Between Crad Jaynes and Bob Lussier, there's more than 75 years of expertise in the logging business. And with that experience has come one simple truth.
"You either love it., or you hate it," says Lussier, owner of Great Woods Companies.
Both Jaynes and Lussier are the former, and have devoted their life to to the timber industry.
Lussier says, "I love the industry. I'm very passionate about the industry."
Because of that passion, Lussier moved from New England to South Carolina to keep his business afloat after home building took a nose dive in 2009. And in South Carolina, he's found a home.
"This is one of the tracks we work on. This is a 17-year-old stand of lob-lolly pine," says Lussier as he walks across a large field of trees.
Logging companies are always thinning, as it's called, and also replanting in and endless cycle. People like Jaynes and Lussier say that they consider themselves stewards of the land. They love trees as much as they love the business itself.
Jaynes says, "Trees are taking in carbon dioxide from the air, turning it into oxygen. So that is keeping our air clean, as well as providing all the other benefits."
What they hope for now, is that young people take an active interest in the future of logging.
Lussier explains, "Millennials, or the next gen, generation x or whatever it is, we need to get them to pick up the ball here and start running with the ball because baby-boomers are gonna start retiring."
Lussier and Jaynes say that, for young people going into the trade, it's a promising career path.
"Forest products manufacturing is the number one manufacturing segment of our state's economy, most employees, highest payroll. Timber is the number one cash crop in the state of South Carolina, and we're blessed to have such a good forest base to work on," says Jaynes, president and CEO of South Carolina Timber Producers Association.
It's a storied profession, but also a hard one. It's often called the most dangerous job, however, with modern technology, things have started to change, especially in the flats terrain of the midlands.
Jaynes says, "Here in the south, South Carolina, the Southeast, lake states and even in the Northeast, I would say 95% of workers are inside the cab of a machine, fully enclosed with heated or air conditioning. So the safety level has tremendously increased in our industry."
And driving some of this heavy equipment is almost like playing a real life video game... if the video game was a $500,000 real-life simulator, for all you gamers out there looking for a possible career.
"These machines today operate with joysticks, buttons, and a couple of pedals, computer on board for engine diagnostics. It's very very technical now in our industry," says Jaynes.
And not to worry, should you start on the business, you'll get plenty of training. You'll also get to enjoy the outdoors constantly. But the business isn't just chopping down trees and leaving the land bare. By thinning trees, it allows for the strongest and best trees to fully grow. The seeds from those top quality trees are used for replanting, creating the stronger forest possible, which is what people like Jaynes and Lussier need to keep their business running strong.
"We produce 85% of the forest products for the world in nine Southeastern states. And it's an important industry we need to keep going," says Lussier.
We all know that wood in used in things like paper and pencils, but there are many things you may not realize that comes from trees. A few examples are football helmets, aircraft propellors, medicine. wood products are even in cosmetics like makeup and nail polish.