2017 International Forest Industries Magazines June July 2017 | Page 70

Logging was something that we always liked
We started full time in the bush at thirteen
Gary Thomas, Thomas Logging Ltd
Brothers Darren and
Gary Thomas of Thomas
Logging Ltd.
production output, so, in the back
of Gary’s mind, he knew that he
wanted a contract of his own.
“They were always asking for
contractors, so I just went in and
asked for it,” Gary recounts. “A lot
of guys said they won’t let us leave
and have our own contract because
they wouldn’t want to lose two of
their best workers.” But now two
years into the contract, Thomas
Logging is producing well for AC
Forestry and the new arrangement
is turning out to be the proverbial
win-win. The enterprise is owned
by Gary, Darren and Calvin with
strong support from cousin, Daniel
Thomas. “Daniel stayed with us
through it all, he is like a brother to
us,” says Gary.
Thomas Logging started
with a used Tigercat 860 feller
64 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2017
buncher and bought back the same
grapple skidder that they owned
when they subcontracted to AC
Forestry fifteen years ago. Chuck
Miles, forestry equipment sales
specialist for Redhead Equipment
stepped in and made them a deal
on a new Tigercat H855C harvester
paired with a Tigercat 575 head to
complete the system. Two months
into the first season, Thomas
Logging purchased a second
identical harvester unit from
Redhead.
Now having just finished up
their second winter season, the
brothers have already relegated
the used buncher and skidder to
spare machine status. Through
Chuck and Redhead, they acquired
a new Tigercat 870C feller buncher
and a new 630E skidder.
BTB visited in late February
with just a couple weeks left
before spring break-up. The
ground was characterized by
steep draws and not a lot of flat
ground for decking. The timber, a
mix of varying diameter aspen and
spruce. The contract is a stump to
dump contract, however loading
and hauling is subcontracted out.
The 4,8 m (16 ft) aspen goes to
Tolko Industries Ltd in Green Lake
and the soft wood goes to Norsask
Forest Products in Meadow
Lake, Saskatchewan, another
Indigenous-owned enterprise.
“This is hard ground, very hilly.
It is tough on the processors and
decking. With the processors we
were really impressed. It is a good,
tough machine. They really stand
up,” says Gary.