A Review of Changes in US Logging Businesses 1980s–Present

Conrad, Joseph; Greene, W. Dale; Hiesl, Patrick

doi:10.1093/jofore/fvx014

Cited by 29 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Logging businesses, logging business owners, and their equipment have changed as well. Logging businesses rapidly mechanized their operations during the 1960s-1980s, and the logging industry transformed from a labor-intensive to a capital-intensive industry [8].…”

Section: The Wood Supply Chainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Independent timber harvesting companies are the vital component of the wood supply chain that harvest timber on public and private forestland and deliver it to forest products mills. Without logging businesses, gains in forest productivity cannot be captured and the chief advantage of forestland investments, biological growth, could not be monetized well [8].…”

Section: The Wood Supply Chainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of forwarders 20 years ago a 10 tons loading capacity was common, and nowadays goes up to 20 tons. In the same way, capital invested in machinery increased; 20 years ago, a standard equipment mix demanded about US$ 500,000, and today needs more than US$ 1.5 million [8,11].…”

Section: Timber Harvesting Production Costs and Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As firms have increased their capital investment, average production per dollar invested has declined. Annual production per $1000 invested declined from 200 tons in 1987 to 140 tons in 2012 [8]. Loggers must remain profitable to remain in business and continue investing in their businesses.…”

Section: Timber Harvesting Production Costs and Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Timber Harvesting Production, Costs, Innovation, and Capacity in the Southern Cone and the U.S. South

Donagh¹,

Roll²,

Hahn³

et al. 2019

Timber Buildings and Sustainability

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We performed research in the Southern Cone of South America and in North Carolina USA that examined logging production, costs, innovation, and capacity. We compare the findings of this timber harvesting research up until 2015 between South America and the U.S. South, and draw conclusions regarding comparative forestry sector economic advantages. Logging production rates per firm have increased, reaching as much as 200,000 tons per year in the U.S. South, and more than 300,000 tons per year in the Southern Cone. Average total costs for logging were generally less in the Southern Cone, at less than $10 per ton for cut and load at roadside for transport, and more than $12.50 per ton for cut and load in the U.S. South. Logging firm innovation usually led to greater production and reduced costs, and focused mostly on improved timber harvesting systems and processes and use of firm performance monitoring, software, and training. Logging sector capacity was a concern in the U.S. South given aging owners and workers, and most likely to come from expansion by existing firms. The Southern Cone had better prospects to expand logging operations due to higher production rates and more favorable rural worker attitudes toward logging employment. Overall, logging production rates will increase; average total costs are apt to remain relatively stable; innovation will focus on system improvements and management skills such as measurement and monitoring; but capacity for sufficient in the woods and transport workforce will be a continuing issue.

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Section: The Wood Supply Chainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Wood Supply Chainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Timber Harvesting Production Costs and Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Timber Harvesting Production Costs and Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Timber Harvesting Production, Costs, Innovation, and Capacity in the Southern Cone and the U.S. South

Donagh¹,

Roll²,

Hahn³

et al. 2019

Timber Buildings and Sustainability

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“…With technological advancements, policy changes, parcelization of forestland, business cycles, and the change of relative costs of factors, the labor force of the logging industry in the world has undergone dramatic changes in the past few decades [1][2][3][4][5], especially in the U.S. [6]. Employment in the U.S. logging industry is concentrated in the West and the South, which experienced large declines in employment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Logging Industry in the United States: Employment and Profitability

Smidt

et al. 2021

Forests

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This study analyzed logging industry employment and profitability in recent decades in the U.S. based on Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI), Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Timber Product Output (TPO) Reports. The logging industry in the U.S. has experienced reduced employment with an aging workforce over the past two decades. The changes might be related to increased productivity from mechanization, combined with reduced demand for logging, but estimates of capital and labor productivity for logging are not available. To overcome the data limitation, a simple and cost-effective economic model, Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) Model, was applied to estimate the profitability of the entire industry at a state level. It was found that the reduced demand and increased operating costs led to poor profitability and a wave of closures of logging firms but also accelerated the adjustment in the logging industry. Serious challenges facing the forestry sector include the lack of an effective monitoring tool for the logging industry, structural shortage of logging labor, and rising operating costs.

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Examination of upstream supply chain and logistics issues in the US logging industry

Dogru,

Elmadag,

Gong

et al. 2024

Transp. j.

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Using a mixed methods approach, this study investigates upstream supply chain and logistics issues in the logging industry through the findings of (1) a systematic literature review and (2) an inductive and interpretive case study of Mississippi, a top timber‐producing state in the United States. First, we analyze 45 peer‐reviewed studies examining logistical challenges in the logging industry via a systematic literature review to identify existing cumulative knowledge. Then, we conduct 11 qualitative semistructured interviews with logging business owners/managers to understand better complex and interdependent logistics issues that negatively impact productivity and profitability in the upstream timber supply chain. Performing a comparative analysis of the systematic literature review results and interview findings, we propose a general conceptual framework that classifies 25 logistical challenges in three main areas. They are (1) supply chain issues, (2) company‐, and (3) industry‐specific issues. Finally, using an abductive reasoning approach, we generalize our findings by linking our conceptual framework to resource dependence theory, transaction cost economics theory, and carrier selection literature to develop propositions to guide future quantitative research efforts.

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A Review of Changes in US Logging Businesses 1980s–Present

Cited by 29 publications

References 31 publications

Timber Harvesting Production, Costs, Innovation, and Capacity in the Southern Cone and the U.S. South

Timber Harvesting Production, Costs, Innovation, and Capacity in the Southern Cone and the U.S. South

Logging Industry in the United States: Employment and Profitability

Examination of upstream supply chain and logistics issues in the US logging industry

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