Mcgowin Logging Co Inc 113 Eidthville Heights Chapman , AL 36015 Phone : ( 334 ) 376-2271
John McGowin is right at home in the heart of Alabama pine country
is a self-made man . His parents ran a hardware store , where he got to know many people in the logging business . “ Growing up I was always around logging ,” he remembers . “ I made a lot of friends who logged , and they really inspired me . I wanted to start logging on my own , but I had a really good job . I needed a nudge .”
That nudge came when Union Camp disbanded Rocky Creek Logging in 1993 . McGowin acquired financial backing from his cousin , Mason McGowin , and hired Rocky Creek Logging crewmembers who had lost their jobs . McGowin Logging started with a John Deere skidder , a feller buncher , a loader , and a contracted truck . “ We bought our own truck and another skidder as we started growing . The key thing I ’ ve learned is to just get up every morning , say a prayer , and take care of the people who are working for you .”
McGowin treats his employees well . He has very low turnover , and several of his employees have been with him for over 20 years . “ I knew a man in the logging business who never visited his crew he didn ’ t care about anybody . That inspired me to be the opposite . You just treat people like you want to be treated yourself .
“ We ’ re a tightly knit group . And now with the new machines that are so easy to run , we ’ re attracting some younger operators in their twenties , too . They grew up with technology , so they are very hands-on . It ’ s been easier to recruit because of the new equipment .”
McGowin also attributes his success to his supportive wife ,
Sylvia (“ She ’ s always been so positive ”), and good equipment . He ’ s been using John Deere skidders since he started the company . Today he runs two new 648L and two 648H Skidders , along with three Deere 437D Knuckleboom Loaders and two 650K Deere Dozers .
“ I ’ ve never had anything but John Deere skidders . And when Deere started making loaders , we tried out a couple and really liked them . That ’ s all we ’ ve had ever since .”
The crew love the L-Series Skidders . “ Operators are crazy about them , and that ’ s key to productivity . The machines are extremely quiet , and they ’ re easy to operate .
The cabs are comfortable . An option allows the operator to turn the seat around to reduce neck strain .”
The machines deliver serious performance and are easy to maintain , too . “ They ’ re more powerful and stable . The grapples are larger , which is a big plus in pine plantations with the volume we must do . And access to the cooling system , service points , and components is fast and simple .”
Cream of the crop Today McGowin Logging works for Resource Management Service ( RMS ), which bought 300,000 acres of Chapman Forest from International Paper eight years ago . International Paper had purchased the land from Union Camp .
McGowin Logging manages about 30,000 acres of private land .
The company does first and second thinnings as well as clearcutting pine . Two logging crews typically produce 30 loads a day , or about 150 loads a week . McGowin ’ s fleet of 11 trucks hauls the loads to 10 different paper and dimensional lumber mills in the area .
McGowin Logging was selected as Alabama Outstanding Logger of the Year in 2014 for following forestry best management practices , maximizing productivity , and minimizing inefficiencies . Sustainability is also important to McGowin . About 98 percent of the land cut on RMS property is replanted , as is a large percentage of the land held by private landowners .
“ The good people we work for at RMS were an inspiration for that award ,” says McGowin . “ And I ’ ve been very fortunate to have such skilled crewmembers working for us . I ’ m very proud of this honor .”
“ John is three steps ahead of everybody ,” says Jeff Stevenson , salesman at McGowin Logging ’ s dealer , Warrior Tractor and Equipment . “ He does little things like greasing and fueling in the afternoons , so all the service is done before the next morning . He has the woods and decks ready to go first thing . That ’ s how he ’ s able to maintain production and produce lots of wood in a short amount of time . He takes great care of his machines . And he is exceptional at leaving the woods as best he can after he logs it . There ’ s a reason he always gets the cream of the crop of wood .”
Stevenson has been working with McGowin Logging for almost
20 years . “ Our sales , parts , and support team at Warrior Tractor has been great to us ,” says McGowin . “ They always make a special effort to get me what I need , and that ’ s very important .”
Warrior helps McGowin Logging use John Deere JDLink™ machine monitoring to improve uptime and productivity . “ We can remotely diagnose an issue and let them know right away ,” says Stevenson . “ What has helped John become such a success is that when he knows there ’ s a problem , he stops the machine and fixes it right away . And if needed , we can send a technician out with the right parts and tools on the first trip , which saves time and money .”
John admittedly is not a gadget person , but his company has been embracing JDLink and using the newest smartphones and computers . “ Warrior ’ s shop manager will call and ask if we knew about an issue on one of our skidders ,” says McGowin . “ And we ’ ll tell him , ‘ Yep , we ’ ve already found it and fixed it .’ And he ’ ll laugh and say , ‘ Well , I ’ m glad you found it before we did .’ It ’ s become a running joke with him .”
With the support of his local John Deere dealer and Deere machines , McGowin believes his company ’ s future is bright . “ We ’ re entering our 25th year , so something must be working right , you know ? But we couldn ’ t have done it without the help of the friends I ’ ve made in logging , including those at Deere and our local dealership . There ’ s just no way . We have a lot of support and a lot to look forward to .”
FULL CIRCLE The McGowin family ’ s history in logging dates to the turn of the 20th century . Greeley McGowin and his family settled in Chapman , Alabama , and purchased W . T . Smith Lumber Company in 1905 . W . T . Smith started the sawmill and timber operation in 1887 . Back then , trees were felled using a crosscut saw , and logs were hauled in log carts pulled by oxen .
When the mill was farther than a few miles away , railroads were used to haul logs . Smith built a
68 International Forest Industries | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2017