Business View Oceania | October 2022

33 34 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 LLOYD LOGGING four years, we grew from nine men to 30. So, we began with seven machines, three vehicles, and one crew. Now, we have 18 machines, 20 vehicles, and four crews. We have evolved quite quickly and expect to continue to do so- I put that growth down to our awesome team, the relationships we’ve built with local forest owners and managers, and our brokerage partners at Finance New Zealand.” The team at Lloyd Logging values loyalty, hard work, family, integrity, sustainability, and a hands- on, forward-thinking approach to forestry. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Isaac says staff rallied together to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing remained a top priority on and off the hill. “Our industry in New Zealand is pretty heavily dictated by the export market, even though domestic use is generally steady. When COVID hit, New Zealand’s overseas partners obviously had to scale back their dealings and decide what they did and didn’t want. It created some serious difficulties for forestry workers over here. Our business managed quite well thanks to our local knowledge and the really strong relationships we’ve built over the years, but we certainly weren’t untouched. My team worked hard to keep each other sane- the guys check in with each other regularly.” Other challenges facing the industry include a shortage of skilled workers, but Lloyd Logging has remained largely unaffected. Isaac shares, “We have a strong sense of family here. Our staff are primarily long-term with us, and I’ve been able to help some of them start their own contracting businesses. We attract a lot of good workers thanks to our modern equipment, positive reputation, and strong values. But forestry in general is definitely struggling with its workforce. I think the major thing is forestry isn’t being pushed through schools as a potential career. Students aren’t aware of the opportunities our sector can offer, and not just in logging. There are many different roads to take- sustainability and management, logistics and transport, milling, silviculture, engineering, Lloyd Logging works with forest owners and managers to control pests and weeds, replant harvested areas, thin non-crop trees, and responsibly harvest logs for export and domestic use. The company’s evolution since its beginnings has been focused on sourcing the best equipment, attracting skilled and passionate workers, and expanding to work with industry leaders throughout the region. Isaac explains, “Like many businesses in their first years, we started off with pretty old, second- hand gear. In order for us to begin scaling our offering, we had to purchase more modern tools. It was really important that our machines and equipment kept us safe and efficient. So, we sought out supplementary contracts, which is when we connected with New Zealand Forestry.” He continues, “Once we purchased new tools, we were able to send the older gear to less equipment-intensive jobs, which led to our expansion from one to two crews in 2019. That really got the ball rolling- in the space of 1512b State Highway 10 Kerikeri 09 407 6975 facebook.com/terrainnorthland safety shop wirerope warehouse forestry & rigging services