virginia’s logging workforce preliminary results of the
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Virginia’s Logging Workforce Preliminary Results of the 2014 SHARP
Logger Survey
Scott Barrett Extension Specialist - Forest Operations
Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
College of Natural Resources and Environment
Virginia’s SHARP Logger Survey Provides Characteristics of
Virginia’s logging operations
Logging business owners attitudes about the future
Provides data that allows us to track changes over time
Virginia’s SHARP Logger Survey
Virginia is a diverse state Operations vary substantially and survey data allows
us to make generalizations by regions to describe the logging workforce
Surveys provide a lot of data 2014 survey data is still preliminary
Virginia’s SHARP Logger Survey
Virginia’s SHARP Logger Survey Mail Survey of all VA SHARP loggers Two parts, one for all SHARP Loggers,
one for Logging Business Owners Conducted in 3rd and 4th Quarter 2014 Second comprehensive Virginia logger
survey Previous survey was completed in 2009 Worked with Chad Bolding and John
Munsell Presented some of the results at the
2010 VLA meeting
2014 Survey Response Rates 1600 Questionnaires
mailed to all current SHARP Loggers
847 responses 53% response rate 46% (385) Logging
Business Owners
Lee
Wise
Scott
Dickenson
Washington
Russell
Buchanan
Tazewell
Smyth
Grayson
Bland
Wythe
Carroll
Giles
Pulaski
Montgomery
Floyd
Patrick
Craig
Roanoke
Franklin
Henry
Pittsylvania
Bedford
Botetourt
Alleghany
Bath
Rockbridge
Amherst
Campbell
Halifax
Mecklenburg
Charlotte
Appomattox
Buckingham
Nelson
Augusta
Highland
Rockingham
Albemarle
Fluvanna
Greene Orange
Louisa
Madison
Page
Shenandoah
Frederick Clarke
Warren
Culpeper
Rappahannock
Fauquier
Loudon
Fairfax
Prince William
Stafford
Spotsylvania
Caroline
King George
Hanover
Lunenburg
Suffolk
Surry
Prince Edward Nottoway
Amelia
Powhatan
Dinwiddie
Prince George
Chesterfield
Hampton
Portsmouth
Mountains (100) Piedmont (185) Coastal Plain (67) Virginia county not specified (33)
2014 Business Owner Responses by Region
Operational Differences by Region Mountain operations tend to have lower production levels Often use manual felling (89%) & cable skidders (48%) Primarily hardwood production (82%) Fewer businesses with multiple crews (6%)
Piedmont is a transitional region, often more like Coastal Plain Manual felling (30%), Grapple Skidder (78%) 16 % multiple crew businesses
Coastal Plain operations typically have the highest production Predominantly Mechanized felling & skidding (91%) Primarily Pine Production 27% multiple crew businesses
Average Number of Crews per Business
1.05 1.12
1.43
1.09 1.2
1.47
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Crew
s / B
usin
ess
2009 2014
Average Production Rates by Region Average Loads / Crew / Week Average Tons / Business / Week
11.0
22.2
32.2
10.9
25.8
38.8
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Load
s / C
rew
/ W
eek
2009 2014
249
675
1336
262
904
1500
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Tons
/ B
usin
ess /
Wee
k
2009 2014
Number of Workers per Crew
2.79
3.26
4.21
2.77
3.29
4.09
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
2009 2014
What would you estimate is the total current value for all logging equipment used for producing wood (roundwood and chips) on your harvesting operations NOT including trucks & trailers? dollars
$244,880
$473,804
$748,083
$0
$100,000
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$600,000
$700,000
$800,000
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Average Current Value of Logging Equipment (Excluding Trucks)
In the past year has your total production increased, decreased, stayed about the same?
26%
35%
45%
58% 57%
48%
16%
8% 7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Increased Stayed the Same Decreased
Production levels for all logging businesses (tons/ week/business) A lot of smaller operations with relatively low
production
How much production do the larger operations account for? Businesses sorted by region (Mt., Pied., Coastal) Sorted by weekly production level (tons) Production level divided into thirds Production for each “third” of businesses / total
production reported by region (tons ) So how much production do the “top third” of
businesses account for in each region?
Percent of total estimated production (tons/week) produced by upper 1/3 of businesses (based on reported production)
66.5% 72.5%
68.3% 68.1% 75.1%
69.3%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal
2009 2014
24.9%
22.0% 22.7% 23.2%
19.7%
22.7%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal
2009 2014
Percent of total estimated production (tons/week) produced by middle 1/3 of businesses (based on reported production)
8.6%
5.5%
9.0% 8.7%
5.2%
7.9%
0.0%
1.0%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
8.0%
9.0%
10.0%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal
2009 2014
Percent of total estimated production (tons/week) produced by lower 1/3 of businesses (based on reported production)
What percent of the timber that you harvested in the past year came from the following sources? (Should total 100%) Timber I bought or negotiated_____% Contract logging of timber bought by someone else_____%
81%
64% 60%
19%
37% 41%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Timber I bought or negotiated Contract logging
What percentage of the timber you bought in the past year came from the following 3 types of sales? (Should total 100% ) Lump sum timber sale_____% Cut on “shares” (landowner receives a set percentage of delivered price received as tract is harvested)_____% Per Unit/ Pay as cut sales (landowner receives a set price per ton/MBF for each ton/MBF as tract is harvested) ___%
21%
31% 31%
65%
42%
13% 12%
27%
51%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Lump Sum Cut on Shares Per Unit / Pay as Cut
Does your company use contract trucking? (Circle One) Yes No
15%
33%
57%
19%
35%
62%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
2009 2014
34%
16%
11% 11%
28%
38%
19%
10% 13%
19%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1-25% 26-50% 51-75% 75-99% 100%
2009 2014
Does your company use contract trucking? (Circle One) Yes No
If YES, what % do contractors haul? (Circle One) 1-25% 26-50% 51-75% 75-99% 100%
Do you currently have markets for biomass (fuel chips) in your area?
8%
37% 38%
54%
68% 64%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
2009 2014
Do you currently harvest fuel chips?
2%
18%
10% 8%
34%
28%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
2009 2014
Average Business Owner Age
48.7 51.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Age (
Year
s)
2009 2014
48.4 49.1 47.6 50.4 51.9 50.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Mountains Piedmont Coastal
Age (
Year
s)
2009 2014
86% 81% 91%
14% 19% 9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Yes No
Do you expect to be operating your logging business in 5 years?
If you plan on being in operation in 5 years, do you expect your production to be more, about the same, or less?
35%
43%
50%
62%
53%
46%
3% 4% 4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
More Same Less
Does your company use any of the following technologies? (Circle ALL that apply) Global Positioning System (GPS) Computer mapping Internet E-mail
19% 14%
43% 43%
27% 22%
51% 53%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
GPS Computer Mapping Internet E-Mail
2009 2014
Virginia Loggers Association
Awareness of Associations 90.6%
32.0%
85.8%
26.1%
90.7%
26.0%
85.5%
23.1%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Aware of VLA VLA Member Aware of VFA VFA Member
2009 2014
How do you get information on current events or legislative issues facing the logging industry?(Circle ALL that apply) Trade Magazine (Southern Logging Times, etc.) Associations (ALC, VLA, VFA, VFPA) Word of mouth Internet Company Forester Don’t look for it
66% 61%
31% 31%
18%
5%
58% 59%
25% 28%
25%
5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Word of Mouth Trade Magazines Associations CompanyForester
Internet Don't Look for it
2009 2014
Percent of Logging Business Owners Indicating VLA Membership
17%
36%
48%
11%
31%
43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
% of Business Owners 2009 % of Business Owners 2014
Non-Members VLA Members Crews Per Business 1.1 1.5 Loads Per Crew 18 39 Tons / Week / Business 503 1736 Est. Value of Logging Equipment
$293,793 $907,566
What do VLA Members look like compared to the rest of the Loggers?
Non-members VLA Members GPS 21% 42% Internet 47% 63% E-mail 49% 66% Computer mapping 18% 34%
Does your company use any of the following technologies? (Circle ALL that apply) Global Positioning System (GPS) Computer mapping Internet E-mail
What do VLA Members look like compared to the rest of the Loggers?
Logging Business Owner Attitudes We included a section in the questionnaire to measure
owners’ attitudes on issues and topics that we often hear as concerns or issues related to logging operations.
Owners were provided a statement and then asked to rank their level of agreement with the statements using the following scale:
strongly disagree – disagree – neutral - agree - strongly agree
There is a shortage of qualified truck drivers / trucking contractors needed to transport wood from my operation. There is a shortage of qualified logging equipment operators needed to run equipment on my logging operation.
48% 51%
82%
54% 53%
63%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree
Driver Shortage Equipment operator shortage
I am confident that new biomass markets will provide stable long term markets for wood.
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%
StronglyDisagree
Disagree Neutral Agree StronglyAgree
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
41% 43%
50%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree
Biomass markets have benefitted my business.
20%
36%
57%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%
StronglyDisagree
Disagree Neutral Agree StronglyAgree
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
The outlook is positive for the logging industry in VA
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
StronglyDisagree
Disagree Neutral Agree StronglyAgree
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
63% 65%
76%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain
Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree
Virginia’s Logging Businesses Average production rates generally increased from
2009-2014 Many logging businesses in Virginia appear to be
getting larger and more productive, especially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain
Many operations have responded to changing markets by adding chippers to utilize logging residues for energy
Most plan to either stay the same or increase production over the next 5 years
Fewer operations that expect to decrease production
Virginia’s Logging Businesses There are always challenges Average age of owners is increasing Finding drivers and equipment
operators is a challenge for many Outlook is positive among most
business owners With strong markets, logging
businesses will continue to find ways to succeed and produce the products needed for the future
Virginia’s Logging Workforce Preliminary Results of the 2014 SHARP
Logger Survey
Scott Barrett Extension Specialist - Forest Operations
Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
College of Natural Resources and Environment
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