Nortrax Hosts Live Cut Forestry Event for Loggers

Fri September 09, 2016
Forestry Equipment Guide

Nortrax Equipment Company, the John Deere Forestry and construction dealer in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan, hosted a live cut forestry event for loggers and timber industry professionals on Aug. 18, near Twig, Minn. The site was located about 15 miles north of Duluth off Highway 53.

The event started with live demos in the woods featuring the full lineup of John Deere forestry equipment, including harvesters, feller bunchers, forwarders and skidders as they worked in unison to showcase the machines' productivity and efficiency in the woods. Morbark industrial chipping and grinding machines also were used in the live cut operation.

Approximately 200 loggers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan attended the event. They had the opportunity to attend four different seminars offered throughout the day for eligibility for MLEP (Minnesota Logger Education Program) and FISTA (Forest Industry Safety & Training Alliance) SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) credit. The seminars covered topics such as machine optimization, safety initiatives, diesel exhaust fluid, battery and hydraulic and engine oils as it pertains to forestry equipment.

Tim Murphy, Nortrax president; Dale Gessell, Nortrax Midwest vice president; and Ken Knauf, Nortrax Forestry specialist, along with other Nortrax and John Deere forestry specialists and Morbark representatives, were on hand to answer questions and provide in-depth machine walk arounds and tours of the equipment. Jacob Kesanen, Nortrax product support technology representative, offered TimberNavi demonstrations on the job site mapping solution designed for full-tree logging operations. It provides accurate, in-machine visibility of terrain, harvesting area, and land boundaries. Lunch was served under a big tent in the woods.