Family owned logging outfits having a hard go at it

[jeff...]

I made the rounds today and paid a visit to 2 different owners of family owned logging outfits that I occasionally dwelt with when I needed something in a hurry. I'm on a quest for nice Black Walnut saw logs. Right now I'm feeling pretty bad , the first guy is pulling out of the woods in the next few weeks and has already contacted an action agency to auction off all his equipment. After being in business for 17 years he's had enough.

The second guy just sold all his equipment and contracts and is no longer in the logging business.

Both these guys are good honest people, it's a shame they are getting out of the business. I could go on and on about what they both told me but it was basically the same thing. It comes down to cost / profit mainly fuel costs.

Thanks

 

[DaveO]

Lately fuel costs are hurting every industry. Lots of people don't understand why prices of everything have to increase due to fuel costs. Take stone for an example, I use a lot of it in my work and the prices are going up. But what does fuel have to do with the cost of stone.... Trucks to haul it from the place collected to where I buy it, my fuel use in the equipment to handle it, etc. Pesticides are another interesting one, they're not heavy like stone, but they are mostly made from petroleum distillates, and they cost more too. I hate to see small business go under, we need to find viable alternatives to crude oil based fuel.
MTCW,
Dave

 

[jeff...]

Dave what your saying makes sense. When I stop and think about it operating a tree shear, delimber, skidder, knuckle boom loader, 18 wheeler all require fuel. I know these guys were not getting rich logging but making a enough to live on. Factor in the rise in fuel that eats into profits and makes it not worth the hassle anymore...

 

[Kyle]

The payments on the equipment aint cheap either.. That stuff runs in the 100's of thousands or millions for a reasonable outfit.

 

[lottathought]

Just out of curiosity...and mind you..I am just spit-balling here.

Seems like we have a few loggers here.
And somehow I see a need for wood with this group.

Has there ever been group buys for wood similar to what DaveO is doing with the Pen boxes?

Maybe just once or twice a month a logger can mention whatever supply of wood he has on hand and we tell him how many bdft we want.
We meet in a central place for all to make the exchange.

He gets to suppliment his wood sales at a level he actually makes a profit.
We get to eliminate the middleman a little and possibly get a discount.
Everybody wins.

Now I realize that something similar has been done with the Walnut but I am not real sure what that was all about.

Maybe this will work and maybe it has a thousand flaws...no idea.
Just an idea.

 

[DaveO]

Mike, check the Sell Wood forum in the Buy and Sell
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17
There's a whole lot of wood dealin' goin on. And we need more :icon_thum

Dave

 

[jeff...]

Micheal I did a few green ~ 1000 BF lumber runs of a couple different kinds of wood in the past and would be happy to do another. Just let me know what your looking for. I've been pretty slack in putting another run together, only because I brought my sawmill home so I could cut a little for myself, for a few future projects I want to take on.

Thanks

 

[scsmith42]

Michael, you have some good thoughts.

Typically, there are four different steps involved with processing wood, and usually these are not performed by the same company.

Step 1 is logging. Loggers rarely have their own sawmills; they do usually own their own havesting equipment and sometimes their own transports. They either sell to a consolidation yard (middleman) or directly to the mill.

Step 2 is milling. Most sawmillers purchase from loggers. These are divided between small guys that work at nights and weekends, and larger commercial mills that usually produce a specific product for a specific market.

Step 3 is kiln drying. Often this is grouped with sawmilling (ie the same business owns both a mill and a kiln).

Step 4 is post-processing. This is usually (but not always) a separate company from milling, drying and logging.

There are several millers on this site, and at least two of us (Kyle and myself) operate kilns, but I am not aware of any loggers here.

Hope this helps - keep the thoughts coming.

Scott

 

[MikeH]

We've also had several "green" wood runs. I think they have been pretty sucessful. I know our 1st Black Walnut run worked out very well. I'm acutally building a workbench base out of my BW. :-D

 

[lottathought]

Thanks all....
I actually will be needing some wood ...hopefully not too terribly far in the future.

I think that the bookcase will be done this week.
Been a little slack with it and there is a big DOOH!!!!! :BangHead:

I built it 4' x 7'...the 4' is from inside wall to inside wall of the bookcase.
If only I would have realized that the backing paneling measures 4' exactly....ie..no overlap on the sides in the back with the 4x8 sheet of paneling.

I have an idea on how to compensate for this problem and will try it this week.
After that, I will be full steam in these antiques that came out of my grandparents house.

Then I will be wanting to try some furniture and a do a few more pens.
Got the new finishing in from MobyDick Supplies yesterday. :eusa_danc