Forest Talk

In the search for the most powerful forwarder ever made by John Deere, our Iron Test team arrives at a eucalyptus clear-fell operation near Invercargill where the first impression is that something has gone terribly wrong. 

Says writer, Tim Benseman: “Row upon row of processed logs stretch for long distances. These rows have been here so long that they are sun bleached and foliage has started to regrow around them where they lie in the cutover. ..... more

The latest GDP numbers, which show the economy shrinking in the September quarter, reflect the difficult operating environment in which many manufacturers find themselves, says the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA).

The figures released recently by Stats NZ show the economy shrunk 0.3% in the September quarter, with all good-producing industries down this quarter.

EMA Head of Advocacy, Alan McDonald, says the current economic enviro..... more

Isuzu Trucks New Zealand’s team took third place overall in the recent global technician competition in Japan, outplacing more favoured opponents from traditionally strong-performing countries including Great Britain and Australia.

Known as the I1GP, the event is considered the Olympics of the Isuzu tech world and is a hotly contested annual competition attended by representatives from more than 30 countries.

The New Zealand team consists of Ha..... more

With the marked increase in heavy rain events and the mobilisation of tonnes of woody debris, silt, and other random debris from riverbanks, into our waterways since 2018, warning signs have been placed on Gisborne’s three bridges to tell people not to jump from them.

The signs are on the Railway Bridge, the William Pettie Bridge (Rutene Road) and the Gladstone Road Bridge.

Council Harbourmaster, Peter Buell, says jumping from the city’s bridge..... more

Penske New Zealand has appointed Brian Wilson as General Manager of the overall Penske New Zealand business.

Having joined Penske in early 2023 as General Manager of operations, his expanded role oversees all New Zealand branch operations as well as leading the Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus, and Dennis Eagle truck sales business.

In recent years, having opened new facilities in Christchurch and Tauranga, the Penske New Zealand business i..... more

In the February 2024 edition of NZ Logger magazine, we take a look at a semi-autonomous skidder manufactured by Konrad, together with EcoForst – which manufactures the T-Winch that is already well known in New Zealand. It is specifically designed to be supported by a T-Winch winch-assist – hence the name T-Skidder. The movement of the skidder itself is either remote or GPS controlled, so no need for an operator – and hence also no need for a ..... more