Provided by Schmidt Equipment, Inc. and John Deere

Provided by Schmidt Equipment, Inc. and John Deere
NEWS
TIPS
OFFERS
& MORE
Forestry forecast
for 2016
STRAIGHT TO
YOUR INBOX
Jim Hoke, Economist, John Deere Construction & Forestry
At Deere, we’re committed to better understanding
the challenges loggers face, which is why we keep
close track of economic trends that affect the forestry
industry. The start of a new year is always a good
time for reflection. So as we begin 2016, now seems
an appropriate time to share some of these trends.
The economic forecast for the forestry market in
North America looks favorable going into 2016.
With steady job growth and low mortgage rates,
demand for new homes in the U.S. has recently
returned to early 2008 levels and is expected to
continue growing in 2016. Inventory of new homes
available for sale is still sparse (28 percent below the
50-year average), so housing starts are expected to
grow an estimated 13 percent in 2016. In Canada,
residential construction grew in 2015 despite the
headwinds of slumping oil prices in western Canada.
Housing starts increased somewhat in 2015, but
are projected to decrease in 2016 as the prolonged
decline in oil prices finally slows the housing market
(see Industry Outlook on page 3 for specific metrics).
After falling to a 3-1/2-year low in early September,
softwood lumber prices have rebounded. Prices are
forecast to grow in 2016, but remain well shy of the
post-recession highs of 2014, as the weaker Canadian
dollar continues to apply downward pressure on
lumber prices. Prices in North America for softwood
pulp are forecast to increase slightly, while hardwood
pulp remains flat.
SIGN UP TODAY:
Slowing economic growth in China has decelerated
both U.S. and Canadian forestry product exports to
East Asia. Through August 2015, global U.S.
forestry product exports were down 19 percent,
with exports to China, Japan, and South Korea falling
27 percent. Similarly, global forestry product exports
from Canada declined 12 percent over the same
time period, with exports to China, Japan, and
South Korea falling 20 percent. With Chinese gross
domestic product (GDP) forecast to slow again in
2016, we can expect this decline to continue.
Putting it all together, we expect strong lumber
demand from the North American housing market
to help offset diminishing demand for pulp and
forestry exports to East Asia. As a result, we
expect industrial production for logging to grow
in 2016. The pricing environment will continue to
remain challenging given the strong U.S. dollar and
abundance of supply in the market. But as always,
loggers will rise to meet the challenge.
JohnDeere.com/ForLoggers
CONTENTS
4
Social Corner
View photos submitted by loggers to
JohnDeereStories.com.
5 Tech Tips
Safety is every logger’s number-one job.
Learn how to keep your logging site safe.
6 A Logger’s Lasting Legacy
After graduating from the University of
Alabama, Morris Etheridge returned to
his small-town roots and built upon his
father-in-law’s strong reputation.
10 Deere Gear
John Deere Powertrain ReLife Plus gives
you the flexibility to prolong the life of
your skidder and get maximum value
from your fleet.
ANYONE CAN OFFER LOW RATE FINANCING.
But to really grow your business, you need solutions
that last longer than 36 to 60 months. John Deere
Financial tops off our low rates with expert knowledge
RI\RXUEXVLQHVVƠH[LEOHSD\PHQWVFRVWHIIHFWLYH
PDLQWHQDQFHSDFNDJHVDQGWKHEHVWƟQDQFLDOPL[IRU
your operation’s success.
Talk to your dealer today about how John Deere
Financial can help grow your business.
12 Power Play
The Muskrat Falls project has provided
enormous opportunity for loggers in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
18 Down Time
Highland Farms, Inc., in Cornish, Maine,
owns the oldest Registered Jersey™ herd
in the United States.
Cover image:
Newfoundland and Labrador are home to one
of the largest ongoing construction projects in
North America.
CR2211178
U.S. and Canada forestry economic outlook for 2016
The overall outlook for the North American forestry industry
continues to appear positive entering 2016. Residential
construction continues to grow at a moderate pace.
Production levels and prices of lumber and wood are
expected to rise, while pulp and paper will remain flat or
decrease slightly. A weaker Canadian dollar and an
increase in imports from Canada into the United States
will continue to put downward pressure on lumber prices.
Global gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow
2.9 percent in 2016, slightly higher than 2015’s 2.6 percent,
contributing to an increased global demand for pulp.
But with the stronger dollar, demand for pulp in the U.S. is
expected to fall slightly in 2016, while growing slightly in
Canada. Significantly declining demand for pulp and forestry
exports to East Asia should be offset by strong lumber
demand from the North American housing market.
Global/North American (N.A.) market projections for 2016
U.S. pulp demand:
-1.2%
N.A. softwood pulp price:
+1%
U.S. Producer Price Index
(PPI) – pulp & paper:
+0.9%
N.A. hardwood pulp price:
FLAT
U.S. softwood
lumber price:
+4%*
U.S. PPI – lumber & wood:
+2.7%
U.S. projections for 2016*
Canada projections for 2016*
Housing starts:
Housing starts:
+13% (1.26 million)
-6% (182,000)
Industrial production logging:
Logging employment:
+5%
-1.1%
Industrial production logging:
Forestry employment:
+1.9%
-1.4%
*IHS Global Insight.
Winter 2016
3
Straight
from
the field
SOCIAL CORNER
We received these
great submissions on
JohnDeereStories.com.
Thanks for sending in
your photos.
“John Deere 2054
with Waratah 622B
working hard with
16,000 hours on it.”
by Marcus S.
“Got the new 843L on the job. Very impressed by the spacious new
cab with a greatly improved HVAC system, and the smooth and
quick hydraulic response with the power to handle larger trees
all makes for a comfortable and easy day at work.” by Shaun S.
“Just out plowing and freezing down a
lease access north of Fort McMurray,
Alberta. Hopped out of the cab for
a quick stretch and figured it would
make a nice picture.” by Nick C.
John Deere knuckleboom
in Alleghany County, NC
by Jacob J.
#DeereSighting by Kenny M.
Post your photos to
JohnDeereStories.com
Share your pics by uploading them to JohnDeereStories.com
or post them on your favorite forestry social media channels!
Delivering an 848L in Princeton, ID
by Kevin T.
As a logger, many things are competing for your attention. A harsh and
changing environment. Long hours. Looming deadlines. Managing a
fleet and crews. Any one of these could distract you from operating
safely, which is why it is so essential that safety remain the focus of
everything you do. Today’s machines are equipped with modern safety
features, but at the end of the day, keeping your work environment
safe is up to you and your fellow loggers. Safety is everyone’s job.
Here are some tips to help keep your logging site safe.
CREATE A CULTURE OF SAFETY
A strong safety policy shared with
your team helps ensure everyone is on
the same page. Key components include:
• Wearing appropriate personal protective
equipment (PPE) for the job you’re
doing, including a hard hat, safety shoes,
gloves, eye and hearing protection,
and reflective clothing.
• Knowing where to find and how to use
fire extinguishers or fire-suppression
systems and emergency equipment,
including first-aid kits. If equipped,
always use your seat belt.
• Understanding jobsite rules and regulations
related to your application and equipment.
These expectations will vary according to
work environment or geographical location.
KNOW YOUR MACHINE
• Read the operator’s manual —
it’s your best resource for learning to
properly operate your machine and its
safety features.
• Learn and follow the operating and
maintenance instructions before you
even start the machine.
• Familiarize yourself with the controls and
allow only responsible adults who are
familiar with these instructions to operate
the machine.
• Before you run the machine, inspect it
carefully as prescribed in your operator’s
manual. Make sure all guards and shields
are in place, fixing any damage and
replacing worn or broken parts.
REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE
• Perform routine maintenance.
• Handle fuel safely, storing flammable
fluids away from fire hazards. Never refuel
a machine while smoking or when near
sparks or flame.
• Clean the machine regularly, keeping
trash, debris, grease, and oil from
accumulating in the engine compartment
and around fuel and hydraulic lines,
exhaust components, and electrical
wiring. Never store oily rags or flammable
materials inside a machine compartment.
• Maintain hoses and wiring, replacing
hydraulic hoses immediately if they begin
to leak and cleaning up any oil spills.
Examine electrical wiring and connectors
frequently for damage.
• Always keep a multipurpose fire
extinguisher on or near the machine.
Know how to use it properly.
BE AWARE OF JOBSITE HAZARDS AND
KNOW WHAT TO DO
• Prepare the jobsite properly, clearing
away debris that could shift unexpectedly
if run over.
• Avoid operating near structures or objects
that could fall onto the machine.
• Keep bystanders clear of the machine
at all times. Avoid swinging or raising
booms, attachments, or loads over or
near personnel.
• Use barricades or a signal person to keep
vehicles and pedestrians away from the
machine. Designate a signal person when
moving a machine in congested areas or
where visibility is restricted. Always keep
the signal person in view, and coordinate
hand signals before starting the machine.
• Safely operate the machine only on solid
footing that is sufficient to support its
weight. Be especially alert when working
near embankments or excavations. Be
careful when operating in muddy or frozen
conditions because the machine may
slide or tip more easily. When working
on steep slopes, keep the machine as
straight and level as possible to prevent
it from tipping over.
USE OTHER AVAILABLE RESOURCES
In addition to machine operator’s
manuals, other safety resources include
videos available from your dealer, online
operator training through John Deere
University (JDU), instructor-led operator
training, and simulator-based training.
Winter 2016
5
Story by
Kevin Orfield
Photos by
MiKe Newell
Morris Etheridge
builds upon Hamilton
Timber Company’s
Solid Foundation
Many loggers are born into the business —
logging is in their blood, so to speak. Morris
Etheridge’s story is different. When he
graduated from the University of Alabama in
1993 with a degree in public relations, Etheridge
had ambitions of moving to the big city and
joining a large PR firm. But Etheridge is a smalltown guy at heart. Deep down he knew it was
more important to return to his roots.
Getting his feet wet
Etheridge, owner of Hamilton Timber
Company, grew up in the small town of Sweet
Water, Alabama, with a population of 250.
“My graduating class was 51 people,” he recalls.
“Living in a small town has its ups and downs,
but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Etheridge met his wife, Daphne, while attending
community college in Meridian, Mississippi.
The two married in 1994 and settled in Meridian
before moving back to Sweet Water in 2000.
“After college, I started working for my fatherin-law, Bobby Martin. He was in the timber
business, and he really got me interested
in forestry.”
We catch up with Etheridge at a restaurant
near Hamilton Timber’s office in Nanafalia,
Alabama — the kind of place where you can sip
lemonade on the front porch and “set a spell,”
as they say in the South. The long picnic tables
covered in checkerboard tablecloths let you
know you can expect home cooking. Our crew
orders up the waitress’s recommendation: fried
catfish po’ boys and sweet tea. “Put it on my tab,”
says Etheridge. Where else but in a small town
can you put anything on a tab anymore?
As the waitress passes around the sweet tea,
Etheridge gives us a bit of history. He began
working for Charlie Hamilton and Hamilton
Timber in 1995. “I had the good fortune
of working with Charlie for over two decades.
He was really one of a kind. For example, he was
never very aware of time. The day of the week
or time of day meant nothing to him. When we
moved back to Sweet Water in 2000, we built
a house with a back porch. The first week we
moved in, my wife woke me about 4 a.m. and
Charlie was sitting out there. ‘I like this back
porch,’ he said. ‘So, are you ready to go to the
logging woods?’ I didn’t know if I had made
a mistake by moving so close to him (laughs).
But he taught me a lot. He was like a second
father and taught me everything.”
Etheridge learned the business from the
ground up. “I learned from my father-in-law
how to cruise timber. I was also Charlie’s timber
buyer, but I did anything. After I would finish
cruising wood for the day, I’d run a bulldozer,
a knuckleboom loader, or a cutter. He had
good people in the right positions for me
to learn from.”
Taking the plunge
When Hamilton retired in 2011, Etheridge
took over the reins. “I was ready. In the few years
before I bought him out, Charlie taught me
the business side. I was able to get my feet wet
gradually instead of jumping into the deep end.”
A lot of people taking over a company would
have renamed it after themselves, but Hamilton
Timber was well established. “I didn’t dare want
to touch the name because Charlie had such a
good reputation.”
Hamilton stayed on as a consultant for two years
to ease the transition. Many of his employees still
work for Etheridge, a testament to the quality of
his leadership.
Etheridge misses the woods — managing a
large company with six logging crews and over
50 employees keeps him in the office most of
the day. “I miss being outside with Charlie
because I’m an outside person. I’m still a handson guy — my employees call me on the radio
if they have a problem. But every day I need
to keep an eye on the market and on costs.
We have our peaks and valleys, but our highs
are a lot higher and our lows are a lot lower than
they used to be. I always say that if you watch
the nickels and quarters, the dollars will take
care of themselves.”
Winter 2016
7
Hamilton Timber works within a 60-mile radius
of 16 pulp mills and sawmills. Te company
does approximately 65-percent pulp and
35-percent hardwood. Ten years ago it was just
the opposite, according to Etheridge. “We have
a good working relationship with the guys we
do business with. One thing Charlie drilled into
my head is that if you promise somebody a tract,
you get it for them. You don’t simply chase the
highest dollar. If you don’t do what you tell folks
you are going to do, it will hurt you in the long
run. If Charlie told you something, you knew
you could bank on it. You didn’t need a signed
agreement. His handshake was as good as gold.”
Modern mechanized logging
Hamilton Timber’s six crews run mostly
John Deere machines. “Years ago, our oneskidder crews moved 40–45 loads a week.
Now we’re doing 70 loads a week because the
equipment is so much beter, faster, and
easier to run.”
Within the past year they’ve purchased four
John Deere skidders and four feller bunchers,
including an 843L. “My guys really love running
Deere. Our new 843L delivers more power and
stability — it’s a lot faster and more efcient.
And the operator station is bigger and quieter,
with more visibility. Everything is more operator
friendly. I was recently helping another logger
who runs a competitor’s machine, and he was so
impressed that he bought a Deere for himself.”
Service and support from Hamilton Timber’s
John Deere dealer, Warrior Tractor, has been
excellent. “Tey do everything they can to
keep us up and running. Recently they’ve been
seting us up with JDLink™ so we can monitor
our machines and fuel usage to help us improve
efciency and reduce costs. We have remote
access to feet location, machine-health alerts,
and preventative-maintenance tracking.
JDLink will notify us of an issue before it
becomes a major problem.”
“If downtime does occur, remote diagnosis
and programming allow us to minimize the
time and cost of sending a technician out to
the logging site,” says Turman Taylor, Warrior
Tractor. “We can tell them what a diagnostic
code means and help them solve it on their own.
Sometimes it’s as simple as replacing a stopped
flter or reconnecting a loose wire. If we need
to dispatch a feld tech, we can send them out
with the right part the frst time, saving the
cost of a return trip.”
“Support from Warrior has been great, not
that the machines are down very ofen,”
says Etheridge. “We’ve tried other brands,
but we’re buying mostly John Deere now.
We’ve been very pleased.”
Hamilton Timber is serviced by
Warrior Tractor and Equipment,
Northport, Alabama.
To see more of the story,
visit JohnDeere.com/Etheridge
From the
to the
Last year, John Deere celebrated the 50th
anniversary of its legendary 440 Skidder.
Hamilton Timber crew foreman Ben Bouler can
remember back to operating the machine in the
early 1970s: “I was working for my dad when
we got one. We thought it was the greatest thing
we’d ever seen. We could put five chokers on it
and it made our whole life easier, bringing more
product to the loading deck at one time.”
Bouler started working for his father in the
woods at the young age of 12, setting chokers for
the 440 and working the deck. By the age of 16,
he was running the 440. “My father didn’t like
anyone sitting around. It was a family business
and everyone always had something to do.”
Bouler’s father logged for 50 years. He started
out hand-felling trees, using an iron mule and
later a farm tractor to skid logs before getting
the 440. “I’ve seen it all. Now everything is
mechanized and machines are a lot more
comfortable. If I could, I’d bring our new
John Deere 843L cutter home every night
so I could sleep in it (laughs).”
More productive, too. According to Bouler,
the new John Deere skidder can haul 2,700 tons
in a week compared to the 440, which could
haul 270. “If I was going into business for myself,
I wouldn’t buy anything but Deere. They’re easy
to service and super reliable.”
Bouler actually did log for himself — for seven
years before joining Hamilton Timber. “I made
a good living for six years. The seventh was
pretty rough. Jimmy Carter era. High fuel prices.”
Bouler joined Hamilton Timber in 1981.
“The company has grown tremendously over
the past 30 years into one of the largest in the
region. I don’t think there’s a better guy around
here you can work for than Morris Etheridge.
He’s open-minded and listens to your opinion,
and he treats you fairly. He’s a family-oriented,
community-oriented guy.
“Morris puts a lot of trust in us. And we have a
lot of faith in him. He has learned this business
fast from the right people, and he knows what it
takes to succeed.”
Winter 2016
9
POWERTRAIN
RELIFE PLUS
Give your skidder new life —
and revitalize your bottom line
*HWWLQJPD[LPXPYDOXHIURP\RXUƠHHWLVDOODERXWKDYLQJRSWLRQV
-RKQ'HHUH3RZHUWUDLQ5H/LIH3OXVJLYHV\RXWKHƠH[LELOLW\WRSURORQJ
WKHOLIHRI\RXU'HHUH*,,,*,,,RU+6HULHV6NLGGHUDWD
IUDFWLRQRIWKHFRVWRIIXOOUHSODFHPHQW
3RZHUWUDLQ5H/LIH3OXVLVFXVWRPL]DEOHWR\RXUQHHGV5HEXLOG\RXU
VNLGGHUE\UHSODFLQJPDMRUSRZHUWUDLQFRPSRQHQWVLQFOXGLQJWKH
HQJLQHWUDQVPLVVLRQDQGD[OHVŠZLWKWKHRSWLRQWRLQFOXGHWKH
PDLQK\GUDXOLFSXPSŠEDFNHGE\DWKUHH\HDUKRXURU
WZR\HDUKRXUH[WHQGHGZDUUDQW\3OXVFHUWLƟHGWHFKQLFLDQV
ZLOOWKRURXJKO\LQVSHFWRYHUHYDOXDWLRQSRLQWVDQGUHFRPPHQG
DGGLWLRQDOSDUWVWRUHSODFHEDVHGRQ\RXUVSHFLƟFQHHGV<RXFKRRVH
ZKDWŤVEHVWIRU\RXŠUHIXUELVK\RXUVNLGGHUWRORRNOLNHQHZRXW
RIWKHIDFWRU\RUWDUJHWVSHFLƟFLPSURYHPHQWVWRNHHSFRVWVGRZQ
2XUƟQDQFLQJRSWLRQVDOVRKHOS\RXPDQDJHFRVWVDQGFDVKƠRZ
2XU5H0DQ5H/RDG5H/LIHSURJUDPSURYLGHVGD\VRIQR
SD\PHQWVDQGQRLQWHUHVWIROORZHGE\PRQWKO\SD\PHQWVDWD
Ɵ[HGORZUDWHVR\RXFDQJHW\RXUPDFKLQHEDFNLQWRWKHIRUHVW
JHQHUDWLQJLQFRPHEHIRUH\RXPDNHDSD\PHQW7ROHDUQPRUH
VHH\RXU-RKQ'HHUHGHDOHU
2IIHUHQGV)HEUXDU\6XEMHFWWRDSSURYHGLQVWDOOPHQWFUHGLWZLWK-RKQ'HHUH)LQDQFLDO
0LQLPXPDPRXQWRI1(:SDUWVDQGVHUYLFHZRUNWRƟQDQFHLVSHUPDFKLQH5HSDLUVPXVW
EHPDGHWR-RKQ'HHUHHTXLSPHQWXVLQJ-RKQ'HHUH2(0SDUWV'HHUH2(0XQGHUFDUULDJH
DOO'HHUH5H0DQSDUWVDOO9DOXH3DUWVSURGXFWVDQGDOO,75$PHULFDSURGXFWV1RWHOLJLEOHIRU+LWDFKL
PDFKLQHV6RPHUHVWULFWLRQVDSSO\VRVHH\RXUGHDOHUIRUFRPSOHWHGHWDLOVDQGRWKHUƟQDQFLQJ
RSWLRQV$YDLODEOHDWSDUWLFLSDWLQJGHDOHUV3RZHUWUDLQ5H/LIH3OXVDYDLODEOHIRU*,,,DQG*,,,
6NLGGHUVZLWK6HULDO1XPEHU;;;;;;RUODWHU
10
JOHN DEERE
POWERTRAIN RELIFE PLUS
GIVE YOUR MACHINE NEW LIFE AND GAIN THE PEACE OF MIND PROVIDED
BY A FACTORY-BACKED POWERTRAIN-COMPONENT WARRANTY.
Winter 2016
11
STORY: KEVIN ORFIELD
PHOTOS: NATE LUKE
Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project provides opportunities for
Newfoundland and Labrador mechanical harvesting and construction companies
12
T
“IT’S ONE OF THE
LARGEST ONGOING
PROJECTS IN
NORTH AMERICA
RIGHT NOW.”
–Tim Young, Springdale Forest
Resources, Springdale,
Newfoundland, Canada
he easternmost province in Canada,
Newfoundland and Labrador, is the frst place
you can see the sunrise in North America. A vast land
that is sparsely populated, it is home to magnifcent
coastlines, whale watching, icebergs, untamed
wilderness, and large herds of caribou, black bear,
and moose. Newfoundlanders are among the
friendliest people you’ll meet. And seemingly every
one of them, including loggers Tim Young and Grant
Noble, own an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), a snowmobile,
and a boat. Many are hockey fans (this is Canada,
of course), but the power play we’re talking about
here is the Muskrat Falls project, among the largest
hydroelectric power stations and ongoing construction
projects in North America.
When completed in 2017, the
Muskrat Falls project will deliver
clean, renewable energy to
homes and businesses across
Newfoundland and Labrador,
as well as throughout eastern
Canada. The project includes
construction of an 824-megawatt
hydroelectric dam on the lower
Churchill River in Labrador and
more than 1,500 kilometers of
transmission lines.
The project has been a boon to
Newfoundland’s forestry industry,
including mechanical harvesting
and construction companies
Springdale Forest Resources
(SFR) and Noble Resources.
Trees needed to be cleared
to create access roads to the
construction site and for the
reservoir for the dam, as well as
for hundreds of kilometers of
transmission-line right-of-way.
“OLD FAITHFUL”
SFR cut the frst tree on the
Muskrat Falls project using a
John Deere 753J Feller Buncher,
which the company calls “Old
Faithful.” “She was the lead
machine on the project,” says
Tim Young, general manager,
SFR. “Anywhere we wanted her
to go, she’d go. We were new to
Labrador and facing a lot bigger
timber than we were used to
in Newfoundland. And the 753J
always pulled through for us.”
SFR frst got involved in the
project cutting the access road
to the Muskrat Falls construction
site. “We came into the project on
a trial basis,” says Young. “We’re
not a big company — I often
tell people I felt like a mouse
between two elephants when
you compare our company’s size
to Nalcor Energy and Valard, the
Alberta company responsible
for overseeing the cutting of
the transmission right-of-way
and road construction. But
we’ve been fortunate to have
this opportunity. It’s one of the
largest ongoing projects in North
America right now, and they’ve
kept us really busy. We cut the
frst tree on the project, and we
hope to cut the last.”
SFR is a larger company than
Young would have you believe,
employing almost 300 people.
But the company has grown
signifcantly since his father
started it in 1986, hand-felling
trees with his two employees for
the local pulp mills. The company
grew to around 100 employees
when it began mechanized
logging in 2000. Today the
company has also diversifed by
starting a drilling division and by
14
“THE PROJECT INCLUDES
CONSTRUCTION OF MORE THAN
1,500 KILOMETERS OF
TRANSMISSION LINES.”
opening several retail stores, one
of which stocks parts and safety
supplies for heavy equipment.
Young recalls he and his dad
initially pitching his company
to Nalcor Energy executives in
2012. “I asked for 30 minutes out
of their busy schedule — we’d
typically have fve or six hours to
discuss a project of this size. The
interview went past a half-hour,
and at the 45-minute mark they
told us they were interested but
wanted us to tell them what we
knew about the equipment. They
had found that a lot of executives
at bigger companies weren’t in
tune with the machinery. But
I’ve been interested in logging
machines since before I could
run them, so it was easy for us to
describe our capabilities and how
much we could clear. That got us
into the project.”
The company came in 60 days
ahead of schedule on the frst
contract, which resulted in other
contracts for clearing hundreds
of kilometers of roads and
transmission-line right-of-way
on Labrador and Newfoundland.
To get the job done, SFR runs all
John Deere forestry machines,
including feller bunchers,
harvesters, and forwarders.
The project has helped attract
young operators. “The forestry
industry, especially in
Newfoundland, has been down
for a lot of years. It hasn’t been
attractive to young people — they
saw it was dying and dying fast,”
says Young, who himself is just
28 years old. “But the Muskrat Falls
project has created opportunities
and allowed us to compete for
workers with the oil sands in
Alberta. A lot of young people
are coming back here to work
and are taking a liking to running
forestry equipment.”
NEWFOUND
OPPORTUNITIES
Nortrax representative Chris
Elliot takes our crew out to visit
one of Noble Resources’ logging
sites. Elliot embodies the frontier
spirit of Newfoundland and
Labrador — it was one of the frst
places discovered in the New
World, but it is Canada’s youngest
province. “I can fsh right out my
backdoor. It’s probably 20 paces
to a lake.” An avid hunter, Elliot
is constantly on the lookout for
moose tracks and assures us we’ll
see a moose during our visit (we
didn’t, but then again, we’re city
folk who don’t have as sharp an
eye). As we travel around the
island, he also points out the best
trails for snowmobiles and ATVs.
Elliot worked in logging most of
his life and will probably return to
logging part-time when he retires.
He is steeped in Newfoundland’s
logging history and knows
everyone who is anyone in the
industry. “The Muskrat Falls
project has really helped revive
logging on the island. SFR and
Noble Resources have worked
extremely hard on this project,
and recognition of that fact in
the form of new contracts is
well deserved.”
Like SFR, Noble Resources is
also a family business, started by
Operation Manager Grant Noble’s
father. The company has been
operating in Newfoundland for
35 years. Today Noble runs the
business with his brothers
Glen and Graham, who handle
trucking, and Gene, who helps
manage logging.
Winter 2016
15
“My dad started out hand-felling
and using a cable skidder,
providing wood for the local pulp
mill,” says Noble. “Originally
the work was seasonal. The mill
used to stockpile a lot of wood.
Plus winters are pretty harsh in
Newfoundland — we typically
get up to 12 feet of snow — so
it was impossible to work with
chain saws.”
As the mills began to demand
more and higher-quality wood,
the company got into mechanical
logging in 1992. “We needed
to be able to work year-round.
As demands from the mills and
diferent suppliers grew, our
business grew. We were probably
one of the frst short-wood
contractors in Eastern Canada,
and business expanded from there.”
Currently, Noble Resources cuts
approximately 140,000 cubic
meters of short wood per year for
the local pulp mill. The company
does everything, stump to dump,
as well as road construction. It
runs a feet of 15 Deere harvesters
and forwarders, and employs 65
people. “We’ve run John Deere
for 30 years. We’ve always been
very pleased. They’re purposebuilt for what we do.”
“WE’VE RUN JOHN DEERE FOR
30 YEARS, WE’VE ALWAYS
BEEN VERY PLEASED.”
Today most of the logging on
Newfoundland is cut-to-length
because it is more environmentally
friendly and suitable to terrain
that includes both really hard
and soft ground among steep
slopes. “You don’t need as
many machines as a tree-length
operation. Plus it creates less soil
disturbance and leaves a brush
mat, so more nutrients get back
into the ground.”
When Noble Resources frst
got into mechanical logging,
Newfoundland had three pulp
mills. Today there is just one.
“Ten years ago there were 12
16
of us contractors, but now there
are four,” says Noble. “The mill
held on to their more dependable
contractors, so we took on the
extra demand and managed
to grow.”
The Muskrat Falls project has
given the company the
opportunity to diversify. Like
SFR, Noble Resources started
working on the Muskrat Falls
project beginning in 2012,
working on the lower Churchill
River portion of the project where
the hydroelectric dam is being
constructed. “We started out on
a small scale in 2012, clearing
vegetation on the food basin.
Our role has grown signifcantly
since.” Today the company
subcontracts with SFR, helping
clear hundreds of kilometers for
the 60-meter-wide right-of-way
on the island.
REMOTE CONTROL
At the beginning of the project,
supporting machines in the
remote, unforgiving environment
of Labrador was a major challenge
for both SFR and Noble Resources.
Of the province’s half-million
inhabitants, the vast majority live
in Newfoundland.
“It’s not like we had a John Deere
dealership branch right down
the road,” explains Young. “We
were pretty far from civilization.
But service and support from our
local Deere dealership branch has
been great. They set up a trailer
with all the parts we normally use.
They’ve provided training courses
on diagnostic tools. And they also
sent technicians to the logging
sites to resolve issues we couldn’t
address on our own.”
“Our dealership stocked as many
parts on the trailer in Labrador
as they thought we would need
to keep going,” adds Noble.
“The service and support we get
from Nortrax has been great.
They’ve always quickly addressed
any issues to keep us up and
running. We get paid for what
we produce, not by the hour, so
that’s critical to us. There are a lot
of other dealers and equipment
manufacturers out there, but
I haven’t found one that has
made the same amount of efort.
Deere is constantly trying to
improve their product and the
service they provide through
their dealer network. We have
no reason to look elsewhere.”
Noble Resources is serviced by
Nortrax Equipment, Corner Brook,
Newfoundland; Springdale Forest
Resources is serviced by Nortrax
Equipment, Grand Falls-Windsor,
Newfoundland.
O CLEAN
CANADA
After the transmission project is completed, approximately
40 percent of the power from Muskrat Falls will be used to
meet Newfoundland and Labrador’s electricity needs. The
rest will be sold to Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canadian markets,
and New England. As less electricity will be needed from
fuel-fred plants, almost no greenhouse gases will be
emitted in the production of electricity for the province.
Electricity will also be cheaper and the price more stable.
Hydroelectricity is one of the cleanest, least expensive of
the major electricity technologies.
Canada produces more than 60 percent of its electricity
using hydropower. In addition to Newfoundland and
Labrador, electricity is also produced in Quebec, British
Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. Factoring in 15 percent
of electricity generated by nuclear power, Canada produces
75 percent of its power from non-fossil-fuel sources, making
it one of the least fossil-fuel-dependent electrical systems
in the world.
Hydroelectricity provides approximately 20 percent of
electricity worldwide. Combined with biomass energy
derived from trees and other woody plants, hydroelectricity
and wood account for 95 percent of renewable energy.
Sources: NalcorEnergy.com and “Confessions
of a Greenpeace Dropout” by Patrick Moore.
Winter 2016
17
Highland Farms, Inc., in Cornish, Maine, has the distinction of
owning the oldest Registered Jersey™ herd in the United States,
dating back to 1886. “My great-great-grandfather, David C. Pike,
and his two sons started the farm,” says David Pike, who manages
the farm with his sister Lorie, Libby Palmer Bleakney, and Daniel
Palmer. “They kept buying dairy farms that went out of business
— the dairy industry has always had its ups and downs.”
The Pike family purchased its first Registered Jerseys, Perty W.
and Guilet, in 1886. The cows proved to be a sound investment,
producing 10 daughters. Jersey herds from around the world
can trace their genetics back to Highland Farms. Several cow
family names that descend from Perty W. are familiar to Jersey
breeders, including Aletta, Candy, Fernetta, and Jean. Over the
years, Highland Farms has earned several prestigious
awards, including the American Jersey Cattle Association
Master Breeder Award in 1987 and the National Dairy Shrine
Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award in 1995.
Today Highland Farms milks 240 cows and
raises an additional 240 heifers. The farm
owns 1,200 acres of farmland and 800
acres of timberland. In addition to helping
out around the farm, Pike manages the
logging business, which cuts and chips wood
— David Pike, manager of Highland Farms, Inc.
18
from the farm’s timberland and does custom logging for other
businesses. “We started logging about 35 years ago. We were
looking for something to do in the wintertime, so we bought a
cable skidder and a few chain saws, and we grew from there.
We do pine logs, hardwood logs, hardwood pole, and hemlock,
as well as pulp and chips.”
Today the logging operation owns a John Deere 753J Feller
Buncher and Deere 648G-III and 748G-III Skidders. “I was
running two crews for a while, but I couldn’t handle it all.
About half my time, I’m back at the farm, helping with the
cropping or milking cows on the weekend to give everyone
a day off. And we have a maple-syrup business, so we’re
into a bit everything. But logging has always fit in well with
the dairy business.”
TAKE HOLD
OF THE POWER
OF ZERO.
Zero.
Zilch.
Nada.
PAY ZERO. ZILCH. NADA.
FOR 180 DAYS* WHEN YOU
PUT YOUR PARTS AND SERVICE
PURCHASES ON POWERPLAN™
.
We’ve changed the game with forestry equipment complete
with enhanced performance, cab comfort, serviceability, and
productivity. And now we’re adding even more value with our
Zero. Zilch. Nada.ƟQDQFLQJRIIHUVRQSDUWVDQGVHUYLFH
,QFUHDVHFDVKƠRZZKHQ\RXQHHGWRPRVWMXVWE\XVLQJ\RXU
PowerPlan account for parts and service purchases. Choose
between these great offers:
NO PAYMENTS/
NO INTEREST
*
FOR 180 DAYS
1.9 %
APR FOR
12 MONTHS*
on John Deere parts and service
Save when you use the purchasing power of PowerPlan before
February 28, 2016. Because At John Deere, We’re For Loggers.
2IIHUHQGV)HEUXDU\6XEMHFWWRDSSURYHGFUHGLWRQ3RZHU3ODQDVHUYLFHRI-RKQ'HHUH)LQDQFLDOIVE$YDLODEOHDW
SDUWLFLSDWLQJGHDOHUV6RPHUHVWULFWLRQVDSSO\5HSDLUVPXVWEHPDGHWR-RKQ'HHUHHTXLSPHQWXVLQJ-RKQ'HHUH2(0SDUWV
3ULRUSXUFKDVHVDUHQRWHOLJLEOH$IWHUSURPRWLRQDOSHULRGLQWHUHVWFKDUJHVZLOOEHJLQWRDFFUXHDWSULPHSOXV$35
$35IRUGD\VDQGIRUPRQWKVRIIHUVKDYHDPLQLPXPSXUFKDVHUHTXLUHGZLWKDWOHDVWRIWKH
SXUFKDVHEHLQJSDUWV2WKHUVSHFLDOUDWHVDQGWHUPVPD\EHDYDLODEOH6HH\RXUORFDO-RKQ'HHUHGHDOHUIRUIXOOGHWDLOVDQG
RWKHUƟQDQFLQJRSWLRQV
CR2110656
JohnDeereFinancial.com
179434