GLEN, New Hampshire—In the highly competitive logging industry, those who use inferior equipment are destined to struggle. Success in this business does not happen by accident; only those who work hard with the right equipment can truly be the best. With over 30 years of experience, this reality is no mystery to Steve Baillargeon of Glen, NH. After having worked with many skidders over his career, Steve has finally found a machine that is both reliable and capable of doing the rigorous work he demands. The efficiency Steve reaps with his recently purchased Tigercat sets him well above the competition.

            Tigercat was founded in 1992 from a union between the MacDonald Steel fabrication company and an experienced group of industry leaders in forestry seeking higher quality equipment. This collaboration is an integral part of Tigercat’s success. Since their initial development, Tigercat products have continued to evolve based on first-hand experiences and opinions of professional loggers like Steve Baillargeon.                    

Ken MacDonald, owner of the company, attended the recent Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo in Maine and was able to hear the thoughts and ideas of the people who rely on his company’s equipment everyday. Steve said, “I met Ken MacDonald in Bangor and could see that he really cares about the products Tigercat puts out. He wants to know what people think about his machinery and how they can make their equipment better.” MacDonald recognizes the importance of being engaged with independent loggers within the industry.

            Steve Baillargeon was born in the small northern town of Colebrook, New Hampshire. His career began at the age of 16, working with his father. Since Steve set out to work on his own in 1993, he has predominately been logging on land managed by Jeff Coombs owner of the Ossipee Mountain Land Company. The lumber from the company’s 12,000 acres is mostly used for producing pre-packaged firewood, saw logs and pulpwood.

             In 2010, Baillargeon purchased his first Tigercat, a 630D Skidder, from CJ Logging Equipment in Boonville, New York.  He could not be happier with his decision.  The superior maneuverability of the Tigercat is crucial to Steve.  Like much of the land in the White Mountain region of NH, the terrain he works on is steep and rocky. Having equipment that can handle the landscape is critical in the logging business, as mechanical failures can be the downfall of an otherwise successful operation. Steve says his new Tigercat machines are the most dependable that he has ever used. “Ever since I switched to Tigercat I have had very little downtime. I can lose $2,000 in a day if one of my machines is not operational. You can’t make money if you always have to be fixing your equipment.”

            Baillargeon feels as though his Tigercat 630D skidder is well suited for the job. New features such as the “Turnaround” (a two-position rotating seat and rear facing drive control) and a hydrostatic drive system make the Tigercat truly unique. Easier driving results in greater precision and higher productivity for loggers. Without needing to shift manually, an operator only needs to focus on steering and the trees in front of him. “I don’t miss shifting at all. Nothing is lost with the hydrostatic. I have just as much control with the automatic and it frees up a hand.”

            Most experienced loggers have faced setbacks due to weaknesses in their equipment. In addition to having advanced technology within their machines, Tigercat has improved upon aspects of design that are often overlooked. Recognizing design deficiencies within the industry, they’ve made an effort to further the structural integrity of common weak points such as the center pins, buckets and grapples.

            Steve finds his Tigercat to be more mechanically sound than other skidders, but it’s the interior that really sets it apart from equipment that he has used in the past. “It’s more comfortable than any other skidder I’ve driven. I feel better when I’m done with a day’s work, and mentally there’s just less strain running equipment that you can trust to not break down. I have more control when I’m hauling up a steep grade, and my visibility is just as good when I turn the seat around as it is when I’m facing forward. I don’t have to twist myself around to see where I’m going. There’s nothing else like that.”

            The 630D skidder is not the only piece of Tigercat equipment that Steve has purchased from CJ Logging Equipment. Traditionally Steve would hire an additional worker to cut wood for him. However, after that employee suffered a heart attack and his replacement lost a finger, Steve opted to buy his own feller buncher. The Tigercat 822C tracked feller buncher he purchased in 2010 has worked exceptionally well. “Overall,” he said, “I’m really pleased with it. The durability of the feller buncher allows for my one machine to essentially do the job of two.” Most loggers utilize a grapple and sheer to cut the logs to length on the landing, while Baillargeon uses the feller buncher to accomplish this task. By not having to purchase another machine Steve saves around $250,000, as well as the cost of fuel and another operator. Despite demanding more from this piece of equipment, Steve has had minimal issues after over 2,000 hours of use.

            The equipment one purchases is only as reliable as the support behind it. Steve chose to purchase his machinery from CJ Logging Equipment, due to its reputation for outstanding mechanical and customer support. Selling tough, durable equipment makes the support side a little easier according to Mark Bourgeois, president of CJ’s.  Mark commented on the strength and reliability of Tigercat 822 fellers, “They’re just very strong. We’ve seen very little down time with them. Steve’s is equipped with a 5702 head, which is a 23-inch hot saw that Tigercat builds.” Steve agreed, “Only two blown hoses on the feller in 2,000 hours, I’m really pleased.” Although mechanical failures have been few and far between with Tigercat, when service is needed, Steve is pleased to be working with Mike Burrington of CJ’s, who he accredits to be the best mechanic he has ever had in the logging business. Steve also appreciates the personal approach CJ’s has with its customers: “When you call, you talk directly to the boss. Anyone else I have spoken with there is also very helpful and knowledgeable. You just don’t get that type of attention with the bigger companies.”

            Steve makes sure that every phase of his job is handled by the most qualified professionals, and the trucking of his lumber is no exception.  Richard McLucas, of McLucas Trucking has worked with Steve for nearly twenty years and has built a company with a reputation for providing some of the most efficient service in the region. Much of Steve’s success is derived from a model of consistency. Over the years, he has been able to find companies he can always rely on. Tigercat seems to be another piece of this puzzle. “In this industry the people and the equipment you work with matter as much as the jobs they’re doing. Reliability is everything.”

            With top notch service, equipment and over three decades of experience, Steve is able to do immense amounts of work independently. He makes selective cuts when he is logging, primarily taking down trees that were damaged from the devastating ice storm of 1998. Over the course of a year Steve estimates that he cuts 4,000 cords of firewood, 3,000 cords of pulpwood and around a million board feet of saw logs. Aside from his work for the Ossipee Mountain Land Company, Steve buys and develops land to sell in Colebrook, New Hampshire. Even in a troubled economy, the quality and efficiency of his work has made this a profitable venture.

            Logging is a profession that depends almost entirely on expensive machinery, and reliability is perhaps the greatest characteristic of Tigercat products. Most of Steve’s work is conducted miles into the wilderness and inconsistent equipment is a liability he cannot afford. With Tigercat, Steve has found forestry equipment that he can truly depend on. The unprecedented quality and comfort of Tigercat machinery has set a new standard within the logging industry. Tigercat has made the dangerous and difficult work performed by loggers like Steve Baillargeon a less stressful and more efficient endeavor.

            “I have been in this business for over thirty years and have never used machinery that has impressed me so much. There are plenty of things to worry about when you’re cutting trees, and for the first time in my career, my equipment is not one of them.”