Feature Article
A Walk Around the 2024 Logging Expo
By Mike Monte
This event held in Green Bay always amazes me. With Lambeau Field, the Resch Center, busy streets, motels and many other businesses, this spot is surely a city scene. But, the logging industry fits in quite well. Much of Green Bay was built by the timber industry if you go back in time, and there was and is plenty of paper still made in the city limits. Still, a big forwarder in the Resch Center does look a bit out of place!
Each year, we do a walk around the Expo and touch on a number of advertisers who aren't dominant at the show like John Deere or Ponsse. In spite of small size, these supporters of the timber industry are important to providing many things needed by a logging company to keep the wood coming to the road or getting to the market place. An efficient wood industry is a combination of its parts, both large and small.
The pictures and interviews that follow are all businesses that fit the above description, and give a good general look at the industry.
Truck Country is located in Kaukana, Wisconsin, but at 26 other locations as well. This includes Ohio, Indiana, the LP of Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. They sell Western Star and Freightliner, and also specialize in Wabash trailers. Truck Country attends the Expo every year. Andrew Novacheck, the general manager of the Appleton location put the exhibit together. Novacheck said that the logging business is very important to Truck Country, and is the major part of their business in northern Wisconsin and the U.P.
Hotsy makes cleaning equipment for “...anything that is dirty!” That is what I was told when I stopped at the Hotsy booth and talked to Dan Krause and Dave Burt. They also said that Hotsy will clean with hot or cold water, but was originally a hot water pressure washer from 1970. They are located in Green Bay, Delafield and Chippewa Falls and cover everything in Wisconsin and the U.P. They also service all makes and models and have accessories that go with it.
Krueger Lumber Company is located in Valders, Wisconsin, just south of Manitowoc. The booth at Expo was manned by Brevet Larsen, Jamie Waite, and Jolen Fox. The main product of Krueger Lumber Company is grade lumber. Krueger usually buys logs in a 150 mile circle of the mill., and they are always looking for logs, standing timber or new logging suppliers. We hope they made some good contacts at Expo!
The Benefit Doctor is an endorsed employee benefits agent for GLTPA. They help build benefit packages for businesses who want to insure employees. They are based in Antigo and Medford, but are a nationwide agency and growing. The sell employee benefit insurance. Lynn Hilger, on left, and Chelsea Johnson were in the booth and provided a nice visit when I stopped.
Applied Industrial Technologies supplies industrial maintenance supply to sawmills, loggers and even to the food industry. I was told that they help out with tough problems and that they are a “... problem solving distributor locate across the U.S.” There are two locations in the U.P. and eight in Wisconsin, with 450 service centers nationwide and 4,000 sales associates onsite helping customers. Darry Mathews and Matt Drent were manning the booth. Drent hails from Ishpeming and is a fluid power specialist.
A1 Truck sells auto, truck, and industrial parts, as well as paint, fuel injectors, you name it! District Manage Rick Meyer and Tim Frank were manning the booth. They said they have attended every year for the last four or five years. They said they gain customers and enjoy visiting with existing customers as well as supplying their needs.
Don Dens Sales, Inc. is from Carlton, Minnesota, which is just south of Duluth. The company sells new semi trailers and will build the pulp racks if the customer wants them added. They also sell lots of parts to the logging industry. They also brought another piece of equipment. This is a tree service trailer equipped with a loader. It works well pulled behind a pickup truck and works well with small trimming jobs. The product name, as can be seen from the sign, is Galvastar. The booth was attended by Justin McLean, who hails from Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota.
Flying Dutchman Silo Unloaders is based in Smithville, Ohio. The booth was attended by Kevin Lepley. Flying Dutchman builds machines to feed trucks, pellet mills, boilers, and briquetters, which is a machine to make hard pellets. Kevin said they attended the Expo to make contact with people in the sawmill industry.
The Iowa Crowd was a rather fun-loving group that was enjoying themselves at a table during the meal. The group, from left to right, is BeauPloessl, Aaron Douglas, Kassandra Caspers, Alex Wiezorek, Austin Redfern, and somebody with no first name, but a last name of Loegiansenn. All are from Iowa. They say they always come to the Expo. Of course, we all know that there are no trees in Iowa, and if they are logging, they are actually just cutting corn. This happy bunch laughed and insisted that there are plenty of trees in Iowa, but I couldn't help but think that this trip they make to the Expo is just an excuse to get off the prairie and experience looking at trees. They made the claim that Iowa has some great timber along the river bottoms, and I must admit that some of the pictures they showed me featured some fantastic log timber. We look forward to seeing this group next year at Expo!
U.P. Truck Center of Quinnesec, Michigan, had a truck buyer handy for a photo when I stopped. Danin and Tanya Kurtz of Kurtz Trucking, Inc. from Iron River, Michigan were there admiring their new purchase. They said it is the 6th truck they have purchased the U.P. Truck Center. Todd Johnson, in sales with U.P. Truck Center, was at the booth along with Kim Polkinghorne.
iGrip was represented by Mark Mitchell of Kingsford, Michigan who operates as MM Industrial Sales. Mark is the American distributor for iGrip studs for all kinds of traction use. This means you can buy the screw-in studs for your boots all the way up to skidder and truck tires. Mark's advice for using in boots is to be sure you don't wear those high-traction studded boots into the house! Mark explained that the studs are made from tungsten carbon so the wear isn't on the tire. He went on to say that customers use the studs on the front tires of harvesters and bunchers instead of chains, and went on to say that the machines use less fuel with the studs. The studs have a shoulder built in so they don't pull out, and he describes the studs as being innovative.
Baril Engine is located in Green Bay, so there wasn't much travel involved in setting up this booth! Becky Monahan was in charge of the booth, and she explained that Baril is a full-service engine machine shop. They rebuild engines from the small 3 cylinder models on up to heavy industrial equipment.
Duluth Tire is located just over the bridge from Superior. Hunter Edward from Duluth and John Fisher from Carlton, Minnesota were on hand to take care of the customers. They specialize in truck tires and forestry tires. They also sell truck accessories like lift kits, snowplows and more, and they do retreading. Duluth Tire does cover some of the U.P., and into Wisconsin a ways. This is Hunter's 5th Expo. He said he enjoys attending the Expo.