Endowment Aids Next Generation of Timber Harvesters
Young Loggers Buck the Trend, and Grow New Business
Richburg, SC – It’s no secret that logging crews are aging, and that experienced loggers are struggling to attract young people to the profession. Even NPR has picked up the story, reporting on June 16th about the looming shortage of loggers in the American workforce.
But not all the news is bad. Enter Will (26) and Wesley (24) Coleman of Richburg, SC. This entrepreneurial duo are not only logging, but are growing their own new business. They formed Coleman Brothers Logging, LLC in December 2012 along with a third owner, Katherine Suaso. Together, they have been steadily increasing their pulpwood and saw timber harvesting in and around Chester County.
The company has had lots of help from Ideal Logging, Inc., which provides Coleman Brothers with a steady supply of tracts requiring first thinings or final harvesting. Ideal’s Tommy Barnes, a Board member of the SC Timber Producers Association, has been a mentor and a source of encouragement to Will and Wesley, who got their start working for Tommy and his business partner, David Cox, at Ideal.
“They’re hard-working guys,” says Tommy Barnes, who himself started his business in his late 20s. “I’ve known them all their lives, and you don’t find many young people who are dedicated to logging. They deserve a chance.”
In June, Coleman Brothers Logging was able to purchase a used TigerCat skidder and feller/buncher with a loan from Natural Capital Investment Fund’s (NCIF) Logging Initiative.
“Running the equipment we purchased with the NCIF loan, we doubled our loads in the first week,” says Will Coleman. “We really appreciate the chance to show we can make it on our own.”
Rick Larson, Senior Vice President for NCIF, is also pleased that the financing provided will help the company move to the next level.
“They did well in their first year of operations, despite working with slow, unreliable equipment that needed expensive repairs,” says Larson. “They convinced us this new equipment will help them work more profitably. And, the fact that Ideal stands behind them is extremely important.”
NCIF launched its Logging Initiative with support from CEI, a leading Community Development Corporation (CDC) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, two organizations
that share NCIF’s commitment to the forest products industry and loggers in particular. The job creating and sustainability aspects of this work made it an ideal recipient of New Markets Tax Credit financing. The program funds equipment purchases by existing certified loggers who can’t raise all the financing they need from traditional sources.
“Well-equipped, responsible loggers are essential for healthy forests and a healthy forest products industry,” says Larson. “The opportunity is there for young hard- working loggers to grow a business and, with the right help, they will succeed.”
About:
Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIF) supports the forest products and other natural resource-based businesses with flexible, affordable capital. Through its Logging Initiative, NCIF partners with other lenders to provide timber harvesters with the financing they need to replace equipment and expand operations. NCIF is the green business lending arm of The Conservation Fund, and a certified Community Development Financial Institution. www.ncifund.org
Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a nonprofit organization that provides rural business financing, technical assistance, and policy advocacy for small and medium- sized companies that create jobs, improve the economic development in their areas, or offer environmental benefits. CEI has financed over 2,000 businesses, created or preserved more than 26,000 jobs, and manages nearly $800 million of invested capital. It manages investments with the federal New Markets Tax Credit program through its subsidiary CEI Capital Management. www.ceimaine.org
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a not-for- profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.www.usendowment.org
Contacts:
Rick Larson, Natural Capital Investment Fund, 919-951-0113,
rlarson@conservationfund.org
Keith Bisson, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., 207-882-7552, kbisson@ceimaine.org
Carlton N. Owen, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, 864-233-7646,
carlton@runslikeclock.work
Will Coleman, Coleman Brothers Logging, 803-207-5580,
colemanbrotherslogging@gmail.com
