In the November/December 2017 edition of My Take, Timber Harvesting magazine Executive Editor DK Knight recounts the American Loggers Council’s 2017 annual meeting. Knight writes, “From my perspective, the annual meeting of the American Loggers Council (ALC) in late September was a grand slam event. The setting of the 301-year-old city of Natchez, Miss. had lots of appeal, given its history, architecture, measured pace, dining choices, brew pubs, and more. The weather was also very pleasant and the program was timely and informative, but it was the people involved who made the meeting one I’ll long remember. It was heartwarming to reconnect with established friends and to initiate new friendships. Included in the former category were Joe and Marion Allen, Folkston, Ga.; Dillon and Lillian Stratton, St. Johns, Fla., and David and Cheryl Russell, New Market, Ala.”

Proposed Pellet Mill Receives Air Permit; Commerce Dept. Says Canada Owes U.S.; MSU Forestry Grad Is New FS Chief; GP Plans To Build Sawmill In Talladega; Roseburg Purchases Timberland In South

Timber Harvesting magazine Senior Associate Editor David Abbott travels to Cleveland, North Carolina to visit the Select Timber, Inc. Zack Myers grew up around a family-owned hardwood sawmill started by his grandfather and later operated by his father and uncle. The family eventually added logging crews to supply the mill, and the young Myers gravitated toward working in the woods with his uncle, Butch Myers. In 2010 he started his logging company, Select Timber, Inc., based in Cleveland, NC, located about halfway between Statesville and Salisbury. He made do with well-worn old machines he’d inherited from his grandfather. By 2014, he had upgraded to somewhat newer equipment, and in late 2016, the fourth generation logger, now 27, added a second crew with several new machines. The growth isn’t too surprising, given the young logger’s attitude.

AFM-Forest Ltd.; Barko Hydraulics; Hakmet Forestry; HYPRO AB; Komatsu America Corp.; Log Max Inc.; Logset OY; Pierce Pacific Manufacturing Ltd.; Risley Equipment Ltd.; SP Maskiner 661LF; Southstar Equipment; Tigercat Industries Inc.; Kaymor Machine; Waratah

Timber Harvesting magazine Senior Associate Editor David Abbott reports on the American Loggers Council’s 23rd Annual Meeting held in Natchez, Mississippi. At its 23rd annual meeting held September 28-30, the American Loggers Council welcomed 205 attendees from 30 states to the Natchez Convention Center in Natchez, Miss., the home state of outgoing president Ken Martin. The meeting combined a logging tour, seminars, ladies’ activities, fund raising auction, an equipment display, awards, networking, and fun. Following an optional tour of a local logging operation on the first day of the meeting—see DK’s column, page 4—attendees benefitted from a series of educational seminars on the second day. This year, forest industry consultant and Timber Harvesting contributing columnist Wendy Farrand went first, delivering a message about rebranding the logging industry.

Timber Harvesting magazine Associate Editor Jay Donnell has the opportunity to visit Greg Cook Logging in Bigfork, Minnesota. There are some things loggers in Minnesota don’t have much control over. One is the spring thaw—the period that can range anywhere from February to May when they have to shut operations down because of highway restrictions due to freeze-thaw regulations. Employees of Greg Cook Logging in Bigfork, Minn. for example will take a few weeks off at the end of March and beginning of April and then come back to work in the company’s shop to get equipment ready for warmer months. The company’s large fleet of equipment calls for very precise maintenance, which means at least six of Cook’s employees are working on equipment during the break. Another thing they have to wrestle with, but can’t do much about, is the economy.

In this issue’s Risk Watch column, J.J, Lemire, Director Of Loss Control at Forestry Material Insurance Company, discusses recognizing safety hazards. Lemire writes, “If you can recognize safety hazards you have taken the first step to preventing accidents. Employees and supervisors cannot be so focused on the job that they cannot see what is in front of them. A tailgate safety meeting gives each employee an opportunity to avoid simple mistakes that lead to injuries. A quick review of the known hazards (broken branches, dead snags, etc.) can provide a situational awareness throughout the day. Many times the short ‘safety talk’ becomes an extremely important step in seeing that each employee gets home safely each day. Being aware of known hazards is only half the equation. Making employees aware of past accidents and unknown factors can give them an edge.”

Morbark Demo Days: 60 Years Of Optimism; Rotochopper Hosts 7th Annual Demo; Global Factory Forum Hosted By CBI In NH; Coastal Machinery Joins Bandit Dealer Network; Tigercat Industries Names New President; Morbark Acquires Rayco Manufacturing; Kenworth Sales Remodels Lewiston, Id. Dealership; Alliance Tire Moves Southeast Regional Office; Barko Great Lakes Expo Loader Contest Winners

Peterson Electric WTC; Deere 1910G Forwarder; Caterpillar D Series Loader; Mesera Cranes; Peterson Drum Chipper

As We See It: State Of ALC Report, 2017; St. John Memorial Established In UP; Memorial Service Held For Dennis Harbor; Alabama Loggers Council Recognizes Langley; FRA Recognizes Loggers From Kentucky, Minnesota; CDL Program Starts Up At North Florida College