getting a job and not getting a job on several occasions. “We were handling so much of the tree that we weren’t using,” Smith says. “We wanted to take advantage of all the portions of the tree and the chipper has been a great procurement tool for us.” Smith has great relationships with all of his equipment dealers. Todd Mathews at Tidewater Equipment in Forsyth, Ga. keeps KSFS up to date with all of its Tigercat equipment. Brandon Justice at Yancey Bros. out

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of Macon makes sure all Cat equipment is running smoothly and Jeremy Register at Flint Equipment in Macon keeps the John Deere machines moving. KSFS owns three 2016 Mack trucks. Trailers include two new Pitts trailers, a used Pitts and two shop-built, along with Peerless chip vans and two in-house container conversions. The rest of the trucking is contracted. Smith never wanted to get into trucking, but realized that his lack of trucks was becoming a problem for his business. “I

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bought one truck, bought another and then another,” Smith says. “It really ramped our production up.” While owning his own trucks has been a good thing, it still provides many headaches. “Trucking is a nightmare because there is no money in a log truck,” Smith explains. “Our limiting factor was trucking so I had to buy them.” KSFS has never had any trucking accidents, but they have had two contractors get into accidents. One of them was the driver’s fault and the other was not. KSFS’s drivers

get paid a percentage of the gross revenue of their trucking runs each week. Machines are greased at the end of each day and someone on each crew is responsible for making sure that everyone greases their machine. A lot of KSFS’s newer equipment only requires the oil (ExxonMobil Delvac) to be changed every 500 hours. Firestone tires usually come with the equipment that Smith buys, but he also likes to buy Goodyear. Smith estimates that he’s invested $2.3 million in his business.

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Business Practices Employees generally work Monday through Friday and arrive on site at 6:30 a.m. If KSFS gets into a situation where the mills are open on Saturday he can call employees and get a crew together to work. When KSFS hires a new worker they must fill out a formal application. All employees, including truck drivers, are subject to random drug testing. KSFS has used Darlene McDonald’s Safety On Site for two years. As of recently, the inwoods operation and companyowned trucking operation had been 100% accident free under Smith’s umbrella. KSFS will pay for uniforms if an employee wants one and employees that drive their own trucks to work are given gas cards that can be used for gas at the fuel stations Smith does business with. Workers are granted time off for sickness and family emergencies. “I try to pay my people well and make a good work environment,” Smith explains. “We go out of our way to make it as good of a work environment as possible. I feel like I pay really well, but I also expect a lot.” On crew one, Sam Farley is a loader operator, Charles Evans runs a skidder, and Mikey Davis operates a feller-buncher. The second crew consists of Brandon Stitcher, skidder operator; Kevin Kitchens, fellerbuncher operator; Junior Mays, loader operator; and Jessie Bridgeman. Truck drivers are Al Thomas, Cary Mullis and Chris Merritt. Smith’s wife, Kalie Smith, runs the office. Due to the quality of KSFS’s logging practices they’ve had to turn down some jobs, which is hard for Smith to do as a wood buyer. “We’ve gotten to a point where we’ve filled a niche and have plenty to do,” Smith explains. “I’m at the point where I’m at a crossroads on if I should grow.” He adds, “I’ve got all the iron that I feel comfortable with managing properly. We’ll make our decisions in a very calculated way. Sometimes quality overrides quantity, but sometimes you can have them hand in hand. Any time you advance in this business there are major financial decisions to be made. Even if you’re just putting on a contract logger you have to be careful because you’re financing that operation.” Kip Smith is a member of the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. and when Southern Loggin’ Times visited him he had recently filled out membership paperwork for the Georgia Forestry Assn. His favorite hobby outside of work is rodeo team roping (he’s the header), which he has been doing for four years throughout the Southeast. SLT

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Meet Walter Jones Toward the end of the Sunday service, the minister asked the congregation, “With a show of hands, how many of you have forgiven your enemies?” About 80% of the group responded. The minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one man, old Walter Jones. The preacher singled Jones out: “Mr. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?” “I don’t have any,” he replied gruffly. “Mr. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?” “Ninety-eight,” Jones growled. The people stood and clapped loudly, leading the minister to say: “Mr. Jones, would you please come to the front and tell us how a person can live for 98 years and not have an enemy in the world?” The old man tottered down the aisle, stopped in front of the pulpit, faced the congregation, and said simply, “I outlived all of them.”

On The Maturing Process My goal for 2016 was to lose just 10 pounds… only 15 to go! I just did a week’s worth of cardio after walking into a spider web. I don’t mean to brag, but I finished my 14-day diet food in 48 hours. A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it. Kids today don’t know how easy they have it. When I was young, I had to walk 10 feet across shag carpet just to change the TV channel. Senility has been a smooth transition for me. Remember when we were kids and every time the temperature fell to zero they closed school? Me neither. I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented… (I forgot where I was going with this). I love being over 70, for I learn something new every day, and forget more than enough to make up for it. My dentist told me I need a crown. I said, “You bet. I’ll have it on the rocks.” Remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed. I think I’ll just put an ‘Out of Order’ sticker on my forehead and call it a day.

Perspective As the old man walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun. “But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish,” countered the old man. 34

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been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Ferrari? Man: Do you drink beer? Woman: No. Man: Where is your Ferrari?

The Power Of A Team

“How can your effort make any difference?” The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said.

Good Stuff Parents need to fill a child’s bucket of selfesteem so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes in it to drain it dry. You are the only person on the planet who can use your ability. Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes softly and sits on your shoulder. The best way to forget your own problems is to help someone else solve theirs. If there’s no wind, row. There is no such thing as a non-working mother.

The Beer Alternative Woman: Do you drink beer? Man: Yes Woman: How many beers a day? Man: Usually about three. Woman: How much do you pay per beer? Man: About $5, which includes a tip. Woman: How many years have you been drinking? Man: About 20, I suppose Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have three of them a day, which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5,400 correct? Man: Correct Woman: If in one year you spend $5,400, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct? Man: Correct Woman: Do you know that if you didn’t drink so much beer, that money could have

Decades ago a man became lost while driving through the countryside. As he tried to read a map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn’t injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. So the man walked to a nearby farmhouse to ask for help. “Warwick can get you out of that ditch,” said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a pasture. The man looked at the haggard and disheveled mule and looked at the farmer, who just stood there repeating, “Yep, old Warwick can do the job.” The man figured he had nothing to lose. The men and Warwick made their way to the trapped car. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins he shouted, Pull Fred! Pull Jack! Pull Ted! Pull Warwick!” The mule slowly pulled the car from the ditch. The traveler was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule and asked, “Why did you call out all of those other names before you called Warwick” The farmer grinned and said, “Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he’s part of a team, he doesn’t mind pulling.”

Late Night Vet Call A dog lover, whose dog was a female and “in heat,” agreed to look after her neighbor’s male dog while the neighbor was on vacation. She had a large house and she believed that she could keep the two dogs apart. However, as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard loud howling and moaning sounds. She rushed downstairs and found the dogs locked together and unable to disengage, as frequently happens when dogs mate. Unable to separate them, and perplexed as to what to do next, and although it was very late at night, she called her vet, who answered in a very grumpy voice. After she explained the problem, the vet said, “Hang up the phone and place it down alongside the dogs. I will then call you back and the noise of the ringing will make the male lose his erection and he will be able to withdraw.” “Do you think that will work?” the caller asked. “Just worked for me,” said the vet.

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SWPA Meeting/Expo Is Crowd Pleaser

Live chipping demo and “operator’s choice” loader contest were big outside draws.

oggers and their family members mingled with equipment vendors and service providers at a Logging and Transportation Expo staged in Valdosta, Ga. June 10-11 as an extension of the annual meeting of the Southeastern Wood Producers Assn. (SWPA). The static expo drew about 50 inside/outside exhibitors. This was the second time since 2014 for SWPA to hold the joint event, which took place just off I-75 at the Rainwater Convention Center and adjacent grounds, and within close walking distance of the headquarters hotel. It included a couple of new wrinkles in the form of a live chipping demo and a loader contest. Both were well received by attendees.

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In an unusual setup, the loader contest featured loaders from Barko, Caterpillar, John Deere and Tigercat, all positioned facing each other and with their own sets of log parts to move. Contestants selected the loader of their choice. Using a Barko, Bobby Griffis took first place and $500 with a time of 2:00.78. Wayne Hunt, using a John Deere, came in second (2:15.98) and collected $250. Barko operator Randy McKenzie placed third (2:21.75) and bagged $100; and Boyce Rutherford, Cat, placed fourth (2:23.07) and claimed $50. The first place golf team consisted of Jay Morrison, Paul Defresne, and Arnold and Caleb Padgett. Exhibitors included Primex,

Inside exhibits provided visitors with a “beat the heat” opportunity.

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Banquet attendees enjoyed seafood fare, table talk, and entertainment at the Rainwater Convention Center.

Giant Tire; Fleetmatics; Southern Linc; Guffin Eleam Insurance; Quality Equipment & Parts; Schaeffer’s; Forestry Mutual Insurance; Liquitube Marketing; American Loggers Insurance; Great American; Vulcan On-Board Scales; Maxi-Load Scale Systems; Bate, Hewett & Floyd Insurance; Four Star Freightliner; Davis-Garvin Insurance Agency; Iron Planet; Flint Equipment; Beard Equipment; John Deere; GCR Tire Co.; Tidewater Equipment; Tigercat; Nokian Tyres; Trelan Southeast; Walker Jones Commercial Trucks; Vermeer Southeast; Yates Insurance, Truck Tire Centers of Chattanooga; Hotsy of South Georgia; Pemberton; Swamp Fox Agency; Atlanta Gas and Light; 4-H Club; Timber T-Shirts; Georgia SFI; Georgia Dept. of Public Safety; Florida Commercial Vehicle Enforcement; Georgia Forestry Commission; Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources; Accu-Ways; CSX Transportation; LMC-Ag; Nextran Truck Centers; Peterbilt of Atlanta; Yancey Bros.; Ring Power Equipment; and Caterpillar. At its concluding banquet, SWPA presented its Bart Allen Memorial Scholarship Award ($1,000) and Georgia Outstanding Logger of the Year Award, which went to William Donaghy and Leon Hood, respectively. Donaghy is the grandson of Anita and Jerry Padgett, owner of Padgett’s Pulpwood, Middleburg, Fla. Hood Timber & Landscaping Products is based in Adel, Ga. Leon Hood started his timber buying and marketing business in 1980 and eventually incorporated logging crews of his own. Years later he began producing mulch, over time 40

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Leon Hood, second from left, was honored as SWPA’s Georgia Outstanding Logger. Smiling their approval was, from left, grandson Joe Joiner, son John Hood and grandson Houston Joiner.

Incoming SWPA president John Lane, left, accepted gavel from Richard Schwab.

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purchasing facilities in Adel, Nashville and Valdosta, Ga. and establishing a trucking company that now deploys 22 rigs. The business includes his wife, Jeanie; daughters Kristy Joiner and Karen McCann; son John; grandsons Joe Joiner, Houston Joiner and Chris Hood; and granddaughter Jenna Hood. After a humorous, inspirational, and challenging presentation by keynote speaker Steve Gilliland, outgoing SWPA president Richard Schwab thanked members for allowing him to serve the last two years and turned the gavel over to incoming president John Lane, who pledged to continue the association’s forward momentum and to explore ways to help loggers strengthen their SLT business decisions.

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INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP different concerns and motivations. As We See It: Tell Your Story The sooner we recognize and By Nick Smith Timber harvesting is a proud and vital profession, a part of our nation’s history and heritage. It’s also what makes our modern civilization possible. Smith Wood products today make up 47% of all raw materials used in American manufacturing, and scientists are continuing to find new and exciting applications for wood fiber. In the near future, for example, many high-rises in the world’s growing cities will be built with timber, and many jet aircraft will be powered by fuel derived from forest residues. Timber harvesting offers many benefits that society desires. So why are loggers so misunderstood? The answer is simple to many who’ve spent their lives working in the forest. Loggers and foresters commonly joke they chose their profession so they wouldn’t have to deal with the public. But this natural introversion comes with a cost.

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As the nation becomes younger and more urban, the latest opinion research suggests certain groups of people are becoming alarmingly disconnected with basic forest management concepts. And in today’s 24/7 world of instant information, logging opponents are actively misinforming the public about the practices and motivations of today’s loggers. These challenges aren’t insurmountable, but timber harvesters must take an active role in promoting their profession and explaining the benefits they provide for forests and people. People love stories, and loggers have great stories to tell. But before timber harvesters engage the public, they must understand what motivates specific groups. Many residents of rural, forested communities support logging because they understand it’s critical to the local economy and forest health. Yet urban residents and many policy makers have entirely

embrace these differences, the better, because these are the people who will determine the future of the industry. If people value recreation and clean water, we must show how timber harvesting results in healthy forests and watersheds. If people are concerned with the Earth’s climate, we must show how logging helps sequester carbon while reducing emissions. And if people desire sustainable and locally-sourced products, we must continue to promote wood as an essential and renewable resource. Most importantly, as the old saying goes, “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Show how much you care by telling your story. Explain what motivates you to work in the woods. Attend a public meeting on a proposed state or federal forest project. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and attend a town hall hosted by your Congressman. Understand and utilize social media to tell your story, or find a family member or younger employee who’s

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capable of using these tools. Public opinion research indicates that videos are the most effective way to educate people about forest management. If you can’t bring the public to an active logging site, shoot a video of an operation and have it uploaded to the Internet. The American Loggers Council stands ready to help tell your story. There are many other organizations that are working to promote the industry, its people and the use of wood. But the perception and future of timber harvesting depends on the ability of those who are working in the forests, every day, to explain how and why they are providing the products and benefits our society desires. Smith is Executive Director of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities: healthyforests.org.

Exhibitor Interest Strong For Mid-South Eighty exhibitors representing more than 100 brands, agencies and services will pack this year’s MidSouth Forestry Equipment Show

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(MSFES), the longest running live/static event of its type in the South. The show is set for FridaySaturday, August 26-27, near Starkville, Miss. All exhibitors that traditionally participate in MSFES will be there, as will some new ones, according to Misty Booth, Show Manager, who points out strong participation by attachment manufacturers and insurance providers. Another strong turnout—boosted by on-site training and education opportunities for loggers, foresters and landowners—is expected. Booth encourages on-line pre-registration for visitors to streamline access at the gate. Pre-registration will continue until 5 p.m. August 17 but will cease at that time so that name badges can be processed, mailed and delivered ahead of the show. Visit midsouthforestry.org. Pre-registration is $15 per person vs. $20 per person at the gate. Spouses not business-active and children under 18 do not have to pay but do have to register. The Mississippi Loggers Assn. will again hold its biennial banquet at the show site on August 26. Guest speaker will be Richard Schwab, president of the American Loggers Council.

Memorial Service Held For Don Taylor

Norris Honored By FRA’s Southcentral Region

A memorial service was held June 6 at Holland Park Church in Simpsonville, SC for Don R. Taylor, 75, a wellknown former executive with Champion Don Taylor International Corp. who in post-retirement worked as a timber harvesting auditor and conducted various wood supply research projects. He died on June 2. Born in Tyler, Tex., Taylor earned a BS degree in forestry from the University of Georgia, an MS degree in silvivculture from Stephen F. Austin State University, an MBA from Columbia University, and served on various boards related to the forest industry. He completed a long career with Champion International as Vice President, Forest Products Div. After he retired from Champion he served as lead SFI auditor for Price Waterhouse Coopers and later conducted several projects for the Wood Supply Research Institute. His final project was as volunteer administrative minister

On May 18 the Forest Resources Assn. and Stihl Inc. officially recognized Wade Norris Logging, LLC, Jackson, Tenn., as their Southcentral Region 2016 Outstanding Logger. FRA’s SR Chair Gary Beacher, left, presented Norris, center, with a wooden crosscut saw plaque, and Stihl Southwest’s Jude Vidrine, right, presented him with a gift certificate for a MS 461 chain saw and a $250 check.

for Holland Park Church, where he served as an elder for over 20 years. Survivors include his widow, two daughters, one son, six grandchildren, and one brother. Memorials may be made to Holland Park Church, 1131 Holland Rd., Simpsonville, SC 29681; Southeast Children’s Home, 115 Childrens Way, Duncan, SC 29334; or Director of Development, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural

Resources, 180 E. Green St., Athens, GA 30602.

Truckworx Kenworth Opens New Facility Truckworx Kenworth has relocated its full-service facility in Montgomery, Ala. into a new $6 million, 39,000 sq. ft. building with 21 service bays, including three dedicated for

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washing and reconditioning trucks. The service shop also includes a diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning machine, flywheel resurfacing machine, overhead cranes for faster and safer service of heavy components, two-hour truck diagnosis through Kenworth PremierCare ExpressLane, and dedicated express lube bays. The new building, located adjacent the dealer’s previous facility, features a large lounge area with flat screen TVs and recliners where drivers can relax while waiting for their trucks to be serviced. The Montgomery dealership is at 3401 Industrial Dr., and sits on seven acres off of U.S. Highway 31, west of Maxwell Air Force Base.

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The existing 18,000 sq. ft. facility will be renovated and transformed into an additional parts warehouse for Truckworx Kenworth – Montgomery. Founded in Birmingham, Ala., in 1978 by Bob Mitchell and his father, B.B., the family-owned and operated Truckworx Kenworth runs six dealerships in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Thomasville, Ala., and one in Jackson, Miss.

Rotochopper Names Regional Sales Mgr. Dave Whitelaw has joined the Rotochopper sales team as Regional

Sales Manager for Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. He brings 20 years of experience in the organics and wood recycling industry, including operations management, sales and consulting.

Logging Cost Analysis At UGA July 19-20 A course titled Logging Cost Analysis will be offered by the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources July 19-20 in Athens, Ga. at the Warnell School. The $395 course is for foresters, wood buyers, and logging contractors involved in wood procurement. All participants must bring a laptop

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computer equipped with Microsoft Excel version 2007 or later. The course will be taught by Warnell Dean Dr. Dale Greene and Dr. Chad Bolding of Virginia Tech University. For more information and to register, visit conted.warnell.uga.edu/ courses/lca 2016.

Enviva Conservation Fund Awards Grants The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund, a $5 million, 10-year program designed to protect tens of thousands of acres of bottomland forests in northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia, announced

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the recipients of its 2016 grants. Established by Enviva Holdings, LP, and administered by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the Fund is awarding $500,000 to preservation and conservation programs that span more than 2,000 acres. The recipients include: The Nature Conservancy North Carolina Chapter ($195,000); The Triangle Land Conservancy ($100,000); Virginia Dept. of Con-

servation and Recreation ($175,000); and the Nature Conservancy Virginia Chapter ($30,000).

Nine Speakers Set For VLA Meeting Nine speakers will address a variety of timely topics at the 14th annual meeting of the Virginia Loggers Assn., set for Friday and Saturday, August 26-27 at the Hotel

Roanoke in Roanoke, Va. Friday afternoon topics/speakers include: Small Business Succession Planning, Robert Freed, Freed & Shepherd, PC; Commercial Trucking Overview, Wayne Davis, Virginia Dept. of Motor Vehicles; Motor Carrier Regulations, Scott Parsons, Virginia State Police; and Trucking Challenges and TEAM Safe Trucking, Jimmie Locklear, Forestry Mutual Insurance. VLA’s traditional welcome recep-

tion and legislative networking opportunity will take place on Friday evening. Saturday morning topics/speakers include: Market Opportunities, Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry; Virginia’s Forests, Bettina Ring, Virginia State Forester; Truck Challenges & Regulations, Dale Bennett, Virginia Trucking Assn.; Industry Advocacy, Crad Jaynes, SC Timber Producers Assn.; and Virginia Harvesting Overview, Scott Barrett, Virginia Tech. The meeting will conclude with a reception, awards dinner and dancing. To make lodging reservations, call the hotel at 540-985-5900 and use VLA for the booking code. For additional information, contact Ron Jenkins at 804-677-4290.

Former Logger Duren New TLC Coordinator Former Texas logger Dave Duren has been hired as the new coordinator for the Texas Logging Council (TLC). Duren, 62, Dave Duren was in the logging business for 36 years before he exited in 2010. A resident of Lufkin, he is a charter member and past president of the TLC, an affiliate of the Texas Forestry Assn. (TFA). Duren was TFAs Logger of the Year in 2003.

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MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY New Cat Bunching Saw

Caterpillar Forest Products now offers the Cat HFW232 and Prentice SH-58 bunching saw. First

unveiled recently at the Richmond Expo, the saw boasts improved cutting performance, increased single cut capacity (22.6"), and increased bunching capacity. It entails increased swell butt and low stump cutting capability plus design features to minimize width and improve symmetries for thinning applications. Wide towers and a low profile saw shaft and motor configuration give operators greater visibility than ever before through the saw to the disc. The same axis bunching finger and gather arm improve durability

while the traditional pin and bushing configuration provides extended life and lower owning costs. The industry-leading Cat wear surfaces (saw disc housing entrance, discharge chute, and skis) provide wear resistance in highly abrasive conditions, extending intervals between replacements to lower operating costs. All wear surfaces, including the replaceable saw disc housing liner, are simple and easy to replace and do not require the disc to be removed, which reduces downtime and owning costs. Heavy duty rubber clamps maxi-

mize uptime by holding the lift arm hoses at the rear of the head, eliminating bulkheads that may be susceptible to damage. The saw motor housing is enclosed, particularly where the hoses enter, in order to limit debris entry and reduce downtime to clean it out. Other improvements in guarding, access points, and a centralized saw housing grease bank (no grease zerks under the saw) further reduce maintenance time and improve safety. The saw will be manufactured at the Caterpillar factory in LaGrange, Ga. Visit cat.com.

Rotobec Grapple

Rotobec’s pulpwood grapples can handle short wood in piles at the road side or mill yard. They range in capacity from 0.25 to 2 cords of 8' wood, come equipped with 5,000 psi high pressure cylinders and are built in a box style using 5⁄8" plate steel. These grapples have impact protection valves, chromed hardened and sealed pins, as well as replaceable knives with a wear indicator. Options include butt plates and a hold-down chain. Visit rotobec.com.

Geo-Boy Brush Cutter

Geo-Boy brush cutter tractor from Jarraff Industries continues to expand into diverse industries and applications. The Geo-Boy has been a mainstay for maintaining a wide range of transportation and utility right-of-ways, but the unit’s capabilities have helped it become effective in a variety of other applications including land clearing and site prep, invasive vegetation species management, storm damage removal and clean up, wildfire management and seismic mapping operations. Geo-Boy is available in wheeled and track configurations. Both models are ROPS and FOPS certified with two tier III engine options, 220 HP and 260 HP. Visit geo-boy.com. 50

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

Click. Connect. Trade.

DEADLINES: Ad reservation must be received by 15th of month prior to month of publication. Material must be received no later than 17th of month prior to month of publication.

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

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NEW

2010 Tigercat 724E Feller Buncher– New 28L tires, 5702 head, 6400 hrs ...................................CALL FOR PRICE

Serco 170A Log Loader– Tier 3 JD 175HP engine, 30' boom, slasher hydraulics, a/c, joysticks ..................................CALL FOR PRICE

2007 Prentice 2570 Feller Buncher– 30.5 tires, 22" Waratah, joystick steering, tight & dry .................................................$89,500

2004 John Deere 648GIII– Torque Converter trans, New hydraulic pump, Coming In Soon .....................................CALL FOR PRICE

2012 John Deere 748– 2004 John Deere 648GIII– 6100 hrs. with recent engine, NEW ENGINE REBUILT IN JANUARY, 30.5 30.5 tires, Woods ready tires, Just In..............CALL FOR PRICE .....................................CALL FOR PRICE

John Deere 437C– CSI 264, Tight and dry .............................................$49,500

2004 Prentice 280– Cold Ac, Saw Hydraulics .............................................$35,000

2005 Prentice 384– CSI 264, 2 to choose from .............................................$39,000

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2013 John Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# LU652805; 5,569 hrs $105,000

2014 John Deere 753J Track Feller Buncher STK# LU256926; 1,793 hrs $298,000

John Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loader STK# LU225667; 6,202 hrs $124,000

2013 Deere 748H Skidder STK# LU652927; 5,239 hrs $165,000

2013 John Deere 848H Skidder STK# LU651984; 3,661 hrs $140,000

2007 Prentice 2470 with Mulcher STK# LUVB1971; 3,992 hrs $155,000

2013 John Deere 843K Feller Buncher STK# lu653837; 4,022 hrs $139,000

2013 John Deere 648H Skidder STK# LU654754; 4,358 hrs $135,000

2005 Deere 700J Dozer STK# LU111423; 4,884 hrs $59,000

Call or email: Charles Woolard

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2290

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Washington, NC Email: easterneq@earthlink.net

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

2005 Tigercat 620C dual arch with 1996 Morbark 22NCL Whole Tree chiprecon engine and hydrostatics per, CAT 3412 w/650HP; 4 knife 75' replaced, dual 24.5x32 tires ...$70,000 disc chipper; this machine is dry and ready for chipping .................$85,500

1996 Peterson 5200 BH Delimber/ Debarker, 2 chain flails with 60" opening, Cummins power, has been paired with Morbark 22NCL ................$65,000

2009 Tigercat 720E with 5600 saw- 2008 Trelan 23RC whole tree chipper, head, Cummins re-con engine, 28Lx26 CAT C27 Acert 800hp with 8987 hours; tires .......................................$89,500 radio control, clean and serviced, ready for chipping.............................$165,000

1999 Timberjack 660 dual arch grapple, engine and transmission, have been rebuilt, winch, 30.5x32 tires ..............................................$35,000

2009 Woodsman 337FC drum chipper, CAT C18 w/700hp with 1645 hours; remote control, air compressor ............................................$175,000

2000 CAT TH63 Telescopic 4WD 6000 2009 Prentice 2414 Log Loader, Cumlbs. forklift, CAT diesel w/2875 hrs; 42' mins engine w/ 7039 hours, sawbuck lift height, 48" forks w/side tilt & rotat- and delimber hookup................$57,500 ing frame, quick connect ........$25,000

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FELLER BUNCHERS

TIM TL735B (13110408), 2008, 5669 HRS.,A/C, QUADCO HEAD HOT SAW ......................$289,500

CAT 573C (0RJT00256), 2012, 3657 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5L-32, SH56B SAW ......................$208,500

PRENTICE 2570 (PB19613), 2008, 10457 HRS., CAB, AC, 28L-26, SH50 SAWHEAD ..........$95,000

CAT 559B (PR65147), 2011, 8570 HRS., CAB, AC, GRPL, EVANS 48’ TRLR, CTR 30 DELIMBER ..................................................................$112,500

SKIDDERS

CAT 521B (0F7B00257), 2013, 3082 HRS., CAB, AC, 35.5 SHOES, HF201B CUTTER HEAD ..................................................................$295,000 CAT 563C (0JCB00324), 2013, 5699 HRS., CAB, AC, SAWHEAD .........................................$165,000 CAT 573C (0RJT00281), 2012, 4314 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5X32, POST SAW .........................$138,000 HYDRO-AX (HA18931), 2005, 11942 HRS., CAB, AC, 28L-26, HC SH48 20 HEAD ................$38,000

PRENTICE 2570 (PB19613), 2008, 10457 HRS., CAB, AC, 28L-26, SH50 SAWHEAD ..........................................................$95,000

KNUCKLEBOOM LOADERS CAT 579B (PR65023), 2011, 9265 HRS., CAB, AC, 11-22.5 TRLR, GRPL, DELIMBER..............$95,000

CAT 535C (053500623), 2012, 5554 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5L-32 26PR FS 2X RING, GRPL, DUAL FUNCTION W/ WINCH.............................................CALL

CAT 559B DS (00PR65586), 2013, 6215 HRS., CAB, AC, GRPL, PITTS H48 W/ HYD TRLR, DELIMBER ..................................................................$144,000

CAT 525C (052500404), 2007, 14878 HRS., CAB,

CAT 559C DS (0KAS00258), 2013, 5992 HRS., CPY, GRPL, H48 TRLR, DELIMBER .................$153,000

DEERE 484H (DW848HX622439), 2009, 8855 HRS.,

CAT 559B DS (00PR65586), 2013, 6215 HRS., CAB, AC, GRPL, PITTS H48 W/ HYD TRLR, DELIMBER ..........................$144,000

AC, 30.5, 14.4 CAT BUNCHING GRPL, WINCH .....................................................................$78,500

CAB, AC, GRPL, DOUBLE ARCH, BLD.....$76,000

CAT 535C (053500623), 2012, 5554 HRS., CAB, AC, 30.5L-32 26PR FS 2X RING, GRPL, DUAL FUNCTION W/ WINCH ...........................................................$CALL

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CAT 573 (0RJT00281), 2012, 4314 HRS, CAB, AC, 30.5X32, POST SAW ........................................................$138,000

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** FRLIVEEERY E

** FREE DELI

30 DAY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY

VERY

SKIDDERS

FELLER BUNCHERS

MULCHERS

LOADERS

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! ....Reduced to $135,000

2013 Prentice 2470C Feller Buncher - 3,934 hours, Cat C6.6 Tier 3 engine, SC57 Center post saw head, very good 28L tires, Cab with air, Ready to work! Reduced to $149,500

2002 Hydro-Ax 670 Feller Buncher – Fresh Recon 8.3 Cummins engine, NEW saw disc and NEW saw bearings on Waratah FD22, 2 NEW, 2 very good 28L tires, NEW paint, Serviced and greased, Cold A/C. Must see machine!!...............$55,000

2005 Hydro – Ax 721E Mulcher - 3,400 hours, Fecon BH250 Mulching Head, Good 28L tires, Cab with air, John Deere engine .............$139,500

2010 Cat 559B Log Loader – Trailer mount with CTR 426 delimber, Cab with air, Ready to work! .......................$85,000

LOADERS

2011 Cat 535C Dual Arch Skidder – 8,684 hours, 2 New, 2 very good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work!.....Reduced to $119,500

2010 Cat 525C Dual Arch Skidder – 8,000 hours, 2 New, 2 good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work! ..................................$109,500

2012 Cat 573C Feller Buncher – 5,200 hours, SC-57 Center post saw head, Cab with air, 28L tires, C7.1 Cat engine, Ready to work! .............Reduced to $135,000

1999 Tigercat 720B Feller Buncher – Center Post saw head, Good 28L tires, Cum- 2012 Prentice 2384 Log mins engine.................$49,500 Loader – 7,310 hours, Mounted on trailer with CTR 426 Delimber, Cab with air, Cummins MULCHERS engine. Ready to work! .....................................$129,500

2012 John Deere 643K Feller Buncher – 5,410 hours, Good 28L tires, Waratah FD22B saw head, Cab with air, Ready to work!......Reduced to $139,500

2014 Barko 930 Mulcher 1,300 hours,FAE 300U smooth drum mulching head, 28L tires, Cab with air. Rent to own with approved credit ($20,000 per month) .......................$269,500

2012 Cat 559B Log Loader 5,400 hours, Mounted on hydraulic leg trailer with CTR 426 delimber, Cab with air, Super clean machine!$139,500

2008 Prentice 2384 Log Loader – Trailer mount with CTR 426 delimber, Cab with air, Cummins engine, Ready to work! ...........................$75,000

CONSTRUCTION

1981 Cat 613B Scraper Good tires, Solid engine and transmission, Good elevator chain ...........................$15,500

800-983-1971 Office : 903-238-8700 Shane Fuller : 903-235-1147 Jason Bruner: 903-452-5290 2001 Cat 525 Dual arch grapple skidder – Very good 30.5 x 32 tires, Cab with air, Winch, Ready to work!............$49,500

2010 Prentice 2570 Feller Buncher– 6,130 hours, 2,931 engine hours, 28L tires, Waratah FD22 saw head, 6.7 Cummins engine, Cab with air, Ready to work!..........$115,000

2011 Prentice 2470 Mulcher – NEW FAE 200U/225 smooth drum mulching head, NEW high pressure pump and hoses, 6.7 Cummins engine, Cab with air, Good 28L tires, 4,500 hours on machine, 0 hours since the conversion from a Feller Buncher. Rent to own with approved credit ($17,000 per month) ................................................$189,500

www.equipmentandparts.com Forestry & Construction Equipment Used & rebuilt Parts

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FOR SALE

WANTED NOW SKIDDERS, LOG LOADERS, BUNCHERS AND BUCK SAWS WILL PAY FAIR PRICE

USED FORESTRY EQUIPMENT ALSO AVAILABLE FOR SALE

3214

566

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

352-239-1549

2011 Cat 525C, 8100 hrs., good rubber, winch, dual arch, good tight machine. This machine is in the wood working daily. .................$109,000

850-251-6615

2511

FOR SALE BY OWNER

7393

2011 Deere 843K Saw Machine, 28L tires 50%, Waratah 22' sawhead, tight, dry, excellent condition, 6558 hr., working on the job daily...............................$99,500 2011 Cat 559B Loader and CSI delimber,

13290

4433

13267

Cat 6 cyl., 32 ft. boom, CTR grapple, hyd legs, tight, dry, excellent condition, 9623 hours .............................................$82,500 Call: 903-824-5738

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2687

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3191

13289

FOR SALE 98 Hydro Ax 321 shear head

cutter, Cmmins engine, 3 wheeler ........................$25,000

804-798-2924

2610

2013 John Deere 437D Knuckleboom mounted on Pitts hydraulic trailer, 264 Ultra CSI delimber, 52" Rotobec grapple, 5200 hrs ...........................................................$120,000

2012 Deere 843K

OWNERS HAVE OVER 30 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE!

EUREKA SAW TOOTH CO., INC.

6,000 hours, 30.5x32 tires, Singe post sawhead .........$99,500

WE ALSO BUY USED DELIMBINATORS Call: 662-285-2777 day, 662-285-6832 eves Email: info@chambersdelimbinator.com

7180

We can save you money on Saw Teeth. Hundreds of satisfied A NOW CCEPTIN G customers. Rebuilt Exchange or New. We specialize in rebuildCREDIT ing Koehring 2000, Hurricana, Hydro Ax split teeth and all CARDS other brands. Call Jimmy or Niel Mitchell. Quantity Discounts!

4275 Moores Ferry Rd. • Skippers, Virginia 23879 PH./FAX (day) 1-434-634-9836 or Night/Weekends • 1-434-634-9185

1123

John Deere 620I Gator Side-by-side 4x4, gas engine, 1008 hours, hydraulic dump bed .....$7,500

770

TED SMITH

WANTED TO BUY

249

FOR SALE PETERSON 4800E DEBARKER (1E1611689) C9 CAT EXCELLENT CONDITION (2) 40' STEEL OPEN TOPS EXCELLENT CONDITION $10K EACH

CONTACT: 706.326.3000 – HUGH 706.741.4677 – KEITH

OLIVER LOGGING COMPANY

FOR SALE

8 Converted in-woods Chip Vans All in good condition ........$6,500 ea. 213

804-586-7198

HOSE, FITTINGS & CRIMPERS

Tim Alligood Days or Nights: 1-252-341-9891

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8309

6288

SERVING THE LOGGING INDUSTRY FOR 20 YEARS. WE CAN SAVE YOU MONEY.

email: tim.cavalierhose@yahoo.com

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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.

Day 334-312-4136 Night 334-271-1475 or Email: johnwpynes@knology.net

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

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

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

280

EUREKA! EUREKA! EUREKA!

RECONDITIONED DELIMBINATORS!!

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Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________________________ State________ Zip ______________________ Phone____________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________

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A D L I N K ●

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ADVERTISER Alliance Tire Americas American Logger’s Council American Truck Parts Bandit Industries Barko Hydraulics Big John Trailers Carter Enterprises Carter Machinery Cat Forest Products John Deere Forestry Doggett Machinery Service Eastern Equipment Brokerage Employer’s Underwriters Equipment & Parts Evans Trailers Firestone Agricultural Tires Flint Equipment Forest Chain Forestry First Forestry Mutual Insurance Global Import & Export Services Hawkins & Rawlinson Hydraulic & Pneumatic Services Industrial Cleaning Equipment Interstate Tire Service Ironmart Jewell Machinery Kaufman Trailers Mike Ledkins Insurance Agency LMI-Tennessee Magnolia Trailers Maxi-Load Scale Systems Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show Moore Logging Supply Morbark Nokian Tyres Ozark Machinery Pemberton Attachments Peterson Pacific Pitts Trailers Puckett Machinery Quadco Equipment Quadco-Southstar Equipment Quality Equipment & Parts River Ridge Equipment S E C O Parts & Equipment Southern Insurance Southern Loggers Cooperative Southern Tire Mart Stribling Equipment Team Safe Trucking Terex Environmental Equipment Tidewater Equipment Tigercat Industries TraxPlus W & W Truck & Tractor Wallingford’s Wood J M, Auction

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800.777.9926 409.625.0206 888.383.8884 800.952.0178 715.395.6700 800.771.4140 205.351.1461 800.868.4228 919.550.1201 800.503.3373 225.368.2224 252.946.9264 800.622.7635 903.238.8700 302.530.3447 515.242.2300 404.691.9445 800.288.0887 803.708.0624 800.849.7788 901.833.1347 334.821.5800 904.688.2247 910.231.4043 864.947.9208 888.561.1115 540.483.3590 866.497.7803 800.766.8349 800.467.0944 800.738.2123 877.265.1486 662.325.2191 888.754.5613 800.831.0042 844.564.7877 417.256.8178 800.393.6688 800.269.6520 800.321.8073 601.969.6000 800.668.3340 800.668.3340 386.754.6186 855.325.6465 800.733.7326 601.932.4541 318.445.0750 601.939.3888 800.682.6409 843.761.3999 989.588.4295 912.638.7726 519.753.2000 601.635.5543 843.761.8220 800.323.3708 800.447.7085

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COMING EVENTS July 8-9—West Virginia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Canaan Resort Conf. Center, Davis, W.Va. Call 304-372-1955; visit wvfa.org.

Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Golden Nugget Resort and Casino, Lake Charles, La. Call 318-4432558; visit laforestry.com.

September

23-25—Georgia Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Jekyll Island Convention Center, Jekyll Island, Ga. Call 478992-8110; visit gfagrow.org.

11-13—Alabama Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. Call 334-265-8733; visit alaforestry.org.

23-26—Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Summer Conference, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Call 336-885-8315; visit appalachianwood.org.

29-October 1—American Loggers Council annual meeting, Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach, Fla. Call 409-625-0206; visit amloggers.com.

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 804-677-4290; visit valoggers.org. 26-27—Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, Starkville, Miss. Call 800-669-5613; visit midsouth forestry.org. 30-September 1—Florida Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Omni at Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Call 850-2225646; visit floridaforest.org. 30-September 1—Louisiana

October 4-6—Arkansas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Chancellor Hotel, Fayetteville, Ark. Call 501-3742441; visit arkforests.org. 5-7—North Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC. Call 800-231-7723; visit ncforestry.org. 5-7—National Hardwood Lumber Assn. Annual Conv. & Exhibit Showcase, Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Call 901-3771818; visit nhla.com. 26-28—Texas Forestry Assn. annual meeting, La Torretta Lake Resort, Conroe, Tex. Call 936632-8733; visit texasforestry.org.

November 2-4—South Carolina Forestry Assn. annual meeting, Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms, SC. Call 803-798-4170; visit scforestry.org.

January 2017 10—Missouri Forest Products Assn. 2016 winter meeting, Jefferson City, Mo. Call 573-634-3252; visit moforest.org. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.

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