MechLog extends forestry operations into the Green Triangle
Tasmania’s, environmentally responsible forest services company, MechLog, has extended its operations into the Green Triangle on the South Australian – Victorian border. The move involves an investment of $2.5m in new equipment and facilities to fulfil a new multi-million dollar 5-year contract.
MechLog’s Managing Director, Anthony Brown, said that the move represented a significant milestone for the company and that he was looking forward to introducing MechLog’s ‘Forestry with Care’ capabilities to a new market.
“It has always been MechLog’s intention to expand the business into mainland markets; and while we will continue to operate from Tasmania, we anticipate industry growth to be more rapid in mainland states,” Mr brown said.
“The expansion involves significant investment that will pay dividends for our existing Tasmanian operations. The ability to offer staff career opportunities and to relocate staff to meet client needs is one of the softer but important benefits of the move,” Mr Brown added.
“Over the next few months we will be advertising for operators, supervisors, and mechanics. We will start with a new operations manager to supervise MechLog’s Green Triangle operations. Overall, the new contract will involve increasing our workforce by nine employees. Further downstream employment from our suppliers and service providers is also a possibility.
“We are also close to signing a lease on a new workshop, where we will be able to maintain our own equipment as well as offer mechanical services to other operators.
“We believe that MechLog’s philosophy of adhering to our ‘Forestry with Care’ approach to forest practices ultimately helped us win the contract. Forest owners realise that taking a more sustainable approach to managing our natural resources has both financial and environmental benefits. MechLog has been championing this philosophy since we commenced operations in 1994. It involves sourcing and using low impact machinery and developing our own training programmes so operators can be more aware of how to harvest a forest while minimising the impact on the environment.
“We view the Green Triangle as a region where we can expand MechLog further over the next decade. The area extends to six million hectares in South Australia’s south east and crosses the border into south west Victoria. It is Australia’s largest plantation and wood processing zone. The area occupies 10 percent of the region. The forest industry in the Green Triangle is also a major component of the regional economy, which is why MechLog first identified its growth potential in 2012.
“This is an exciting time for MechLog. We favour organic, sustainable growth as a business model and view our expansion into the Green Triangle as the first step into establishing our Tasmanian offering as a national operation,” Mr Brown said.
In 2012, the Green Triangle accounted for more than 355,000 hectares of sustainable plantation timber, made up of 50 percent softwood and 50 percent hardwood, equating to approximately 17 percent of Australia’s plantation estate. According to Regional Development Australia, approximately 8,000 people, or 23 percent of the employed population, are currently employed by the plantation and wood processing industry in the cross-border region.
MEDIA NOTES: Mechanised Logging Pty Limited (MechLog) is an Australian forestry services company that commenced operations in 1994. Since that time, the company has established its brand and its ‘Forestry with Care’ approach to industry practices as a respected services provider to the sector. Over the years, MechLog has kept pace with the latest technology and forestry practices. By embracing the changes within the industry, adopting new technologies, and maintaining a fleet of modern equipment, MechLog has built a successful sustainable business, and created greater efficiencies and productivity to meet the requirements of their clients and the demands of the end-users.
Media contact: Mark Wells +61 414 015 966
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