Cut-to-length loggers are still somewhat of a strange breed in the Deep South. However, Donnie Williams, owner of Donnie Williams Logging, Inc. based here since 1981, has researched and applied the technology to his business, and according to him, he’s more than happy with the results. Williams, a third-generation timber harvester, grew up working with his hands and always enjoyed working outdoors.

I was privileged to be among the 15 international guests and trade journalists invited to visit Ponsse Oyj’s factory in Vieremä, Finland this spring. Journalists from Canada, the U.S., Scotland, United Kingdom, Austria, Germany and France met for the first time March 17 at Ponsse’s clubhouse, where we were wined and dined like royalty for three days.

Alliances, relationships—American Pulpwood Assn.’s annual meeting at Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort here April 10-13, attended by nearly 500 members and spouses, hammered home the point that the 65-year-old group is moving into the new millennium with an open mind and open doors toward enhancing the health of the forest products industry, home and abroad, and toward maintaining the growth of the organization itself.

Ending weeks of speculation, Blount International, Inc., headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., announced it has sold majority ownership to Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Partnership in a transaction valued at $1.35 billion, at $30 per share. Lehman Brothers is an institutional merchant banking fund focused on investments in established operating companies.

I think it was a good idea to interview J.B. Roach (March 1999 issue), though I don’t even know him. I am from Ohio, where I served on the committee to pick our logger of the year for the Ohio Forestry Assn. The logger/sawmill operator who was picked in our state (Doll Lumber Co.) gives other logging companies in our state something to shoot for.

Deere & Co., Moline, Ill., and Bell Equipment of Richards Bay, South Africa have entered into a strategic alliance giving Deere a 32.5% equity investment in Bell and exclusive rights to distribute Bell-manufactured articulated dump trucks in the Americas. Deere will sell and service trucks that are used for off-highway construction and mining applications, broadening Deere’s own construction equipment line.

There’s a lot going on in this business we call logging. For instance, consider this Reuters news item from February 3, datelined Washington: “Agricultural commodity prices worldwide will fall another 5% in 1999 due to lagging demand, huge supplies and rising inventories, the World Bank said Wednesday. All major commodity groups are expected to have declining prices, with only timber prices projected to rise 7% because of tightness in supplies.”

Louisiana-Pacific plans to acquire ABT Building Products Corp., which includes a hardboard siding manufacturing facility in Roaring River. The plant is the world’s largest hardboard siding operation, producing about 270MMSF of hardboard siding, panels and trim board annually.

Pierce Pacific Manufacturing introduces the PTH 24 harvesting and processing head. PTH 24 comes with 3⁄4 pitch buttsaw system with a maximum cutting capacity of 30". Also included is a .404 topsaw system. PTH 24 includes large diameter chained rubber drive wheels and variable displacement drive motors which provide speed or torque as required.