Ken Dutton on left, Brad Williams in center, Luke Peterson on right. As one of the very first users of the Cypress Robotics Controller, Owner Luke Peterson described it as “an absolute game changer…. “ Photo Credits: Kiah Mays, K-ography Photo & Video

Leveraging Support & New Technology for Success

Northwoods Forestry, Sandpoint, Idaho

With more than 25 years in the industry, Northwoods Forestry owner Luke Peterson shares his experience.

A Solid Foundation

Luke Peterson grew up in the heart of Idaho logging country and says he started working for the Forest Service straight out of high school. “I was on the timber crew, forestry and layout and sale administration — that’s where I picked up most of my knowledge of the timber industry.” Luke worked with many big-name outfits in the area as a harvest inspector and gained expertise in different types of logging. Interested in learning more, Luke also earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Forestry from Spokane Community College. When asked why he became a logging contractor, Luke jokes, “Well, it isn’t about the money, that’s for sure….my equipment is my retirement!” Jokes aside, Luke saw a need in his community for a contractor who could do it all — from small jobs pulling stumps to larger multi-phase projects. In 2004, Luke purchased a 43hp Montana tractor made by LG with a 3 pt. log winch and a brush grapple on the front and founded Northwoods Forestry.

Luke got his start as an entrepreneur by logging small backyard timber and completing brush cleanup on weekends. By 2006, Luke left the Forest Service to focus full time on his growing business. From the beginning, Northwoods Forestry has specialized in working for private timber owners. While most of the jobs in the early days involved tree farm management, his work these days is more diverse, and Northwoods Forestry is equipped for anything from hazard tree removal and house site prep to structure demolition and building roads, driveways, and bridges.

Luke Peterson was integral to the further development of the Cypress system by providing feedback and suggestions that led Axis Forestry to significantly improve and redesign the Cypress system resulting in the May 2022 release of the Gen 5 Cypress Controller, which Luke installed on his Axis 722R processor.

Luke’s niche working with private landowners was born out of a desire to increase sustainable yields for his clients, many of whom must meet a yearly board foot harvest target under their forest management plans. After nearly 20 years of business, Luke is pleased to have repeat customers where more product is removed than the first time the land was logged. “That’s what it’s all about: sustainable yield. Trees and income for the future.” Luke understands that landowners need a contractor who can teach them about their timber stand, no matter the size. Luke shared that one of his customers was surprised by “how neat and orderly logging is” compared to the negative image of logging being bad for the environment. That’s logging as education in action.

Northwoods Forestry is frequently found hard at work in Northern Idaho’s Bonner County, where the harvested timber is hauled to several mills in the area including Idaho Forest Group, Alta Forest Products, Stimson Lumber, Bell Timber, and McFarland Cascade, as well as a few smaller custom cutting mills. Northwoods Forestry has a strong commitment to their customers and always strives to get the most benefit for landowners. 

Support Makes All the Difference

Northwoods Forestry expanded their equipment fleet in 2009 with the addition of a 70hp M7040 Kubota tractor and shortly afterwards, acquired their first skidder, a 1979 John Deere 540B. Luke approaches his business with the belief that continuous improvement in his equipment and skills results in a better product for his customers. It comes as no surprise, then, that equipment acquisition and upgrades have been a key component of the company’s growth and future expansion plans.

With new equipment, however, comes a steep learning curve and Northwoods Forestry has experienced its fair share of learning along the way, especially with the move to mechanized logging in 2016 when they purchased a 320C Caterpillar Excavator with an old, worn-out Waratah 622B processing head. New to processing, Northwoods Forestry could not get their 622B to run correctly, despite their best efforts. Luke turned to Wayne Cochran, owner of Axis Forestry (a Canadian processor manufacturing company), who is skilled at troubleshooting processors. Luke recalls, “I remember my first conversation with Wayne, and it was mind boggling information. We took that info from Wayne and got our machine off the ground and started making logs. From that moment on Wayne, and the entire Axis Forestry team, have been a wealth of information. They continuously support us in our business, and Wayne has become a good friend in the process.”

Luke credits Northwoods Forestry’s ongoing success to other Idaho businesses such as mobile mechanics Kip Ahner, owner of Grouse Creek Mechanical, and Garrett Powell, as well as the team at Western States Equipment, specifically Clay Young. Luke explained, “These gentlemen are all good at what they do and keep our equipment making logs.”

Kennie Dunton operates the feller buncher and occasionally runs loader and skidder.

New Tech Pays Off

Northwoods Forestry has stayed ahead of the curve by being an early adopter of new technology. In the spring of 2019, the company purchased an Axis Forestry 722R rebuilt processor head equipped with a third-generation Cypress Robotics Controller operating system, designed and manufactured by Axis Forestry in Kamloops, British Columbia.

As one of the very first users of the Cypress Robotics Controller, Luke described it as “an absolute game changer…. With the ease of the operating system and the support provided by Axis, our processing time was considerably faster.” Luke was integral to the further development of the Cypress system by providing feedback and suggestions that led Axis Forestry to significantly improve and redesign the Cypress system resulting in the May 2022 release of the Gen 5 Cypress Controller, which Luke installed on his Axis 722R processor. Luke is pleased that the Gen 5, which he helped develop, works for him as well as other North American loggers who want a system that keeps downtime to a minimum, improves production speed, and doesn’t require a computer degree to accurately use and fix.

Luke shared that after he fully installed the Cypress system in less than eight hours, his team learned the new system very quickly, which got them back to work and productive right away. “In the past few months since the new Gen 5 system has been in place, we have had zero issues, and it has really increased our production.”

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

While Northwoods Forestry is adept at accessing quality support and using new tech, it’s really the in-house team that makes the company special. The family-run business includes Luke’s wife, Amy Peterson, and daughter-in-law Kacie, who are the rocks of the organization, taking care of all the administrative and contractual work. Luke’s daughter Kiah, who has followed in her parents’ footsteps, started her own photography business, K-ography, and takes incredible photos and videos of the Northwoods Forestry operation.

Joining the family is the very same crew who were hired when Northwoods Forestry first expanded their operations. Kennie Dunton operates the feller buncher and occasionally runs loader and skidder; Brad Williams operates the log loader and skidder; Andy Edmondson operates the skidder; and Sean Hammond completes hand felling on select jobs. Hauling logs (with a smile) for Northwoods Forestry is Paul Berg of Berg Enterprises. Collectively, the team has more than 100 years of industry experience.

Keeping the same, experienced crew year after year is no easy feat in today’s landscape of labor shortages, which makes Northwoods Forestry’s staffing stability a testament to the positive work environment they have created and maintained over the years. Want to know Luke’s secret? We hear he likes donut deliveries.