A photo from one of the competitions at a past Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo in Escanaba. (Daily Press file photo)

ESCANABA — The Upper Peninsula’s history is deeply tied to lumber processing and harvesting, supporting generations of local loggers and their families, fueling transportation growth and anchored in the Upper Peninsula’s economic development.

During the 19th century, Michigan’s abundance of white pine and waterways facilitated a lumber boom, supplying jobs, housing and industry across upper Michigan. This era shaped towns and roadways across the state and region. The logging industry continues to remain vital to the U.P.’s success, not just economically but culturally as well.

The 79th-annual Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo helps ensure this innovation, networking, skill development and stewardship for future generations. The expo was taking place Thursday through today at the UP State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association’s expo is the largest cut-to-length forest products trade show in the Midwest and draws more than 5,000 attendees and in excess of 300 indoor and outdoor exhibitors from Canada and across the United States.

Highlights of this year’s showcase included the best of the best when it comes to log splitters, portable sawmills, compact tractors, construction and logging equipment, chainsaw carving, wood and pallet stoves and much more. The event also featured a live loader skills competition, forwarder operator challenges, a Michigan vs. Wisconsin tug-of-war competition. New this year was a chainsaw racing contest.

Food vendors were also available on site for the three-day event and today started with a Logger’s Breakfast fundraiser for the Gladstone Knights of Columbus. The expo is open until 1 p.m. today to professional loggers, truckers, firewood cutters, landowners, students, families and anyone interested in observing or learning more about forestry and equipment.

The Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo is more than a trade show — it’s a vital annual event that celebrates the logging heritage of the Upper Peninsula, fosters community connections, encourages technological advancement and supports the future of this critical industry. From the horse-drawn log sleds of the past to the high-tech harvesters of today, the Expo celebrates both heritage and the future of forestry, while celebrating Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula.

For additional details on the expo and exhibitor information, go to www.gltpa.org/gltpa/expo.asp.

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Pam Versailles is Delta County Chamber of Commerce events coordinator.