Prolenc Manufacturing load binders prove popularPrince George, B.C.-based Prolenc Manufacturing is offering a highly popular truck load binder with many features that log truck drivers are learning to appreciate.
It has a longer, offset, forged handle for more leverage when closing, and will not snap closed on the hand because of its straight handles.
When open, its geometry allows the handle to stand upright when attaching to the chain on a log bundle wrapper. It is manufactured with a 1” round ball on the end of the handle to stop hands and wet gloves from slipping off when closing.
The Prolenc Manufacturing load binder is forged in chain hook for easy positive locking of the handle, rather than the traditional method of wrapping the chain around the handle or using a separate wire restraint.
Brinkerhoff new CEO of RotochopperRotochopper Inc has appointed Tosh Brinkerhoff as the company’s next chief executive officer. Brinkerhoff has more than 20 years of industry leadership experience, with a track record in heavy equipment manufacturing.
“Tosh’s personal values, supportive family, collaborative leadership style, professional management experience, heavy equipment marketing and manufacturing expertise and Central Minnesota home base all make for an excellent fit with Rotochopper’s continuing opportunity to grow and sustain the company from its roots in St. Martin, Minnesota,” says Jody Parker, chair of Rotochopper’s Board of Directors.
“I am excited to join Rotochopper and I look forward to building on the legacy of leadership, innovation and customer service that has been established at the company,” says Brinkerhoff.
Brinkerhoff holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University, and an MBA from Duke University. He was hired into a leadership program at John Deere, where he gained experience in operations, business development, public affairs, and marketing. His breadth of experience widened when he joined Geringhoff North America as President and CEO in 2015. There he managed operations, procurement, logistics, customer support, marketing, sales and finance.
The Brandt Group of Companies has reached an agreement to acquire the businesses of Nortrax Canada Inc and Nortrax Quebec.
It will unite all John Deere Construction & Forestry dealerships in Canada under the Brandt banner and deliver access to Deere products, parts and support services to Canadian contractors.
With the acquisition of the Deere-owned Nortrax locations in Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, Brandt will own and operate 56 John Deere Construction & Forestry dealerships across Canada with an additional 30 or more service points. They will also employ over 3400 people.
“The addition of Nortrax’s impressive branch and distribution network gives us an unprecedented opportunity to offer customers anywhere in Canada a consistent customer support experience, no matter where their projects take them.” says Brandt President and CEO, Shaun Semple. “We are very proud to deliver the quality products and support services that Canadian customers rely on for their success, every single day.”
The agreement is expected to close on October 25, 2019.
New TriLink saw chain performs in all weather extremesTriLink Saw Chain is now offering a new ¾” pitch machine harvester chain, complementing its .404” pitch harvester chain and bars.
TriLink chain is manufactured from high quality alloy steel. The CAD-designed, semi-chisel cutters are described as having excellent cutting speed for increased board feet production. The chrome-plated aggressive cutting edge is designed for extreme cutting conditions, from the coldest winters to the hottest summers.
The company’s new ¾” harvester chain is precision engineered for maximum dependability.
TriLink Harvester describes its products as state-of-the-art manufactured, engineered, and tested to deliver the most advanced technology and quality.
New Deere forwarders offer maximum power in compact sizeAgile and versatile, the new John Deere 910G and 1010G forwarders come equipped with ultra-comfortable cabs and are available with a variety of boom, load space, axle and cabin options.
The 910G and 1010G machines can be customized for different worksites or operational needs.
Available in a six-wheeled or eight-wheeled configuration, the 910G and 1010G models are said to be ideal for early- to late-thinning operations and smaller end final felling applications. Balanced bogie axles, rigid front axles on the six-wheel model, and an unbalanced front bogie axle option offer increased durability.
They are available with either a fixed or rotating and leveling cab. A cab rotation of 290 degrees provides a better view of the boom and grapple, while large windows allow for virtually unrestricted all-around visibility.
All booms come standard with precise boom control. The CF5 boom is available with optional Intelligent Boom Control (IBC).
Both models are designed to enhance drivability and productivity, featuring a transmission with high tractive force and Adaptive Driveline Control (ADC). A first in the forest industry, ADC improves drivability and productivity by allowing the operator to select the desired rpm setting of either Eco, Normal or Power for the operating conditions. Once selected, the system automatically adjusts the engine’s rpms to correspond with the engine load. In high-load situations, driveline control ensures that the diesel engine runs smoothly and uses the available maximum tractive force efficiently.
The 910G and 1010G models feature the TimberMatic control system, which includes a configurable user interface, cruise control and inclination display.
FPAC President to head forest products councilDerek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), has been elected President of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA).
“It is an honor to be chosen by colleagues from around the world to assume this role at such an exciting time for forestry and the forest products sector,” says Nighbor. “Canada was built on forestry. In Canada, I work hard every day to advance the opportunities that our sector brings to communities like the one I grew up in. In this new role, I look forward to working with my international colleagues to do the same thing on the global stage.”
The ICFPA serves as a forum of global dialogue, coordination and co-operation. Currently, the ICFPA represents 18 pulp, paper, wood and fibre-based associations that encompass 28 countries, including many of the top pulp, paper and wood producers around the world.
Valutec launches new kiln drying control systemValutec has introduced its Valmatics 4.0 control system, which enables sawmills to automate and optimize drying in all types of lumber kilns.
Valutec says that the high quality of the process is ensured by simulators programmed with data from hundreds of thousands of measurements to enable the calculation of drying processes with great accuracy from beginning to end.
“Sawmills want to streamline production while also ensuring the quality of every product,” said Thomas Waming, head of R&D at Valutec. “This calls for intelligent automation, and we’ve dedicated major resources to developing it. “Valmatics 4.0 provides the kiln operator with the help and support necessary to optimize the drying process,” Waming says. “This means gains at several levels as operators have more time to focus on quality-critical operations such as sampling and checks.”
The increased automation made possible by intelligent simulators is also necessary to take full advantage of increasingly common TC progressive kilns, where drying can take place in parallel in up to ten different zones with different conditions such as dimensions and moisture content.
MNP, Canada’s fifth-largest national accounting and business consulting firm, has acquired Deloitte’s Prince George, B.C., practice and will transition the two offices together, effective September 9, 2019.
MNP has 21 locations across B.C. with the firm’s strategic plan calling for continued growth in the province and its regions.
“We have continued to see strong growth in the northern B.C. region,” said Darren Turchansky, MNP’s Executive Vice President of the B.C. Region. “Prince George and the surrounding communities were identified as key locations with diversified economy offering opportunities to support our strategic plans for growth and express our commitment to the Northern B.C. marketplace.
“As we continue to grow our firm to serve the needs of this region, we are excited to welcome a well-established and respected accounting and business consulting team that shares complementary experiences and an unwavering commitment to serving this marketplace.”
The Partners of the Deloitte PG practice said they were most excited to join MNP because of its relationship-based culture. “MNP offers the best of both worlds—the scope and services of a national firm together with the culture, personalized approach and community commitment of a local office. We know joining MNP will be a good fit for our clients and our team and we are optimistic about the future,” said Cindy Thomson, a Partner transitioning to MNP.
Since 1958, MNP has grown to more than 80 offices across Canada and has more than 800 partners and 5,000 team members. MNP serves a wide variety of clients in diverse industries, including all the client and industry groups Deloitte PG currently serves.
“This acquisition is a perfect example of how we can provide our clients the edge they need to stay competitive and overcome current business and industry challenges,” added Thomson. “Together we are stronger; adding more local resources and specialists and a range of experiences and a complementary perspective of the local Prince George marketplace—all of which will help to provide our clients with continued value. In addition to more local professionals and resources, MNP, like Deloitte, offers us access to national specialists and professionals. It’s truly a win-win.”
Deloitte’s PG office has roots that go back to 1913 and the firm has been operating under the Deloitte umbrella for more than 40 years; serving clients in a variety of locations in the B.C. Interior.
MNP welcomes the office team of 21, with four of the team members— Cindy Thomson, CPA, CA; Greg Sale, CPA, CA; Valerie Eberherr, CPA, CA, and Lorna Wendling, CPA, CA—joining the MNP partnership. The new team will remain in their current location for the short term. As such, MNP will operate two stand-alone offices in PG but will be looking to transition everyone into one location in the near future.
Ponsse’s Dino began journey 50 years agoPonsse is celebrating the creation of Dino, a load-carrying forwarder introduced in the summer of 1969, based on an idea by Einari Vidgrén.
A machine entrepreneur, Einari Vidgrén was getting frustrated with problems caused by poor quality forest machines. He decided to produce a machine that would last for more than just a couple of weeks without problems and repairs. His goal was to create the “Mercedes Benz of forest machines”.
At the workshop of local blacksmith Kauko Väisänen, Lauri Uuksunen was the main contributor to the creation of the machine. There were no drawings. The workshop was located by the village of Vieremä. Einari visited the workshop almost daily to explain his ideas for the “best forest machine in the world”. The contributors to building the machine also included Erkki Tarvainen, who worked as service manager at Einari’s contractor business.
In the summer of 1969, it was time to drive the machine out of the workshop. Olavi Kauhanen, Einari’s number one driver, was trusted with this duty. The machine seemed to run smoothly, but problems emerged during the first test drive. However, the men were able to fix the machine quickly, and Dino returned to the forest to prove its performance capacity.
A few months later, Einari received a call from the development unit of the Tehdaspuu forestry company.
“You should build more of these. This machine seems to be durable,” they said.
The decision to establish the company was made in the spring of 1970—without equity, training or their own production facilities. This marked the beginning of Ponsse Oy.
Ponsse launches the CobraLogging and Sawmilling Journal recently joined the Ponsse team in Crandon, Wisconsin, for the launch of its new harvester—the Cobra. Amidst rain and wind, the crew ensured attendees had hot coffee and all the information we needed about the new multi-purpose harvester.
The Cobra is known as being a multi talent in all types of harvesting and a versatile tool for changing conditions, which we experienced throughout the day. Buyers and media alike saw the Cobra’s agility in the muddy, slippery conditions and navigating through the trees with ease.
While we rode in the spacious state-of-the-art cab, it was easy to see the appeal of this machine. Using eight wheels to maneuver across the active felling area towards the tree line for further harvesting, and the crane located on the rear bogie, the machine is very balanced and has a smooth ride. The Mercedes-Benz / MTU engine offers exceptional power and fuel economy, which is vital while working long hours in remote forested areas. And, no surprise that the 36-foot reach makes for swift tree felling and clean, organizing stems to be laid out for the Buffalo to stop by and collect.
Ponsse hosted a fantastic event where everyone was welcomed as a friend and given a first-in-class introduction to the new Cobra harvester. It was great to meet with the team that is producing a harvester that is checking a lot of boxes.
For further information on the Ponsse Cobra harvester, go to www.ponsse.com
On the Cover:
Ben Hokum Lumber has completed a major upgrade at their sawmill, located at Killaloe, west of Ottawa. The mill directly employs more than 100 people and produces white pine, red pine and aspen lumber. With a view to improving efficiency, the company looked at various options to upgrade the entire milling operation—and decided the best strategy would be to replace the small logline with a ‘small to medium’ saw line. Read all about the details of the upgrade beginning on page 12 of this issue of LSJ.
B.C.s silviculture sector rising to the challenge...
B.C.’s forests—hit by beetles and two successive big wildfire seasons—are in need of rehabilitation, and the province’s silviculture sector is rising to the challenge, ramping up to meet the need for seedlings.
Mill game-changer
Ontario’s Manitou Forest Products has recently added to their mill production facilities with equipment that will help increase production, and create more jobs—and it’s been a game-changer for the company
Increasing production—and flexibility
A big capital investment by Ontario’s Ben Hokum Lumber will increase their lumber production—and the flexibility of the sawmill to meet the needs of its customers.
Things are cooking for New Brunswick logger
Bolstered by demand for wood from both sides of the border—and his son entering the business—New Brunswick’s Jeff Cook is optimistic about the industry, which has prompted him to carry out some equipment upgrades.
Site prep success
A project by an Alberta silviculture site prep contractor to mount a Swedish Bracke mounder on a John Deere skidder has met with success—with the equipment combo delivering solid results in the number of hectares prepared.
The Edge
Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from Alberta Innovates and Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC).
The Last Word
The B.C. forest industry is starting to look at, and carry out, commercial thinning, by necessity, notes Jim Stirling.
