Ilsa Minor | Daily Press Guests of the Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo make their way through the outdoor exhibits. This week marks the 77th expo, which alternates between Escanaba and locations in Wisconsin.

ESCANABA — The 77th Annual Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo, hosted by Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA), has been in Escanaba since Thursday and wraps up today at 1 p.m. Hundreds of vendors, sponsors, and exhibitors are on the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds to connect and enjoy the event, activities, and industry equipment and merchandise.

Forest professionals have different challenges today than they did 100 years ago. At the expo on Friday, GLTPA Director Henry Schienebeck described many members of the organization as adaptive.

“They’re changing how they operate, because they’re very inventive,” he said. “Most of them are self-employed, so if timber is down, they need to find something else to do.”

With job security a necessary concern, Schienebeck explained that some people also work construction or find other ways to utilize their equipment. Another adjustment during a market “slump” is to develop new products and services, which may be an attainable goal for existing companies and startups. Twenty-nine new vendors are in attendance at the expo this year, and though not all are directly involved in timber production, some are using modern technology to diversify their offerings.

Katie Paremski of Backwoods DCB — which stands for Dip-Cut-Burn — occupies a large outdoor space to host her wares, artwork on various materials. Many of her creations are etched on wood, but others make use of metal and faux leather. Standing apart from the enormous, heavy logging equipment that towers nearby is a gleaming motorcycle with an intricate design on the body, an example of the possibilities Backwoods DCB can produce via hydro dipping, while laser-engraved wooden plaques and more are on display in a walk-in trailer.

Inside the Ruth Butler Building (RBB), a computer numerical control (CNC) router buzzes busily, carving pre-programmed designs on pieces of wood while Terry Tichenor, manufacturing manager at Digital Wood Carver, talks with interested passersby. The Indiana-based company produces and sells the machinery itself, while Backwoods DCB and other vendors on-site sell end products.

Though the event and the hosting association have “Great Lakes” in their names, attendees came from outside the Midwest, too. The Northern Logger and Timber Processor magazine is produced by the Northeastern Loggers’ Association and based in the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

Cooperation throughout the industry is evidenced by the event’s networking opportunities and partnerships. The annual expo — which alternates between Wisconsin and Michigan locations — is the GLTPA’s main fundraising event. This year’s sponsors — without whom the event would not be possible — include Fabick (major sponsor in 2023), Ponsse (kickoff event), Roland Machinery partnered with Komatsu (registration and contest), Scandinavian Forestry Equipment (show info), McCoy Construction & Forestry (social media) and more.

It’s hardly a simple business convention, though. Challenges that serve as entertainment and fundraisers take place outdoors.

BARKO Hydraulics, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary, is again hosting a loader skills contest with donations going to Log a Load for Kids to further research, education and treatment through Children’s Miracle Network and other children’s hospitals. The competition grants participants with the top three scores trophies, monetary prizes and “bragging rights.”

“We ask for a donation to Log a Load, and then for every participant, we — BARKO — adds money to the kitty on behalf of each contestant,” said Parnell Thill, marketing manager for BARKO.

While the winners will likely be skilled operators who use heavy equipment on a regular basis, BARKO representatives on site say that no prior experience is necessary to give the machine a whirl. The layman may not be given hours to try to complete the whole challenge (deconstructing and rebuilding a “Lincoln log” style stack of logs within a marked perimeter), but anyone can climb into the seat and scoop up logs.

For professionals and others, heavy equipment is fun to use.

“To me, it’s like operating a big toy,” said BARKO President Justin Rupar.

But a timed competition places even pros in a new situation.

“That adds some pressure,” said Elisha Brown of Brown Logging after he performed the task on Thursday.

West of the RBB, another competition takes place.

The forwarder operator challenge pits two competitors at a time against each other in a bracket elimination. Operators of two identical Komatsu forwarders have to race to complete several tasks in an obstacle course. The top four operators receive cash prizes, and first place also wins a hunting trip for two. The contest has been part of the expo for about twenty years.

GLTPA returns to the Upper Peninsula in the spring for their other annual event, a celebration that will be held at the Island Resort and Casino. The 2024 Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo will be held in Green Bay.