2018 International Forest Industries December 2017 January 2018 | Page 35

to the back of the deck to the
stroke delimbers. The delimbers
are limbing, topping and decking
the full length logs. Circle saw
slasher equipped Tigercat T234
loaders cut to length and load
trucks – all well organized, with
a good flow. This is an overstory
removal operation. The average
diameter of the understory must
be six inches before the high value to semi-retire, the company hired
Michelle Delair to take over her
responsibilities in the office.
“Kerry Amell has worked
with us for over twenty years,”
explains Larry. “His dedication to
the business and the knowledge
he has taken in over the years has
made him a valuable asset at the
yard and in
the woods.” Richards Logging Land improvement
mature timber – such as maple
and cherry – can be harvested.
Again, always thinking about
long-term value, Rick and Larry
stress that it is crucial to leave
all the understory intact after the
thinning. Although the biggest
skidder in the business is ranging
through this tract, great pains are
taken to ensure that not a single
sapling is run over unnecessarily.
For his purposes, Larry considers
the 635E the ultimate skidding
machine – great for long distances,
with the flotation to extend the
winter season. In late winter, the
skidders will also do return trips
with brush to fill in the main skid
trails with a thick layer of highly
effective mat material to further
extend the season.
Larry and his wife Theresa have
been married 23 years and have
three children, Allison, Elaine and
Bryce. Although relatively new to
the business, Theresa provides key
support in the office, managing
payroll, stumpage and inventory.
“My parents are mostly retired,”
explains Larry “and my son Bryce
[16] is interested in the business
and works part time with us.”
Larry’s mother, Cora Mae has
been part of the company for over
thirty years. Over the last two
years as Cora Mae has decided employs ten machine operators,
usually two or three in the wood
yard, along with two technicians in
the shop. The company performs
all of its own service work on the
machines and the trucks. There
are ten truck drivers and two in the
office. proper selective harvesting
practices, he will be able to harvest
some marketable timber and
promote new growth, eventually
improving the quality of the timber
stand.
He plans to perform other
site improvements, like cutting
recreational trails, improving
Larry recently purchased a 345 ha
(850 acre) parcel of timberland
near Tupper Lake. The property
comes with a lake, a cabin and a bit
of history. There has been logging
activity in the past and the goal
is a land improvement project.
Larry will clean up the waste wood
that has been left on the ground
and market the biomass. Through
the road and renovating the
cabin that overlooks the lake.
“It is good ground that gives us
something to do in the spring,”
he says. It is one more example of
progressive thinking – leveraging
the company’s unique skill set to
look beyond harvesting timber for
additional and innovative ways to
diversify and create value.
This article originally appeared in
Between the Branches, July 2017,
the official publication of Tigercat
Industries Inc.
An idyllic lakeside cabin sits on the 345 ha (850 acre) parcel of timberland that will undergo a land
improvement treatment.
International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 33