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Focused decisions help logging company make the cut
Spring 2015
Mike Pihl, 52, knows a thing or two about the forestry and logging industry. Mike and his twin brother, Matt, established their company, Pihl Brothers Logging, when they were just 22 years old.
“I’m just lucky to be a logger in an area where trees grow in abundance,” Pihl says. “The average person is not meant to be a logger. It’s just in my blood.”
While the company grew steadily over the years, in 1986 the partnership dissolved, allowing Pihl to start Mike Pihl Logging Inc. Pihl’s company expansion has continued and has become a family affair yet again. Today, his daughter, Lindsay, is the company’s office manager and her husband, Kelly Baska, is a supervisor in the logging division. The company is based in Vernonia, Oregon (pop. 2,158), northwest of Portland, near Forest Grove State Forest and Clatsop State Forest.
The Doosan decision
Mike Pihl’s employees log approximately 25 loads of Douglas fir each day, with 10 of those loads staying in the United States and the remainder exported to Japan, China and South Korea. To stay ahead of demand, Pihl purchased his first Doosan machine — a DX300LL-3 log loader with log grapple attachment — from Robert Payton with Feenaughty Machinery Company in Portland.
“The machine has great fuel efficiency and is just a good, solid machine,” he says. “Plus, Feenaughty Machinery and Robert Payton are just amazing to work with. Without him I wouldn’t have purchased the Doosan log loader.”
According to Pihl, the DX300LL-3 log loader’s durable undercarriage, spacious forestry cab, precise boom geometry and impressive lifting ability are just some of the qualities he was looking for to help log his average 20-acre site. Plus, with a 213-horsepower interim Tier 4-compliant engine, his choice to purchase the Doosan log loader has become one of his best-thought-out business decisions.
“I wanted something that was fuel-efficient, fast and innovative,” he says. “The Doosan log loader had all of those qualities. It really takes a special machine to be a great log loader.”
During a visit to The Real Operation Center (ROC) near Tucson, Arizona, Pihl had an opportunity to operate an assortment of Doosan heavy equipment. Upon his return to Oregon, he purchased a second Doosan log loader — a DX225LL.
Staying comfortable
Pihl’s operators work approximately 11 hours a day, five days a week — so a comfortable, quiet cab and an adjustable suspension seat were important factors when deciding on a new log loader. After his operators started using the Doosan log loader and grapple, Pihl knew he made the right decision.
“One of my operators was a bit skeptical about the Doosan machine after working with a competitor’s machine for so many years,” he says. “However, after he tried out the Doosan DX300LL-3 log loader, he was pleased with how it performed and how comfortable it was. Our operators have a heated seat, rearview camera, MP3 player — basically all the amenities they need.”
Plus, the spacious cab offers excellent visibility, lower noise levels and ergonomic controls, allowing operators to work seamlessly from their seat, Pihl added.
Pushing past challenges
Although the town of Vernonia is known for being a logging community, Mike Pihl Logging is only one of three logging companies left in the area. Two other larger companies went out of business after the economic downturn.
Pihl’s company also took a hit during the recession, downsizing his staff of 50 employees to 25, and re-assessing his equipment fleet from 13 to 5 machines.
“We had to look at some things and restructure our staff and thought process,” Pihl says. “Before, we were always ‘yes’ people. Now, I don’t make split decisions … I think more about things in advance. We are really very lucky to still be here.”
Several factors have kept Pihl’s business afloat, including his dedicated workers — most have worked for his company for at least 12 years —
as well as a dedication to maintaining a high level of safety while working on tough jobsites. All of his employees wear hardhats, cork boots and chaps to stay safe on the jobsite.
“There’s no question it’s a very dangerous job,” he says. “I tell my guys to always call me if they feel uncomfortable about the job, and we talk through it. I try to keep my employees happy so that’s why I treat them better than I do myself at times. For instance, if they want a new machine, I try my best to satisfy their request.”
The road to success
Although Mike Pihl Logging has had its ups and downs, the core of the business has stayed strong over the years because of a variety of factors, including maintaining good public relations with its customers.
“We have a different business model than most other loggers because we specialize in private properties,” he says. “Public relations is very important because if you are working on a private piece of land, you need to make sure you are communicating with the landowners and making sure their requests are met. Our guys do a great job of communicating, so we aren’t going over the property lines or cutting the wrong-size links.”
Along with communication, a crucial factor that has remained steadfast to Pihl over the years is his business motto: Never give up.
“Things can change in a heartbeat,” he says. “Things can be going well and then the economy drops, and you are flat on your face. I really try to tell my employees to work hard, to be honest and to never give up on anything they set their mind to.”
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Mike Pihl’s name might ring a bell to those who watch History Channel’s “Ax Men” — a reality TV show that follows loggers throughout the United States and shows how they perform day-to-day functions. Pihl and his crew, including his son-in-law, were featured on seasons 1 through 3. His company was also sporadically featured on seasons 4 and 5.
Pihl said being on the show was a great promotion for him and his company.
“To me it showed the viewers that there are still people in America who get up early in the morning, produce a commodity and make the world turn,” he says. “It’s important for people to know where they get their wood product from.”
Since “Ax Men,” Pihl has traveled throughout the United States, giving speeches on his experience and what it takes to be a professional logger.
“The show was a great benefit to me, because it shows how hard our employees and machines work,” he says. “We are dedicated to what we do.”
