New from tigercat: 6040 carbonizer Tigercat Industries has announced the official release of its 6040 carbonizer—which replaces the 6050 carbonator that Tigercat marketed for a brief time after acquiring the product through the purchase of ROI in 2019. The mobile onsite wood conversion system is once again available after a comprehensive, ground-up redesign. The 6040 is one of the most environmentally friendly wood debris reduction and conversion systems available on the market. The machine inputs woody debris and produces a high-quality organic carbon with up to 90% material reduction. It ..read more

Great Lakes Logging Expo Registration Now Open Registration is open for the 78th annual Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo set for September 5-7 at the Resch Center Complex in Green Bay, Wis. A $20 admission is good for all three days, and kids under 18 can attend free. In addition to a wealth of conventional cut-skid-load traditional logging equipment on site, the event is billed by show organizers Great Lakes Timber Professionals Assn. (GLTPA) as the “largest cut-to-length forest products trade show in the Midwest.” Activities include the Great Lakes Forwarder Operator Cha ..read more

Michigan’s Viking Energy Biomass Plant Still Closing The Viking Energy Biomass plant in Lincoln, Mich. is closing early despite being under contract until 2027 and a recent order not to let them out of the contract, according to reports. The company is moving ahead with plans to close the biomass facility and establish a solar and wind farm, although Michigan state officials say it won’t be large enough to replace the plant’s current 18 MW output that powered as many as 14,000 homes. The plant takes 225,000 tons of wood fiber annually as fuel and had been a key market for low-grade wood for ..read more

2024 Logger survey: working tough ground Loggers across the U.S. responded to Timber Harvesting’s recent 2024 Logger Survey, which showed that contractors in all parts of the country are having a tough time grappling with rising costs and dropping demand in some areas. For example, for the first time ever across 20-plus years of logger surveys, the number of loggers who rate their company’s financial health “poor” (9%)  to “very poor” (21%) outnumber those who say “good” (21%) to “very good” (7%)—30% to 28% overall in favor of the negatives. Meanwhile ..read more

ALC, FS Sign MOU Noting Mutual Benefits   The American Loggers Council recently entered into a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with USDA Forest Service (FS) that formalizes future collaboration and recognizes common areas of mutual benefit. The MOU highlights the vital role and services the timber industry provides in supporting FS national forest management objectives, along with the role that the FS has in supporting America’s timber industry and the resource they provide for the essential wood products society depends upon daily. “Loggers are on the front line every day ..read more

Billerud Cancels Expansion, Yet Remains Committed to Facility Officials with Billerud announced in late May that the company will not go through with a major $1 billion expansion and conversion to cardboard production at its Escanaba, Mich. plant. The move comes after Michigan committed to more than $200 million in incentives to support the project. Company executives said current market dynamics don’t support such a plan, yet they remain committed to the plant and its three paper machines as a key part of their North American strategy. The company acquired the Es ..read more

Novo BioPower Extends Key Arizona Power Contracts Arizona’s only major market for pulpwood and biomass and a key part of the state’s forest health solution, Novo BioPower in Snowflake recently signed new 10-year power off-take contracts that allow the company to continue operating. The contract renewals had taken some time and the plant was months away from running out of wood. At a recent stakeholders’ meeting, Novo BioPower CEO Brad Worsley said the Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service have now signed 10-year contracts to buy electricity generated by burn ..read more

Tire manufacturer OTR adds to staff OTR Engineered Solutions (OTR) has named Ben Brown as its new Global VP Sales & Marketing OEM. He will be a part of OTR’s executive team, reporting directly to President and CEO, Tom Rizzi, and will develop the company’s strategic OEM partnerships. In his new position, Brown will be responsible for growing the company’s OEM business globally across various markets, including, lawn and garden, powersports, agriculture, and forestry, among others. To achieve this goal, he will leverage OTR’s 32 facilities worldwide, and build brand recognition through t ..read more

TimberPro President Lee Crawford Retires After seven years as president of TimberPro, Lee Crawford has announced his retirement. This draws to a close Crawford’s nearly 40 years in the forestry machinery business, during which he consistently exemplified entrepreneurial spirit and a caring attitude. Pat Crawford, Lee’s father, was a third-generation logger whose company—Shawano, Wis.-based Timbco—had become known for its popular line of levelling machines. But Lee never planned on entering the forestry industry, becoming an engineer at the Oshkosh Truck Co. in 1982.  In 1985, however ..read more

Titan Upgrades Tire Manufacturing Facility Titan International (Titan) has completed a major upgrade to its manufacturing facility in Des Moines, Ia. The $2 million investment is part of Titan’s multi-year strategic capital plan and includes the addition of two new 104-in. curing tire presses, which will accommodate the recently expanded AgraEDGE tire line. The expansion of the manufacturing facility is part of a series of strategic moves by Titan to increase output capacity and better serve its dealers and end-users. With the additional output capacity, Titan will continue to meet dema ..read more