2017 International Forest Industries Magazines April May 2017 | Page 77

Before trade dress change to John Deere in 2005, WCTL machines from Finland were delivered either in Timberjack green or John Deere construction color according to the distribution channel. Nova Scotia fast facts • The first permanent European settlement was established in 1605 by the French in Port Royal, which would become known as Acadia. • English is the official language, but Nova Scotians of Acadian heritage speak French. • Nova Scotia is Latin for “New Scotland.” • The Bay of Fundy between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick boasts the world’s highest tides, at 16.6 m (54 ft.). • Digby, Nova Scotia, is known as the “Scallop Capital of the World,” with the largest scallop fleet in the world. Skip Griffin – that’s about it. And Deere just keeps making them tougher and tougher.” Two of the 1270Ds have over 50,000 hours. “We haven’t even touched the engine on one of them,” says Sandy. “On the other, we took it apart thinking something was wrong, and it was just a check valve and an oil filter. Engine-wise, they’re excellent.” Sandy loves running the harvesters, although his other duties don’t allow him much time any more. “The seats are really comfortable, and the cabs rotate so you’re not turning your head as much. And the wheels are perfect for these rocky conditions.” History in the making Hankinsons’ Logging’s John Deere dealer contact, Skip Griffin at Brandt Tractor, knows western Nova Scotia like the back of his hand, guiding the Deere photo crew to one of Hankinson’s logging sites through a labyrinth of two- lane highways and logging roads. As we pass by Port Royal, he gives a bit of history. “The first European settlers in what today is Canada settled in Port Royal,” he explains. “They were French.” Today the largest ethnic group is Scottish. In fact, Nova Scotia is Latin for “New Scotland.” The majority of Nova Scotians speak English, but on the west coast near Hankinson’s shop, there are still areas where French is predominant. “I must not be a good Frenchman,” says Leo Hankinson. “I don’t know how to speak French,” Leo laughs. Hankinson and Brandt communicate with each other quite well, however, to make sure the company gets the support it needs. Brandt even set up a mechanic a half-hour from where the logging company does most of the work on its machines. “And our equipment trucks are fully equipped when they need us far from the shop,” Griffin explains. Brandt is also getting the Hankinsons up to speed on the JDLink™ machinemanagement system. “It helps them track machine location, idle time, and fuel use, and provides machine- health alerts,” explains Griffin. “I was away from the site and got a message on my smartphone saying one of the machines had low coolant,” says Leo. “I called the operator and told him to check it out. Sure enough, the radiator had a loose clamp. The machine let me know there was a problem before the operator did.” “We do whatever we can to support our customers,” says Griffin. “It’s that simple. My phone’s on 24/7. They can call me any time of day or night.” “That’s true,” says Leo. “And we do (laughs). Seriously, though, Brandt has really helped us keep our business going with the parts and support we need. That and reliable John Deere machines ensure we are always up and running.” is serviced by Brandt Tractor Ltd., Bedford, Nova Scotia. This article originally appeared in IN THE FOREST, 2017 the official publication of John Deere Fore stry International Forest Industries | APRIL / MAY 2017 75