PONSSE NEWS The spearhead of productive harvesting English 1•2011

PONSSE BuffalO The new champion of forwarders PaGE 9

TimE fliEs in ViErEmä rEwards for ThE forEsT PErTTi KasTinEn in businEss PONSSE cElEBraTES 40 sEcTor EliTE for ovEr 30 yEArs yEarS Of OPEraTiONS ThE EiNari VidGréN GENEraTiONS chaNGE – PAGE 22 fOuNdaTiON rEWardS PONSSE rEmaiNS fOrEST PrOfESSiONalS PaGE 44 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 1 PAGE 30 PONSSE NEWS 1 • 2011 conTenTs

Editorial ...... 3 Hardware, sofTware and service Hardware, sofTware and service Eight-wheel PonssE Ergo – much expected addition to the british machine markets ...... 4 PonssE Ergo 8w – at home on the french slopes ...... 6 PonssE Ergo 8w – optimal harvesting even in the most demanding of terrain ..... 8 PonssE buffalo – The new champion of forwarders ...... 9 PonssE comfort user interface ...... 10 PonssE fox ...... 11 PonssE h5 ...... 11 PonssE c6 sliding boom crane ...... 12 a logging site in the archipelago ...... 14 PonssE provides cost-effective solutions for harvesting energy wood ...... 16 do you want us to wrap it up for you? ...... 18

Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years Ponsse on logging siTes in the beginning there was a logging site, a hand-held saw and Einari ...... 22 for 40 years Einari vidgrén 1943–2010 ...... 23 Events during the past year ...... 24 for the iron hands it's the attitude that counts ...... 28 Matti Hiltunen – 40 years at Ponsse ...... 29

THe foresT world The Einari Vidgrén foundation rewarded professionals with EUr 86,000 ...... 30 Top-notch motivation at forest machine training for adults ...... 31 onward in good spirits ...... 32 skilled workers are always in demand ...... 33 a pleasant accident ...... 33 hannu's long pile ...... 34 Karttulan metsätyö oy: Getting on together ...... 35 aatto silventoinen: slow and steady wins the race ...... 36 THe foresT world logging Heroes The litmus test of may ...... 38 Veljekset Knuutinen oy harvesting with the power of seven PonssE machines ... 42 Generations change – Ponsse remains ...... 44 Earl st. John – the road from the woods to success ...... 46

PoNssE NEws 1/2011 Ponsse's customer magazine for customers and partners

Published by Ponsse Plc, Ponssentie 22, fI-74200 ViErEmä Subscriptions:: Tel. +358 20 768 800, fax +358 20 768 8690 Editorial staff: Ponsse Plc Layout: Työmaa, www.tyomaa.com Printed by: Kalevaprint oy Feedback: [email protected]

2 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 logging Heroes GrEETiNGS frOm ViErEmä!

Last year saw us celebrating Ponsse’s 40-year history at logging sites around the world. In more ways than one, our jubilee year proved to be important and memorable. Together with our customers, we pulled through a gruelling financial situation and, as a company, now find ourselves in better shape than perhaps ever before. We were happy to witness the improvement in our customers’ business, the recovery in the demand for for- est machines and the cessation of our personnel’s temporary lay-offs, not to mention our organisation’s return to a Ponsse-style way of working and thinking. This was no small deal for Einari. Listening to the customer, a sense of commitment and humbleness before work, speed, a sense of humour and an uncompromising attitude towards work are characteristic of our values. Our operations have always been based on a strong focus on the relevant and an un- wavering reliance on what we do. Even the most difficult of times failed to undermine our faith in a better tomorrow. The truth of the matter is that we love making forest machines! The year has been a busy time for us. The demand for forest machines has been high indeed and the amount of orders in our books reached record levels. North America is the sole market area that has remained on a weaker level in terms of orders as the local financial crisis drags on. Our service business has also been kept busy in supporting our customers in the field. This is evident in the continuous growth of our service operations. Our investments have regained their momentum both at the plant and in the service op- erations. At the plant, the bulk of our investment relates to machining and the automation of welding. Towards the end of the year, we will expand our premises and facilities with an additional 1,000 square metres. In the autumn of 2010, we invested in our service and spare parts operations in the form of expanded facilities. We have now moved used machine sales and remanufac- tured parts to shared premises, allowing us to continue the expansion of our spare parts stock. The Iisalmi Service Centre also functions as a central warehouse for our global spare parts services, and nearly one hundred service professionals already work at the facilities. The new facilities in St. Petersburg, , were opened in early summer and the Jyväskylä operations will also receive new facilities for the service centre at the beginning of 2012. Our goal is to keep improving the availability of spare parts in all of our locations and to gener- ate increasingly functional conditions for supporting our customers and providing service. At the beginning of May 2011, Epec Oy’s -based forest machine information sys- tems’ application and product development unit reverted to Ponsse Plc. The transfer enables the increasingly effective development of information system products for PONSSE forest machines and Epec Oy’s intensified focus on the needs of other work machine clients and, thereby, the company’s growth. The hub of Epec Oy’s operations lies in Seinäjoki, where we will continue to generate the information technology used in forest machines. The new eight-wheeled models have proved successful in meeting our custom- ers’ harvesting needs and now constitute a significant part of our order books. The change in the markets has been swift. We have received particular praise for the PONSSE Fox thinning harvester, whose technical solutions have introduced the improvements customers have been asking for with regard to user comfort and efficiency of harvesting. At the same time, the eight-wheeled PONSSE Ergo has turned out to be another success on the markets. We have continued our fast-paced product development and just this spring supplied the market with the C44 crane, the PONSSE H5 harvester head and, with regard to bigger size categories, the PONSSE ElephantKing forwarder. While producing new products, we continue to develop our existing product families and have a keen ear for our customers. To quote Einari, ”We keep our promises.” Typical of the founder of the company, making good progress together with our customers is what we do and what we believe in.

I wish everyone a busy autumn!

Juho Nummela President and CEO

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 3 Hardware, sofTware and service

EiGhT-WhEEl PONSSE ErGO – mucH exPecTed addiTion To THe BriTisH macHine markeTs

The harvester's eight wheels improve its performance on steep hills and demanding terrain. The world's first eight-wheel Ergo operates on a felling site which is located 20 miles to the north of the Ponsse UK Lockerbie Service Centre.

4 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

bobby dick on the left, his son alistair, harvester operator dave wilson, and Gareth williams, sales manager at Ponsse uK.

Nowadays, it is extremely rare to find a six- "The crane operation of the new ma- mill is located only a few miles from Eon's wheel forwarder in British forests, but with chine is faster and smoother, and the har- biomass energy mill in Lockerbie, which is regard to harvesters, the eight-wheel mod- vester head and saw are much faster, even the final destination of the stumps. els have been scarcely available. Only some compared to the previous Ergo," he says. smaller forest machine manufacturers Wilson also points out that one of the ben- PrOPEr machiNES fOr TruE have offered eight-wheel harvesters. "On efits includes the possibility to fine-tune PrOfESSiONalS the other hand, machine development is the crane operations with the computer. governed by the needs of markets that are The Ergo 8w is equipped with a PONSSE Meanwhile on the site, Dave Wilson con- larger than those in the UK, which place H7 harvester head and a PONSSE C4 slid- tinues harvesting in high spirits. The new even higher demands on the machines due ing boom crane with its ten metre reach. Ergo 8w was introduced to him on his to their terrain conditions," says Dave Wil- The machine is also equipped with bal- birthday. Coincidence? "I am a good em- son, a machine operator at Dick Brothers, anced bogies, which are provided as op- ployer to my subordinates," Bobby Dick a company located in Galashiels, Scotland. tional equipment. According to Wilson, says, smiling. Dave's previous Ergo arrived This Ergo 8w operator is undoubtedly this means that the machine is able to just in time for Christmas Eve! more than pleased with his new machine. climb the slopes more efficiently and with Dick Brothers has already purchased "The machine is excellent in terms of its a better grip, and also prevents the tracks its next Ergo 8w, which is operating in comfort – compared to a six-wheeler, it is from rising off the ground even when the Northern Scotland. Ponsse has also man- more stable and able to suspend bumps crane's maximum reach is applied. ufactured an eight-wheel version of its more effectively," Wilson comments. There is one difference between the Bear harvester. The Bear is a significantly Ergo with six wheels and that with eight larger machine: regarding its weight, it is uNdiSPuTaBlE BENEfiTS – the six-wheel Ergo has an active suspen- about eight tonnes heavier. The machine Of ThE EiGhT-WhEElEr sion system for the front axle. The system is equipped with a larger harvester head, keeps the cabin straight on uneven terrain PONSSE H8, and it is delivered with an The felling site, where the machine oper- and eliminates the sideways movements 11-metre parallel crane. ates – 70,000 cubic metres of premature directed to the operator. Due to its differ- "It'll be interesting to see how the cutting that needs to be cleared away for ent design, this is not possible in the eight- popularity of eight-wheel harvesters will a wind power plant – does not have the wheel version. However, this has been grow. They have been available for years, most demanding of conditions, but the solved by furnishing the machine with a but when a major machine manufacturer benefits of the machine have been evident Sit Right seat leveller. introduces its eight-wheel version, it can right from the start. The machine started The logs from the felling site are tak- cause the six-wheel harvesters to become operating in a low-lying wet area, where it en to local sawmills. The site has also as rare as the six-wheel forwarders in Brit- was able to work without tracks. The ma- been stripped of many of its stumps. The ish forests in three to four years time," chine cuts about 500 to 600 tonnes of Sit- stumps are delivered to Dick Brothers' Dick says. Time will tell. ka spruce a week. The trunks are sturdy wood chip mill, where they are first treated but not of good quality. Most of the trees in "drying drums" and then in a CBI Mag- were planted in 1971. num Force 8400 chipper. The wood chip

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 5 Hardware, sofTware and service

Ponsse ergo 8w aT hOmE ON ThE frENch SlOPES

Our French customers have expressed their need for better performing PONSSE machines for sloping sites. We responded to the challenge by developing an eight-wheel version of the Ergo harvester. The first much-awaited machines were delivered to the Limousin region of . The new model is much more than just the conventional Ergo with eight wheels.

EfficiENT harVESTiNG PErfOrmaNcE wet, but it manages well," Frédéric says. type. The driver's Sit Right seat adapts to Harvester operator Frédéric Foucault After he started using the eight-wheeler, the body movements. Frédéric wears the works for Mécafor, a company located in Frédéric has not needed the tracks much. seat belt under all conditions. the region of Corrèze in France. He has With the old harvester, the tracks were used Frédéric Foucault was mostly impressed been working with the new Ergo 8w for 80% of the time. One of the key criteria is by the C4 crane of the eight-wheel Ergo. two months. Frédéric is more than pleased. the treadmarks left by the machine in the The fast and efficient C4 complements the The harvester's eight-wheel feature and the woods: the lower surface pressure of the performance of the H7 harvester head per- positive feedback on the design from the eight-wheeler makes working easier also fectly. The sliding boom with its ten-metre operators encouraged the company to in- in this respect. reach comes out quickly, which speeds up vest in two Ergo 8w harvesters. It is a sign Frédéric confirms that the size of the the work stages. The operating comfort has of trust in the properties and performance harvester is a definite plus when moving been further improved as a result of the of the machine, as well as in the services around the sites that have been thinned for unforeseen stability. The machine has no provided by the Ponsse Limousin team, the first and second time. The manoeuvra- tendency to fall, even if the grapple grabs a who work in the city of Peyrat-le-Château bility improved by the increased tractive large tree of more than four cubic metres. in the region of Haute-Vienne. force manifests itself especially in wet- Thanks to the crane tilt, which turns 30 de- The harvester moves around the steep lands. Due to the eight wheels and the bal- grees, there is no need to force the grapple lot in a nimble manner. The soil on the ancing mechanism of the bogies, its slope movements. The operation of the harvester banks of the River Vézère is extremely properties are good, regardless of the forest head is also facilitated by the 228 kNm lift-

6 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

ing power, 280° turning angle, and 35 kNm The dual circuit hydraulic system of both chine will turn before the bogies rise off the slewing power. models guarantees that the machine will not ground. This, if anything, strengthens Chris- The H7 harvester head enables extremely run out of power even in heavy-duty opera- tophe's impressions of the behaviour of the fast working: this is mostly affected by the tions. A separate 190 cm3 (11.6 in3) working harvester. He has selected the 710 tire size, feed speed that is adjusted to each work stage, pump is provided for the harvester head, and but has not filled the tire with water as he as well as the pinching force that varies ac- a 145 cm3 (8.8 in3) pump for the crane. did with his six-wheel harvester. In the six- cording to the trunk diameter. "I was com- wheel version, filling the tire with salt water pletely amazed by the harvester head's oper- TESTEd ON ThE SlOPES was necessary. ating speed," Frédéric admits. He uses a feed This is not the first Ponsse machine for Ar- The harvester climbs the slopes efficiently speed of 5 m/s and controls all the cutting naud, a company located in Haute-Vienne. and turns in place. These are practical prop- and delimbing stages In fact, Arnaud was among erties also on this steeply sloping site, which manually. The out- "I was completely the first customers and us- is located partly on a forest road. The ma- put, for example, in ers in France during a peri- chine looks small in front of the over 20-me- a spruce forest that is amazed by the harvester od when Ponsse was not yet tre Douglas spruces. The 8w model enables thinned for the second represented in France. The harvesting over wide areas without additional time is 24 m3 per hour, head's operating speed." company has experience al- loading. Approaching the trees is consider- and the maximum dai- so with Ponsse's earlier har- ably easier, the cutting and processing stages ly output is 253 m3. According to Frédéric, he vester models. Now the company chose the follow each other almost at the same pace as is now working more efficiently than before. Ergo 8w especially for sloping sites. Chris- when working on even terrain. The daily output increases by about one third tophe Arnaud operates his new harvester and In terms of the crane, Christophe has only during first thinning, and undoubtedly even specifies his selection criteria. He chose the positive things to say about the new develop- more during the second. The machine is ex- 8w due to its high performance, applicability ment steps. Power is, of course, one of the tremely productive with its 16-litre (4.2 gal) to slopes and economic efficiency. With this factors. Another is the crane tilt, which ex- hourly consumption. This can be seen during in mind, eight wheels constitute a significant tends longer in the front. He also remembers its operation. The crane moves quickly to the advantage. to mention the fact that the crane is installed tree butt, and the easily controlled harvester Christophe is already familiar with mech- on a pivot cylinder instead of a toothed rack. head rotates around the tree trunk until the anised harvesting on steep slopes. Even To top it all off, Christophe thinks that the best cutting angle is identified. The crane lifts though the terrain in Limousin is not as fa- reach has also improved. the tree, and feeding is started. The adjacent mous as the slopes of the Alps, it is just as Regarding the harvester head, Christophe trees are barely touched. The rotation speed diverse and dangerous at points. The size values the great opening range of the rollers of the motor does not decrease during trunk and location of certain wood lots require pre- and knives. He has been able to process a processing, and before you know it, the crane cise controllability. Christophe has mastered trunk with a 92 cm (36 in) thick butt. The op- is on its way to cut the next tree. the Ponsse machines well. When I ask him erating speed, 5.2 m/s with small trunks and The 8w model is 8,055 mm (317 in) long about the good qualities of 8w, he replies "in- 4.5–4.8 m/s on large ones, is also appreciat- and 2,840–3,100 mm (112-122 in) wide. The credible stability", ed. The harvester head never machine equipped with the narrowest tire without hesitation. The harvester climbs the jams – a feature that is truly is sufficiently agile for thinning, but the the Christophe admits beneficial when delimbing narrowness does not significantly weaken that he recognised slopes efficiently and over 14-metre logs. The com- the machine's stability. For operation on certain features of bined effect of the torque and soft terrain and steep slopes, Ergo 8w can Ergo 8w. According turns in place. proportioned speed exceeds be equipped with suitable tracks and chains to him, already the the expectations of even the to ensure unbeatable tire grip and machine six-wheel version felt incredibly stable. most seasoned user familiar with the brand, stability. As the interview starts, Christophe heads and the change to the old H73 model is re- The eight-wheel model is naturally some- directly to the slope. The agility of the ma- markable. what bigger than its six-wheel counterpart chine was not affected even by the steepest Furthermore, Christophe comments on due to its additional tires, bogie and a slightly of tilts. These typical and familiar conditions the design of the front end of the machine longer frame. However, the differences in the used to make working considerably more frame: it can now manage the steepest of actual working condition remain small and, complicated. The interviewee is very experi- slopes. The cabin, which is located lower with regard to the effects on the terrain, the enced in working on sloping sites. According than in the Ergo 6w, is handy on slopes, even eight-wheeler's extremely low surface pres- to this forest machine entrepreneur, it makes though the fuel tank cover decreases the vis- sure ensures superior performance. no difference if the machine is going up or ibility of the front wheel to a certain extent. Both Ergos use the same six-cylinder 205 down the slope. He knows how to utilise the The Ergo 8w has been selling well in kW (275 hp) Mercedes-Benz engine with an machine's stability effectively. Previously, two France. The 8w was not designed solely for output 1100 Nm and a dual circuit hydraulic tree belts could be processed when working sloping sites, but it overcomes both chal- system. The tractive force of the PONSSE Er- on a steep slope, and now three is no prob- lenges with ease: as an eight-wheeler it has a go 8w has been increased by 14% from the six- lem. It should be noted that Christophe's lower surface pressure and guarantees more wheel version to ensure its operation in the machine does not have balanced bogies. He comfortable operation. the most demanding of conditions. thinks that they are unnecessary, as the ma-

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 7 Hardware, sofTware and service

PONSSE ErGO 8W oPTimal HarvesTing even in THe mosT demanding of Terrain

A very effective and ergonomic harvester, PONSSE Ergo has achieved a stable posi- tion in the sector. The effective yet econom- PONSSE c44 ical Mercedes-Benz engine, dual circuit hy- draulic system, sturdy and service-friendly The geometry of the PONSSE C44 parallel crane is designed on the basis of its structure and the best ergonomic features popular little brother, the PONSSE C22, but its structures are built for heavy- guarantee that the PONSSE Ergo will con- duty operations. The new design combines the lightness, excellent efficiency tinue to be the most efficient upper mid- of the hydraulically operated parallel crane, the easy use enabled by the care- range harvester on the market. fully designed movement path, superior crane operation control, as well as the As an eight-wheeler, harvesting with the power and durability Ponsse products are famous for. PONSSE Ergo 8w is particularly effective on sloping sites and otherwise demanding PONSSE c44 -craNE terrain. The Ergo 8w can be equipped with Slewing torque (gross) 31700 lb/ft (43 kNm) balanced bogies to improve its hill-climb- Tilt angle 30 degrees ing capability. The surface pressure gen- erated by the machine is lower than that Crane turning angle 250 degrees of a six-wheeler, ensuring better carrying Lifting torque (gross) 169600 lb/ft (230 kNm) capacity on soft soil. Reach 36 ft (11 m) (H6) and 33 ft (10 m) (H7)

8 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

PONSSE BuffalO THe new cHamPion of forwarders

The new PONSSE Buffalo forwarder is sturdy cylinder-powered frame lock and based on Ponsse’s familiar and reliable so- new reinforced bogies ensure that the reli- lutions. A Mercedes-Benz 906LA engine, able Buffalo will serve you in logging for a Sauer’s hydrostatic transmission and 44° long time. Furthermore, the new Buffalo steering angle guarantee ultimate effi- includes a coloured forwarder display (ex- ciency. In addition, Buffalo’s productivity cept in machines equipped with Opti), a is strengthened by a strong and reliable new cabin air conditioner system and sev- K90+ or K100+ loader, a spacious cabin, a eral other new features that make Buffalo variety of load space alternatives (including easier to service and more comfortable to variable load area), a two-part rear frame use. New additional equipment available and a handy load space extension. The new for Buffalo includes an electric cabin tilt PONSSE Buffalo has new machined front pump, log gate rising, a floating bulldozer and rear frames which have been designed blade, a quick-release rear frame extension paying special attention to ease of service. and a Dual type load space with a quick- A new cast middle pivot, a reliable and release log gate as an option for tilt frames.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 9 Hardware, sofTware and service

PONSSE cOmfOrT -uSEr iNTErfacE

Drivers’ ability to cope at work is extremely important both with regard to their own well-being and the productivity of their work. When designing the new PONSSE Comfort user interface, drivers were moni- tored during actual work and a number of possible solutions were tested to obtain the best possible ergonomics. The completely new and fully adjustable control handles, armrests and switch consoles help increase the drivers’ comfort and ability to cope at work over the hours, weeks and years.

The new user interface will become avail- able in 2012.

10 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

PONSSE h5

PONSSE fOx The PONSSE H5 harvester head is a THe new Ponsse fox overcomes difficulT and sofT general harvester head especially suit- HarvesTing condiTions ed for thinning and designed with particular attention to smooth multi- The new PONSSE Fox harvester combines working with the machine extremely ef- stemming. the latest technology and reliable basic so- fective. The crane has been placed close to The large opening, long front de- lutions to produce an efficient entity. Fox the cabin to improve visibility. Due to its limbing knives and the correctly placed is a harvester responding to current har- eight-wheel design, the PONSSE Fox has wide top feed roller intensify the thin- vesting challenges. The completely new high stability, which makes working even ning of single trees as well as the col- and powerful PONSSE C22 crane has an in hilly terrain extremely comfortable. As lection and handling of trunks during extensive reach and, thanks to its hydrau- an eight-wheeler, the surface pressure of multi-stemming. The extremely fast yet lic movement function, is easy to use. The the new harvester is also extremely low, economical feed and cutting guarantee eleven-metre (36 ft) reach, easy manoeu- making it particularly suitable for soft ter- high productivity under all operating vrability and dual slewing motors make rains. conditions.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 11 Hardware, sofTware and service

all components of the bear are sturdier compared to the previous Ergo niklas had.

Ponsse c6 sliding Boom crane ThE NEW rEach Of ThE BEar

One of the last year's innovations introduced at the FinnMetko Trade Fair was a sliding boom crane designed for the Bear, Ponsse's biggest harvester. We were able to visit to see one of the first machines ever sold, now being used in Skillingaryd in the province of Småland.

A clatter and rumble is heard from a "I have always used a crane of this type. crane, which had the best performance un- dense forest in Småland. Contractor Nik- The best feature of this crane is that the til recently, all components of the C6 have las Savilahti is performing final felling with load remains inside the bogie. This makes been taken one step further. This provides the PONSSE Bear, which is equipped with the Bear extremely stable. I also like its additional capacity for handling the H8 the new crane design. We are, in fact, fol- speed and flexibility. Besides, the machine harvester head, which weighs 1,350 kg. In lowing the footsteps of the bear. is easy to move about because the crane addition to the harvester head's weight, the is so low." weight of the load to be lifted must also be STEady WOrk machiNE "The crane is not very high even in its considered – this can be up to three tonnes. "No defects have occurred. The controls working position, which is why it can be Niklas's machine is equipped with the seem to be in place now," says Niklas, on operated under power lines. This would C6 crane, which was the second in Swe- his break. This harvester model has been not be possible with the parallel crane, den and the third in the whole world. Some on the market for many years, and it is the which has a height of six to seven metres," time ago he was telling Ponsse, jokingly, biggest PONSSE harvester available. The Niklas explains. that if they ever design a sliding boom 24-tonne Bear is designed for final felling. crane for the large H8 harvester head, he It is equipped with a state-of-the-art C6 a maN Of hiS WOrd will be the first to buy it. sliding boom crane. The C6 crane has a reach of up to ten me- "In March 2010, they phoned me from tres. Compared to the C4 sliding boom the factory and said that they are now de-

12 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

all components of the bear are sturdier compared to the previous Ergo niklas had. charles werninger loading pine trunks with the Elephant, Ponsse’s largest forwarder, which accommodates a load of 18 tonnes.

veloping one, so I should be a man of my He has been working as a contractor for over "They give me work all year round. During qui- word," he says, laughing. It is extremely six years, since January 2005, when the Gudrun eter periods, they have provided me with hard- nimble for such a big harvester. Many are storm hit Sweden. wood harvesting. They are a good customer and wondering if buying such a large machine always pay me in time, for example. This is why makes sense. Although the sites are not machiNE ruNNiNG iN TWO ShifTS I want to consider their wishes and don't want to always dense forests, large trunks are al- "That was a good time to start, there was enough niggle over every detail." ways found. When handling them is easy, work to work 24-hours a day if you wanted to. I Niklas is happy to be a contractor in the forest I believe that a slightly oversized machine was driving alone at the time. Now my wife is do- sector, although he admits that "rainy Mondays" will give more lasting performance. Com- ing the accounting and I also have one other em- also exist. Jobs are performed within a radius of pared to my old Ergo, everything about ployee. The harvester is operated in two shifts. 50 miles from Klevshult, and Niklas takes care of this harvester is a bit more robust. The The objective is to have eight hours of operation moving the machine himself using a trailer that frame, bogie housings and, for example, in each shift. Economically, shift work is not that is registered as a tractor. the crane extension, which has bearings at profitable, but it ensures efficient harvesting and "These machines are too expensive for me to Ponsse c6 sliding Boom crane four points instead of just two." better service for the sawmills," Niklas says. remove and fasten the chains and tracks for driv- They are harvesting a total of 8,000–10,000 ing on the road. These machines were not de- a TOrNE VallEy BOy cubic metres of wood every month for Ture Jo- signed for driving on public roads." Niklas comes from Övertorneå in the hanssons Trävaru, their customer in Klevshult. ThE NEW rEach Of ThE BEar Torne Valley. Fifteen years ago he moved 1,200 kilometres south because of the for- ests. PONSSE c6 TEchNical SPEcificaTiONS: "Here in the south the trees are sturdi- Slewing torque (gross) 55 kNm er and harvesting is more pleasant. Life is completely different in Norland, especially Base tilt angle +/-20 degrees because you have to travel away during the Crane turning angle 250 degrees weeks. I think it's important to get home Lifting torque (gross) 310 kNm every night, especially if you have family." Reach 10 m Lifting power with full reach 1500 kp/10 m

christian,hristian, charlescharles werningerwerninger and niklasiklas savilahtisavilahti say that from the machine cabin, the trunks seem smaller than they actually are. Even the butt of the trunk, which is closest to the camera, accounts for one cubic metre of wood and weighs a tonne.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 13 Hardware, sofTware and service harvesting performed on the island of innerstö, off the coast of sweden's municipality, places more than the usual demands on forwarders. Göran svahn of Via skog and PonssE buffalo.

a lOGGiNG SiTE iN ThE archiPElaGO

Logging carried out on an uninhabited island off the Swedish coast poses more than the usual demands on contractors and machine operators. "The harvesting itself does not really entail anything out of the ordinary, but transport takes time and one has to be prepared to take care of oneself on the island," says Kjell Magnusson, whose company Bäckskogen AB operates from the municipality of Hudiksvall in Sweden.

The forwarder drives to the ferry to lift its cargo to the bundling place.

14 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

It is early in summer and an early morning in Transporting machines and floating logs to logs is really long as they have to be driven Mössön. On the tongue of land east of Hudiks- the port generate additional costs and the con- down to the ferry. At the shore, we lift the logs vall, Kjell Magnusson and Göran Svahn are tractor raises the price of a contract by ten per to the bundling site adjacent to the ferry. The about to set off for work in an open boat. The cent to cover the costs. ferry men then secure a rope around the bun- crossing takes a minimum of twenty minutes, "There must be a certain amount of for- dle and it's dropped into the water." so the men are clad in warm floatation gar- est that is ready for harvesting for the har- The logs included in any one bundle must ments and headgear. The well-clothed men vesting to be worthwhile. Innerstön is also comprise a mixture of different species bear more resemblance to snowmobilers than a relatively big island, roughly the size of trees – pines and deciduous trees have to loggers heading to the sunny islands. of two hundred hectares. We estimate be bundled up with spruce logs to prevent the "This early in the summer the sea is still that we will be harvesting some 5,000– bundle from sinking. chilly, especially at this hour of the day. We 8,000 cubic metres per summer during the The finished bundles are left floating in the have to dress warmly. It's as important for the coming two years," says Martin. salt water in pairs, until they form a 300-me- sake of warmth as it is for safety, just in case tre long queue or approximately 1,500 solid something did go wrong and we found our- uNuSual TraNSPOrTaTiON cubic metres (m3). Only at this point are the selves in the water," says Kjell. Due to practical matters, contractors have a logs towed to the harbour of Skärnäs and from good two months to spend on island cutting. there on to the industrial district of , a jOB ON aN iSlaNd "The weather is usually ideal from mid- where the quantity of the wood is measured. Kjell drives his first shift of the day with his May until the end of July. After the autumn "Floating is an excellent method of trans- PONSSE Ergo harvester, partnering up with storms begin, nobody wants to float the logs or portation in terms of controlling bark beetles, Göran, whose forwarder vehicle is a PONSSE ferry the machinery over," says Kjell. even though it's not my favourite job to fish Buffalo. Both machines are ideal for final fell- He arrived on the island on the first ferry, the logs out of the water if the rope gives way," ing purposes. accompanied by a harvester, a site hut and a says Göran. "We have worked together for years, on the fuel tank. Runaway logs must be pushed next to the mainland as well as on the islands. This is be- "Jan-Anders Larsson's ferry is a former car ferry with the help of a steel barge and the logs coming just another routine job for us," says ferry, so although the ride took several hours, are then re-lifted to the bundling place by a a lOGGiNG SiTE Göran. the twenty-tonne weight of the harvester forwarder who has backed up next to the ferry. It is probably quite a thing to spend one or wasn't a problem," says Kjell. two summery months in the Swedish archi- After a couple of days of cutting, Göran dON'T PaNic pelago and even get paid for it. Svahn arrived on site in a similar fashion – ac- If something happens on the island, one can- iN ThE archiPElaGO "It is nice and the scenery is magnificent companied by his forwarder and site hut. not always just call for help. at times. But you don't have too much time to "The most important function of the site "When my harvester had a flat tire, it had enjoy the surroundings when you work since huts is to serve as backup just in case it's windy to be taken ashore, first on the ferry, and then you need to perform work in the usual way. I and we have to stay on the island," explains to the garage. It was somewhat difficult, but haven't taken a single swim in the sea," says Göran. we did get the tire fixed in the end," adds Kjell. Kjell, dispelling any illusions of an idyllic sum- Once the machinery and huts have been And when the fuel tank holding four cubic mer job. readied and the work has commenced, one still metres of fuel is empty it, too, must be taken Innerstön is one of four relatively big is- needs to get on site and away from there once ashore for refilling. In practice, this means or- lands located southeast of Hudiksvall. True to a shift ends. dering a road tanker to the harbour and getting its name, the island is the one closest to the "We drive a boat to catch our shift. Since the timing right. mainland. In the old days, the island was home Via Skog and Bäckskogen both have their own "Spending the night on the island because to a fishing village and a pilot station, but now- motor boats, the arrangement works well." of the wind adds a bit of excitement to ordinary adays it is uninhabited. The trip may take anywhere from twenty life. A forest fire that flared up in the cutting "The island does, however, have a visitor's minutes to an hour depending on the weather area was a more serious incident," says Göran. harbour and a house owned by the company and the wind. When the fog gets thick or the The most likely explanation for that incident Holmen Skog, so we do see people from time wind particularly strong, it can get really cold was that the harvester's underbody shield or to time other than our colleagues," observes in the boat. the forwarder's caterpillar tracks hit a rock and Kjell. "I'm no seafarer. My family worries and al- ignited a spark left smouldering there. At first ways wants to know that I've crossed over safe- no-one noticed the start of the fire, and once ExPEriENcE iS ThE kEy ly," says Kjell. He is also inclined to stay on the the wind picked up, the flames were rising. Bäckskogen and Via Skog are among the island when the weather gets bad. "It took two hours for the firefighting crew most experienced entrepreneurs of Holmen to get here on their boat. But we didn't have involved in island harvesting. That is also why TrEES frOm ThE fOrEST TO ThE SEa any real luck putting the fire out before the they were chosen for the job. The island's for- The final felling work performed by Kjell is ex- firefighting helicopter arrived on scene," says ests have been well managed and this is evi- actly the same as it would be on the mainland. Göran. He is thankful for the one remaining dent in the quality of the harvested timber. "Sometimes you get to see pretty spectacu- summer of logging left on the island of Inner- "Logging in island conditions is both labo- lar vistas from the highest points of the island. stö. Of course, there will be plenty of logging rious and expensive. We are performing final The crew has also developed a good team spirit to be done on other islands after that. felling at this point so that the value of the tim- since we are so isolated. But apart from that, "The team spirit is unbeatable. We are in ber will not suffer. The spruce logs are des- the work is the same as any other harvesting the habit of throwing a nice barbecue before tined for , whereas the pulpwood and job," says Kjell. the closure of cuttings such as this," says Kjell. pine log will be handled by us at Iggesund," The forwarder's job, however, is different. says Martin Karlsson, head of production at "As usual, we collect the logs following the Holmen Skog AB. cutting. Sometimes the transport route for the

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 15 Hardware, sofTware and service

PONSSE PrOVidES cOST- EffEcTiVE SOluTiONS fOr harVESTiNG ENErGy WOOd

16 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

Economical harvesting of energy wood requires effective and productive methods. PONSSE Bioenergy products make the harvesting of energy and small wood flexible and efficient. Energy wood can be harvested simultaneously with industrial wood, felled separately or, when necessary, the harvesting equipment can be moved to be used solely for industrial wood harvesting.

mulTi-STEmmiNG TimBEr WEiGhiNG porting lighter energy fractions, the ex- Powerful technology for the Ponsse loadoPtimizer load scale panded space allows for bigger loads, thus harvesting of small-diameter The PONSSE LoadOptimizer load scale is optimising the use of the machine's capac- trees a solution for weighing loads: it weighs, ity. During the transportation of normal The multi-stemming feature of harvester sorts, saves and manages load data while timber, the load's centre of gravity can be heads is the solution for harvesting par- the work is being performed. lowered by expanding the load space. Hy- tially delimbed wood, undelimbed pulp- The PONSSE LoadOptimizer can also draulically modifiable load spaces are avail- wood and energy wood. The selection is be used as an official timber measuring able for PONSSE Elephant, Buffalo and Elk wide-ranging: all standard PONSSE har- system. Load data and load logs are auto- forwarders. They are always accompanied vester heads of different sizes are suita- matically transferred from LoadOptimizer by the PONSSE LoadOptimizer load scale. ble for multi-stemming, either as such or to the OptiForwarder system. The data can equipped with minor optional equipment. also be saved on a USB memory drive or For more detailed product information, By means of the multi-stemming func- printed directly on paper. The load scale's go to tion, industrial and energy wood can be display unit is fully dustproof and water- www.ponsse.com/bioenergy harvested simultaneously, thus increas- proof. The weight sensor is designed to ing the yield. Modern PONSSE harvester withstand extreme conditions and exten- heads can be harnessed for the purpose sive wear and tear. In addition to PONSSE of multi-stemming, even without any me- loaders, the PONSSE LoadOptimizer can chanical changes. When the objective is to be installed in the majority of other load- harvest a stand's trees delimbed by multi- ers. stemming, the handling and feeding of the Multi-stemmed timber is automati- bundle can be enhanced with the new feed cally measured by PONSSE LoadOpti- roller solutions. The solution also works mizer during unloading, and the weigh- for standard roundwood harvesting. ing can be done by batches and timber When performed with PONSSE har- grades. Timber grade selector switches, vested heads, multi-stemming is based on which can be installed in the control han- the control function of delimbing knives dles, are available as optional equipment. and feed rollers: when the machine grabs a new trunk, the rollers hold the trunks in the harvester head in place while the knives mOdifiaBlE lOad SPacES: grab a new tree. After this the rollers open flexibility for industry and energy and grab a new trunk which is cut. The wood transPortation operator can control the entire collection Ponsse's mechanically or hydraulically process with the push of a single button. modifiable load spaces bring a new type Finally, the bundle is assembled as whole of flexibility to the harvesting of different trees or delimbed by feeding the bundle sites. The modifiable load space makes through the harvester head, depending on industrial wood harvesting easier and in- PONSSE PrOVidES cOST- the need. creases the load volume in energy wood The size of the harvester head is cho- harvesting by bringing harvesting produc- sen according to the size of the timber tivity to a new level, as the capacity is bet- to be handled. A strong harvester head ter utilised. The PONSSE LoadOptimizer EffEcTiVE SOluTiONS fOr equipped with a large opening is natu- load scale guarantees properly-sized loads rally able to hold even sturdier trunks and provides accurate reports on the trans- awaiting multi-stemming. Smaller trunk ported volumes. harVESTiNG ENErGy WOOd sizes allow for the use of smaller and lighter The hydraulically modifiable space can harvester heads. A load scale is recommend- be controlled by operating switches directly PONSSE BIOENERGY ed for the forwarder for weighing the timber. from the cabin while working. When trans-

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 17 Hardware, sofTware and service

dO yOu WaNT uS TO WraP iT uP fOr yOu?

Ponsse Performance Packages – designed To enHance macHine ProducTiveness Performance Packages are pre-selected spare Through PONSSE Performance Packag- wear and tear and to expedite servicing opera- parts kits designed to meet the needs of forest es, Ponsse supplies the market with a wide- tions (these include measuring wheel pack- machine contractors, and they allow upgrad- ranging selection of spare-parts kits. The ages and sleeve kits). Certain packages (such ing a machine back to its original condition. packages are designed for more thorough as scale packages) can also provide older ma- Performance Packages include a variety of op- overhauls and modernisations of forest ma- chines with wholly new features. tions for the purposes of upgrading harvester chines. With Performance Packages, even Our selection, composed of nearly one heads, cranes and base machines. PONSSE older machines can be upgraded to meet the hundred different Performance Packages, is Performance Packages are designed to en- demands of modern harvesting, whether the described in more detail in the PONSSE Ser- hance the performance of machines and to subject of the upgrade is the machine's infor- vice catalogue. The development of Perfor- upgrade older machines to the level of cur- mation system, harvester head, forwarder's mance Packages is overseen by the Iisalmi- rent forest machine technology. scale or crane. based Olli Koljonen, head of product group A forest machine's operating life depends The range of Performance Packages in- design. on a variety of factors: regular service, eco- cludes a variety of means for improving the "The original starting point for the devel- nomical use, the retention of technical effi- productivity of a machine. Some of the pack- opment of Performance Packages was feed- ciency and the availability of spare parts. To ages have been designed so that technology back received from customers. Hence future secure the last two of these – technical ef- which is outdated or soon to be removed from development will also include cooperation ficiency and the availability of spare parts – use is replaced with modern counterparts. with our customers," says Olli Koljonen. Ponsse now offers an entirely new product This ensures machines' future operation "We are more than happy to receive feed- family. (for example, Opti5 upgrades). Other pack- back on the functionality of Performance ages are designed to replace parts exposed to Packages and new ideas."

18 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Hardware, sofTware and service

PONSSE SParE ParTS rEmaNufacTurEd ParTS would like to get the part you need at low cost. of older machines’ working capacity or the PONSSE Remanufactured Parts offer you a Budget Parts are selected particularly with the overhaul of an old classic. quick, inexpensive and eco-friendly way of re- maintenance of slightly older or backup ma- Ponsse’s long history as a manufacturer of placing damaged spare parts. Remanufactured chinery in mind. By choosing a Budget Part, forest machines allows us to provide you with Parts is a service developed by Ponsse and is you can save on servicing costs while also con- an extensive range of Classic Parts from the based on recycling and reconditioning used sidering the environment. by gone decades. Whether you are the owner of service parts. Return the damaged part to us Budget Parts are, for instance, parts not an HS10 Cobra harvester whose performance and replace it by buying a remanufactured part used at a plant and components that have you would like to ensure for years to come or which Ponsse has carefully reconditioned. You un dergone test use in product development. a legendary S15 forwarder that you would like will receive compensation for the returned The parts released for sale are carefully select- to repair to running condition, Classic Parts part when you purchase a remanufactured ed, af ter which the equipment and condition make this possible. The range of Classic Parts part, thus providing you with considerable cost class of each part is separately assessed and includes radiators, exhaust pipes, frame metal savings. As a guarantee of high quality, Ponsse the price of the part is determined accordingly. parts, engine cover parts and cable sets. provides remanufactured parts with the same warranty as new parts. claSSic ParTS: GENuiNE ParTS ThaT arE fOrEST machiNE EQuiPmENT fOr ThE aS GOOd aS NEW fOr claSSic mOdElS fOrESTry PrOfESSiONal BudGET ParTS: uSEd ParTS aT BudGET Ponsse also wishes to serve the owners of old- The equipment comprises quality products de- PricES er machines by offering an extensive range of signed specifically for the purposes of forestry Ponsse offers an extensive selection of used Classic Parts. Classic Parts are unused genu- professionals. The range of products includes parts, which are an affordable alternative for ine parts offered by Ponsse for older machine equipment, tools and other gear essential forest machine maintenance. Budget Parts are models that are no longer in production. Clas- from the forestry professional’s perspective. a good choice if you do not need a new part and sic Parts enable the cost-effective maintenance

THe new Ponsse sPare ParTs and services caTalogue

The Ponsse Spare Parts and Services cata- The catalogue includes new product The catalogue also includes instructions logue has been revised. The purpose of the groups, such as electric and hydraulic connec- for using and servicing various products and new and more thorough, 196-page catalogue tors and chemicals. The layout of the catalogue contains, for instance, tire pressure recom- is to serve customers as well as possible in all has been revised so that product groups have mendations and hydraulic connector selec- spare parts purchases. The catalogue is also been colour-coded and more product images tion guides. A completely new section on the available in pdf format in the SERVICES sec- have been added to make the catalogue more PONSSE Performance Packages has also been tion of the www.ponsse.com site: Catalogues user-friendly. added to the catalogue. and services.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 19 aGiliTy aNd POWEr iN ThiNNiNG

The new PONSSE Fox is a true all-terrain harvester. the fox features eight wheels and a powerful crane located close to the cabin, meaning it performs in the most demanding harvesting situations. be it on difficult terrain or in soft conditions, you can work comfortably and efficiently. with the new fox, Ponsse delivers just what customers were ordering: the best weight distribution, stability and visibility we have ever produced.

The PONSSE C22 crane puts the fox in a class of its own. the c22 features multiple reaches (11 metres using the h53e harvester head, and 10,3 metres with the h6 harvester head) and is quick, easy and accurate to control. drivers and nature alike will thank the new terrain-saving fox.

a logger’s best friend

20 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 21 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years

iN ThE BEGiNNiNG ThErE WaS a lOGGiNG SiTE, a haNd-hEld SaW aNd EiNari

Today, Ponsse Plc is one of the world's largest manufacturers of rubber wheel cut-to- length forest machines. Ponsse has grown from a machine entrepreneur’s dream into an international export company whose operations are guided by the same values as when it was established. The company’s production, R&D and administration are located in Vieremä, Finland – in the same place as 40 years earlier.

alONG hiSTOry aT ThE cOrE Of ThE dEVElOPmENT Of cuT-TO-lENGTh Vidgrén to establish a forest machine plant nificant milestone in Ponsse’s history was machiNES in Vieremä. With a one-vote majority, the reached in 1986 when the first harvester municipal council decided to build an in- head H520 was introduced. It marked an Einari Vidgrén, the founder of Ponsse and dustrial plant to be leased to the machine important step in the expansion of the the late Chairman of the company's Board entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén. The plant was product family from forwarders to harvest- of Directors, started working on logging completed at the end of 1970 and Ponsse ing machines as well. sites in 1957, when he was just 14. At the Oy was established. The first forest ma- Finnish quality was recognised in age of 27, Vidgrén – who had started har- chine intended for serial production was 1994 when Ponsse became the first ISO vesting with a hand-held saw – already em- a PAZ forwarder. Difficulties and setbacks 9001-certified forest machine manufac- ployed 25 loggers, which made him one of characterised the plant’s early years: mon- turer in the world. This led to intensified Finland’s major machine entrepreneurs. ey was not easy to come by. machine development work and an expan- However, the machines suffered from du- A breakthrough in the evolution of for- sion of the plant. In the 1990s the prod- rability problems and in 1969 Vidgrén de- est machines took place in the 1980s. Pon- uct range expanded and Ponsse Opti, an veloped in a local village workshop a load- sse became renowned to competitors and advanced measurement and information carrying forest tractor for his own use. He customers alike in a single dramatic step system for forest machines, was launched named the forwarder Ponsse, after a cross- in 1983 when it introduced the legendary on the market. Ponsse was listed on the breed courser dog that roamed the village. Ponsse S15 forwarder. Built partly from al- Helsinki Stock Exchange, and established Ponsse was first used at the logging site uminium, the machine's chassis made it subsidiaries in Sweden, the United States, of Tehdaspuu, and after a year of use Teh- significantly lighter than its competitors’ France and the . daspuu asked for more of the same kind chassis, putting it in a class of its own for of forwarders. This feedback encouraged cross-terrain performance. Another sig-

2001 1971 2010

22 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 TOTal cOmmiTmENT TO iTS cuSTOmErS aNd ThE fOrEST Ponsse has continued its journey successfully from decade to decade and continent to continent, thanks to hard work and its experienced staff. The 7,000th PONSSE forest machine based on the en- vironmentally friendly cut-to-length method was completed at the factory in August 2010. The three hectares of modern production facilities house an efficient production process. The Ponsse Group in- cludes the parent company Ponsse Plc and eleven subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, France, the Unit- ed Kingdom, the United States, , Russia, Hong Kong, and Uruguay, plus Epec Oy in Seinäjoki, Finland, which manufactures embed- ded machine control systems. Ponsse has a retailer network of twenty-six retailers. The product range includes six harvester and nine forwarder models, a Dual combination ma- chine, several harvester head models, information system products and various cranes. All of the forest machines and harvester heads are manu- factured and designed in Vieremä. Product devel- opment, governance and marketing also operate under the same roof – a fact that contributes to the flexibility and speed of overall operations. The control systems are manufactured in Seinäjoki by Ponsse’s subsidiary Epec Oy. The company’s values and operating methods are based on the original principles of Einari Vid- grén. The customer has always been the starting point for Ponsse’s operations: all innovations are associated with how customers value them and how they can benefit from them in their own oper- ations. Ponsse offers its customers comprehensive harvesting solutions serving the productiveness of a harvesting entrepreneur’s operations. Ponsse has long experience in the manufacture and develop- ment of cut-to-length forest machines, and we con- tinually support our customers, even through the most difficult times.

1969

EiNari VidgréN 1943–2010

Einari Vidgrén, the founder of Ponsse Plc and Chairman of the Board of Directors, passed away suddenly on 26 October 2010. Einari will be greatly missed. Ponsse meant the world to Einari. The history of Ponsse is a story of hard work and a solid set of values. It is an honour for us to carry on the operations of the company as outlined by Einari right from the start. Ponsse will cherish Einari's ideas, and our operations will continue along the same path. To quote Einari, "We keep our promises."

The Vidgrén family continues as the main owner of Ponsse - all four sons of Einari Vidgrén continue developing the company. Also in the future, the company will be a family enterprise rooted deeply in the Finnish countryside. Ponsse News 1 • 2011 23 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years

EVENTS duriNG ThE PaST yEar

PONSSE'S 40Th aNNiVErSary WaS cElEBraTEd TOGEThEr WiTh arOuNd 1,700 guEStS ON 14 auguSt 2010 Ponsse’s 40th anniversary was celebrated in a relaxed mood and the spirit of the 1970s at Einari’s home farm in Mäkelä, Vieremä. The mood was warm and friendly. Speeches were given by Juho Nummela, President and CEO, and Seppo Kääriäinen, Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Ismo Apell, who acted as a presenter, interviewed Einari and Jouko Kelppe, the first ever engineer at Pon- sse. During the party, the winner of the sideburn competition was also chosen. The competition was indeed hairy, but in the end the first prize went to Petteri Härkönen’s bushy burns.

24 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years

EVENTS duriNG ThE PaST yEar

27.8.2010 The 7,000th machine came off the assembly line at the Vieremä factory on Friday, 27 August 2010. Koneyhtymä Randelin Oy received its new PONSSE Ergo 8w harvester at the FinnMETKO Exhibition on 3 September 2010. The special feature adorning the 7,000th machine was its gilded exhaust pipe. Continu- ity and a positive approach are important aspects of Ponsse’s success story: confidential, long-term customer relationships continue from one generation to the next, we have competent and long-term employees, and we continuously develop our products and services.

4.9.2010 The 7,000th machine is handed over to Koneyhtymä Randelin.

ThE SErial PrOducTiON Of NEW EiGhT-WhEEl harVESTErS PONSSE ErGO 8W aNd PONSSE fOx STarTEd. In Finland, PONSSE Fox was the best selling harvester model in 2010.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 25 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years EVENTS duriNG ThE PaST yEar

july Ponsse's 40-year jubilee mood and Ponsse spirit at the summit of Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 m the highest mountain in the Caucasus, Russia 13.8. Open house at the factory

10.12. Ponsse Plc concluded new sports sponsorship agreements

auGuST The DEMO road show celebrating 40 years of Ponsse toured the United States 2.–4.9. The FinnMETKO fair, Jämsä, Finland 2010 2011 July august september october november december January february march april may June

NOVEmBEr dEcEmBEr Japan's first PONSSE harvester Ponsse Ladies enjoying a river cruise, France

1.12. The 40-year jubilee DEMO road show in SEPTEmBEr Ponsse North America Inc. at the Logging Congress expo in Green Bay, the United States

26 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years EVENTS duriNG ThE PaST yEar

7.6. A new PONSSE Customer Service Centre was opened in St. Petersburg. Many customers attended the opening ceremony.

26.–28.5. The SkogsElmia exhibition in Jönköping, Sweden. Ponsse introduced 3.–5.5. Professionals compete for the a thorough Finnish championships at Taitaja, selection of the Annual Finnish National new PONSSE Skills Competition, held in Kuopio. forest machine Ponsse's representatives participated technology. in two categories: Industrial Main- tenance and Forestry Machinery.

2010 2011 July august september october november december January february march april may June

13.–15.5. Expoforest 2011, Brazil 3.–4.6. Forestry Harvesting Demo, the United Kingdom

Jarmo, Janne, Einari and Juha Vidgrén juNE: Ponsse donated a PONSSE Ergo harvester to the Pilke Science Centre opened in Rovanie- mi.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 27 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years fOr ThE irON haNdS iT’S ThE aTTiTudE ThaT cOuNTS

Ponsse still employs many staff members who have contributed to the company's success since its inception. A trio working at the welding shop, for instance, represents a perfect example of the kind of employee Einari liked to talk about: "Our success is based on having the right people in the right places." All three men can boast a 25–40-year career at Ponsse and a few years more in terms of life experience. And still they continue to have a disposition towards life and work that many would do well to emulate.

28 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 Ponsse on logging sites for 40 years

ThE PicTurE Of hEalTh fOr ThE irON haNdS around with bridge cranes. The risk was con- ing and you'd have to start the day by gearing The senior member of the team, Osmo Saas- siderable. Now the frames are welded on the up the iron heater stove. Once it even blew up tamoinen, has worked at Ponsse for nearly line with remote-controlled welder's jig/con- when we ended up throwing too much wood 40 years, Aimo Ruotsalainen for 30 years and veyor sets designed specifically for that pur- in there in our enthusiasm to get warm. Dur- iT’S ThE aTTiTudE ThaT cOuNTS the novice of the team, Kalevi Tikkanen, for pose and the welding is done using a robot." ing quiet periods, when business was slow, 25 years. Although a welder's work has, par- Osmo Saastamoinen's current job is to work we passed the time by making hay for Einari's ticularly in the past, entailed heavy labour, it as the so-called robot operator of the welding horses, among other things," recalls Osmo does not seem to have left its mark on these robot. The men do not frown upon the partial Saastamoinen. The long periods of temporary men. Or, at the very least, it will not be easy transfer of duties to the robot. dismissals and staff reductions in 2009 rep- for you to get these three jovial natives of the According to the group of three, having resented a serious lesson to the whole compa- Savo region to admit to any such thing. None the heavy labour done by the robot has been ny. But in the same breath the trio is mindful of the three has spent more than a few days a relief: keeping up with the competition and of how one has to pull through in hard times. on sick-leave throughout their entire careers. running long weld seams is demanding, even A sense of humour is what helped the men The sceptic needs to seek verification from for experienced welders. overcome the most recent difficulties. the supervisor. "For the most part, health is really a ques- It would be safe to say that we are all proud "It's true. I don't think Kalevi's 25-year ca- tion of taking care of oneself and one's basic of our professional skills, say the men. We are reer includes a single day of sick leave. Aimo fitness. In addition to physical fitness, one so-called first generation iron hands in the re- has had two short periods of being away sick also has to have goals and a healthy lifestyle. gion of Ylä-Savo. Nowadays, the region of Ylä- during a career spanning three decades and Work itself, of course, forms a part of an in- Savo is known for a strong competence in the Osmo's 40 years of service for the company dividual's happiness," says Kalevi Tikkanen. metal industry and back in the day we were have included only a few days of sick leave," He used to spend his leisure time skiing committed to making the region the strong- says Ilkka Toitturi, the supervisor of the weld- and on track and field sports, nowadays his hold of an industrial job pool. We didn't have ing shop, and himself a nearly 20-year veteran hobbies include weight-lifting on the national a lot of options around these parts then. If the at Ponsse. championship level for seniors. According to agricultural sector could not support you, you The secret of such health may largely re- Aimo Ruotsalainen, he keeps physically ac- either had to go away to study somewhere else side in the men's positive outlook on life; tive mainly for his own pleasure and concen- or get a job in the industrial sector. something an outsider can spot immediately. trates mainly on jogging. After a little prod- But what is it that has kept the men loyal to "If the job was still similar to what it was ding, however, he modestly admits to having one employer all these years? The small turn- a little more than twenty years ago, I'm sure accumulated some 7,000 km on his bicycle over of employees at Ponsse is not explained our health would have suffered. But nowadays during 2009, for instance, when lay-offs left away merely by the traditionally long employ- the tools are good, air conditioning takes care him with more time on his hands. Osmo ment relationships in the region. of welding gases and occupational health re- Saastamoinen used to play badminton, but According to the trio, one of the factors quirements are followed to the letter. The nowadays he prefers jogging and skiing. which really motivates is the excellent daily work can't get any cleaner than this," claims flow of information. "The staff needs to be Aimo Ruotsalainen, who works on the front TEam SPiriT iS ThE kEy – rEGardlESS Of aware of what they are expected to do and of frame welding line, with a slight twinkle in ThE jOB how the company is doing. Otherwise the his eye. Lengthy careers have naturally entailed a col- pulling together part just does not work," Kalevi Tikkanen, who also works on weld- ourful array of experiences, but team spirit adds one of them. ing front frames, confesses that on many has always helped the men pull through. "Also, one is not too keen to change jobs if occasions in the past one's health was safe- "We did have our work cut out for us dur- he is surrounded by a good crew and attached guarded by sheer luck. ing the early days of Ponsse. At the time of to that community," says Aimo Ruotsalainen. "In the past, the frames were suspend- the first machinery plant, the pipes could be ed on trammels during welding and moved frozen when you came to work in the morn-

maTTi hilTuNEN iN ThE SErVicE Of PONSSE fOr 40 yEarS Matti Hiltunen has worked for Ponsse for thing that still remains unchanged: ”Ponsse 40 years. To be precise, he started working has always appreciated the working man. for the company as a machinist on 1 Decem- Employees have been respected and their ber 1970, and is still a machinist today. The voice has been heard. My sincere wish is duties of a machinist have changed con- that this will always be the Ponsse way of siderably as technology has developed over working," says Matti. time. In the early years, tasks were carried Ponsse rewarded Matti Hiltunen for his out at a manual lathe, whereas nowadays 40-year career with a trip to China and an Matti uses a fully automated machining introduction to the local operations. centre. When Matti started at Ponsse in the 70s, the company had fewer than ten employees. However, according to Matti, there is some-

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 29 THe foresT world

ThE EiNari VidGréN fOuNdaTiON rEWardEd fOrESTry PrOfESSiONalS WiTh Eur 86,000

The Foundation, established to maintain In addition to recognising contrac- The forest industry's recognition was the life’s work of the late Industrial Coun- tors, the Foundation granted four forestry given to forest machine instructors Pert- sellor Einari Vidgrén, who died in October awards and awarded 26 forest machine ti Lakkala from Rovaniemi and Erkki Pu- last year, convened on 20 May to recognise drivers and 20 students of forest machine ranen from Tampere. The award-winners professionals in the field. It was the first schools. The total amount of the awards also included the forest industry commu- time the Foundation presented awards this year was EUR 86,000. nications expert Juha Aaltoila, the news- without its founder present. The Einari Regarding forest machine companies paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus and the Vidgrén Foundation is chaired by Juha and forest machine operators, candidates Metsäopetus.fi organisation, focused on Vidgrén. for the award are shortlisted nationwide marketing forest machine related educa- Industrial Counsellor Einari Vidgrén, by forest companies and sawmills. With tion to the youth. the founder of Ponsse Plc, established the regard to students, candidates are named Einari Vidgrén Foundation in April 2005 locally, by forest machine schools and in- in order to increase the appreciation of the stitutes. work done in mechanised wood harvest- ing. The purpose of the Foundation is to make the entrepreneurship related to wood harvesting better known and to make the mechanised harvesting sector more inter- esting as an employer, especially among the young. The Foundation granted the Einari award of EUR 10,000 to the following for- est machine companies: Koneurakointi Lukkarinen Oy, Varpaisjärvi, Metsäkoneu- rakointi Ahti Hirvi ky, Kouvola, and Metsä Aalto Oy, Yli-Ii.

30 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 THe foresT world

TOP-NOTch mOTiVaTiON aT fOrEST machiNE TraiNiNG fOr adulTS

One of the first tasks of instructor Erkki Puranen, who joined the Kuru Institute of Forestry in 1992, was the establishment of adult education. The task was pleasing to the former timber buyer who had also worked as a forest machine operator for a number of years.

For years now, the institute – nowadays The sum can be considered quite reasonable Quite often the selected students already have functioning under Tampere College – has when compared to almost any other training. an idea of the make of the machine they will be excelled in updating the qualifications of One of the biggest challenges the organis- working with after completing the programme. older forest machine operators. Ever since ers face is maintaining the equipment in up-to- Naturally, students also receive intensive train- it was commenced, the 12-month study date condition. The course must be able to sup- ing on the makes and models that will be used in programme arranged in the form of sec- ply students with modern machines of various the future towards the end of the course. ondary schooling for adults has had signifi- makes and models. At the moment, the course Erkki Puranen knows that when educating cantly more potential students than there uses six machines, with the intention of chang- adults, putting the students' experience and has been capacity for. ing one machine per year so that the equipment extensive know-how to use benefits the entire Erkki Puranen, , who is in charge of the does not age. group. Strongly interactive studying achieves programme, considers the situation excel- The forest machines of Tampere College are sustainable results. Feedback on the success of lent because an average of 30 from a total in very productive use indeed, as teaching is car- the course is collected continuously so that the 50 applicants are invited to an interview ried out in two shifts. The lively study pace runs programme can be developed in the right direc- on the basis of their applications. Only 15 up to 2,000 hours on the machines' metres in a tion. The feedback received so far from both stu- of the applicants interviewed are then ad- year. Students are divided into groups from the dents and their subsequent employers has been mitted on the basis of the interviews held. start and the groups are provided with specific positive. The process makes for a carefully selected machines for the duration of the programme. group of people who are superbly motivat- ed and there have been no dropouts. The employment levels of former students are likewise exceptionally good and they have remained in the industry. The total length of the training pro- gramme is 1,500 hours of which a mere 350 hours consist of theory. According to Puranen, one can master working skills only by working. For now, the courses held in Uimaharju, Joensuu, are in their fifth year. The spare rental premises com- prise only a classroom and service facili- ties, since the actual learning takes place in the forest. The contracts concluded with com- panies that buy timber are of crucial im- portance with regard to the programme's funding. The Centre for Economic Devel- opment, Transport and the Environment (ELY) funds two-thirds of the programme and invites educators to submit tenders on arranging the courses. The rest of the funding is earned from the private sector or, in other words, by engaging in machine work. Erkki Puranen readily admits that the commendable completion of a single course costs a substantial amount of mon- ey, but that the training of a professional forest machine operator likely to stay in the business only costs a good EUR 20,000.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 31 THe foresT world

ONWard iN GOOd SPiriTS

The story of Ahti Hirvelä, who runs his forest Continuous feedback allows the contractor to but according to Ahti Hirvi, training a youth machine company from the village of Survaja fine-tune operations, when necessary, in the still in school to become a forest machine op- in Finland, is quite common. Machine con- spirit of continuous improvement. erator is, in most cases, too expensive for an tracting started with a farm tractor a good 40 "That is actually at the heart of forest ma- entrepreneur. years ago and continued through Pikkunalle chine contracting – being able to observe the and Lokomo to the current PONSSE Ergos interests of both parties. As long as you work WEll maiNTaiNEd machiNES laST and Elks. with an open hand and discuss issues honest- In Hirvi's company, machines are usually re- The tongue-in-cheek Finnish version of the ly, larger issues do not even have a chance to placed in two waves of sorts. Some of the new- name given to the PONSSE Elk by Ahti Hirvi develop. The entire crew involved in the har- er machines are employed for a mere three or is Hirvi (hirvi being Finnish for elk). Friends vesting work needs to have an idea of the big four years before replacement. A couple of old- and acquaintances are fond of remarking that picture and pull together," says Ahti Hirvi. er machines with fewer kilometres on them once Ahti shows up, one can expect plenty of are kept in good condition as a sort of reserve. elk damage. cONTiNuOuS chaNGE Hirvi's employees perform oil changes and Back when harvester heads first appeared in other minor service themselves, but for major kEy ENTrEPrENEurShiP GENEraTES rE- the forests, they represented a major change. overhauls, machines are transported on plat- SPONSiBiliTy Ahti remembers the time when people won- forms to Mikkeli for expert service. Nowadays, Hirvi's company, as one of UPM's dered when the harvester heads would take Three years ago, Ahti purchased a yellow- key entrepreneurs, is in charge of the stands care of 20 per cent of the cutting. The advances green Ponsse S15. His reason for buying the at Savitaipale, Lemi and Taipalsaari. Ahti Hirvi were tremendously fast and these days loggers machine, which was built in the late 1980s and reminisces on how many people it used to take need only handcut the most unusual of places. had been driven for more than 61,000 hours, to run a logging site, whereas nowadays, the Another rapid development that raised plenty lay in timber cut in marshland. Nobody had company receives all data on stands and the of discussion in its time was the large-scale been willing to harvest that timber, not even cutting instructions, complemented with any deployment of measuring devices. those who drove farm tractors. So Ahti bought possible information on protected conserva- "Some had their doubts about the effec- the yellow-green S15 and drove the wood away. tion sites, directly on the computer. After this tiveness of the devices, so we invited timber The light and efficient machine was practical- the overall responsibility transfers to Hirvi's sellers along to see the measuring in practice. ly made for the soft marshland. After the job, company and, above all, to the harvester opera- After we performed manual control measure- the seasoned machine was "repurposed". Last tor who performs the cutting. ments, suspicions were dispelled quite soon. summer the S15 had one job when a heavier These days, a machine contractor forms an This was another case in which open discus- machine got bogged down in the marshes and important link between forest owners and the sion and cooperation proved to be fruitful," needed to be plucked out. company buying the wood. According to Ahti says Ahti Hirvi. "I am not looking forward to any revolu- Hirvi, one must be mindful of the interests of Hirvi has never had any problems in find- tionary inventions and innovations involv- both parties when performing the harvesting. ing operators. Competent and committed op- ing forest machines, because the current ma- A forest left tidy and with plenty of valuable erators have always been available. The work chines are quite good and reliable. When a timber is in the interest of the forest owner. carried out during one shift is reasonable in manufacturer develops its machines with a The buyers, on the other hand, value as high terms of hours, on top of which his company systematic calmness, the entrepreneur feels a yield as possible in terms of the wood types has always been able to offer round-the-year safer as well. Of course, the spare parts and they desire. The buying companies send con- employment. The harvesting of energy wood service side of the business need to function tractors feedback on each and every stand. Hir- and felling waste from thinning sites and so that work in the forests can continue with vi appreciates this a great deal since, according wood from water system areas balance annual downtime periods being kept as short as pos- to him, the reports tell the contractor whether workloads. Students of the field have also oc- sible," says Ahti Hirvi. things are progressing in the right direction. casionally been involved in work as trainees,

32 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 THe foresT world

SkillEd WOrkErS arE alWayS iN dEmaNd

About 90 per cent of Metsä Aalto's logging "It has been my experience that the forest machine industry sites consist of thinning stands. The annual has a constant shortage of professional workforce, particularly stacking speed amounts to roughly 60,000 operators with a genuine commitment to their job. We do have solid cubic metres. The valuable machines cut green gold primarily in two shifts. qualified people, but better salaries in the mining, earth-moving "The advanced technology of forest ma- and transportation sectors are naturally attractive," says Teemu chines is one serious matter. One has to par- ticipate in courses and training to be able to Aalto, who has headed the Yli-Ii-based Metsä Aalto Oy for the optimise the benefits to be gained from the past 15 years. machines. When studying things with an ac- tive approach, they tend to stick as well," says According to Aalto, it would only be fair to be "An idea that one has been entertaining Teemu Aalto. able to pay harvester operators a competitive alone has often undergone an exciting refine- Minor maintenance of the machines is salary, more in line with the substantial de- ment when discussed in the board meetings taken care of by the company, but warranty mands and responsibilities of the job. A call- of Harvest Logistic Oy. Having more minds services and any possible overhauls are per- ing is of course a terrific thing when choosing than one to come up with ideas and think formed by the contractual service partner op- a vocation, but the pay plays an equally im- about targets of development often proves to erating in Pudasjärvi. Replacement comes portant role when it comes to job satisfaction be a lot more productive," remarks a satisfied up once a machine has accumulated some and commitment. According to Teemu, the Teemu Aalto. 10,000–15,000 hours of use. This means that machines are so comfortable and ergonomic Teemu's career in forestry was no acci- Metsä Aalto rarely employs machines more that the industry's attractiveness needs to be dent. His father Pentti founded the company than five years old. increased with other means. back in 1965. In the beginning, the compa- "From the forest machine contractor's per- Kone Aalto Oy, which harvests and for- ny barked logs for pulp and paper mills. The spective the situation looks promising. There wards timber in two chains primarily for Stora first forest machine was bought during the has been a good number of sites and coop- Enso in the Oulu region, is a partner in Har- first half of the 1970s. Harvesting heads were eration with all parties is working well. With vest Logistic Oy, comprising several compa- adopted in 1992. Once Teemu took over the regard to operational development, the preva- nies. The cooperative enterprise, which com- reins in the mid-1990s, the company form lent mood seems to be one characterised by pleted one year of operations in the spring of was changed from a partnership to a limited a spirit of cooperation," says the 36-year-old 2011, has received only positive feedback from liability company and the company adopted Teemu Aalto. timber companies and participating contrac- its current name. tors. a PlEaSaNT accidENT

Pauli Pöllänen, who has earned his living as a ated by Pauli has already accumulated 8,500 not spend much time thinking about his role forest machine operator for a good 20 years, hours of use. between the seller and the buyer. says he wound up in the business some- "Not that these woods were as sturdy as the Although the company's machines pri- what accidentally. When attending a dredger ones in Eastern Finland, but I have had the op- marily cut wood in two shifts, Pauli Pöllänen course, he was offered a job as a forwarder portunity to cut down a tree the size of 2,700 does not perceive this as particularly taxing. operator. litres. But in this region a tree would quickly The morning shift begins at six and the even- "It was indeed something of a coincidence be furnished with a conservation band if it ing shift ends around midnight. Luckily, shifts that I started driving a forwarder in 1989. But would top 3,000 litres," says Pauli Pöllänen. can be switched between operators, a fact after I completed my military service, I really Thinning accounts for the better part of which alleviates the drawbacks of shift work. didn't think twice about returning to the world fifty per cent of the harvesting and especially According to Pauli, work in the cabin of a of men and machines," says Pauli Pöllänen. multi-stemming, or thinning performed with forest machine constitutes the best possible He says he has been interested in ma- a fuel-wood grapple, has increased consider- instruction and accumulation of skills. Natu- chines ever since he was a small boy. Pauli ably during the past few years. The biofuel rally, more in-depth orientation is necessary Pöllänen is one of the fifteen professionals of power plant in Jakobstad is one of the most in relation to new machines. This kind of JP Metsäkoneurakointi Oy. When including important delivery points for the energy wood. training has been managed in an exemplary part-time contractors, this leading harvest- When asked about the positive aspects of a fashion by the company together with the ma- ing company in the region of Southern Os- harvester operator's job, Pauli responds with- chine manufacturer. trobothnia works with the strength of more out hesitation that the independence is one of "This is a nice and challenging job, no than 30 machines. the essential features that increase job satis- complaints there. But sometimes I get the In 1997, Pauli switched the cabin of a for- faction. When harvesting, the operator must feeling that the parties offering forest ma- warder to that of a harvester. Ever since then, make independent decisions all the time. The chine instruction glorify the job a little too he has cleared and thinned the forests of success of such decisions is measured by both much. This might lead to some disappoint- Southern Ostrobothnia. The harvesters cut the forest owner and the representative of the ments, particularly among younger stu- wood at a rate of roughly 30,000 cubic metres buying company. According to Pauli, a profes- dents," says Pauli Pöllänen. a year. The hours pile up at a reasonable rate sionally and carefully performed job has been as well, since the 2007 PONSSE Beaver oper- sufficient so far, and that the operator does

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 33 THe foresT world

haNNu'S lONG PilE to mention service overhauls," says Hannu Jämsänkoski resident Hannu Jokiperä has forwarded timber for Jokiperä. the better part of 36 years. When combined with the fact that Solitude is the only downside Hannu can think of in relation to a machine operator's his employer has stayed the same as well throughout the years, work. The programming offered by radio that spells the correct career choice and satisfaction toward the stations has become quite familiar through- out the years. Indeed, Hannu has at times employer, Metsäkonepalvelu. toyed with the idea of becoming a critic, be- cause it could be done quite easily with the Hannu's career choice was strongly influ- day, since downtime has remained at a mini- help of a handsfree phone while toiling away. enced by his forest-institute educated old- mum. According to Hannu, he has operated When asked for advice for younger op- er brother. He was the one responsible for his current Elk for 10,000 hours without any erators, Hannu says that having some pa- luring the man working in three shifts at a sort of overhaul whatsoever, including tire tience is valuable, even if the work does not Parkano plant to the forest. The forwarder work. seem that rewarding in the beginning. That has been Hannu's workplace from the very The machine's durability and accom- is because the forest machine industry does beginning. When harvesters first entered plishment have a lot to gain from composed not reveal itself at a glance. Even if one pos- the forest scenery, Hannu decided never to professional skills. Every now and then, sessed good professional skills, the mental get involved with these machines suffering Hannu has come across a young and enthu- side requires its own period of growth. It from continuous failures. siastic operator under whose operation even took Hannu many years to decide whether "I do remember the first harvester opera- a forwarder seems to fly. Apparently the guys to continue or move on to other work be- tors being under quite a bit of pressure. I are looking to break records of some sort. fore the forest industry took root. Conclu- watched the cycle of repairs and trials and But a work pace that is too fast is easily wast- sions that are drawn hastily seldom lead to a errors from the sidelines and decided to ed in additional remedial manoeuvres and favourable outcome. stick to the forwarders," says Hannu Jokip- service. The daily goals that Hannu Jokiperä When considering the more than erä, adding that modern harvesters are in a sets for himself do not comprise a certain 80,000 hours Hannu has put in during his league of their own with regard to function- amount of cubic metres or hours. Rather, 36 years of forwarding, it is easy to agree ality and reliability. his goal is to keep his machine intact and in with his opinion. He has put together quite Hannu is happy with the fact that the constant motion. a pile of wood as well. The average volume of company has forwarders driving in one shift "Once you manage to strip your perfor- cubic metres stacked at the side of the road only. A designated machine stays in mint mance to the bare minimum, your results amounts to roughly 200. When factoring in condition when always operated by the same will speak for themselves. Or maybe I'm that his annual working days average 250, person. Hannu is able to pile a nice amount just lazy enough not to be bothered with too one comes up with 1.8 million cubic metres of timber during the roughly ten-hour work- much manoeuvring, felling, dipping – not of forwarded timber.

34 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 THe foresT world

when it comes to harvesting, the men of Karttulan metsätyö have vision and experience. from the left: Esa Jauhiainen, hannu liikanen and ari moilanen.

pany's base at the southern edges of Kuopio is relatively modest. The company also has experience of work- ing overseas, and spent three months clearing up storm sites in Sweden in 2007. There is con- tinued demand on the other side of the Gulf of Bothnia, but operating in two countries has its difficulties. That is why the company intends to stay within a 100 km radius of Kuopio. According to the entrepreneurs, the Finnish forest sector has developed in the right direc- tion. From twigs and stubs to the sturdiest logs, the entire forest produce has always had takers. The large-scale exploitation of the forest, carried out in a sustainable way, is a fact that pleases the Einari Award winning entrepreneurs. The harvesting of energy wood from thin- ning stands has also increased strongly. The bi- karTTulaN mETSäTyö Oy: omass and chip-run power plant set to become operational in Kuopio during the current year will multiply the quantity of wood chips during GETTiNG ON TOGEThEr harvest. The harvesting of energy wood is a chal- lenging undertaking, which needs continuous Karttulan Metsätyö Oy, founded 20 years ago, has development. Ponsse's Dual has proven to be an efficient machine, as suitable for felling as it established its position among harvesting operations is for forwarding. carried out in the vicinity of Kuopio. The company, which performs harvesting for Metsäliitto and Harvestia, also aTTiTudE cOuNTS employs other contractors in the region. Ari, Hannu and Esa have not had a shortage of operators for a while. The area's institutions train new operators, who tend to develop into The company is owned by Ari Moilanen, cubic metres. Last year's record was a fully blown professionals relatively quickly. Ac- his mother Anna-Liisa Moilanen, Hannu 1,200 cubic-metre site. cording to the entrepreneurs, attitude is decisive Liikanen and Esa Jauhiainen. The com- The decrease in stand-size is a source in terms of the development of a new operator. pany's founder Ari Moilanen calculates of concern for the men, since it inevitably An appropriately enthusiastic operator quickly that, in addition to seven harvesters and leads to more difficult harvesting. Valuable develops the skill set demanded by modern ma- four forwarders, the work employs six part- forest machines increasingly often stand chines. time contractors, whose combined harvest- on platforms, on their way from one site However, the institutions should increase ing last year amounted to approximately to the next. The reasons for this unfavour- the supply of practical cutting and driving op- 200,000 cubic metres. The fluctuation in able development are many, but the break- portunities given to students. Relying on trainee harvesting quantities is substantial, since down of forest tracts during estate distribu- openings supplied by the region's entrepreneurs the company has accomplished twice that tions is one of them. One way to increase alone is not a sustainable solution. The instruc- in the best years. stand-size would be jointly-owned forests. tors' practical skills could also do with some The experience of Finnish jointly-owned partial honing, since the machines advance at forests has been overwhelmingly positive a rapid pace. Simulator-based training is sure to STaNdS chaNGE for all parties involved. prove useful, but the downside of it is not hav- Cubic metres accumulate rapidly when ing to explain one's mistakes to anyone. Mis- working final-felling stands. Correspond- takes made in an authentic stand are visible for harVESTiNG ingly, trunks are handled in large quanti- a long period of time and forest owners do give ties during thinning, while the cubic vol- The partners of Karttulan Metsätyö em- feedback on them. umes remain low. The size of stands has phasise the fact that they focus on har- Managing a forest machine company these also diminished noticeably during the past vesting in particular. Machines with main- days requires genuinely multiple skills. Man- few years. Prior to the end of area taxation, tenance contracts do not pose service or agement skills have become a particularly desir- the average size of a stand easily stood at maintenance concerns for the entrepre- able asset, because a forest machine contractor around 500 cubic metres. The average site neurs. The arrangement allows both main- needs to be able to calculate what is worth doing last year was maybe half that size. Ari, Esa tenance contractors and harvesting profes- and what is not. The three-man cooperation of and Hannu recall that slightly before the sionals to concentrate on what they know Karttulan Metsätyö provides the company with change in taxation policy, the largest stand best. Due to good cooperation, the com- the vision, experience and synergy it needs to was somewhere in the ballpark of 10,000 develop.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 35 THe foresT world

aaTTo silvenToinen: SlOW aNd STEady WiNS ThE racE It was the end of the 1960s when Aatto Silventoinen, who grew up in the village of Särkilahti in Punkaharju, took up the forwarding of timber in the winter and the barking of pulpwood in the summer with a Super Major and a Nuffield. That youngster probably did not even dream of some day creating and managing a full-service forest industry company employing some 20 people.

Nowadays, the company founded by Aatto the continuous repair and improvement of decisive importance. Everything from sales Silventoinen has seven forest machines, four details. to service and a new machine deal has to go timber trucks and a tugboat that cleaves the With regard to actual forest machine de- smoothly. shores of Saimaa in the summer. Respon- velopment, Aatto considers it the result of sibility for management has already been joint cooperation that still continues. The iNTErESTiNG WOrk handed over to son-in-law Kimmo Hon- introduction of measuring devices and in- kanen. During the best years, the company formation technology in general was the ex- The longest-standing operators of forest has cut and forwarded some 440,000 cubic cellent outcome of cooperation through trial machines among Silventoinen's staff have metres of timber to the region's plants. In ad- and error. worked for the company for more than 40 dition to the company's own machines, this years. Employee turnover is very low, a fact amount of timber has employed an equiva- that makes Aatto Silventoinen happy. Work BETTEr machiNES lent number of other contractors in the area. with skillful professionals flows smoothly "Back in the 1970s, if someone would have and many issues are resolved before they cONSidErEd iNVESTmENT planned to use a forest machine for a good start causing problems. Aatto Silventoinen purchased his first PON- 15,000 hours without a basic overhaul, it Educational establishments are also ac- SSE machine in 1985, after 's Terra, would have raised some eyebrows. But these tive in offering trainees for Silventoinen's 's Pikku-Nalle and a Kockum. days, a well serviced machine operated by a company. However, teaching a student how "We put some serious effort into fixing up professional easily works through the 15,000 to use a demanding machine ties up the com- our old machine when Einari Vidgrén was hours without problems," says Aatto on the pany' professionals to a great degree. If forest on his way to make a deal on a new forest development of machines. machine operators fresh out of college would machine. But once he got here, Einari took In Silventoinen's company, the low- commit to working in the company, it would only one look at the machine standing in the er threshold for replacing machines is the surely facilitate the obtaining of trainee po- yard and closed the deal," says Aatto Silven- 15,000 hours of use mentioned, after which sitions. That is why a more comprehensive toinen when remembering back to his first the idea of a new machine is taken under agreement on the gain of operations between PONSSE deal. consideration. Once upgraded, the used ma- schools and companies would be in order. Since then, the company has purchased chines have almost without exception found Silventoinen's company has also trained 25 new forest machines, but most through a new user among full-blooded contractors. operators itself from the start. These opera- competitive bidding, to keep up-to-date on Aatto Silventoinen stresses the impor- tors provided with training and a vocation the market supply and cost-benefit ratios. tance that good service holds for successful have agreed to work for the company in ex- The company's growth has been deliberate, machine contracting. Modern machines de- change for training. According to Aatto Sil- if considered. Recent research and delib- mand increasing attention and cleanliness ventoinen, such mutually beneficial arrange- erations include the most cost-effective ap- is a particularly important issue, since the ments constitute a sustainable way of prepar- proaches to harvesting energy wood. Some increased amount of electronics and electric ing for the future. trials have already been run with a couple of valves do not tolerate neglect nor impurities. machines and the amount of wood chip re- "When there is a skilled operator in the faVOuraBlE TrENdS quired by the Kaukaa heating plant demands cabin of a well serviced machine, the likeli- finding a successful solution quite soon. hood of carefree work increases significant- Aatto considers the current timber trade Aatto Silventoinen is no stranger to the ly," remarks Aatto. good in comparison to the operations of advances in forest machine technology. The The company services it machines large- years gone by. As late as during the 1980s, transition from the plywood cabin of a farm ly independently, but there is an authorised one could be delivering stocks up to two tractor to the first machine equipped with PONSSE service in nearby Punkasalmi. Aat- years old to plants. This system created a glass windows and heating fills Aatto's mem- to Silventoinen finds it difficult to go into great degree of fluctuation in both harvest- ories as a kind of leap in user friendliness. Of specifics when explaining his choice of ma- ing and supply, which was difficult for both course, rather than taking any great leaps, chinery because, when choosing forest ma- contractors and forest owners. the industry's development has consisted of chines, it is precisely the whole which is of

36 Ponsse News 1 • 2011 THe foresT world

Tuula and aatto silventoinen know harvesting in the varying terrain of the finnish lakeland.

However, Silventoinen still considers the desired wood types. The contractor arrived at the stables in Punkaharju. And the timber trade to be slightly too weight- remains responsible for coming up with that is how Silventoinen's equestrian hob- ed on the autumn months. In the long optimal logistics between the stands em- bies began. Nowadays, the stables house run, balanced round-the-year transactions ployed and the wood types needed by the ten horses, most of which are thorough- would benefit all parties, from forest own- plants. The plants need to be supplied with bred trotters. They are accompanied by a ers to contractors and processors. a suitable amount of the desired wood type Finnish horse taken care of by the younger Silventoinen, who harvested wood for at the right moment. Sometimes Aatto generation and a pony taken care of by an UPM ever since his company started op- thinks that the biggest stock of timber is even younger generation. Aatto confesses erations, performs harvesting as an over- located on wheels. the horses constitute his only real hobby. all delivery. This means that his company Aatto's dealings with Einari were not Though he does also enjoy a little boating, receives data on the stands to be cut from restricted to machines alone. In the ear- just for fun. UPM and, every week, more specifics on ly 1990s, a pregnant mare from Vieremä

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ThE liTmuS TEST Of may The sun has reappeared after the rain, and the day is as beautiful as it gets when we head off to visit SAC's Viksjö team. The team is performing final felling with a new PONSSE Ergo harvester and Buffalo forwarder on the northern side of Lake Skälsjö, near the village of Ljustorp.

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After the sleety overnight rain, the ice-glazed forest road is slippery, forcing the driver to proceed with intense concentration. "The road is slippery and slushy. The bottom is a little icy, but the ground is not yet frozen. This can happen at the start of the season," says Emil Flordal, who is operating the forwarder this morning. The team started driving Ponsse's machines in May 2008. "We perform both thinning and final felling. While the external dimensions of PONSSE forest machines are quite small, they're equipped with powerful engines and their load-capacities are high," says Emil.

a NEW ExPEriENcE None of the team members had operated a PONSSE machine before, but everyone wanted to test the new forest machines because they had heard they were reliable and efficient, capacity-wise. "Even though it might be a little early to say, given that brand new machines aren't supposed to give you trouble, it looks like the rumours were true. We are happy and content with the choice of machines," says harvester operator Nils-Göran Viklund. Philosopher René Descartes is known for his proposition "Cogito, ergo sum", (in English, "I think, therefore I am"). "If Ponsse's founder Einari Vidgrén named his first machine after a clever dog, does the name Ergo have its roots in the machine's fast, smart and efficient information system? Learning the new menus was relatively effortless and by now their use is easy," says Nils-Göran, whose work efficiency has increased. Although, for the most part, everything has been positive during the first season, one change was effected after the new machines arrived.

mOrE liGhTS "I thought the visibility insufficient, since the crane is in the front in- stead of where I was used to it being. I wanted more lights because the visibility during thinning was poor, particularly to the sides. Lamps were added and after that the convenience of the crane's new location compensated for the poor visibility." "The crane being located away from the cabin creates better working conditions and reduces vibration. On top of that the cabin is roomy and of a high quality. Driving comfort is furthermore in- creased by the machine's suspension, which keeps the cabin level despite rugged terrain."

a GOOd harVESTEr hEad Nils-Göran is very happy with Ponsse's new H6 harvester head. For one thing, the needlessly long hydraulic hoses have been shortened. "The harvester head works fantastically well, it's fast and its meas- uring accuracy is excellent. It's handy in both thinning and final fell- ing," says Nils-Göran. The feed speed, which is as fast as 6 m/s, the 64 cm opening, the tilt's broad movement range and precision steer- ing are features that should please even the most seasoned harvest- er operator. Since the machines are equipped with efficient engines while having relatively small external dimensions, the team can carry out both thinning and final felling."

ThE liTmuS TEST Of may Small BuT POWErful "The machines are small, but they have big hearts," says Emil Flordal, who has pulled his forwarder over by the side of the road leading up to the storage site. He likes the fact that there is plenty of horse-pow- er beneath the hood. He attributes the machine's strength and effi- ciency, accompanied with previous levels of fuel consumption, to the horse-power. The forwarder's load-bearing capacity is 14 tonnes and its engine size, 270 horse-power, equals that of a harvester.

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"Despite the power of the machine, it est opinion is that manufacturers should both dark and lonely. Operators who work is agile during thinning operations. Both come up with a top-of-the-line solution, a in the same team only actually meet each machines are easy to operate and their ge- machine that exploits the best features of other during shift changes." ometry is good. A structure like this adds every forest machine to its benefit, but I When operating a harvester on major resilience," says Emil. don't think it really works that way," says cutting sites, Nils-Göran can't be bothered The forwarder is also equipped with Emil Flordal. to take the trip to the site hut too often. the new Opti information system, a fea- Nils-Göran can be considered a true vet- Most often, he stays by his machine, has ture due to which the forwarder is fast and eran of forests. For nearly 40 years now, coffee and eats his lunch in the cabin and efficient. The antennae located on the roof he has been an interested and up-close ob- waits for the replacement operator. of the cabin conceal a considerable amount server of the advancements in technology. of technology, such as a radio, telephone, "When I started working for SCA, back GPS and CDMA. in 1972, the work was done primarily with jOB rOTaTiON "The information system provides us chainsaws. Even though mechanisation As mentioned, Nils-Göran is happy. He with access to maintenance help through was already gaining a foothold," says Nils- listens to plenty of radio and audio books. a remote connection. The operator need Göran. Trees were felled with chainsaws "I'm particularly fond of listening to only give the number of his machine, af- and delimbed and cut with processors on historical works. It's actually quite a privi- ter which the service engineer can log in site, in the forest. lege to be able to 'read' while working," he the computer and adjust the settings. If "In the mid-1970s I was operating a cut- says. The Viksjö team works in two shifts the case involves concrete problems, such ting and stacking Kockum 880 harvester and usually rotates in operating machin- as a broken hose or the sensors of a har- equipped with a cutter and a hydraulic ery. vester head, the operators can find spares chainsaw. That job was what landed me "Nils-Göran prefers the harvester, in the site hut and take care of the repairs with an offer to go first to Canada and lat- whereas I prefer the forwarder, so work- themselves." er to the United States to teach the locals ing the same shift is convenient for us. "The best thing about the forwarder is how to harvest wood with the cut-to-length Planning the drive when loading and sort- its new loader. The K90 loader is easy to method," adds Nils-Göran. ing during unloading require my full at- use and a real heavy-duty piece of machin- tention. But I can relax during the drive, ery equipped with a big hydraulic pump. which suits me perfectly," says Emil. Its geometry is well-designed and one can ThE rETurN hOmE work without interruptions," says Emil. Nils-Göran stayed loyal to the forest even He also appreciates the built-in hoses. after he returned to his native country. chamPiONShiP mEdalS "The boom no longer gets stuck anywhere "I like it in the forest and, on top of that, In line with the other men in the team, during loading at the thinning sites, which I'm interested in mechanical engineering. Emil is a true logger. can include tight spaces." The work is independent and gives one a "My father was an instructor at the lot of freedom." His guess would be that Forestry School and I knew I want- one must have an interest in the woods and ed to be a forest machine operator, even rESPONSiBlE frEEdOm not to be afraid of solitude to be happy as a though I chose to attend another secondary The entire crew seems to perceive the forest machine operator. school," says Emil. changes in machinery as a positive thing. "Thirty years ago a forest worker's job As a skilled orienteerer on skis and a "We did take part in the discussions was quite a bit more social, but nowadays "conventional" orientereer, he opted for and were of the opinion that trying some- you have to be able make it on your own. the Mora Ski Gymnasium. He was also se- thing new might be beneficial. My hon- Particularly before the snow falls, it can get lected for the Swedish national skiing team

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and his best achievements include a gold and sil- "There have been talks about possible The youngest operator in the team, Nils Björke, ver medal in the Swedish Championships. cooperation with the forestry schools in has also arrived on site for his shift. He skips having "Only after that did I start my basic studies in the area. It is possible that we will form a coffee break at the hut today. We leave the operators forest management. But by now I've worked in a group where younger operators could to their work, in the middle of the wilderness. They've this business for a decade." learn from more experienced machine op- already seen bears, of course, each of them and on He enjoys the forest outside work as well: "I erators. A group which gives one time to more than one occasion. still do a bit of orienteering. I also enjoy hunting master things and in which the efficiency "I saw my first bear from the car. The most recent and fishing and in the autumn I'm drawn to the requirements are not as demanding. That one I saw was some 50 metres away, heading away forest by the mushrooms." would be sensible," says Emil. from me. It was great," says Nils-Göran.

SEcuriNG a yOuNGEr GENEraTiON SCA's Viksjö team has a good atmosphere. The men often try to see each other once the shift TecHnical sPecificaTions changes in the afternoon. The daily situation and events are discussed over a cup of coffee. ThE PONSSE ErGO harVESTEr The shift in question covers a 36-hectare site and Owner: SCA. Operators: Nils-Göran Viklund and Conny Larsson. some 9,000 cubic metres of forest to harvest. Engine: MB OM 906 LA. Power: 205 kW (279 hp). Torque: 1 100 Nm/ 1 200 - "So this is a site where we'll stay for a while," 1 500 rpm. Tractive force: 160 kN. Transmission: Hydrostatic-mechanical says Conny Larsson, who takes up his shift op- transmission, two speed ranges forward and reverse. Electronic drive au- erating the harvester after Nils-Göran's shift is tomatics, OptiControl. Rear drive release. Shafts:Front: a rocking axle with over. Conny lives in Njurunda, which is about planetary gears and a differential gear lock. Rear: a bogie axle with planetary 90 km from the logging site. Working in shifts gears and a differential gear lock. Tires: Front: 600-34, rear: 600-26,5. Crane: usually works nicely, even though the distances PONSSE C33, reach 11 m (35 ft) and turning angle 280°. Harvester head: H6, sometimes make for long journeys to work. The feed speed 0-6 m/s (0-20 ft/s). Cutting diameter 640 mm (25 in), chain speed dark mornings in late autumn, before there is 40 m/s (131 ft/s). Two stationary and four movable delimbing knives.Length: snow on the ground, can be tiring. 7,680 mm (302 in). Width: 2670-2840 mm (105-112 in). Ground clearance: "Of course, in contrast to self-employed peo- 610 mm (24 in). Net weight: 16,000 kg (35 274 lb). ple, we never work on weekends or holidays. But our team's productiveness is good. And we ThE PONSSE BuffalO fOrWardEr do need to be productive to keep our jobs," says Owner: SCA. Operators: Emil Flordal and Nisse Björke. Emil. Engine: MB OM 906 LA. Power: 205 kW (279 hp). Torque: 1 100 Nm/ 1 200 - 1 500 rpm. Tractive force: 180 kN. Transmission: Hydrostatic-mechanical trans- mission, two speed ranges forward and reverse. Electronic drive automatics, yOuNG PEOPlE arE NEEdEd OptiControl. Rear drive release. Shafts: Front and rear with planetary gears and What Emil Flordal is referring to is SCA's own differential gear locks equipped, gear wheel transmission bogie axles. Tire: 710- teams, which bring flexibility to resources and 26,5. Loader: PONSSE K90, reach 10 m (32.8 ft), turning angle 360° and HSP thanks to which it is possible to monitor pric- grapple. The crane's hydraulic pump: 190 cm³ (11.6 in3) and a hydraulic oil tank es and production. But talks focusing on the re- volume 200 l (53 gal). Length: 9405 mm (370 in). Width: 2990 mm (117 in) with- sponsibility of ensuring future machine operator out tracks. Ground clearance: 695 mm (27 in). Net weight: 14 800 kg (32 628 lb). resources have also been initiated recently.

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Veljekset knuutinen oy harVesting with the Power of seven Ponsse macHines PONSSE fOx mOVES EffOrTlESSly ON ThE SOfT SOil Of NOrThErN OSTrOBOThNia Veljekset Knuutinen Oy Brothers Veli and Oiva Knuutinen started er. We've been relying on PONSSE ever forest work with a farm tractor in the early since," says Veli Knuutinen. from Pattijoki handles wood 1970s. Sturdier forest machines entered The company's business has expand- with the power of seven the picture once they began to be intro- ed significantly throughout the years. In duced to the market and Veljekset Knu- the early days of its existence, the com- PONSSE forest machines. utinen Ky, engaged in the business of for- pany employed one forest machine. Now The company's most recent est machine contracting, was established its machinery includes five PONSSE har- acquisition is the nimble in 1984. Veli's son Marko started work as vesters (one Fox, two Ergos, a Beaver and a machine operator in 1991 and took up a Cobra), two PONSSE forwarders (Wisent PONSSE Fox thinning partnership in the company in 1994. The and Elk) and an excavator, mainly for the harvester. following year the company form was purposes of pulling up stumps and forest changed into a limited liability company regeneration. The machines are transport- and today Veli, Oiva and Marko are joined ed by two of the company's own platform by ten permanent machine operators. trucks. The operations also include two subcontractors. "We have done contracts for UPM cONTracTiNG WiTh ThE POWEr Of throughout our entire history really, in ad- SEVEN PONSSE machiNES dition to which we do some harvesting for "We purchased our first PONSSE in 1985 sawmills. The majority of the harvesting – a year-old green and yellow S15 forward- is done in nearby municipalities, within a

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Veljekset knuutinen oy harVesting with the Power of seven Ponsse macHines PONSSE fOx mOVES EffOrTlESSly ON ThE SOfT SOil Of NOrThErN OSTrOBOThNia

200 km radius, but we do venture even far- and a single-circuit hydraulic system operating OulaiSTEN kONEhuOlTO maiNTaiNS ther at times. In 2005 and 2007 we spent six with a working pump. machiNE months clearing up storm devastation areas in PErfOrmaNcE Southern Sweden with one harvester," Marko In maintenance-related issues, Veljekset Knu- Knuutinen explains. TraNSPOrTaTiON EQuiPmENT rEiNfOrcEd utinen Oy relies on the professionalism and By WiSENT effective service of Oulaisten Konehuolto, an In February 2009, Veljekset Knuutinen Oy re- authorised PONSSE service in the area. PlENTy Of SOfT TErraiN harVESTiNG inforced its timber transporting capacity by ac- "We perform oil changes, hose mainte- The forests of Northern Ostrobothnia often quiring a second forwarder, an agile and light- nance and other small jobs ourselves, but oth- grow on soft terrain. The slow-growing trees weight PONSSE Wisent. er than that we focus on the forest contracts. are primarily quite small but often have sturdy "We wanted to have a light-weight and a Oulaisten Konehuolto maintains the perfor- branches and thick butts, all features which slightly smaller forwarder, which still has a mance of the machines and provides assis- bring their own challenges to harvesting work. sufficient load space. We equipped the ma- tance whenever needed. They also provide "The median stoutness of our thinnings is chine with wide 900 mm tracks, which permit spare parts, and the Iisalmi Service Centre approximately 75 litres annually. Last winter moving on soft soil. We are using the Wisent is really close to us if a spare part cannot be we worked with full capacity, although on less equipped with a scale also to transport energy found at Oulainen," Knuutinen adds. final felling than usual, and employed both of wood," Knuutinen says. our Ergos on thinning sites for about 60% of The strain on the ground is minimal, the time. We are now looking at a promising thanks to its unbeatable ratio of net weight to hiGh-QualiTy cONTracTiNG By SkillEd amount of harvesting. Hopefully, our custom- load-carrying capacity, the smallest turning ra- PrOfESSiONalS ers manage to buy more stands for the sum- dius in its size class, and dimensions which Veljekset Knuutinen Oy has received a PKY- mer and the autumn," Knuutinen says. distribute the load evenly across all wheels. LAATU quality certificate for small and medi- The tough Mercedes-Benz diesel engine now um-sized companies granted by Finlog Audit runs a larger working pump than before, Oy. The operating system meets all require- PONSSE fOx – ThE riGhT kiNd Of which in turn enables versatile and efficient ments of the SFS-EN ISO 9001:2000 quality harVESTEr loader use. Due to its great tractive force and assurance standard. The new eight-wheel thinning harvester excellent cross-terrain performance, loads can The system covers certain requirements of PONSSE Fox has been designed specifically be moved quickly and smoothly. Moreover, the the SFS-EN ISO 14001 environmental man- with soft terrain in mind. Veljekset Knuutinen cabin's superior ergonomics provide a pleas- agement standard selected on the basis of the Oy received their new Fox, equipped with a ant work environment for even the most de- field-specific criteria. It also takes into account H53 head. The transaction included the trade manding of users. certain aspects of the SFS-EN ISO 9004-2 ser- of a PONSSE Beaver. 2002. vice sector quality standard. "We were looking for a powerful machine "Our certification applies to mechanised suitable for soft terrain and equipped with a ENErGy frOm ThE fOrEST felling, short-distance hauling of timber, parallel crane for the purpose of thinning. The Veljekset Knuutinen Oy is also involved in en- mechanised tilling and stump pulling," Knu- new PONSSE C22 crane has proved to be an ergy wood harvesting and stump pulling. utinen explains. excellent solution. Thanks to the two slewing "Our oldest harvester, PONSSE Cobra, The professional skills of machine opera- motors and the hydraulically operated move- which is still serving us faithfully, is a 1999 tors are highly valued at Veljekset Knuutinen ment function, the crane is fast and easy to model and has a PONSSE H53 harvester head, Oy. control. The crane's reach is 11 metres, which which we equipped with our own collecting "Things are easy when you have skilled is an important feature on thinning sites. And grapples back in the day to permit multi-stem- men working for you. And skilled workers now that the crane is located closer to the cab- ming of energy wood. The harvester head is require good machines. Finding new forest in, the visibility within the working area is ex- well suited for both thinning and energy wood. machine operators is not easy, which is why tremely good and the weight distribution is We transport energy wood to the roadside with we have also trained operators ourselves. Our optimal," Knuutinen says. the Wisent forwarder equipped with a scale. entire team is pulling together and we have The new Fox is praised by the operators. We use an excavator to pull up stumps and a good spirit. When the operators are happy "The cabin is really comfortable and not as they are transported to the roadside with the with their work, employment periods are usu- noisy as before. The fuel consumption has al- PONSSE Elk forwarder. The box construction ally very long," Knuutinen says, gratefully. so decreased." is easy to lift between the forwarder bunks Fox takes its power from the feisty four- with the crane," Knuutinen says. cylinder 145 kW Mercedes-Benz diesel engine

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GENEraTiONS chaNGE – PONSSE rEmaiNS

Metsä- ja Maansiirto Kastinen Oy from Ilomantsi, Finland In addition to Harri, Pertti has two other has been in the business of machine contracting for over 30 children, Laura (33) and Henri (29), who is a graduate engineer in wood processing years. This great tradition will continue also in the future, technology and is currently working at the as the the company is currently undergoing a change of Stora Enso Imatra mill. generation. iN ThE EaSTErN BOrdEr fOrESTS WiTh Brothers Pertti and Eero Kastinen started other alternatives. It's good that I can learn ElEVEN PONSSE machiNES the business in 1979 with one excavator. things little by little," says Kastinen, 35. Today Metsä- ja Maansiirto Kastinen Oy is Three years later, Pertti's son, Harri Kasti- Growing into the job applies also to working in the forests on the eastern bor- nen, who has been working for his father's Pertti Kastinen, the founder of the com- der with seven PONSSE harvesters (two Er- company since 1992, joined in with a 26% pany. gos, three Beavers, a Fox and a HS10) and holding. At the moment, a generational "I loved working in the forest already five PONSSE forwarders (three Elks, a Bi- change is taking place, enabling the neces- as a little boy alongside my father and his son and a Wisent 10w), which are transport- sary time to be taken to transfer the busi- horse. Then for seven years I was operat- ed with the company's own platform truck. ness expertise to the next generation. ing a farm tractor to transport logs and I Furthermore, the company performs jobs "I have been growing into this job since also worked as an excavator driver for five with various types of excavation machines. I was a young boy, I never even considered years before I founded this company," Pert- "In addition to the five PONSSE har- ti Kastinen says. vesting chains, one of our excavators is

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equipped with the PONSSE H53 harvester The company used to harvest more than since then their entire fleet has consisted head during the winter months, and the old 150,000 cubic metres of wood per year, but of PONSSE machines. veteran, the eight-wheel PONSSE HS10 is along with the large-scale entrepreneurship, "We bought a new PONSSE HS15 har- performing harvesting in the swamps. Oth- this increased to over 250,000 cubic metres. vester and an S15 forwarder through direct erwise our forest machines are quite new, "Last winter was a really good period for selling. At the time it was a huge invest- old machines simply don't cut it in this us at harvesting sites. There also seems to be ment, I can still clearly remember the price business. And professional drivers deserve a high number of summer stands this sum- – 1,980,000 Finnmarks. But the investment proper equipment. Our employees form a mer. We believe strongly in the future. There enabled us pick up the pace and our machine great team, and some of the people have will be harvesting in Finland also in the fu- fleet started to increase steadily," Kastinen been working for us for up to 25 years," says ture," Kastinen says. recalls. Kastinen. Due to the large-scale entrepreneurship, Many machine deals have been conclud- the company will concentrate more on har- ed with Ponsse over the past twenty years. STOra ENSO'S larGE-ScalE vesting energy wood. "As a Finnish manufacturer, Ponsse is ex- ENTrEPrENEur "Until now we have done it on a small tremely easy to deal with and over the course scale, and have mainly been transporting of our history we have not regretted a sin- Metsä- ja Maansiirto Kastinen Oy performs logging waste. Ponsse's new H6 harvester gle deal. In addition to the good machines, contracts for StoraEnso, which has been head also makes multi-stemming possible, the spare part and maintenance services are their key employer throughout their entire so I'm guessing that the importance of en- functioning well at Ponsse's Ilomantsi Ser- history. They also do, for instance, forest ergy wood will increase in our company in vice Centre. These are the things we value preparation for Tornator. the future," Kastinen says. greatly," Kastinen says. "We started the large-scale entrepreneur- ship with Stora Enso in the Ilomantsi ar- ONly PONSSE machiNES ThrOuGhOuT ThE ea. This means that we are, in cooperation yEarS with our subcontractors, responsible for all of Stora Enso's harvesting within our area. Kastinen Oy purchased their first actual This requires a total of ten machine chains," forest machines from Ponsse in 1991, and Kastinen explains.

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Earl St. JOhN – ThE rOad frOm ThE WOOdS TO SuccESS

Many are sure to know the story of Einari Vidgrén, the mind himself of what he has achieved with founder of Ponsse, who through his own hard work cleared his work.

his way from humble beginnings through the thickest SaWiNG ThE BuckS forests to become a successful entrepreneur. We will now An enthusiastic young logger, Earl followed recount the tale of another man quite like Einari – the in his father's footsteps to become a for- founder of St. John Forest Products, Earl St. John. est worker and bought his own handsaw as early as during his junior high-school Earl St. From his very first steps, Earl St. even have a bathroom. In addition to the years. One winter, the industrious 17 year John has wandered the woods of Spalding, kitchen, the house had one room, furnished old used the $25 he had earned to buy food Michigan. Throughout his childhood, he only with a wood stove and a bed. In later and supplies for the winter months and to lived in cramped and modest conditions, as years, Earl moved his childhood home to rent his very first forest machine – a horse, did Einari. The home of four had no run- the grounds of his present residence to re- which pulled the logs through the wintery ning water or electricity. In fact, it didn’t forest trails. His industriousness and in-

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agement for a while for Badger Paper Mills and Northern Paper Company. In 1962, Earl, having tasted entrepre- neurship, established the St. John Forest Company, which grew as fast as the most vigourous saplings ever did. During its best years, the company employed up to 120 log- gers. But, in addition to men, the company needed machines. In 1974, St. John had eighteen feller-bunchers in use. In those days, a full load of logs was trucked from the woods every fifteen minutes.

PONSSE cONQuErS amErica

The two experienced and indefatigable forest veterans – Earl and Einari – met in 1990, when Earl St. John invited Einari Vid- grén to visit him for discussions on possi- ble business deals. The meeting between the two kindred spirits at St. John’s hunt- ing lodge made it clear that the cooperation and friendship would be of a lasting nature. In 1991, St. John Forest Company became the first American enterprise to start using Ponsse’s machinery. In 1997, the machines were switched to more cur- rent models. According to Earl, Ponsse has developed significantly during the past twenty years. He thanks Ponsse for its customer-oriented approach – customers and their machin- ery are genuinely cared for. With regard to the current PONSSE machines, St. John employees value their user-friendly design and minimal service disruptions over all else. Currently, St. John Forest Products uses eight PONSSE harvesters and nine PONSSE forwarders alongside other ma- chinery.

ThE family BuSiNESS GOES ON

Earl is still actively involved in the opera- tions of St. John Forest Products, even Earl St. JOhN – ThE rOad frOm ThE WOOdS TO SuccESS though the man in charge nowadays is Earl’s son, Tom, who has headed the com- pany since 2000 and owns half of it. vestment were worth it since, at 18, Earl TimE fOr a BuSiNESS Of hiS OWN Some time ago, Earl and Tom were tra- was earning even more than his teachers. In 1959, Earl married his girlfriend of many versing a part of the forest with particu- After finishing school, it was time to years, Rosemary. The next year, following a larly difficult terrain. Tom became worried leave for work in Montana where, during powerful earthquake, they moved back to about his father’s puffing and asked him to the years 1954 to 1960, Earl worked in the Spalding for good. At the same time, Earl have a rest and take it easy. Earl answered summer months, because the snowy win- decided to venture into a new business and by inquiring whether his son was worried ters made a logger’s work a seasonal pro- leased a restaurant, which came to be called about his old man’s stamina, to which the fession. For the winter months, the enter- Wildwood. The restaurateur’s career only son replied that it wasn’t yet time to start prising man returned to work in his home lasted for eighteen months, as Earl heard knocking on heaven’s doors. Grandpa is district. In Montana, Earl purchased his the call of the woods again. Meanwhile, still needed – Earl has yet to figure out how first real piece of machinery – a chain saw Earl’s brother took over the restaurant busi- to cut down the 350,000 acres of forest they with which he could fell 2.5-metre logs. The ness and still owns Wildwood. After his own. Apart from that, though, he can rest diligent saw user sometimes held as many stint as a restaurant owner, Earl returned assured that the company is in good hands; as three jobs simultaneously, meaning he to his life’s work, working in forest man- Tom’s 21-year-old son Jordan represents the earned much more than the average wages fifth generation of skilled loggers. at the time.

Ponsse News 1 • 2011 47 www.ponsse.com disTriBuTion neTwork

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PONSSE Plc Ponssentie 22, 74200 v IEr EMÄ, puh. 020 768 800, fax 020 768 8690 48 Ponsse News 1 • 2011