Robin A. Crawford Sr. 1945-2020

The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) would like to offer condolences to the family of Robin A. Crawford Sr. and to thank them for allowing us to share his story in The Logger’s Voice.

Mr. Crawford was a member of the PLC from its founding on who exemplified the qualities that represent the best of Maine’s logging industry. He will be missed.

Photos:

Background, Robin A Crawford & Son Woods Co. trucks with the distinctive “C” lined up for the day.

Left, Robin more than five decades ago in the early days of his career.

Crawford Continued Page 12

Crawford Continued from Page 11 business in Drew Plantation, Robin became respected as a businessman, and was well liked. He loved to talk to and be around people, and he had a good sense of humor. When in 1987 he decided to get into logging by acquiring a logging company that had gone out of business, he was already successful. Working for Hank McPherson and starting out with eight hand crews, he quickly built success in logging as well.

Over the next two decades Robin A. Crawford & Son Woods Co. expanded and adapted to changes in the industry. The business grew and transitioned from hand crews to mechanized logging. It relocated its main base of operations to Chester in 1996. The trucking fleet expanded as well.

In 2000, Robin bought Lobster Lake Camps on Lobster Lake and shortly after that established an additional garage in Millinocket to better serve crews working off the Golden Road. The company had by then become a major piece of the forest economy in the region, establishing a very close working relationship with the Haynes family (H.C. Haynes Inc.) that has lasted 40 years and working for other major landowners including Wagner Forest Management, Great North Woods, and Prentiss and Carlisle.

The company has always been a family business, and as it grew, so did Robin worked alongside him from the beginning to make the business a success, and spent many years working in the office in Grindstone and then later in Medway. His son, Robin, “Grog” Crawford Jr. helped him build the business and took over running it a while ago. Grog Crawford III has his own truck, which his Pappy was proud that he took that step out on his own a year ago, and his son Kenneth is currently a supervisor for the company. Dan Larlee, his son in law, has been running the Crawford garage since 1998.

When Maine’s logging industry contracted several years ago as many mill shutdowns reduced markets for wood, Robin A Crawford & Son Woods Co. also downsized and sold its garage in Millinocket as the work along the Golden Road decreased.

Today, Robin A. Crawford & Son Woods Co. continues to operate out of Chester over a large area of Maine with six harvester crews and one processor crew. There are an average of 15 Crawford trucks on the road these days and there would be more but - like every logging and trucking company in Maine - the business’s demand for drivers is greater than the supply.

The company logs a mix of commercial timberland and private lots. Company trucks have also hauled potatoes for many years during mud season. There are about 70 employees on the payroll and the company is always looking for more. Some of those employees started back on the hand crews in 1987 the year the company was founded, a testament to the loyalty Robin inspired in his workforce and in others. He was a very generous man, he helped a lot of people in a lot of different ways, from getting them started in their own business or getting them through until Tammy said, recalling times when workers who had just started with the company would ask if they could borrow money no problem pay me re not a bank, but he was just so generous that way, always looking to help other people. He anything, he was always willing to lend an ear, he was just organizations and causes, to which he donated regularly. s Log A Load For Kids annual s Research

One measure of the influence Robin and the business have had on the community and the logging and trucking industry was demonstrated when his grandson, Kenneth, posted on Facebook asking anyone who had ever driven a Crawford truck for his grandfather or father to post a picture of the truck. The pictures started coming immediately, and they now go on for pages, with hundreds of comments and good memories from people who worked for the company or still do, and they show just how big and far reaching the impact of that company - and the man who founded ithave been. especially those that run in the Maine woods - face daily. There was not a lot of time for hobbies in the years he spent building up the business, but Robin had always wanted to own a 1958 Chevy Impala convertible, and finally in August of 2012 his grandson, Robin III, convinced him to buy one he found on Facebook, sight unseen. He soon vowed never to buy a car sight unseen again after getting it home and finding out how much work it needed, but with typical persistence and attention to detail he began to restore it. By the time he was done, the car was immaculate, and when he and Lois began attending car shows with it they won many trophies, and the shows and the car became a source of great enjoyment to both.

Family mattered more than anything else to Robin, and he took great pride in providing for his family. PLC Members who knew him well recall him talking at length about his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

“He loved spending time with his family, he always believed in his family, that they could do anythingthat was probably one of the greatest gifts that he could Tammy said.

In recent years, it was hard to miss a close friendship that developed between Robin and Grog’s dog, Brutus, who became the company mascot and whose picture even appears on many of the company chip boxes. Any day Brutus came to the office he would run straight to Robin, and if he wasn’t there yet he would sit in the window and watch for him for hours.

“That dog just loved Bob, as soon as that pickup pulled in the driveway he knew who it was, he’d go running out to him and they had such a bond,” Tammy said. “He’s only been to the office once since Bob has passed, but even now he will sit in the window and just wait for him to show up, because that’s what he’d do anytime Bob wasn’t here, he’d just sit and look out the window and wait for him.”

Robin A. Crawford Sr. will be missed.

Robin also took great pride in the trucks that he loved. He insisted that Crawford trucks be kept in top condition, looking like they just came off the showroom floor in spite of the rough conditions any truck in Maine -

The PLC is dedicating this issue of The Logger’s Voice to his memory. Our condolences go out to his family, and we thank them for letting us share a bit of his story.

Maine’s Forest Products Industry loses a “Pioneer Logging Contractor”

I knew of Robin Crawford a year or two before I met him. It was the 80’s. A time of disruption in the Maine Woods as logging was mechanizing and big companies like GNP and Georgia Pacific were shutting down their mechanical operations due to high costs in favor of relying on hard working, risk taking, innovative men like Robin Crawford to harvest the millions of tons of fiber needed to run their mills.

When I finally met Robin, I liked him right away. I respect all of my competitors, but there was something about Robin that caused me, and many others, to just plain like the man. Robin had a way to make a point and make you laugh at the same time.

I need to set the stage in order to share one of the first memories I have of Robin. As Maine logging contractors mechanized, the entire industry experienced a significant learning curve. This was a new way to harvest wood. It was a totally new economic model. Feller-bunchers could mechanically cut smaller trees than traditional hand crews. However, that did not mean that they could economically cut smaller trees. The first conversation I remember having with Robin was him saying “Brian, I’m tellin’ ya, we’ve gotta get these Foresters to understand that these $300,000 fellah-bunchers are not weed-wackers!” And he said it as only Robin could say it, loud, red faced, so you knew he was serious, but with a grin and a laugh to go with it. That was 30 some-odd years ago, so however he said it, it was memorable.

I have always had a lot of respect for Robin. I grew up in the woods business in Robin’s shadow. Robin was established. He was miles ahead of me in knowing what he was doing. However, in any dealings I ever had with Robin, he always treated me with respect, like an equal. I always appreciated that. Robin was not much for meetings and committees. Nor was he much interested to be in the limelight. However, when needed, Robin was not afraid to step up to the plate. When Cheryl Russell asked Robin to participate in the PLC selection committee to recruit the second Executive Director in PLC’s history, Robin was quick to accept the challenge. I was lucky enough to be on that committee with Robin. I found Robin to be engaged and extremely thoughtful regarding his participation. Robin supplied a level of leadership to the process that was calm and confident. That effort started the PLC on an upward trajectory that continues to this day.

Over the years, I have enjoyed a few precious personal moments with Robin, and his extraordinary wife, Lois. From these moments I can attest to the fact that Robin and Lois are driven by a fierce love for their family. Personal conversations that I have enjoyed with Robin and Lois have been dominated by talk of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. They clearly have had big hopes and dreams for the next several generations!

To Lois and the Crawford Family, thank you for sharing Robin so selflessly with our Forest Products Industry. Robin is one of those unsung heroes who most people have no idea what a huge contribution he made.

Rest in Peace Robin Crawford.

Brian Souers President Treeline, Inc.

PLC Members remember RobinA. Crawford Sr.

“One of my earliest memories of being in the woods, with my dad, was the first time I met Bob. Back then Bob hauled for Dad with his own truck. I was probably 10 or 11 years old and we went over to the woods to load Bob with 4 foot.

I remember the piles because they were neatly stacked and my Dad wasn't that good with the crane. I was brought along to straighten the wood that he spilled on the ground while Bob straightened the wood on the body of the truck.

When we finally got the truck loaded I remember Bob telling Dad that I did alright for a young fella. Everyone else would tell Dad that all I did was get in the way. Bob was a great motivator. I'm going to miss his stories.”

Steve Hanington, Hanington Bros. Inc.

“As close as I can remember Bob Crawford started hauling wood for our family business in the late 1970's. For over 40 years he and his family have harvested and trucked huge volumes of timber to mills all over Maine, New

Hampshire, Quebec & New Brunswick as a subcontractor for our company.

Bob was very witty and quick to the draw. I remember around the year 2000 asking him to move his crews onto the Public Lands in Township 4 to harvest wood. His reply was, " I lost my ass in there in the 1990's why the hell would I want to go back lookin' for it?" He certainly could make us all smile.

Contracts were not necessary with Bob, his word was gold. He was 100% old school and will be sadly missed by myself and the forest industry.”

Jay Haynes, H.C. Haynes Inc.

“

You could always tell if Bob was in a room just hearing his contagious laugh! In the logging industry, contractors feel downhearted at times and Bob had that unique way of making you feel better. He will be sadly missed.”

Thanks for the memories power lines, property damage and bone chilling cold weather, the world feels like it has come to a standstill. What we had heard about on TV and read about in the newspapers, primarily in China, was now on our doorstep.

First, schools closed and may not reopen this year. Then, guidelines were sent out from the Centers for Disease Control which provided limitations on human contact. First, the groups could not be any bigger than 50, then that was reduced to 10. From there, certain businesses in Maine were closed (bars and restaurants) and that has now morphed into any public facing establishment except for those on the “essential” list.

As a result of the drastic orders from both the federal and state governments, the dominos started to fall.

The Legislature announced that they would adjourn their annual session after one last ditch effort on Tuesday, March 17th. When it was announced that the final day of the session would only be devoted to the Supplemental Budget and the Coronavirus impacts, I felt that this was only appropriate, especially if the public couldn’t be in attendance. However, if you have read my legislative updates and the recent Op Ed. in the Central Maine Newspapers, you know that what was publicly announced in advance is not exactly what happened. Unfortunately, in what has become typical of legislative proceedings, what’s in front of you isn’t always representative of what’s behind the curtain. The Legislature moved a bill (LD 1698) that will undoubtedly add cost and burden to contractors with no financial benefit. We will need to work with the Governor to get this changed or overturned in the future. It was an unfortunate turn of events that just leads to continued distrust of many of our elected leaders.

Then, the PLC was forced to postpone its spring safety trainings to either dates later in the fall or perhaps altogether pending the outcome of the pandemic. In an example of how moments like this bring out the best in people, we sought the advice of the major workers’ comp. carriers and all are willing to work with the membership and the insurance agents to be flexible with respect to workers’ comp. training requirements if need be.

From there, we postponed our annual meeting to a date later this year that might work for everyone to come and celebrate. It would really be drastic if we couldn’t host this celebration of the last 25 years and continue our amazing philanthropic work on behalf of the Log A Load for Kids program. That said, we will hope for the best and perhaps this fall we can have one great day of celebration and reflection that will put a period at the end of this sentence.

On Tuesday, March 24th, Governor Mills proclaimed in an Executive Order that all forestry related businesses (manufacturing, services, logging and trucking) were essential to the continuation of human existence. And most recently, on April 2nd, the Governor put in place a stay at home order for non-essential businesses and employees, which further restricts the movement of commerce and people.

While this was a very important proclamation and gave a pathway forward for the supply chain, I also know it came with great angst and reservation, and more questions that answers. From our membership, I’ve been asked, what happens if a mill shuts down because of the virus? What will happen to markets now and in the future the longer that this pandemic forges on? Because we are essential, does that mean that we can’t lay our employees off and if we are forced to, are they not eligible for unemployment or other business salvage options? It is really important to be considered essential to give yourself a fighting chance, but if you have nowhere to sell your product, what are you supposed to do?

As the world shutters around us and thousands are put out of work, I had one member call me and say, “Well, I really feel bad for those are who are being impacted by this entire situation. It can’t be easy on their families and this is not good for our state or our country right now. However, this will also give folks a feel for how loggers feel every year when they get laid off during mud season.” And while this wasn’t intended to be spiteful in any way, it certainly did put things in perspective very quickly. With the shortage of paper products, and the mass layoffs, I believe it has changed the public’s perspective on how important loggers really are to our daily existence.

As the carnage has continued to pile up in such a

Doran Continued Page 18 short period of time, much to our chagrin, the role of government has also increased significantly. And while many of us disagree on the approach, it appears that fiscal policy (governmental spending) appears to be one of the only ways to shock the economy and slow the damage.

On March 27th, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), which attempts to infuse $2 trillion back into the economy to keep people working, bills paid and food on the table. It includes many provisions, including Payroll Protection loans and additional unemployment stipends which might help, but they also might hurt in the long run. Members are calling on a daily basis looking for guidance on what they should do with these programs and what might be the correct call for their business and their employees. Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess, and it makes me proud to work for this organization and provide value and help to our members wherever we can, even if the answers are not easy to come by.

When will this ice storm end; I’m not really sure at this point? For anyone in Maine or around the world impacted by this ice storm, it will forever be known as the year with an asterisk. The year that the world came to a shuddering halt, all because of something that we cannot see, and it certainly will leave a void and a mark in many different ways.

I think the debate is still out on that but hopefully our social distancing and extreme measures to limit the spread of the virus will really take hold through the month of April. In the meantime, the logging community will do what it does best and look after their families, their neighbors and their communities, doing whatever they can do to make the best of a challenging situation. If called upon (and we have offered the help of the logging community to the Governor’s Office), we will do whatever we can do to help as well.

Rest assured that the PLC will be here for you to try to provide a navigational map for these uncharted waters. Loggers are resilient, they are resourceful, and this too shall pass and I’m sure that we can get through this because that’s what loggers do. Know that the PLC as an organization will do the same because we don’t have any other choice. If you are on the front line fighting for your businesses, fighting for your employees, and fighting for your communities, we will do the same. We are all in this together and for me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Before you know it, this too shall pass and it will make the new beginnings, the trainings and all of the delayed celebrations, that much more special. For all of our members, I hope that you stay healthy, safe and sane during this unprecedented time. Love your family, your employees, your neighbors and yourselves and if there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask as we are only a phone call, a text or an email away at any time.

Dana.

Economic impact study reveals Maine loggers and truckers contributed $619 million to state economy in 2017

Study shows logging and woods trucking supports more than 9,000 jobs and a range of industries and communities across Maine

AUGUSTA – The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine released results of a comprehensive study of the economic impact of Maine logging on March 5, showing the industry contributed an estimated $619 million to the state economy in 2017.

The study, “The Economic Contribution of Logging and Trucking in Maine,” conducted by the University of Maine and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, revealed that in 2017 logging supported approximately 9,366 Maine jobs either directly or indirectly, generated $342 million in labor income, pumped an estimated $25 million into state and local tax coffers, and remains critical to a range of industries and communities across Maine.

“This study demonstrates the vast impact logging

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Study Continued from Page 19 has on the Maine economy and highlights its role as the foundation of the state’s entire $7.7 billion forest products industry,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, said. shows what Maine stands to lose if the mounting challenges to the logging industry are not overcome.

To better understand the nature of the harvesting industry in Maine, analysts combined a traditional input output (IMPLAN) analysis with primary data gathered from member companies of the PLC, the logging trade association representing companies that together harvest more than 75 percent of all timber harvested in Maine. The study calculates the economic impact of logging in the state of Maine for 2017 through both the IMPLAN analysis as well as a survey delivered to members of the PLC in 2018. Where appropriate, results were also compared with findings of a previous, similar study on the 2014 impact of Maine logging to identify industry trends. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and other appropriate sources was incorporated in the analysis to present a complete picture of the industry status.

In addition to overall economic impact and jobs, findings of the study and associated research included:

• According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the real average wage for workers in the logging industry in 2017 was $47,289 (in 2018 dollars). This represents a 3.2 percent increase in wages since 2014.

• The survey sent to PLC contractors showed mechanization remains dominant in the industry: Fully 56 percent of surveyed firms were identified as whole tree harvesting operations, and another 35 percent as cut length harvesting operations – both of which use combinations of mechanized logging equipment such as feller bunchers, delimbers, grapple skidders, forwarders, and harvesters to cut, yard, and process wood. Only 8 percent were identified as conventional hand crews using chain saws. Respondent companies employed slightly fewer crews on average in 2018 than in 2014. Interestingly, the proportion of cut-to-length crews in mechanized logging (while still a minority) increased in 2018.

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Maine logging sector is heavily dominated by small businesses, with an average (between 2006 and 2016) of 67% of employing establishments in the industry employing fewer than 5 people. Additionally, 1,719 non the logging and harvest sector were reported in Maine during 2017. These entities are overwhelmingly (94%) sole proprietorships.

• Survey respondents reported an average of 13 full time equivalent employees per firm. As in 2014, the majority of respondent employees work in the woods, on average 7 per firm; an additional average of 2 per firm provide office support, 3 trucking and 1 mechanical support. It is notable that the average number of wood-based employees per firm, as calculated from survey responses, is a little more than half of what it was in 2014.

• On average, survey respondents had 42 operational weeks in 2018 and harvested 1,621 acres per firm.

• Trucking remains critical to the logging industry. Most survey respondents (26%) trucked either all or the majority (37%) of the material harvested by their firm. Thirteen percent rarely (less than 50% of the time) trucked their own material and 24% contracted with an outside source for all their trucking needs.

• Logging is a capital-intensive industry. Survey respondents reported $21.1 million in new capital investment – 76% of which was spent on new equipment.

• For 2018, Maine Forest Service data showed 11,817,367 tons of timber were harvested in Maine including 4,222,170 tons of saw timber, 5,391,052 tons of pulp wood, and 2,204,145 tons of biomass. That was an overall decrease of from 2014, when data showed 14,188,085 tons of timber were harvested in Maine, including 4,004,051 tons of saw timber, 7,289,270 tons of pulp wood, and 2,894,764 tons of biomass.

The economic study released today comes in the wake of a 2019 “Maine Logger and Log Trucker Employment Availability and Wage Analysis Report” prepared by the Maine Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Southern Maine that found Maine is facing a shortage of loggers and log truckers that will grow and which could hinder the growth of the forest products industry in the state if wage growth does not occur. That study revealed wages for logging equipment operators and log truckers in Maine are lower than those for comparable jobs in competing industries in the state, and this combined with a tight labor market and looming retirement for large numbers of loggers is concerning for Maine’s forest economy.

The heart of the issue identified by the 2019 study is profit margins for logging contractors have dwindled as costs of doing business have risen, limiting the ability of contractors to raise pay for workers. With low unemployment and strong competition for skilled operators of heavy machinery and trucks, logging contractors are struggling simply to keep the workers they have, let alone attract new ones.

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“The inevitable conclusion based on a review of the new study and of the wage and employment study released last year is that logging is a critical Maine industry under threat that must be preserved if the state is to avoid a collapse of its forest products industry and the deep and irreversible impacts that would have on Maine’s economy, rural communities, and character,” Doran said. “The challenges facing loggers are not insurmountable, but failure to overcome them would be disastrous for Maine.”

Harvesting is an integral part of Maine’s forest products industry. Wood pulp, wood, and paper and paperboard are Maine's 5th, 6th and 7th most valuable exports, respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In an increasingly global world, the competitiveness of these exports relies on the economic feasibility and health of the harvesting industry that makes it all possible. The industry today faces many challenges but is meeting them by seeking new and nontraditional markets, increasing the focus on professionalism and safety, utilizing the latest technology, and working to educate a new and highly skilled generation of loggers for the future.

One key to the future of the increasingly complex logging industry is education, and this means the Mechanized Logging Operations Programs (MLOP) created by the PLC in partnership with the Maine Community College System, and with support from the state and industry partners, is critical to training a new generation of loggers ready to enter to the industry as older workers reach retirement age. The program is currently recruiting students for its fourth 12-week class, scheduled to begin June 22 in the Old Town area.

To see the full study, go to: http://maineloggers.com/new/ wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3.4.2020-LoggingReport_Final-Review_Color-FINAL.pdf

Mechanized Logging Operations Program Recruiting Students for Summer 2020

12-week certificate program to be offered beginning in June

OLD TOWN - Recruiting is now underway for students in the Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP), which is beginning its next class June 22 in the woods northeast of Old Town.

Students enrolled in the post-secondary training program will spend weeks harvesting timber using sophisticated state-of-the-art machines like those they will encounter in the logging industry. The hands-on experience students gain operating equipment is something unavailable anywhere else in Maine and neighboring states.

This summer’s class will be the fourth since the program launched in 2017. Graduation for the class will be held in September.

“I would encourage any individual with an interest in a good-paying, exciting career in the Maine woods to consider the MLOP program,” Dana Doran, Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC), said. “There is no better, more efficient way to gain the experience and knowledge you need to become an equipment operator in the logging industry.”

The latest class to complete the program graduated in Sept. 2019. All 15 students enrolled in the program completed it successfully and all received job offers in the logging industry. Coordinators of the program plan to accept 15 students into this summer’s program as well. A specific harvest site for the program is now being chosen but the regional location has been chosen.

The Mechanized Logging Operations Program was created thanks to a partnership between three Maine community colleges, the PLC, and industry partners including Milton CAT and Nortrax.

The program gives students a broad overview of the most common mechanical systems found in modern timber harvesting equipment, and an understanding of the variables of timber growth, tree species, and markets. It also includes a strong emphasis on safety.

Students who are accepted into the program pay no tuition, but are responsible for transportation, housing, and food costs. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided by the program.

Mechanized logging operators are among the highest paid members of the logging workforce.

Anyone with an interest in the program should contact Leah Buck at Northern Maine Community College at 207-768-2768. Information and application instructions may be found online at https://www.nmcc.edu/industrycustomized-training/mechanized-forest-operations/

While the logging industry has seen some contraction in recent years, the demand for skilled operators of the feller bunchers, harvesters, grapple skidders, forwarders, delimbers, and other mechanized logging equipment that now harvests more than 95 percent of all timber in Maine is strong and getting stronger. Many current operators are reaching retirement age and the steep costs of training new operators is driving up demand and wages.

The program is working in tandem with the state’s current vocational training system and so far has drawn many of its students from within the logging industry itself as well as from Maine’s four Career and Technical High School logging programs in Dyer Brook, Farmington, Norway/South Paris and Rumford/Mexico. For the first time, logging operators are being trained similarly to other advanced trade occupations with a high school and postsecondary pathway approach.

A promotional video for MLOP developed by the PLC gives potential students a good look at the opportunities afforded by the program and the logging industry.

The video was developed thanks to support from Farm Credit East. It is available on YouTube at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI5YwXiM6Gg

The PLC partnered with the Maine Community College System and industry to create the program. It was jointly developed by the PLC and Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), and Washington County Community College (WCCC) with generous support from Milton CAT/ CAT Forest Products, Nortrax Inc./John Deere, and other industry partners.

The program has been supported since its inception through Maine Quality Centers, a program to develop and support skilled in-demand and high wage occupations in Maine.

Anyone interested in becoming an instructor for the program should contact Donald Burr at (207) 356-1541.