Tairawhiti – Productivity is bigger than the crew

Tony Hill of Hill Logging picked me up at 6:00am for a visit to his steep country winch-assist (SWY) operation east of Mangatu Forest. Many readers will know Tony through his role as NZ Logger Magazine’s “Iron Tester”.

Tony comes from a logging family originally based in Tokoroa. When his father’s contract ended, the family relocated to Tairāwhiti and Tony has spent much of his career on the East Coast, most recently working for Ricky Kuru before establishing his own business. Like many contractors in the region, Tony speaks highly of Ricky’s role in mentoring operators and helping them transition into business ownership. Hill Logging is a great example of that legacy.

Today, Tony operates two crews in Tairāwhiti: a fully mechanised SWY operation and a fully mechanised ground-based crew. On the day of my visit, his father was working on a digger on the skid site.

That morning, Tony’s main concern was a failed access road into his ground-based operation. The issue had been ongoing, leaving the crew parked up while waiting for the forest manager to complete repairs. Approximately 200 loads were sitting in stock awaiting transport to the port. His SWY operation had effectively been carrying the business during the disruption, but as Tony pointed out, downtime caused by infrastructure issues is not something accounted for in the Forme costing model.

Tony has recently invested in a new winch system that was featured in NZ Logger Magazine and is awaiting the arrival of a reconditioned Madill feller buncher. Given the significant cost of new equipment, refurbished machinery is becoming an increasingly attractive option for contractors across the industry.

Through his work as Iron Tester, Tony has gained valuable insights into a wide range of machines and operating systems, and it is clear he spends a lot of time thinking about equipment performance and productivity. When I asked him which feller buncher is best suited to Tairāwhiti conditions, his answer covered everything from geology and topography through to piece size, stocking rates, ground clearance, undercarriage design, slew power and harvesting head selection. If you’re in the market for a feller buncher, a conversation with Tony would be time well spent.

Investing in People

One of Tony’s key mantras is “no scratches on machines”. While this may sound simple, it reflects the high standards he expects from his team when it comes to operating, maintaining and greasing equipment. From the housekeeping standards I observed, it is a philosophy that has been fully embraced by his crew.

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Source & image credit: FICA