pewag will be exhibiting at Interforst in Munich again this year. From July 17 to 20, their product experts will be on site and will be happy to inform you about forestry tracks and forestry chains. pewag will also present a new product from the bluetrack family – the pewag bluetrack perfekt extreme.
They are looking forward to your visit!
Trade fair dates
Interforst Munich
Date: 17 – 20 July 2022
Booth number: FS.908A/2 at the outdoor area
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Pewag Group, a global leading company in traction chain devices and industrial chain solutions (founded 1479), today announced recently it had completed the acquisition of Wallingford’s Inc. and BABAC Inc, a leading U.S.-based provider of forestry traction devices, forestry supplies and snow chains. Wallingford’s and BABAC have been consolidated as part of pewag’s Traction and Forestry segment as of December 17th, 2021.
The acquisition of Wallingford’s and BABAC is a strong fit with Pewag’s North American forestry business and in particular its forestry traction devices business. It is part of the strategy of pewag to be a leader in this segment globally. Moreover, the high-quality forestry traction devices, developed and manufactured by pewag in Austria and Czech Republic will be integrated in the portfolio of Wallingford’s.
Pewag has hundreds of years of experience in the manufacturing of chains and their components. Since the first documented reference of its forging plant in Brueckl, Austria 1479, pewag group became one of the leading chain manufacturers worldwide. Today its success is based on well engineered state-of-the-art quality products. Pewag’s business areas are mainly snow chains, forestry traction, hoist and conveyor chains, do-it-yourself products, engineering, lifting and lashing chains and accessories and tire protection chains. Modern impressive chain production facilities in Europe and in Pueblo, Colorado allow for this variety of high-quality products.
“The combination of pewag’s strong portfolio in forestry with traction devices and the wide distribution network of Wallingford’s in the forestry industry will result in a leadership position in this sector in North-America. Moreover, the skidder and ring skidder traction devices developed and manufactured by BABAC will complete pewag’s global forestry product range.” –Rob Bekkers, CEO Pewag Traction & Forestry
Founded in 1975, Wallingford’s Inc. is an international wholesaler of tire chain, logging and industrial supplies and the largest of its kind. Products are predominantly sold to distributors in North America. The range includes in particular traction systems (tracks/skidder chains/tire chains), cutting systems, logging supplies and industrial supplies. The sales and marketing office is located in Oakland/Maine, with a distribution, assembly and administrative facility in New Hampton, New Hampshire, and Canadian distribution centers in Edmonton, Alberta and in Montreal, Quebec. In the position as President of Wallingford’s Inc., Chip Wallingford will be in charge for the future development and is taking over this position from John J. Wallingford. (Thank you, John, for your efforts and commitment over the past years!)
“We are very excited to be now part of the global pewag group, which will add value and quality to our product portfolio, improve our position in the North-American forestry market and will definitely give a further push to our professional customer service. We have always valued the high-quality European products and we are very pleased to have pewag products in our portfolio. Furthermore, the global leadership of pewag’s snow chain traction devices will be strengthened with Wallingford’s offerings.” –Chip Wallingford, President of Wallingford’s Inc.
With the acquisition of Wallingford’s and BABAC, pewag will continue to:
The coming period, both group of companies will investigate and implement a strategy to optimize its presence on the North American markets with the aim to offer a better, broader product portfolio and further improved services to our clients.
Photo: Rob Bekkers, CEO Pewag Traction & Forestry
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48forty Solutions – Alpharetta, GA– 48forty Solutions (“48forty”), a leading national provider of recycled pallets and pallet management services, has announced that it had completed its first carve-out acquisition, purchasing the pallet recycling division operations (“Pallet Recycling Division”) of Girard Wood Products (the “Company”). The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Girard Wood Products has been a trusted industry name since 1961. The Company was acquired by John Vipond in 1982 and is now owned and operated by his son Scott Vipond. Girard Wood Products manufactures new and custom pallets and recycles used pallets in multiple locations in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Company’s Pallet Recycling Division sits on 11 acres in Lacey, Washington, with more than 60 employees, nine tractors, and over 175 privately owned trailers. Girard Wood Products prides itself on providing consistent quality and exceptional customer service to local and national customers. Scott Vipond will retain ownership of the remainder of Girard Wood Products and continue his efforts to grow the new pallet manufacturing business.
Mike Hachtman, the CEO of 48forty, remarked, “Over the years, Scott Vipond and Girard Wood Products have been incredibly valuable and well-respected partners to 48forty. The Pallet Recycling Division is not only situated in a highly strategic location, but it is also highly efficient and well-run. This acquisition will allow 48forty to provide even better service to our customers in that region, many of whom are only a few short miles away from the plant.”
Scott Vipond, the President of Girard Wood Products, said, “We’ve worked hard at Girard to build high-quality new and used pallet programs over the years, to serve our customers with pride throughout changing market conditions. We are confident that we have chosen the right partner with 48forty, which will continue this tradition with our recycling customers in a way that’s beneficial for all stakeholders.”
ABOUT 48FORTY SOLUTIONS
48forty Solutions is one of the largest pallet management services companies in North America, with a national network of over 237 facilities, including 60 company-owned and operated pallet recycling plants, 160 onsite and 10 reverse logistics centers, five sorting centers, and more than 850 service providers. 48forty provides end-to-end pallet solutions from supply to retrieval, new and custom pallets, and reverse logistics services. We also operate one of the nation’s largest private fleets of 6,500 trailers and tractors. For more information, visit 48forty.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
ABOUT GIRARD WOOD PRODUCTS
Girard Wood Products opened its doors in 1961. Since those early days, there have been extensive product changes and countless new developments along the way, but the commitment to quality and service has remained constant. Girard Wood Products is proudly veteran-owned, family-operated, and dedicated to maintaining an employee-centered workplace that values every team member. This pride comes through in all that they do. Find them online at girardwoodproducts.com.
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Planting two billion trees across the country will help Canada’s efforts to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Trees capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, support biodiversity and create and support thousands of good jobs.
Launched in 2021, 2 Billion Trees (2BT) is part of the Government of Canada’s broader approach to nature-based climate solutions. It contributes to Canada’s efforts to mitigate climate change while achieving key biodiversity and conservation goals, as well as supporting human well-being.
In its first year, the program signed agreements to support planting 30 million trees. Each project was subject to a review by an independent expert panel to ensure it would help achieve the program’s objectives. Going forward, the Government of Canada is entering into longer-term agreements to secure planting over 10 years. By 2026, the program aims to plant 250–350 million trees annually, with each planting project undergoing the same expert panel review process as this year’s projects.
Every year, the exact number of trees planted are reported by our partners after all of their planting activities are completed. This is necessary because conditions on the ground at planting sites may cause the number of trees planted to differ slightly from the amount of trees funded in any given year.
Today, Minister Wilkinson announced that NRCan’s program partners succeeded in planting 97 percent of the 30 million trees planned for the 2021 planting season: approximately 29 million trees from over 150 different species were planted at over 500 sites across Canada. These projects will restore nature, enhance biodiversity, create forest ecosystems on fire-damaged land, increase carbon capture, and create parks and greenspaces in and around our cities. Nearly one in every five projects was Indigenous-led. These trees will clean the air we breathe, the water we drink and help cool our urban centres.
An example of a successful project from the 2021 season is the Redd Fish Restoration Society’s (formerly the Central Westcoast Forest Society) project to plant 51,070 new saplings along the banks of the Hiłsyaqƛis and Atleo rivers in British Columbia. These saplings will accelerate the recovery of the two watersheds while also helping to restore critical spawning and rearing habitat for endangered wild Chinook and chum salmon. This project will improve water quality, increase ecosystem complexity and resiliency and the region’s ability to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and provide employment opportunities for Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations.
Over the remaining nine years of the program, partner organizations will continue the tree-planting journey: from seeds to seedlings and saplings, to trees in the ground. Interest in future projects is high: the 2BT program received over 200 project applications in this second year, including multi-year projects outlining plans to plant approximately 425 million trees. These multi-year agreements will create predictable, stable, long-term demand for nurseries and others supporting the supply of seedlings, ensuring that the right tree is grown and planted in the right place.
“I’m pleased to report that the very first planting season under the 2 Billion Trees program has been a success. We have achieved 97 percent of our planting target and are on track to plant two billion trees over the course of 10 years. I would like to thank our project partners for their work in making this program a success.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources
The 2BT program is part of Canada’s Natural Climate Solutions Fund, which embraces the power of nature to fight climate change. In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the government committed up to $3.2 billion over 10 years to deliver on this commitment.
This investment will support provinces, territories, third-party organizations (for- and not-for profit) and Indigenous governments and organizations to plant two billion trees across Canada.
The Government of Canada has a number of existing tree-planting programs currently operating, which are incremental to the 2BT program. These include:
working with communities to plant hundreds of thousands of trees through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund; and
partnering with provinces and territories to plant 150 million new saplings by the end of 2022 under the Low Carbon Economy Fund.
The government has also established an external advisory committee of experts on nature-based climate solutions to advise on program delivery to maximize emission reductions and deliver on key biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits to improve the quality of life for Canadians.
The 2BT program is also co-developing a governance framework for Indigenous-led projects. This will provide opportunities for Indigenous perspectives to shape and inform how these projects will be managed and delivered in a way that reflects Indigenous priorities, values and the long history of Indigenous land stewardship.
From: Natural Resources Canada
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A 19-tonne electric Scania truck has begun to operate regularly on Svalbard, Norway,one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas. The Norwegian postal service Posten Norge now distributes all parcels, mail and freight in Longyearbyen municipality with electric vehicles.
“A lot of environmental work is about breaking barriers. Posten Norge has begun using the world’s northernmost electric truck in its regular operations in Longyearbyen, 78 degrees latitude, to the delight of employees and customers, and I hope it’s an inspiration to others”, says Tone Wille, CEO of Posten Norge.
Posten Norge has been testing the electric truck from Scania under Arctic conditions on Svalbard for a month. The vehicle passed the test and has joined Posten Norge’s other electric vans, ensuring that logistic operations in Longyearbyen are as sustainable as possible.
At the beginning of 2022, 37 per cent of Posten Norge’s vehicles were powered by renewable energy sources.
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Waratah Forestry Equipment debuted the HTH618C Series-III – a new generation of its HTH618C harvester head built for increased productivity, reliability, uptime and more. With a variety of new features paired with a compact and durable design, this agile thinning head is well-suited for mixed diameters.
“The HTH618C Series-III is highlighted by a new valve that delivers more responsiveness and operating efficiency. This Series-III model delivers what our customers expect and need from Waratah,” said Brent Fisher, product marketing manager for Waratah. “Additionally, with new twin diameter measuring and improved hose routing, servicing and guarding, we’re looking forward to delivering another head that is truly Built To Work®.”
Increased productivity
The HTH618C Series-III features twin lower delimb arms and a high-performance valve to ensure superior delimbing with agile and responsive log control – tackling a wide range of harvesting jobs. The maximum delimb opening of 660 mm (26 in.) can handle larger stems. Improved cutting performance and tilt control also contribute to increased productivity.
Low-powered base carriers will have improved processing output and productivity with improved feeding performance and feed motor options.
Simple servicing
With a new valve that simplifies serviceability, the HTH618C Series-III features improved hose routing, enhanced valve cover assembly and easier access to make quick work of servicing. Likewise, hose protection helps keep the head running and increases durability.
Easier access to the rear of the valve near the head module as well as inlet hoses also helps increase uptime while a larger oiler filler improves ease of filling bar and chain oil. Benefitting from direct customer input, the HTH618C Series-III has improved access and serviceability to help lower daily operating costs.
The Waratah HTH618C Series-III is currently available to customers in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, Brazil and Latin America.
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Agricultural engineer Jean Sionneau has been appointed managing director of Ponssé S.A.S., Ponsse’s subsidiary in France, starting from 20 September 2022. Sionneau will be in charge of sales of PONSSE solutions and the provision of Ponsse’s services in France.
Sionneau will transfer to his new position from Alliance Forêts Bois, a provider of expert services related to forest management, sales and harvesting. He has worked in the company as the manager of its local office in Pierroton. Jean Sionneau will report to Marko Mattila, Ponsse Plc’s sales, service and marketing director, and he will work in Labouheyre in South West France.
“Jean Sionneau has broad and extensive experience in the forest industry, ranging from forest management to wood procurement. During his career, he has worked with several international organisations, and we are happy to have such an experienced forest specialist join our team,” says Marko Mattila, Ponsse Plc’s sales, service and marketing director.
Ponssé S.A.S., Ponsse’s subsidiary in France, was established in 1995. Clemént Puybaret, its current managing director, will transfer to the position of Ponsse Plc’s sales manager of used machines.
In addition to Gondreville, Ponssé S.A.S. has service centres in Peyrat le Chateau in Central France and in Labouheyre in South West France, and it has eight contractual service partners. The company is responsible for sales in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland (French-speaking regions). Some 50 million cubic metres of wood are harvested annually in France, especially for the sawmill industry.
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Komatsu announces agreement to acquire Swedish manufacturer of attachments for silviculture:
To Expand the Sustainable Forestry Business to Make Carbon Neutral Contributions
Through Komatsu Forest AB, a wholly owned subsidiary in Sweden, Komatsu Ltd. (President and CEO: Hiroyuki Ogawa) (hereafter “Komatsu”) is going to acquire Bracke Forest AB (CEO: Klas-Håkan Ljungberg) (hereafter “Bracke”), headquartered in Bräcke, Sweden, which develops, manufactures, and sells application-specific attachments for silviculture. Komatsu is planning to close the acquisition on July 1, 2022, on the condition that all necessary procedures for closing are completed. The impact on Komatsu’s consolidated business results is estimated to be minimal.
Komatsu concerts efforts in the forestry business, as it upholds the sustainable forestry which not only engages in harvesting and forwarding but also includes silviculture and forest management. Komatsu also works to mechanize dangerous work, facilitate wide use of forest machines that contribute to safety, and promote smart forestry that analyzes drone and satellite-based data for the management of forests, including the number and height of trees.
Tree planting is expected to expand worldwide for lumber production and environmental concerns, such as the promotion of carbon neutrality. At the same time, the need for mechanization is growing, especially because tree planting is labor-intensive work, with an increase in planting in remote areas, and a decrease in the workforce. With extensive know-how of silviculture over the years, Bracke develops, manufactures, and sells application-specific attachments for use in silviculture processes. Since 2014, Bracke and Komatsu have engaged in joint development by sharing respective technologies and experience accumulated over the years, respectively in forest and construction machines. In 2020, Komatsu launched the D61EM-23M0, the world’s first bulldozer-based automatic* crawler planter, in Brazil.
Even after the acquisition, Komatsu will continue to incorporate Bracke’s technologies and expertise in the field of planting in order to accelerate its pace of mechanization of all processes other than harvesting and forwarding, which have already been mechanized. Komatsu will work to generate synergy for smart forestry and provide higher value-added products in order to enhance the safety and productivity of customers’ jobsite operations and make carbon-neutral contributions.
*The D61EM-23M0 performs automatic traveling, stopping, and planting on the preset courses.
Name: Bracke Forest AB (unlisted)
Established: 1922
Headquartered: Bräcke, Sweden
Representative: Klas-Håkan Ljungberg
Major line of business: Development, manufacturer, and sales of application-specific attachments for use in silviculture processes
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Ponsse has decided to divest its operations in Russia. The divestment of all shares in OOO Ponsse, Ponsse Group’s subsidiary providing PONSSE services in Russia and Belarus, is currently being negotiated.
“We have been looking for a solution to the challenging situation regarding operations in Russia. We have decided to divest our operations in Russia and Belarus. Operating in Russia has become very difficult, and the divestment is also the best option for our local personnel, customers and dealers. We will continue the export restrictions in accordance with economic sanctions and our company’s guidelines,” says Juho Nummela, President and CEO of Ponsse Group.
The signing will be completed in the near future, and it will be announced separately.
Ponsse’s export and service operations in Russia have been suspended since 2 March 2022 when the company announced that it will suspend all exports to Russia and Belarus. At the same time, OOO Ponsse suspended its local spare parts and maintenance services.
See other Ponsse related posts here. See Russia related posts here.
PF Olsen And Quayside Announce Investment Partnership – PF Olsen and Quayside Holdings (Quayside) have announced Quayside has acquired 44% of PF Olsen, with the deal closing on 10 June 2022. Direct Capital is selling its shareholding after 11 years as a shareholder.
PF Olsen is a leading provider of independent professional forestry services and celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2021. Across NZ and Australia, PF Olsen manages 372,000 hectares of forest, harvesting 5.1 million m³ of logs each year as well as planting 14 million trees per annum. PF Olsen offers exceptional services to their clients across the whole forestry value chain.
Quayside, as the investment arm of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, focuses on commercial returns for their shareholder and the wider community; supporting impactful investments while investing responsibly for strong financial returns for generations to come.
Quayside’s Chief Investment Officer, Brendon Barnes, says “this transaction is the result of a thorough due diligence process. Quayside sees a number of compelling growth opportunities in the forestry sector and the investment in PF Olsen will be the catalyst for many of these. PF Olsen is a household name with a long legacy; we are excited to work alongside the strong management team to grow the company for the benefit of our community and NZ”.
“During Quayside’s due diligence phase we were impressed with their investment strategy and particularly how well it aligned with our strategy and growth aspirations. The partnership with Quayside will allow PF Olsen to maximise these opportunities and continue to provide an outstanding service for our clients”, Ross Larcombe, CEO PF Olsen. As a result of the investment by Quayside, PF Olsen will continue to focus on its key markets, customers and developing growth possibilities. There will also be further employment for the region, as well as opportunities for iwi and other community groups, with a strengthening of community relationships.
Of the deal, Quayside’s Chief Executive Officer, Scott Hamilton, states “The PF Olsen deal sits soundly within Quayside’s mandate and investment strategy, in an industry that is expecting significant growth, allowing us to meet our shareholder’s dividend requirements. PF Olsen is managed by a strong team of seasoned professionals with outstanding reputations and experience that are leading the organisation to its next stage of growth.”
Through their investment in PF Olsen, Quayside will appoint two Board Directors with complimentary skill sets to the PF Olsen Board.
As a result of the partnership between PF Olsen and Quayside, PF Olsen envisages a bright future for its clients and people. With net-zero carbon initiatives, forestry carbon will play an important role in meeting NZ’s emissions commitment now and into the future.
Source: Scoop
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