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Column: Logging Congress marks 75th year

ESCANABA — After closing the gates last Sunday on a very successful 2021 U.P. State Fair, the Chamber is now finalizing plans and getting ready to welcome guests to the upcoming Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo – commonly known as Logging Congress.

The 75th anniversary celebration was planned for September 10-12, 2020 but was postponed by the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA) for the safety of attendees, exhibitors, and residents of Delta County. The event was rescheduled for September 9th to 11th, 2021.

We couldn’t be more pleased to have the event back on the fairgrounds and look forward to celebrating the milestone with organizers.

Logging Congress was first held in Escanaba in 1952. The Daily Press reported that the 7th annual event was projected to be the largest logging convention ever held in the Lake States with anticipated attendance of 1,000 loggers.

The Daily Press Editorial on July 31, 1952 noted that Escanaba is an ideal spot for Logging Congress because it is well located in the heart of timber country. The Upper Peninsula State Fair grounds, with the spacious exhibition building, provides an ideal facility for staging the event. And, of course, Escanaba’s hotel and room accommodations, diversified services and the friendliness of Escanaba’s people to their guests are other factors of importance.

The editorial reminded readers that the community should be more than casually interested in the Logging Congress and not simply because it is an event that will bring thousands of dollars to our community. We should be interested also because it is an event that has a far-reaching effect upon better timber management, upon the solution of the problems of timber producers.

There have been many changes in 75 years. The Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo now greets 10,000 visitors, hotel and lodging accommodations have expanded throughout Delta County, there are more exhibition buildings on the fairgrounds, and the economic impact is measured in millions rather than thousands of dollars. What hasn’t changed is the dedication of our community to host important events like Logging Congress where we all have an opportunity to show our appreciation to an association that has made great strides in promoting forest conservation.

Let’s show our Expo guests the friendliness we have been known for since 1952.

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Vickie Micheau is executive director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce

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