Nearly 50 years ago, Don Falleur started in the logging industry as a tree planter with a large logging company. As he worked his way up the company ladder, he always kept in mind his desire to own his own business. 

"I became a choke setter and eventually took over an outfit from the company on a percentage basis," recalled Falleur, who, along with his son, Mike, runs F&B Logging. "I bought it out in 1963 and started on my own and I'm still at it today."

In the beginning Falleur didn't go it alone. He partnered with Bill Bergerson - hence the name F&B - to found the Warrenton-based company. Bergerson left the business in the early stages of its development, but Falleur carried on, running the company by himself until Mike was old enough to join the business full time in the 1980s. Mike worked summers and weekends for his dad during his school years.

"Bill and I started by thinning for a lumber company, and it was basically just the two of us," Don explained. "That was the focus of the business for about 10 years. We cut the timber by hand and skidded it out to the right-of-way for the lumber company to haul away. As logging has progressed, so have we. We've adapted to meet the new methods that have come along, and the business has grown."

 

F&B Logging now employs nearly 20 people who are split between a shovel-logging side and a yarder side. During its 10- to 12-hour days, the company averages several dozen truckloads of timber, which is hauled to two Weyerhauser yards in Oregon.

"All our work is for Weyerhauser," said Mike. "We've worked with them, or companies that they've bought out, for as long as I can remember. I think that's a testament to our service and quality of work. They wouldn't continue to use us if we weren't doing a good job.

"We work with them to make sure everything is done as efficiently as possible," he continued. "When they tell us they have a job for us, I walk the site and check it thoroughly to look for the best possible method of harvesting the timber. Then we talk about the price. We believe they appreciate that because we're doing it in a way that's beneficial to both of us."

The Falleurs credit F&B Logging's experienced staff for the long-term success it's experienced. Many team members have been with F&B a decade or more, including Supervisor Pat Nolan and Operator Dave Benson.

"Everyone who works with us is key to the operation," Don pointed out. "You can't survive in this business without good people, and we've assembled a good group of individuals who work hard and are focused on making sure all our wood is quality."