Pineland Contracting is getting out of the harvesting business but that doesn’t mean owner Rene Blanchette is walking away from forestry. Rene will be selling over 100 assets in the upcoming Timmins, Ontario auction on October 18.
Rene has four decades of experience in the forestry industry, including 10 years as Pineland Contracting, so pivoting from part of the industry to another is nothing new for him.
“I’m always doing something with forestry,” said Rene, “one way or the other. I started with lumber, then went to hauling chips and logs, and now I’m back on chips only.”
Rene, who will continue to run Pineland for its woodchips business, started the company cutting 150,000 metres of wood. Now, as he exits the lumber side, he’s cutting up to 250,000 metres.
Among the highlights in Pineland’s fleet that will be selling October 18 is a 2022 Tigercat H855E processor and a pair of 2022 Ponsse Elephant King 8×8 Log Forwarders.
In-house maintenance program
Maintaining his equipment was a top priority, which is why he has onsite mechanics and almost all work done at his extensive facility, a 6,400 sq-ft full-service shop located in Timmins.
“Everything was done ourselves except for engines” said Rene. “All day-to-day repairs and servicing, oil changes and fuel and lube, was done here by Pineland with service mechanics in the bush.”
Having a home base repair shop proved beneficial considering the remote location of Rene’s business. It was also one of the determining reasons why Rene chose to sell with Ritchie Bros.: being able to sell from his location, and not transport assets to the Ritchie Bros. Toronto facility, will be cost-efficient.
“Having the auction here in Timmins is saving me a lot of money on transportation,” said Rene “There is also a big convenience factor. If I had to bring over 100 assets to Toronto … time is also a big factor.”
Rene says he also liked the efficiency and certainty of having everything sold and done in one day.
“I could try to sell all that by myself, but it might take two years,” he said. “I don’t have time for that. When you want to be out of business because you have another opportunity somewhere else, you want your money and, you know, walk away from it.”