Stronger Together

Logger John Keith fights the good fight

5 MIN READ

Make a difference. That's John Keith's mindset when he begins each day. He's not trying to change the world. He wants to make life a little easier for the people in his corner of northern Louisiana. But he can make a broader impact when working with others who share the same vision.

Loggers are important in helping meet the world's increasing need for shelter, infrastructure, and fuel. To do so, they endure constant challenges, including unpredictable weather, tough terrain, constantly changing market conditions, and manpower shortages.

In the face of adversity, loggers roll up their sleeves and persevere. But they love what they do. It's in their blood, they will tell you.

John Keith, owner of Allstate Land and Timber, Haughton, Louisiana, is forever the optimist. "I always try to look at the glass as being half full instead of half empty," he says. "I believe that with the Lord's help, things are going to get better soon because they always do. The pendulum always swings the other way."

Times have been tough for loggers in northern Louisiana recently; with the closing of the International Paper mill in Campti, prices and demand are down. But there are signs the pendulum may indeed be swinging the other way. In the past few months, new mills have sprung up in the area to feed the growing demand for building materials.

AMOR FATI

No matter what the day brings, loggers throw on their hard hats and head into the woods. The ancient Stoics had a term for this: "amor fati," Latin for "love of one's fate." Accept whatever happens, no matter how difficult, because everything happens for a reason.

"As loggers, we have to be optimists," says Johnny Keith, John's son and job foreman at Allstate Land and Timber. "Because when you look around, you see a lot of negative. But I love the machines. I love the smell of the chips when we are running the chipper. And I've made some of my best friends in the woods. I love logging, I really do."

He and his father have always been guided by a strong faith and supported by their close-knit family. They are grateful for their many blessings.

"Where much is given, much is required," John says. "That's my philosophy anyway. When we can have an impact on something, we need to give back." The family has been very active in the Log a Load for Kids program , helping to raise thousands of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.®

CAN'T DO IT ALONE

Allstate Land and Timber has always adapted to changing market conditions and technology to maximize productivity and efficiency. "Over the last 40 years since my father started, everything has changed, from the equipment to the wood we cut to the process," says Johnny Keith. "Our operation is fully mechanized now. The machines are bigger and more productive than ever, and in this business, money is tight, so volume is a big deal."

The company has been running John Deere equipment for over a decade. Each of the company's three crews runs the same combination of machines, which include 848L-II Grapple Skidders, 843L-II Wheeled Feller Bunchers, and 437E Knuckleboom Loaders. "It's been productive and reliable equipment," says owner John Keith.

He and his son Johnny recently attended a John Deere Customer Advocate Group meeting to provide feedback and input on future Deere forestry machines. "I've been impressed with how Deere keeps upgrading the machines and staying up with technology," says John.

Johnny is impressed by how easy the machines make it to diagnose issues. Enabled through JDLink™ connectivity, John Deere Connected Support™ provides important data and diagnostic codes to the Keiths and their local John Deere dealership, Doggett Machinery. "I can call them with the code, and they can help resolve the issue on the phone or bring out the right part the first time without an extra trip," says Johnny. "It's really helped reduce downtime and costs."

Doggett has proven again and again that they are there to help Allstate Land and Timber minimize downtime. "No other dealer has done what they have done for us," says Johnny. "They've been vital to our success."

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

As president of the Louisiana Logging Council for the last three years and a member for 13 years, John knows he can't do it alone. He's learned the importance of getting involved: "If we don't advocate for ourselves, nothing will ever change. When loggers come together, we have a stronger voice to articulate our concerns."

Every year he travels to Washington, D.C., and works with the American Loggers Council to raise awareness of logging issues. "We deal with many issues at our local and state levels, including permitting and problems with trucking insurance," he explains. "We set up meetings with legislators to tell them what we need in Louisiana and all over the country."

FIVE GENERATIONS OF GRIT AND DETERMINATION

John's grandson and Johnny's son Christian Keith, who runs a skidder for the company, represents the fifth generation of Keith loggers. John's grandfather cut short wood back in the 1940s and '50s. "He logged the old-fashioned way, hand-felling and skidding with a mule and chain," he recalls. "My father was a railroad man, so I got my start cutting tracts of timber with a chain saw and a cable skidder for my uncle Bo, who operated nine short-wood yards."

John was in business for himself for ten years before he started Allstate Land and Timber with his brother in 1992. "We began buying our own timber and getting our own contracts with the mill," he recalls. "We established a name for ourselves by becoming one of the few operations in our area that does clean chipping."

John set a good example for his son and grandson. "My father taught me everything I know out here," says Johnny. "But more than that he taught me how to be a good, honest man. He is the best man I know."

"It's special to be able to work with my dad and grandfather, two of the most important people in the world to me," adds Christian. "They taught me never to get too comfortable and to keep working. I like being out here early and leaving late. I love everything about logging."

MAKING AN IMPACT

Young men like Christian who are passionate about the industry are difficult to find outside of logging families. "Every now and then we discover someone really good," says John. "We try to give people a shot, train them, and hope they might stay with us a while."

"We all want to make an impact on the people around us," adds Johnny. "I think the biggest impact we can make is sharing what we know, not just about work, but how we handle things and who we turn to when there's a problem."

Ultimately, it comes down to how you treat people. The first person John hired still works for the company, which says a lot. Today, he has a core group that has been with him for years.

"Those guys are my backbone," he says. "I'm proud of the people I have working for me. They're good, hardworking people supporting their families. To see how far they've come and how they've bettered themselves is such a blessing."

Allstate Land and Timber Co., Inc. is serviced by Doggett Machinery, Shreveport, Louisiana.

A forestry operator climbs into a John Deere 843L-II Wheeled Feller Buncher equipped with a FD55 Felling Head.
A John Deere 437E Knuckleboom Loader feeding trees into a cut-to-length machine with a log grapple.