machinery row

Bandit Industries to Go 100 percent Employee-owned

Bandit Industries owners Mike Morey Sr., Dianne Morey, and Jerry Morey announced they would sell 100 percent of the company to their employees in an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Under the ESOP, Bandit will retain its current leadership, and key management personnel will remain in place. It will also allow Bandit to always remain Bandit.

The announcement comes after two previous attempts to sell Bandit Industries – once to another manufacturer and once to a private investment firm.

“We realized neither was a good fit for Bandit, so we made the decision to sell to our trusted employees,” said Dianne Morey.

“It will be fun to watch our crew take it to the next level,” said Mike Morey, who developed the very first Bandit chipper in 1983 and founded Bandit Industries.

Bandit is growing rapidly with 20 percent growth per year with two plant expansions currently underway and several new products being introduced later this year.

Waratah Announces New Leadership for North American Market

Waratah Forestry Equipment has appointed Elliott Little to the position of Manager of North American Waratah Distribution.

As part of his new role, Little will be responsible for managing the North American Waratah business and leading distribution teams in the United States and Canada.

Little started his career working for a Canadian forest products company with its woodlands division in northern Ontario and Quebec. From there he joined John Deere and moved through various forestry sales and customer support assignments in Eastern Canada. He then held the position of Product Marketing Manager for Forestry Products before broadening his skill base in assignments as Manager of the Commercial Development for the western U.S. & Hitachi and Manager of Discount & Incentive Programs for John Deere Construction & Forestry. Little’s most recent role was Division Manager of Customer Support for John Deere Construction and Forestry’s southeastern U.S. division.

AF&PA Elects Two New Board of Directors Members

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced the election of Resolute Forest Products President and CEO Yves Laflamme and Sonoco Products Company President and CEO Robert Tiede to serve on its Board of Directors.

Laflamme fills the seat left by the retirement of Resolute President and CEO Richard Garneau and Tiede fills the seat left by the retirement of Sonoco President and CEO M. Jack Sanders. The AF&PA Board of Directors consists of 23 top industry leaders who represent a broad spectrum of companies in the paper and wood products manufacturing sector.

The AF&PA serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy.

Tigercat Adds New Factory Representative for Pacific Northwest

Tigercat is pleased to announce that Kusiah McCullough has been appointed to the position of factory representative for Washington and Oregon.

Based in Shelton, Washington, Kusiah has been involved in many aspects of the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest for his entire working career. His specialties include steep ground logging application with a lot of seat time in both the Tigercat LS855C shovel and the L870 series feller bunchers. Kusiah also has several years of experience managing field operations for various logging companies.

“I have operated almost every machine utilized in timber harvesting, and I find Tigercat far superior to any competitive brand. The customer service, quality, and safety of the machinery and the fact that Tigercat is at the forefront of modern logging techniques makes them the pinnacle of all timber harvesting machinery,” said Kusiah.

With a somewhat unique perspective stemming from his experience as a machine operator and field manager, Kusiah will be primarily involved with product support and operator training. “I want to enable customers to safely and efficiently realize the full potential of the equipment they have purchased and to teach new and innovative techniques especially as they pertain to steep ground logging.”

ASV Adds Dealer in Willamette Valley, Oregon

ASV Holdings Inc. an industry-leading manufacturer of all-purpose and all-season compact track loaders and skid steers, has added Linn Benton Tractor to its dealer network.

Based in Tangent, Oregon, the dealer will offer all ASV Posi-Track compact track loaders, which includes the new RT-40, an industry-leading small-frame CTL; the VT-70, ASV’s first mid-frame vertical lift model; and the RT-120 Forestry, a powerful CTL. The company will also carry ASV’s full line of skid-steer loaders.

“Linn Benton Tractor is a well-known name in the Willamette Valley agriculture industry,” said Bruce Jackson, ASV district sales manager. “Not only do they understand their customers’ needs, but they also have a deep knowledge of the ASV product line and its benefits.”

Linn Benton Tractor has been in business for almost 30 years and provides customers with implements and equipment, including compact utility and farm tractors, landscape rakes, chippers, compact track loaders, skid steers, riding lawn mowers, and more.

CBI & Ecotec Factory Forum

Logging and forestry professionals are invited to the 2018 CBI & Ecotec Factory Forum taking place in New Hampshire this Fall. Headlined by the all new 6800CT Horizontal Grinder, this year’s demo lineup features grinders, shredders, screens, material separators, flails, conveyors, and attachments. Take in technical workshops, factory tours, industry presentations, awards, and an authentic New England dinner, historic tour of Portsmouth and more.