Watch a video of the LogMax 10000XT operated by Josh Petersen on site.

To hear him tell it, the logging company Brian Petersen started with his brother Rob, in McMinnville, Oregon in 1990, just sort of grew. But when you read between his modest words, a solid business strategy emerges.

Petersen Logging's success is based on enduring relationships - not just with family but with customers and suppliers - the right equipment for the job, high operating standards, and taking advantage of opportunities that come along. MBAs, take note. 

“We started out pretty small just doing private timber tracts around the area,” says Brian, admitting he doesn’t remember the exact timetable of the company’s evolution. “It was basically just ground-based stuff with a CAT skidder. We were having a hard time keeping busy in the winter months and there were a few private timber owners in the area that had some ground we could work on if we had a yarder. So we went out and bought one and had a small crew we scabbed together and did that for a couple of years.” 

From there, they landed a contract with Ferris Lumber Company, a mill in the area. “We had hired some help by then,” Brian says, “probably 3 or 4 other guys at that time to run the yarder side, and my two boys were helping us in the summertime. Around the year 2000, we had an opportunity to bid on some units for Willamette Industries and we actually got those. We still had our contract with Ferris so we had to go out and buy another yarder, so we had two yarder sides going. Rob took one and I took the other. By then my oldest son, Joshua, was working fulltime and my youngest son, Jason, part time in the summer.” 

Both sons work full time for the company now. Brian’s wife Nicki and Rob’s wife Kelly have their own fulltime jobs but do some of the bookkeeping and office work, and Brian’s daughter Jamie also helps out. But the company provides jobs for more than just the family. What’s the full employee roster?

“I just wrote out the payroll and it’s 19 checks,” says Brian. 

Even though the name has changed, Petersen Logging has maintained a good relationship with their main customer. “Over the years Weyerhaeuser bought out Willamette and all our operations are with Weyerhaeuser now,” Brian explains. “They’ve been really good to us, kept us busy. They were good to us when the fuel prices were high and gave us a little extra to compensate. They’re a pretty good outfit to work for. Their number one priority is safety so you do a lot extra for them but I don’t mind because it keeps the crew safe. We also have to be OPL (Oregon Professional Logger) certified and go to a minimum of 10 hours of classes per year to keep our certification up.”