The Michigan Association of Timbermen

2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT

And Awards Recognition

7350 M-123, Newberry, MI 49868

Phone: 906-293-3236; Fax: 906-293-5444 Website: www.timbermen.org

Email: timbermen1972@gmail.com

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2017 Logger of the Year

Dan Bundy Logging

The Michigan Association of Timbermen and the SFI Implementation Committee are pleased to

announce Dan Bundy Logging of Manton Michigan as the Logger of the year.

Dan Bundy is a third generation Logger. Dan was exposed to the industry as a child, following his

Grandfather to the sawmill, who ran a crosscut during the logging camps of Northern Michigan. Even at a

young age Dan had a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed. Dan worked for his father, Bruce Bundy’s

logging company for 12 years developing the skills he needed to one day start his own logging company.

In 1987 Dan and his wife Lori took the leap of faith to start their own logging business. Twelve years of

hard work for his father gave him $15,000.00 in the savings. This was just enough for a very used 540

grapple skidder, a Holbert loader with a Sheer head, an old self-loader Log truck, and one employee.

As time went on Dan had a desire to continue to modernize his company and started that with the

purchase of a slasher. He continued to increase his production and purchased a stroke delimber. In the

mid-1990’s he added a chipper to his operation. This increase in production allowed him to expand his

crew, which included nephews, brother-in-laws, and his future son-in-law Tobey Pettengill.

For the past thirty years Dan Bundy Logging has strived to stay up-to-date in the ever evolving,

technological advances of logging, but still staying conscious of responsible forest management. The

company now consists of three John Deere Harvesters, four John Deere forwarders, a John Deere dozer,

two Kenworth tractor trailers, and a Bell firewood processor. Dan’s employees include Tobey Pettengill

and Thomas Cole, harvesters. Mike Pettengill, Steve Bigelow, and Tyler Fisher Forwarder operators and

John Bigelow is his truck driver.

Quality equipment and operators with deep knowledge of their craft are only one part of a successful

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business. Solid relationships with local sawmills, trucking companies, and equipment sales are key to

moving product and building a solid company. Biewer Sawmill, Weyerhauser, S & L Sawmill, Bigelow

Bulk Transfer, and John Deere salesman, Larry Faye have been wonderful businesses to work with and

what make this area an exceptional place to work and live.

The future of Dan Bundy Logging will soon be in the hands of the fourth and fifth generations of Bundys’,

with daughter Danielle, her husband Tobey and their two sons Luke and Logan. Family has been Dan’s

motivation for success. He has always seen his company as an extension of his family and deeply values

each of his employees. His strong principles and work ethic have been a model that has encouraged and

motivated his crews to be top producers with an excellent finished product. Dan values every employees’

job and knows that his success is directly related to their loyalty and respect.

Thirty years is truly only the beginning for Dan. Slowing down is not an option. He still spends several

days a week in a harvester, but now his two young grandsons are what keeps him the busiest. While his

focus may be more on watching his grandson’s play ball and spending time with them, he will never be far

from the woods. Logging is just a part of him and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

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2017 Excellence in Trucking

Gapinski Forest Products

The Michigan Association of Timbermen would like to announce that Gapinski Forest Products as the

recipient of the Excellence in Trucking award for 2017.

Gapinski Forest Products Inc started in 1974 when Tom Gapinski bought his first Log truck. He and his

wife Kathy had 4 children that were always in the truck with their dad. Tom’s sons Dean and Terry spent

all their spare time with their Dad either in the truck or building roads. Tom passed suddenly in 1988

leaving the boys dreaming of owning their own log trucks.

In 2004 Dean and his wife Sara bought their first log truck, a 1999 Western Star they called “Willie”. Still

part of the fleet and over a million miles Willie still hauls wood every day. Dean kept adding to his fleet

as his business grew. Gapinski Forest Products now has four self loaders and two tractors pulling crib

trailers and one Glider waiting to replace Willie. Gapinski hauls for Eklund Forestry, Timber Products,

Biewer Lumber and several other smaller producers.

Gapinski Forest Products is successful first and foremost from the blessings of God. Dean also contributes

his success to a great group of employees that work hard to keep the wood hauled. Dean and his brother

Terry do all the maintenance and repairs on the fleet of trucks. They take pride in running good, safe and

well maintained trucks. They have also built 2 self-loaders from Gliders and 3 pups so far.

The future for Gapinski Forest products will looks promising with Dean and Terry both having boys that

want to follow in the Family business. The hard work and commitment to his employees has set a good

example for the next generation of Gapinski’s.

The Gapinski’s were sponsored by Grand Traverse Diesel to attend MAT’s annual meeting where Dean

received the award.

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2017 Excellence in Manufacturing

Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber

The Michigan Association of Timbermen would like to announce that Michigan Lumber

and Wood Fiber as the recipient of the Excellence in Manufacturing award for 2017.

Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber (MLWF) is an industrial sawmill located in Comins,

Michigan, purchased by Tim Bills in 2008. MLWF provides industrial lumber throughout

the Midwest, with products ranging from railroad ties, cants, and pallet stock, to residual

wood products like chips, bark, and dust. Having been a previous business owner, Bills has

always known that he wanted to have a reputation built on service and quality, which to

him means offering a quality product, time after time, whenever his customers place an

order. He also believes stagnation to be the enemy of success, consequently his vision for

the sawmill is relentlessly evolving. Because of these beliefs, MLWF has seen an increase in

production volume and sales every year since opening in 2008. A no-doubt notable

accomplishment, considering he opened the mill during a recession and in a county already

heavily saturated with competing mills.

To help achieve his goals of quality and growth, Bills also likes to focus on relationship

development and maintenance; believing loyalty to be the backbone of sustainability. Over

the past 10 years, MLWF has built strong relationships with multiple independent loggers

throughout the state to make sure its yard is always fully stocked, even when the need has

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so rapidly multiplied. The company also maintains a small trucking fleet to aid in the

shipment of lumber and residual wood products so there is a constant flow of finished

goods headed to customers. Aside from the mill and truck fleet, the size of the

administrative staff has more than tripled in the past 7 years alone, with the addition of

several departments such as forestry, dispatch, and safety. The manufacturing, logistics and

administrative teams at MLWF consists of dedicated staff who enjoy the rollercoaster of

challenge and triumph in today’s lumber manufacturing market.

To stay the course on this quest for growth, MLWF has undertaken an almost total

machinery and technological reorganization to double production while supplying even

better-quality lumber to customers. In addition to the quality and volume increase, the

technology installed in the fall of 2017 will allow Michigan Lumber to provide more career

opportunities to the North-Eastern Lower Peninsula workforce—a feat that Bills is

particularly proud of. Tim was born and raised in Oscoda County and understands the

economic struggles the county faces. Along with being one of the largest employers in

Oscoda County, MLWF also partners with many locally owned small businesses to help

supply and ship their products, helping to keep not just Comins, but Oscoda County and

surrounding counties strong.

If the past is any indication of what the future holds for Bills and Michigan Lumber &

Wood Fiber, there are sure to be even more changes coming to the Midwest lumber market.

The entire team at MLWF is proud to be honored with the 2017 Michigan Association of

Timbermen’s Excellence in Manufacturing award, and hopes to continue to grow their

reputation for quality and service.

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2017 Friend of the Timbermen

Scott Robbins

The Michigan Association of Timbermen would like to announce Scott Robbins as the

recipient of the 2017 Friend of the Timbermen award.

Scott Robbins of White Pine, Mich. has served as the of Director of SFI and Public Affairs

with the Michigan Forest Products Council since September of 2011. Robbins received his

formal forestry education at Michigan Technological University from 1972-1974 and has

had many forestry related positions throughout a 36-year career.

Beginning in 1975 in Marquette, Mich., with various log procurement positions at two

local sawmills, he then began a long career in 1979 with various owners of the pulp and

paper mill in Ontonagon, Mich. Robbins spent most of 2007 in wood procurement in

Missoula, Montana and most of 2009 and 2010 in Virginia working in wood procurement

management positions.

Having chaired and served on many committees during his years in the Michigan forest

industry, he knows first-hand where our industry has come from and through his

involvement with the many forest organizations, where we need to go in the future.

Scott plays a key role in SFI continuing education courses, BMP inspections, timber market

reporting, and forest policy. He is currently the Michigan Tree Farm Committee Chair, is a

member of the Michigan Forest Association board and serves on the Governor’s Timber

Advisory Committee.

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2017 Distinguished Service

Warren Suchovsky

It is with great pleasure that we honor Warren Suchovsky with the Michigan Association

of Timbermen Distinguished Service Award.

If you are involved in any way in forestry or the forest products industry in the State of

Michigan you know who Warren Suchovsky is. He has been a leader and innovator of

new techniques and applications promoting sound scientific and economic development of

the states forest resources.

It has been said that there is not an important or highly relevant meeting in Michigan

discussing forestry related issues that Warren is not in attendance actively participating in

the discussion and asking many questions or providing well thought out input.

Warren Suchovsky is a long time member of MAT having served as Past President and

Vice President and currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer. Warren also serves on many

other forestry and forest industry related organizations on a local, statewide and national

level.

He serves on the DNR Western UP Citizens Advisory Council, DNR Forest Management

Advisory Committee, Winter Deer Habitat Committee, Society of American Foresters

Certified Review Board, Michigan Forest Association board member, Master Logger

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Accreditation and Training, Michigan Technological University Advisory Board to the

Dean, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, the Michigan Forest

Biomaterials Institute, Farm Bureau and finds time to get involved in local politics as a

Township Trustee.

Warren is an outstanding advocate for the forest products industry and sustainable forest

management based on good science and sound economic values.

We are all grateful of the work and dedication that Warren does everyday to raise the

awareness and interest in our professions in the forest products industry, forest

management and natural resources management through intelligence, compassion and

curiosity.

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2017 Birtcher Scholarship Awardees

Mikaela Muma & Matthew Penrose

My name is Mikaela Muma, I am 17

years old and currently a senior at

Gladwin High School. Some of my extra

circular activities include: National

Honors Society, Business Club, Varsity

Soccer, and Midland Soccer Club. I plan

on continuing my education at Gogebic

Community College to get my Associates

Degree in Forestry.

Matthew Penrose is a senior at

Ishpeming High School. Next year

Matthew is going to study Forestry at

Michigan Technological University.

During the school year he runs cross

country, cross country skis, ski jumps,

and plays tennis. Over the past five

summers he has worked at Holli Forest

Products. During his free time, Matthew

likes to mountain bike, ski/snowboard,

and camp.

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2017 Legislator of the Year

State Representative

Daire Rendon

State Representative Daire Rendon of Lake City was first elected in November 2016 to the

Michigan House and represents the residents of Missaukee, Crawford, Kalkaska,

Roscommon and Ogemaw counties.

PROFESSIONAL

Rendon started her career as a government employee at the Social Security Administration

in Grand Rapids, but moved into the private sector when she bought her first business in

Cadillac, Michigan in 1988. Check Alert Systems was a licensed collection agency that

recovered bad checks written to businesses and verified bad checking account data at the

point of sale. When she sold that business in 2011, Rendon moved her entire business

model and personnel to a company she started in 2001 and still operates today; Dragon

Payment Systems (DPS). Located in Lake City, the staff at DPS provides virtual customer

service to monitored security companies located in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and

Nashville.

PUBLIC OFFICE

Rendon was appointed by Gov. John Engler and reappointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm

to the Michigan Bureau of Consumer and Industry Services, where she served as a

member of the Michigan Collection Practices Advisory Board. She has served as the

chairperson of the Michigan Home Builders Associate Council and as president of the

Michigan Association of Collection Agencies.

PERSONAL

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Daire has been married to her husband Bruce for more than 43 years. They have two

married daughters and three grandchildren. Daire and her family attend St. Stephen’s

Catholic Church in Lake City where they have lived for over 30 years. Daire is a cancer

survivor who received an adult stem cell transplant at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in

Detroit in 2007. Long before her own diagnosis, Daire was a supporter of the American

Cancer Society, participating in the Wexford County Relay for Life, before chairing

Missaukee County’s first-ever Relay for Life in 1998.

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We want to send out a great thank you and note of appreciation to our

many yearly sponsors of the Michigan Association of Timbermen for

2018. Your willingness to provide financial support assures the

continuance of many great projects that support the members.

THANK YOU 2018 TIMBERMEN YEARLY SPONSORS!