PLC Loggers Voice Summer 2017
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Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), and<br />
Washington County Community College (WCCC) with<br />
generous support from Milton CAT/CAT Forest Products,<br />
Nortrax Inc./John Deere, and other industry partners.<br />
Milton CAT has donated the use of a Caterpillar<br />
521B feller buncher, a Caterpillar 525D grapple skidder,<br />
and a Cat 324D FM delimber as well as a one-year repair<br />
warranty for each machine for a total value of $230,000.<br />
“Milton CAT and Caterpillar are excited to support<br />
this program and ensure the next generation of loggers has<br />
the skills needed to operate the sophisticated logging<br />
equipment the industry is dominated by today,” Peter<br />
Collins, Forestry Industry Manager for Milton CAT, said.<br />
Nortrax Inc. has donated the use of a forwarder/<br />
harvester machine operations simulator, a JD853MH<br />
tracked harvester, JD1270E rubber tired harvester, and JD<br />
1210E forwarder for a combined value of $205,000.<br />
“Nortrax serves professional loggers and shares<br />
their dedication to Maine’s forest products industry. The<br />
new mechanized logging operations training program is<br />
important to the future of the region’s forest products<br />
industry and will benefit our regional economy,” Kevin<br />
Fowler, General Manager of Nortrax, said.<br />
The program would not have been possible without<br />
the support of Maine’s lawmakers, who made funding<br />
available for it through the ‘Put ME to Work Program’ to<br />
support creation of new job training programs at Maine’s<br />
community colleges. The program enjoyed bipartisan<br />
support, with former Maine Speaker of the House Mark W.<br />
Eves (D-North Berwick) and Senate President Michael<br />
Thibodeau (R-Winterport) speaking at the press conference<br />
where it was announced in late 2015.<br />
<strong>PLC</strong> Board Members like Steve Hanington and<br />
Gary Voisine say the program will be vital for replacing<br />
retiring operators.<br />
“At some point there’s going to be this huge dropoff<br />
of experienced and trained loggers that are very costeffective<br />
for the industry, they’re going to disappear and if<br />
we don’t have a program in place to fill that demand when<br />
it happens, we’re going to be in a lot worse shape than what<br />
is being predicted right now,” Steve, President of<br />
Hanington Brothers Inc. in Macwahoc Plantation, said.<br />
Those who complete the program will come to<br />
companies with enough skills to greatly reduce the time it<br />
will take to bring them up to speed as operators.<br />
“It’s going to save us a lot of money in the long<br />
run,” Gary, of Voisine Brothers Inc. in Fort Kent, said.<br />
For more information on the program contact:<br />
Donald Burr, Logging Program Coordinator<br />
dburr@nmcc.edu or 207-356-1541.<br />
1028 Calais Rd.<br />
Hodgdon, ME 04730<br />
207-532-4280<br />
Excellent product markets for maximum return<br />
to landowner.<br />
The Logger’s <strong>Voice</strong> ▪ <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
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