The photos on the walls around the office above the maintenance shop of family-owned Miller Logging and Soler Logging in Clearwater, B.C., span a huge whack of time in the Canadian forest industry.

The older black and white photos show steam powered, farm-based sawmills and horse logging, while the newer photos show the latest and greatest in processing, loaders and roadbuilding equipment, as of 2024.

The Miller Family has been proudly involved in the forest industry for four generations—and are working hard these days to keep their people busy despite the challenging business conditions, wildfires and uncertain timber access in B.C.

Kim Miller proudly shows the photos of his Dad, and Grandfather, working on farming, logging and sawmilling operations in Alberta, before part of the family moved to the B.C. Interior.

This family logging outfit has been a prominent figure in the North Thompson Valley of B.C. for over 40 years and is a trusted prime contractor for forest company, Interfor. With a focus on integrated forest management and logging road construction and maintenance, the company has established a strong reputation for its unwavering commitment to safety.

Soler Logging was set up in the early 1980s. The Miller Family came from a farming background, working on their homestead near Stony Plain, Alberta, so they were used to being resourceful, when it came to equipment—and working hard, and working long hours.

“They didn’t have a quitting time back then,” says Kim. “You quit when the field was done, or when the combining was done or it started raining.”

Kim’s father originally worked for Swanson Timber in Hinton, when his sons, Kim and Dale, moved to B.C.

When Kim and brother Dale set up Soler Logging, they started out with three pieces of equipment: a dozer, a skidder and a wheel loader.

Over the years, they have had a variety of equipment, including the major brands: Cat, Deere, Link-Belt. In recent years, they have shifted into Tigercat equipment, as they like the purpose-built nature of the Canadian-built brand. And their operators prefer working on the Tigercat equipment—and though they have low turnover among their dozen employees, the Millers want to keep their operators happy.

The newest piece of equipment they got this past spring continues the Tigercat tradition, a LX870D buncher, which is working out well for them. Kim’s son, Morgan, notes a new buncher had been on their wish list for a couple of years, and they decided to pull the trigger this year.

In 2023, they picked up a couple of pieces of equipment, and these days their line-up includes a Tigercat 635H skidder, 855E processor, an 875E loader, and a T-Winch 10.1 unit. But they are going to go with buying just the new buncher this year. “With the uncertainty in the industry, we’re going to be pretty much sticking with what we have, in terms of equipment,” says Morgan.

Sales and service for Tigercat equipment in B.C. is provided by dealer, Inland Equipment. Morgan says they try to set up solid contacts with folks at the dealers, so they can quickly get what they need, in terms of service and parts. “The ideal is you can phone them up, they know you, and they get whatever you need quickly.”

In addition to logging, through Soler Logging, the Miller Family also oversees road construction for clients.

“That’s kind of how we do it,” says Kim. “We like to do all the phases, from the roadbuilding to the logging—we don’t own any trucks, but we try to do it all until the trucks hit the highway.” That can also include some road deactivation, if required.

It is, says Kim, just how they roll. “We try to do it all.”

On the logging side, they have a core group of late-model equipment that is used regularly, so it is kept up to date. With the equipment used for road construction, it is not used quite as often, so it tends to be older. The roadbuilding equipment is usually picked up used, often at auction, whereas the logging equipment, because it sees a lot of production hours, is usually purchased new.

Roadbuilding equipment is still required, however, as like the logging equipment, pieces such as rock trucks and graders are purpose built—it’s the right piece of equipment for the job.

“Some of the roadbuilding equipment can sit for a while—you might not need a rock truck every day, for example—but when you need it, it’s the right piece of equipment, and you have it on hand,” says Kim. “And if there is a shortfall on the logging side, if you’re waiting for permits to come through, you have the option of a guy working on something else on the roadbuilding side. It gets back to keeping your guys working, and keeps us flexible.”

Regardless of the age of the equipment, there is a very conscious effort on maintenance.

During break-up, most of the equipment will make its way into the shop, but Morgan does a good deal of the maintenance out in the bush, with equipment only seeing the shop if it involves major maintenance work.

“It can vary for break-up,” says Morgan. “The last few years, we have had longer break ups. But before that, we would have continued to work through break-up—it can depend on the weather, where we are operating, markets for the mill. We have boney enough ground that we won’t necessarily get mudded out during break up.”

They divide up the work, with Kim overseeing the roadwork, Morgan looking after the mechanical side of things, including with their service truck, and Derek, Dale’s son, running operations in the bush.

Sadly, Dale passed away in 2020, but all the Millers are continuing his strong safety legacy (please see the sidebar story on page 19).

The three men all have a hand in safety, and they also use the services of consultant Brett Gunn, also of Clearwater.

“With dividing things up, we’re not stepping on each other’s toes,” says Derek. “But safety is everyone’s responsibility.”

When it comes to safety, it’s always been important with the Miller Family logging operations.

“It all started with Dale and myself,” says Kim. “Safety has always been a high priority. The guys come to work and go home healthy and safe at the end of the day. That was probably Dale’s biggest drive and he worked very hard at it.”

Throughout the years, the Miller Family have taken significant measures to prioritize the safety of their crew. One legendary safety measure they introduced was the monthly “Breakfast with the Millers.” This tradition continues today, with Kim leading the charge in maintaining safety and fostering strong relationships within the company.

“We do some meetings in the bush because there can be value in doing them on site. But it can be hard to get everyone together,” says Kim. “And it’s better having breakfast with everyone in a restaurant, than standing out in the bush with the bugs, the cold and the rain.”

The breakfast safety meetings seem to have a different, more relaxed, vibe—people are enjoying a meal, having another coffee, and there is no rush to get back to work, because the work site is miles away, in the bush.

These breakfast meetings, held at the local hotel, serve as a platform for open dialogue, ensuring that safety remains at the forefront of every phase and reinforcing the tight-knit nature of the company. They are a great example of how collaboration can help build a strong safety culture and keep everyone on track to get home safely every day.

In terms of topics, they will often review any alerts from the BC Forest Safety Council, and employees will talk about anything that might be affecting operations on a day to day basis. For example, when the Trans-Mountain pipeline extension was being built near their operations, an issue being discussed was the night lights from the pipeline construction shining on the road, affecting visibility.

“Our breakfast meetings are usually after the monthly safety meetings we have with Interfor, and if something has been raised there, we will bring it up,” says Morgan. Interfor’s logging contractors are encouraged to share any and all safety issues at these monthly meetings, and this can benefit all contractors.

Recent Breakfast with the Millers topics included being aware of operating a buncher on a section of loose material, and ensuring regular check-ins were being done for guys operating on their own.

“I’d say that you can predict about 80 per cent of what will be discussed at a safety meeting—the weather, the roads, wet conditions in the bush, hunters on bush roads in the fall,” says Morgan.

Kim notes that in this part of the B.C. Interior, they have always operated in steep ground, so that part of the working environment is not new to them. That said, they have new tools to work in those conditions such as winch-assist machines and tilting bunchers.

“Our winch assist machine, the T-Winch 10.1, probably does around 20 per cent of the logging we will do in an average year—it’s not huge volumes. It’s another piece of equipment that does not get used all the time, but it’s there when you need it.” The Canadian dealer for the T-Winch is Kamloops, B.C.–based Woodland Equipment.

Kim says a part of what makes their operation safe is not related to equipment—it’s more of an intangible thing; it’s about being involved. “I think a big part of what gives our company a safe work environment is ourselves being out there, being on site—I think that makes a big difference.” They are out there every day, talking to employees, seeing what conditions are like.

Industry and WorkSafe regulations require a lot of paperwork to be filled out—and they follow that scrupulously. But as the saying goes, there is no substitute for boots on the ground.

And that goes for the boots of the Miller Family, and their employees. People look out for each other—and they know each other, says Kim.

“Everybody lives in Clearwater, and they know each other and each other’s families—that connection is there—no one wants to see anyone get hurt, or be put in a position where that is even a possibility.”

He added that they encourage employees to talk about issues, to not shy away, or feel awkward about bringing something up. In an industry that traditionally has been very macho, people can be reluctant to talk about something that is bothering them. But that approach is slowly being replaced by a strategy of working smart and safe—and dealing upfront with any issue, so everyone makes it home safely at the end of the work day.

Kim says that they have a tight work crew, and everyone is encouraged to think ahead, and consider what could go wrong—and avoiding that—when doing their work. “People really are your most important asset, and we have a good crew—we treat them well. I believe you get back what you put in, when it comes to people. We care about the people on our crew, and we want to keep them working, and keep them busy.” And to do all that safely.

As mentioned, turnover is low at the operation, and when they are looking to hire on someone new, they make sure they are on the same page, safety-wise, as the company.

“Our employees are our greatest asset—we really believe that,” says Derek.

Operating in a smaller community, you know a lot of people—Kim says he has never done a job interview with anyone whom he didn’t already know, or know through someone else.

The operation has a good mix of ages—some logging operations these days are looking at many employees retiring soon, which can leave them in a bit of a spot. And some folks are just happy to continue on, past traditional retirement age. Kim mentions Mel McDonald, who operates their grader. Having “retired” from driving logging trucks, he knows the area roads well. Mel is a great example of a low-maintenance employee: all he needs is his Tim Horton’s coffee in the morning, and he is ready to go.

Today, Morgan and Derek, who are in their 30s, operate under the name Miller Logging, carrying on the family name in the forest industry, with Soler Logging being responsible for the roadbuilding.

“We wanted to keep the name,” says Morgan, noting that they mark the fourth generation of the Miller Family involved in the forest industry. Both Morgan and Derek say, with a laugh, that they’ll figure things out with the fifth generation, if the family chooses to carry on in forestry—both men just have daughters.

And in spite of the uncertainties the industry is seeing now, they all believe the forest industry will persevere, says Kim, with confidence. He notes he has seen many industry cycles over the years, with mills coming and going. “But the forest resource is still here—and still growing.”

And don’t expect those breakfast safety meetings to end anytime soon. Though Kim expects to retire over the next couple of years, “the boys have said they want to carry on logging—and carry on with the safety breakfasts,” says Kim.

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Dale Miller’s tremendous safety legacy

Though he passed away in 2020, Dale Miller’s dedication to safety left a lasting impact on the forest industry, leading to the creation of the prestigious Dale Miller Safety Award by forest company Interfor in 2021. Today, under the leadership of Kim Miller along with Dale’s son Derek and Kim’s son Morgan, the company continues to prioritize safety, honoring Dale’s legacy and ensuring the well-being of its crew. The Dale Miller Safety Award acknowledges companies that uphold a safety-centric culture, ensuring the well-being of Interfor’s contractors and employees each day and celebrates contractors who exhibit exemplary safety performance and safety culture, much like Dale Miller did.

Throughout his four decades of service, the award serves as a reminder of the paramount importance of safety within the industry and pays tribute to Dale’s enduring commitment. Carved out of a single piece of cedar, the award features a hard hat and safety gloves, representing the core safety values Dale instilled in his company. The first presentation of the memorial trophy was in May 2021 to the Miller Logging operation, who was rightfully awarded it for their continued commitment to outstanding safety culture and performance. “It really was an honour to receive the award,” says Morgan Miller. “For ourselves, it’s very important. Being the Dale Miller award, it has Derek’s dad’s name on it, my dad’s brother’s name on it, and my uncle’s name on there.”