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Logging expo returns to Escanaba

ESCANABA — One of the forest products industry’s largest events in the Midwest returns to Escanaba today. The 74th Annual Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo will be held at the U.P. State Fairgrounds Sept. 5-7.

“It really got started as a fundraiser for the association,” Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA) Executive Director Henry Schienebeck said of this event.

The expo was initially a small logging show. Schienebeck said he believes it ended up becoming the major event it is today due to the increasing prominence of the forest products industry over the years.

“The industry just kind of kept growing,” he said.

Recently, the event has alternated between being held in Escanaba and sites in Wisconsin; for 2018, the expo was held at the Sunnyview Expo Center in Oshkosh, Wis. Previous expo sites have included locations in Green Bay and Marquette, but Schienebeck said the show’s growth and changes made to these sites have made them less suitable for the event.

Though attendance at the expo has fluctuated over the years, Schienebeck said that — unlike some other industry events — its future has never been in question.

“It’s a very well-attended show,” he said.

According to Schienebeck, the show’s continued appeal lies in the fact that it gives people in the area’s forest products industry a valuable opportunity to learn about new equipment and network with others in the industry.

As of last Friday, Schienebeck said more than 350 exhibitors were set to appear at the show, showing off log splitters, portable sawmills, compact tractors and logging equipment, wood/pellet stoves and much more. Exhibitors will be located in both indoor and outdoor spaces on the fairgrounds.

While many of the vendors present at the expo will be returning to the event, some will be making their first appearance at the show in 2019. New vendors for this year’s expo are set to include Blahnik Sandblasting, Gary’s Collision Center, Hammerhead Attachments and Royal Truck & Trailer, among others.

Demonstrations are also an important part of the Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo. The event is expected to feature demos of chainsaws, wood-carving, processors and more.

Competitions will be held during the expo, as well. On Friday, these will include the Lincoln Log loader competition, the Komatsu forwarder competition, a bowling pin toss and a Michigan-versus-Wisconsin tug of war match.

Schienebeck said the GLTPA is glad to be returning to Delta County for this year’s expo.

“We’re very happy to hold it in Escanaba,” he said, noting that people and organizations in the area have gone out of their way to support the event.

The Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. There is a fee for admission. For more information, visit www.gltpa.org.

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