In the April 2013 edition of Southern Stumpin’, Southern Loggin’ Times Associate Editor David Abbott remembers Kit Avery, who was a long-time fixture in the logging community in parts of Alabama and Mississippi. Christopher Lester "Kit" Avery IV of Tuscaloosa died Dec. 8, 2012, at Hospice of West Alabama. He was 84. Born in Gurdon, Ark., 1928, Kit graduated Memphis Technical High School in Memphis, Tenn. before joining the Army at 17 and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Avery later became a sales rep for Timberjack and then for Warrior Tractor in Northport, Ala. He was a pilot, a passion shared by his son Chris. He collected World War II aviation art and was a member of Hargrove Memorial United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa. “If anybody ever went the extra mile, Kit Avery did,” according to Gene Ray Taylor, owner of Warrior Tractor, the John Deere dealer where Kit worked in sales from August 1, 1987 till his retirement on March 15, 2004.

Southern Loggin’ Times Associate Editor David Abbott visits Hawkins Logging, Inc. in Goodwater, Alabama. This month marks the 50th anniversary for Hawkins Logging Inc. It was April 1963 when Wayne Hawkins went into business for himself just days before his 19th birthday—he’ll be 69 this month. Prior to that he had spent a year working in the woods with his father, Leonard. Leonard had run a portable sawmill with his own father, affectionately remembered by his descendants as Daddy Jim. His other job—or his hobby, as he calls it—is cattle farming. Hawkins has been in that business nearly as long, since 1964. Currently he has more than 80 cows and two bulls, primarily angus, raised for beef. He also raises mules, though not for use in the woods; as far back as Hawkins goes, that’s not something he ever did. “We’ve been blessed just to be here 50 years,” says Hawkins.

Southern Loggin’ Times Associate Editor Jessica Johnson travels to Dodson, Louisiana to spend some time with Steven H. Gaar Logging, Inc. When you meet him, Steven Gaar turns out to be exactly who you’d expect. A self-proclaimed “high tech-logger” with a ready to work mentality, Gaar has been in logging since he was 19 years old. Back then he worked with two saw hands, one skidder, one loader and two trucks. Now? Steven H. Gaar Logging, Inc. runs three complete crews with eight skidders, four delimber/loader combinations and four feller-bunchers. Gaar has slowed down a bit—he’s had some neck and back difficulties—but that hasn’t sidelined him totally. He still runs a small cattle operation on 100 acres, while farming another 250 acres for raising hay, managing 1,500 acres of his own timberland and running Gaar Equipment Sales, which is his baby. That’s all in addition to overseeing the logging crews.

Southern Loggin’ Times Contributing Editor Jennifer McCary has the opportunity to visit BJ Logging in Summersville, West Virginia. Former Game of Logging (GOL) champion Rick Smith has been ‘timbering’ the West Virginia mountains since his late teens and operating his own business since his mid-20s. Before winning the national award in 1995, he was a two time state GOL champion and had previously placed second in the national competition. Smith also represented the U.S. in the world championship competition held in Germany, courtesy of Husqvarna. It was an exciting and memorable experience. Never shy about trying something different, Smith has grown BJ Logging (named after his first son), from a hand crew to a large mechanized set up and now a lean four-man cable yarder operation. Conventional mechanized tooling didn’t work out very well, Smith reports, primarily because tracts were so inconsistent in size and logging conditions.

Zingers; Good Ole Leroy; The Cowboy From Texas; A Touching Poem (For Wives); Automated Telephone Menu; Cat Conversion; Remember The Swinger?

At The Margins is designed to help loggers manage and/or operate their business better. Each month an expert provides information, tips or advice on how to maximize profitability, enhance efficiency or increase business knowledge. This month’s column is provided by Brian Schmidt of John Deere Power Systems. The title of the article is “Fuel Matters Part 1: Tips For Diesel Cleanliness, Quality.” Click here to view the full article.

Ryan Zenor Joins Sennebogen Staff; Industry Wins Logging Road Stormwater Case; Energy Firm Announces SE Mississippi Pellet Mill; Memorial Services For Dr. Bill Stuart; Pellet Plant Possible For Northwest Florida; New Southern Power Plant In Ready Mode; Bandit Adds Two Dealers In South; Wood Pellet Plant Closes In Virginia; Chad Shaver To Lead Shaver Wood Products; Former Coastal Facility At Weldon Is Sold; Cale Assumes Former Position At Tigercat; Pellet Project Planned For Baton Rouge