July 2023
LIVINGSTON, Texas – John Brockner, 31, didn’t get into the woods by exactly a straight line, but that’s okay with him. All that matters is that he’s here now. Having been exposed to an incredibly strong work ethic from a young age, Brockner values doing things with his hands. After heading from his native Louisiana to Houston for auto body training in 2010, he says he needed some extra gas money.
Inside This Issue
COVER: JWB Logging Stands Tall In Texas
LIVINGSTON, Texas – John Brockner, 31, didn’t get into the woods by exactly a straight line, but that’s okay with him. All that matters is that he’s here now. Having been exposed to an incredibly strong work ethic from a young age, Brockner values doing things with his hands. After heading from his native Louisiana to Houston for auto body training in 2010, he says he needed some extra gas money.
Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Editor, Southern Loggin’ Times
SOUTHERN STUMPIN': Kids’ Stuff
Meet Stephanie Fuller, 26, Director of Promotions and Economic Development for the Forest Workforce Training Institute, a nonprofit organization that started in Alabama in 2018. Stephanie is also a published author; she wrote Lucy Meets a Logger and its follow-ups, a series of children’s books aimed at teaching kids about the forest products industry.
Article by David Abbott, Managing Editor, Southern Loggin’ Times
Simple Man
LAURENS, South Carolina – If an author, an artist or a Hollywood moviemaker tried to create a fictional character designed to represent the archetypical classic southern logger, what they came up with probably wouldn’t look so different from Mark Abercrombie, 62. The owner of W.D. Abercrombie Logging, LLC, is a fourth generation logger who’s never done anything else; he grew up in the business passed down to him from his dad, granddad and great granddad.
Article by David Abbott, Managing Editor, Southern Loggin’ Times
SLT Scrapbook
Vintage clips from the archives of SLT’s 50+ years. Follow SLT on Facebook to see some old clippings.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Felling, Processing, Etc.
EDITOR’S NOTE: SLT invited manufacturers of feller-buncher/harvester saw heads, processor heads and all related components to submit material describing their products.
- John Deere
- Ponsse
- Quadco
- Wallingford’s Inc.
- Waratah
BULLETIN BOARD
Our Best Leisure Selections From Our Not-So-Sharp Minds
FROM THE BACKWOODS PEW: Culverts
Certainly, this is a topic that is near the forefront of every seminary’s curriculum. What is a culvert, and how can it be used to further God’s Kingdom? Of course, we all know what a culvert is, and have driven over them daily for as long as we have been riding in the horseless carriage.
Bradley Antill is a forester and author. Excerpted from Bibles, Beavers, and Big Timber.
INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP
- As We See It: Loggers, Truckers Provide Critical Connections
- Paper Markets Going Through Big Changes
- Huber Landing Next OSB Mill In Southeast
- Conway CLT Plant Is Back On Track
- Caribou Purchases StumpGeek Software
- International Names Waters Top Dealer
- Adamres Plans Housing Factory In Georgia
- Ponsse Looks Ahead To Fossil-Free Steel
SAFETY FOCUS
MACHINES-SUPPLIES-TECHNOLOGY
- Air Burner’s CharBoss
- Ponsse Global ERP
- Rottne E-Cabin
JWB Logging Stands Tall In Texas
Article by Jessica Johnson, Senior Editor, Southern Loggin’ Times
LIVINGSTON, Texas – John Brockner, 31, didn’t get into the woods by exactly a straight line, but that’s okay with him. All that matters is that he’s here now. Having been exposed to an incredibly strong work ethic from a young age, Brockner values doing things with his hands. After heading from his native Louisiana to Houston for auto body training in 2010, he says he needed some extra gas money. Luckily for him, his aunt and uncle ran a logging crew in east Texas and they took him on washing trucks and doing some mechanic work. Over Christmas, he decided he needed a little more gas money, so he wanted to go out into the woods to run a saw.
That decision changed his life.
But first, his uncle asked him the critical question: had he ever run a saw before? Brockner had a quick answer: “No, but I don’t think anyone knows how to do something until they do it.” So, he went out there and tried it. And he loved it. After cutting logs with a saw for a few years, he migrated to running equipment. Though he knew he loved it, he admits he tried out oilfield work to chase “bigger and better,” but came right back to the woods after a year. He hasn’t left again since.
After the passing of his uncle, Brockner made the choice to strike out on his own, when his aunt decided she didn’t want to continue the business. He purchased a feller-buncher, skidder and loader from her to start JWB Logging in 2017. Brockner soon secured a contract with Steely Lumber Co., where his uncle was contracted, and he still logs for that mill to this day. “We have a great relationship with Steely,” the logger asserts. “When I started on my own, they said they would take me on a probationary period to see how I’d do. I guess I did pretty well,” he laughs.
The 748L-II skidder, a 2023 model, is the newest piece on Brockner’s job.
From left, John Brockner, Randy Valderez, Virgil Proctor, Jody Currie, Guillermo Mejia and James Carter
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