Mike's Message

Several years ago my father gave me advice on how to make the job run smoothly. He said “If each man focused on the men on either side of him, the job would run better, smoother, and everyone would be happier”

I’m going to attempt to make a case on how this would work in the Timber Industry. I will start with the employee and work my way up the ladder, then back down again.

Those of us in business with employees, know that employees are vital to the success of the business. Without them the chain is broken. Their importance cannot be minimized, but also it cannot be self-serving.

Bear with me for a moment.

If a business is to be successful, starting at the employee level, their focus has to be on working to produce for their employer. If the employee is doing everything they can to help their employer, then when we look upstream, it is just as important that the contractor is doing everything they can to help the mill’s run well. If a contractor is working for a landowner, then it should be the contractor’s job to make the landowner as much as they can. Once this gets to the very top of the ladder, then it is extremely important for the top to be looking back down.

The only way to have a healthy industry is if each part of that ladder is looking out for those around them, which means each part is one of the whole.

I do realize there is much more to the big picture, but in this case, and for this newsletter, I chose to keep it shorter and simpler.

For an industry to be successful, with successful people, those at the top need to make sure that those below them are healthy and successful.

The mills, to the contractors, to the employees, and back up.

I know I am stating the obvious, however if just one link in the chain is broken the rest will fall apart, or not work as well as it could.

Let's work together and we can all be healthy and much happier.

God Bless, Mike.

Mike Newton is the President of the Montana Logging Association.