ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A section of Oneida Street was closed Thursday morning to accommodate the large equipment.
It’s all part of the 78th Annual Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo.
“We actually had a 10 year wait from coming back to Green Bay, because we didn’t have a place to go. We used to use all of Lambeau parking lot and as it kept getting built out onto the parking lot, we just ran out of room,” said Henry Schienebeck, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association executive director.
When it comes to hosting the three-day event, Schienebeck says there really is no place like home.
“Now, with this beautiful Resch Expo, we have room,” he said.
Schienebeck says about 250 exhibitors fill the complex.
“This is a processing head. It feeds the tree through, saws it off on the top, saws it off on the bottom, and cuts it to length,” said Mike Skubal, CrossTrac Equipment dealer.
Skubal demonstrated some of the latest equipment. He says some of the high-tech logging machines can cost up to $900,000.
“It’s a pretty tight economy. The wood markets and the economy’s been slow actually for the last few years, probably 4-5 years, it’s been pretty slow. A lot of the customers that were in it, if they were not very established, probably aren’t in it anymore. But the bigger companies are still needing to upgrade, and buy equipment. So there’s been some moving,” he said.
Back on Oneida Street, a forwarder is getting ready for a demonstration and competition.
“If you like trees, this is the place for you to come and be,” said Schienebeck.
Schienebeck says it’s part of the big picture he calls sustainable forest management.
“Healthy forests. Wildlife habitat. Water quality. Air quality. Recreational trails. It’s everything that everybody loves. So, it’s not our job to go out and run out of trees. And we’re going to make sure that never happens,” he said.
The Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo wraps up Saturday. Next year’s event is scheduled to be held in Escanaba, Michigan.
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