Virginia s Logging Workforce Preliminary Results of the 2014 SHARP Logger Survey

Transcription

1 Virginia s Logging Workforce Preliminary Results of the 2014 SHARP Logger Survey Scott Barrett Extension Specialist - Forest Operations Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation College of Natural Resources and Environment

2 Virginia s SHARP Logger Survey Virginia s SHARP Logger Survey Provides Characteristics of Virginia s logging operations Logging business owners attitudes about the future Provides data that allows us to track changes over time

3 Virginia s SHARP Logger Survey Virginia is a diverse state Operations vary substantially and survey data allows us to make generalizations by regions to describe the logging workforce Surveys provide a lot of data 2014 survey data is still preliminary

4 Virginia s SHARP Logger Survey Mail Survey of all VA SHARP loggers Two parts, one for all SHARP Loggers, one for Logging Business Owners Conducted in 3 rd and 4 th Quarter 2014 Second comprehensive Virginia logger survey Previous survey was completed in 2009 Worked with Chad Bolding and John Munsell Presented some of the results at the 2010 VLA meeting

5 2014 Survey Response Rates 1600 Questionnaires mailed to all current SHARP Loggers 847 responses 53% response rate 46% (385) Logging Business Owners

6 2014 Business Owner Responses by Region Mountains (100) Piedmont (185) Coastal Plain (67) Virginia county not specified (33) Bath Highland Augusta Rockingham Page Albemarle Frederick Clarke Warren Shenandoah Fauquier Rappahannock Louisa Loudon Fairfax Prince William Culpeper Madison Stafford King Greene Orange Spotsylvania George Caroline Alleghany Rockbridge Nelson Fluvanna Hanover Botetourt Amherst Buckingham Powhatan Craig Buchanan Dickenson Wise Russell Tazewell Smyth Bland Wythe Giles Pulaski Roanoke Montgomery Floyd Franklin Bedford Pittsylvania Appomattox Amelia Campbell Prince Edward Nottoway Charlotte Lunenburg Chesterfield Prince George Dinwiddie Surry Hampton Portsmouth Lee Scott Washington Grayson Carroll Patrick Henry Halifax Mecklenburg Suffolk

7 Operational Differences by Region Mountain operations tend to have lower production levels Often use manual felling (89%) & cable skidders (48%) Primarily hardwood production (82%) Fewer businesses with multiple crews (6%) Piedmont is a transitional region, often more like Coastal Plain Manual felling (30%), Grapple Skidder (78%) 16 % multiple crew businesses Coastal Plain operations typically have the highest production Predominantly Mechanized felling & skidding (91%) Primarily Pine Production 27% multiple crew businesses

8 Average Number of Crews per Business Crews / Business

9 Average Production Rates by Region Average Loads / Crew / Week Loads / Crew / Week Average Tons / Business / Week Tons / Business / Week

10 Number of Workers per Crew

11 What would you estimate is the total current value for all logging equipment used for producing wood (roundwood and chips) on your harvesting operations NOT including trucks & trailers? dollars $800,000 $700,000 Average Current Value of Logging Equipment (Excluding Trucks) $748,083 $600,000 $500,000 $473,804 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $244,880 $100,000 $0

12 In the past year has your total production increased, decreased, stayed about the same? 70% 60% 58% 57% 50% 45% 48% 40% 35% 30% 26% 20% 16% 0% 8% 7% Increased Stayed the Same Decreased

13 Production levels for all logging businesses (tons/ week/business) A lot of smaller operations with relatively low production

14 How much production do the larger operations account for? Businesses sorted by region (Mt., Pied., Coastal) Sorted by weekly production level (tons) Production level divided into thirds Production for each third of businesses / total production reported by region (tons ) So how much production do the top third of businesses account for in each region?

15 Percent of total estimated production (tons/week) produced by upper 1/3 of businesses (based on reported production) 80.0% 70.0% 66.5% 68.1% 72.5% 75.1% 68.3% 69.3% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Mountains Piedmont Coastal

16 Percent of total estimated production (tons/week) produced by middle 1/3 of businesses (based on reported production) 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 24.9% 23.2% 22.0% 19.7% 22.7% 22.7% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Mountains Piedmont Coastal

17 Percent of total estimated production (tons/week) produced by lower 1/3 of businesses (based on reported production) 10.0% 9.0% 8.0% 8.6% 8.7% 9.0% 7.9% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 5.5% 5.2% 0.0% Mountains Piedmont Coastal

18 What percent of the timber that you harvested in the past year came from the following sources? (Should total 100%) Timber I bought or negotiated % Contract logging of timber bought by someone else % 90% 80% 81% 70% 60% 64% 60% 50% 40% 37% 41% 30% 20% 19% 0% Timber I bought or negotiated Contract logging

19 What percentage of the timber you bought in the past year came from the following 3 types of sales? (Should total 100% ) Lump sum timber sale % Cut on shares (landowner receives a set percentage of delivered price received as tract is harvested) % Per Unit/ Pay as cut sales (landowner receives a set price per ton/mbf for each ton/mbf as tract is harvested) % 70% 65% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 21% 12% 42% 31% 31% 27% 13% 51% 0% Lump Sum Cut on Shares Per Unit / Pay as Cut

20 Does your company use contract trucking? (Circle One) Yes No 70% 60% 50% 57% 62% 40% 30% 33% 35% 20% 15% 19% 0%

21 Does your company use contract trucking? (Circle One) Yes No If YES, what % do contractors haul? (Circle One) 1-25% 26-50% 51-75% 75-99% 100% 40% 35% 34% 38% 30% 28% 25% 20% 15% 16% 19% 11% 11% 13% 19% 5% 0% 1-25% 26-50% 51-75% 75-99% 100%

22 Do you currently have markets for biomass (fuel chips) in your area? 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 54% 68% 37% 38% 64% 0% 8%

23 Do you currently harvest fuel chips? 40% 35% 34% 30% 28% 25% 20% 18% 15% 8% 5% 0% 2%

24 Average Business Owner Age Age (Years) Age (Years) Mountains Piedmont Coastal

25 Do you expect to be operating your logging business in 5 years? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 0% 14% 19% 9% 86% 81% 91% Yes No

26 If you plan on being in operation in 5 years, do you expect your production to be more, about the same, or less? 70% 60% 50% 62% 43% 53% 50% 46% 40% 35% 30% 20% 0% 3% 4% 4% More Same Less

27 Does your company use any of the following technologies? (Circle ALL that apply) Global Positioning System (GPS) Internet Computer mapping 60% 50% 40% 51% 43% 43% 53% 30% 20% 19% 27% 14% 22% 0% GPS Computer Mapping Internet

28 Virginia Loggers Association

29 Awareness of Associations 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 90.6% 90.7% 85.8% 85.5% 32.0% 26.0% 26.1% 23.1% Aware of VLA VLA Member Aware of VFA VFA Member

30 How do you get information on current events or legislative issues facing the logging industry?(circle ALL that apply) Trade Magazine (Southern Logging Times, etc.) Associations (ALC, VLA, VFA, VFPA) Word of mouth Internet Company Forester Don t look for it 70% 60% 50% 66% 61% 58% 59% 40% 30% 31% 31% 25% 28% 25% 20% 18% 5% 5% 0% Word of Mouth Trade Magazines Associations Company Forester Internet Don't Look for it

31 Percent of Logging Business Owners Indicating VLA Membership 60% 50% 40% 30% 36% 31% 48% 43% 20% 17% 11% 0% % of Business Owners 2009 % of Business Owners 2014

32 What do VLA Members look like compared to the rest of the Loggers? Non-Members VLA Members Crews Per Business Loads Per Crew Tons / Week / Business Est. Value of Logging Equipment $293,793 $907,566

33 What do VLA Members look like compared to the rest of the Loggers? Does your company use any of the following technologies? (Circle ALL that apply) Global Positioning System (GPS) Computer mapping Internet Non-members VLA Members GPS 21% 42% Internet 47% 63% 49% 66% Computer mapping 18% 34%

34 Logging Business Owner Attitudes We included a section in the questionnaire to measure owners attitudes on issues and topics that we often hear as concerns or issues related to logging operations. Owners were provided a statement and then asked to rank their level of agreement with the statements using the following scale: strongly disagree disagree neutral - agree - strongly agree

35 There is a shortage of qualified truck drivers / trucking contractors needed to transport wood from my operation. There is a shortage of qualified logging equipment operators needed to run equipment on my logging operation. 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 0% Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree 82% 63% 54% 48% 51% 53% Driver Shortage Equipment operator shortage

36 I am confident that new biomass markets will provide stable long term markets for wood. 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 60% 50% 40% 30% Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree 41% 43% 50% 5% 20% 0% Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 0%

37 Biomass markets have benefitted my business. 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 60% 50% Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree 57% 25% 20% 40% 36% 15% 30% 5% 20% 20% 0% Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 0%

38 The outlook is positive for the logging industry in VA 80% 70% Percent of Owners that Agree or Strongly Agree 60% 80% 76% 50% 70% 63% 65% 40% 30% 20% 0% Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 0%

39 Virginia s Logging Businesses Average production rates generally increased from Many logging businesses in Virginia appear to be getting larger and more productive, especially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain Many operations have responded to changing markets by adding chippers to utilize logging residues for energy Most plan to either stay the same or increase production over the next 5 years Fewer operations that expect to decrease production

40 Virginia s Logging Businesses There are always challenges Average age of owners is increasing Finding drivers and equipment operators is a challenge for many Outlook is positive among most business owners With strong markets, logging businesses will continue to find ways to succeed and produce the products needed for the future

41 Virginia s Logging Workforce Preliminary Results of the 2014 SHARP Logger Survey Scott Barrett Extension Specialist - Forest Operations Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation College of Natural Resources and Environment