August 25, 2026
CLA Insights
A Monthly Message from the Executive Director
By Jonzi Guill, Executive Director, Carolina Loggers Association
To someone outside the wood products industry, forestry can look simple: plant trees, cut trees, move on. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Forestry is a continuous cycle of planting, managing, harvesting, and replanting. A well-managed pine plantation may be thinned several times before final harvest, allowing the strongest trees to grow while supplying timber for the products we use every day. After harvest, the land is prepared and replanted, and the cycle begins again.
Throughout that process, professional loggers and landowners follow sustainable practices designed to protect soil, streams, and water quality. North Carolina’s Best Management Practices guide everything from streamside management zones and forest roads to stream crossings. These practical steps help safeguard our natural resources. Harvesting is not the end of the forest. When done responsibly, it is simply one stage in the life of a healthy, productive working forest.
What is often overlooked, even within our own industry, is the network of relationships the Carolina Loggers Association maintains with other forestry and logging organizations across the Southeast. These include the Virginia Loggers Association, North Carolina Forestry Association, Louisiana Loggers Association & PAC, South Carolina Timber Producers Association, Southeastern Wood Producers Association, American Loggers Council, and many others.
As executive director, part of my job is to nurture those relationships, build new ones, and collaborate with people who share our commitment to this industry. When we work together, our individual voices become stronger. That strength helps us better represent the families and businesses that make their living from the woods.
The economic importance of forestry is hard to overstate. According to the latest figures from NC State Extension, North Carolina’s forest sector generated $25.4 billion in direct industry output in 2024. When broader economic effects are included, the sector contributed approximately $41.7 billion to the state’s economy, supported nearly 141,000 jobs, and generated almost $10 billion in labor income.
That total economic output rose 3.1 percent over 2023, even as the industry faced mill closures, uncertain markets, and a decline in employment. Forestry remains North Carolina’s second-largest manufacturing sector and a vital foundation for many rural communities.
Last week, I attended the Virginia Loggers Association’s 2026 Annual Meeting at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia. Ron Jenkins and the VLA team put together an outstanding conference that brought together logging professionals, association leaders, government officials, and industry experts to discuss timber markets, safety, regulations, economic conditions, and the future of our industry.
The CLA orchestrated the VLA’s annual live and silent auction at this year’s event to help them raise over $40,000 to benefit Log-A-Load for Kids. CLA Chairman Stacy Reel and Blaine Reese provided entertainment as the auctioneers, while CLA’s Joanne Reese kept up with the bidding tallies. The CLA takes great pride in working with the VLA for a great cause.
Among the speakers were Scott Dane, executive director of the American Loggers Council, and one of my dear friends, Toni McAllister, vice president of McManus Timber Company and executive director of the Louisiana Loggers Association. Their message was clear: loggers need to get involved and communicate with local, state, and federal leaders.
As Toni put it, “We need a seat at the table, not just on the menu.”
Meetings like the VLA conference, and our own CLA Annual Meeting earlier this year, bring together thought leaders, equipment manufacturers, timber buyers, insurance professionals, financial experts, and the people who work in the woods every day. These gatherings give us the chance to exchange information, strengthen existing relationships, and build new ones.
Our industry faces real challenges: mill closures, difficult markets, workforce shortages, rising costs, and regulatory pressures. It is through these partnerships that I can better understand what is happening across the region and more effectively represent the concerns and opportunities facing our members.
I want to thank everyone who attended the VLA Annual Meeting, along with the sponsors, speakers, and industry professionals who shared their knowledge. Their work helps keep all of us informed and focused on the future.
We have challenges ahead. But as the Carolina Loggers Association continues to grow, build partnerships, and stay engaged in the long-term future of sustainable forestry, we will keep supporting the businesses, families, and communities that depend on this industry.
When our associations work together, our voices grow stronger. When our voices grow stronger, our industry has a better chance of being heard, understood, and protected.
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