Castlegar News 1989 Review, April 16, 1989 ~In-1971,~the- company—was relocated to its present premises on Vernon Street and was renamed Kootenay Tractorand Supply td. Gradually, Kootenay Tractor ex panded its inventory of industrial sup- A H; ‘FRITZ’ FARENHOLTZ _.+.€0-founder equipment for industry or the homeowner. The company also features an up-to-date small-engine maintenance shop with full-time mechanics on staff During the early 1980s, Kootenay Tractor became heavily involved in the silviculture aspect of the forest. in- dustry. In addition to a special six-way hydraulic angle/tilt blade for site preparation, Kootenay Tractor developed other experimental prototype machinery, including a cab- mounted brush cutter, a rear-mounted rake, and fire suppression equipment, all mounted on the FMC (now KMC) tracked skidder In June of 1983, Wayne Farenholtz purchased complete ownership of Kootenay Tractor, becoming the president and general manager of the firm. Five years later, A fulb deh been nicknamed, now uses all 24,000 square feet of available space for sales aaa 2-i North American rights to manufacture and market the tracked skidder, and the able to acquire the distributorship for FMC Woodlands Equipment for southeastern British Columbia Later; this area was expanded to include the whole of the province, and so Kootrac opened up service and parts depots in Prince George, Kamloops, and Cam pbell River “‘Kootrac,”” as the company has over $500,000 worth of supply-line items to service the markets of the West-Kootenay, making it-one of the largest distributors in the Southern In terior for logging, mining, industrial and homeowner equipment and sup- plies Kootrac also operates a complete rental department for small and large Idwide sights 4 ly-part and service for these machines. * Today, 35 years after its inception, Kootenay Tractor has grown to become one of Nelson’s major businesses. It employs 40 people, and boasts perhaps the largest collective group of service experience available on the KMC tracked skidders — close to 50 years. PART OF THE TEAM. .. Kootrac’s service crew has helped the company grow into one of the major businesses in Nelson. KMC embarks on marketing program Kootenay Manufacturing Co., a division of Kootenay Tractor & Supply Ltd., has embarked on an aggressive marketing) program to. promote worldwide ‘sales of its KMC High Speed Steel Track Skidder The skidder, which is used in the logging industry to harvest felled trees, has several significant differences from other logging skidders. Its balan ced weight distribution means im proved traction and lower ground pressure particularly important features Yn environmentally sensitive areas. Its flexible undercarriage per- mits higher speed and its high speed steel track gives the machine greater agility, reduced shock loads, and the ability to work on steep, swampy or rugged terrain Those features, along with KMC’s 50 years of accumulated skidder know how, will be the backbone of the message that will go out to loggers around the world by way of direct-mail information packages, trade show exhibits, and media advertising in in dustry publications. Wayne Farenholtz, president and general manager of Kootrac, recently outlined the goals of the KMC Phase ILI marketing project “Right now we have I'S active North American distributors and 10 inter national distributors. We want to work with these people, bring them up to speed on the improvements we've made to the skidder, and help them meet specific sales targets over the next few years, ** Parenhottz said: “We're developing technical infor mation like sales, service, and parts manuals and we're putting together HARD ATWORK. heavy duty mechanic is just one of Kootenay 's many h who are helping the ig C company embark on an ambitious marketing program for its High Speed Steel Track Skidder. product brochures and advertisements as needed. We've already started looking for a marketing manager with industry experience, and I hope to have that position filled in the next couple of months.”” Farenholtz has been doing a little marketing of his own recently, selling the merits of his plans to investors like KREDA and the Western Diver sification Plan. He points out that what benefits KMC also benefits the Kootenays — up to 26 direct jobs will be created in the first year of operation, rising to almost 60 by year five. On-the-job trajning will be available for employees laid of f from other focal industries, for young entry-level workers, and for women looking for non-traditional occupations. The non: resource-based industry provides div ersification for the local economy, and will cfeate a larger tax base for the area. In fact; the benefits extend beyond the Kootenays, to the entire province of B.C. The project eliminates the im portation of equipment into the province and establishes a strong ex port opportunity instead. Millions of dollars worth of goods will be pur chased from regional and Western Canadian suppliers, and the forest in- dustry will have local access to specialized logging equipment It’s an ambitious project, but one which will bring technology, capital, anda higher national and international profileto—the-Kootenays- Phe first locally manufactured KMC tracked skidder is scheduled to roll by June 30, 1989. . apiece of equipment. ed. yee. PRECISION... Wayne Chanasyk of Kootenay Tractor shows his skillful touch whik Castlegar News 1989 Review, April 16, 1989 worth in Jamai: KMC PICKS UP THE BLOW-DOWN... > Last fall, Hurricane Gilbert severely damaged large areas of the caribaea pine forest pldntations in Jamaica The extent of the damage, and the steepness of the terra to be more than existing crews and machinery could handle. Rapid deterioration of the affected tim: ber, and the subsequent threat to the watershed, demanded quick ac tion in the harvesting of fallen trees. Forest Industries Development Company Ltd. (FIDCO), a public enterprise under the Jamaican Ministry of Finance, was given responsibility for the timber salvage program. The government of Jamaica, sponsored by the United Nations Development Program, provided funding for additional equipment and technical assistance, and ap prached Kootrac for help. They requested a KMC tracked skidder, and an experienced skidder operator to conduct timber salvage, train_local-operators-on the KMC, and advise FIDCO staff on maintenance and repair proved Kootenay Manufacturing Co.’s tracked skidder provedits ilbert which blew down large areas of pine forest. The KMC handled the rugged terrain and helped the clean-up. Skidder helps Jamaican clean-up procedures. Grant MacNeill of Cranbrook with his mechanical expertise and four years of experience operating the KMC was the logical choice His first priority upon arriving in Jamaica aj the beginning of January was to locate sites which would be suitable for the skidder Since much of the terrain was 80-90 per cent slope, “steep as a cow’s face,"’ according to MacNeill, this required careful judgment With sites selected, the salvage began and, apart from a short break during election violence work continued from dawn to dusk, six days a week Several major differences bet wen Canadian and Jamaican logging practices immediately became evident to MacNeill. Since the island only began logging as an industry in 1980, its labor force is relatively inexperienced. Working methods are less productive and Safety precautions are casual. Add to this the daily temperatures of 80°-90°F, and the resulting pace of Work was ‘‘pretty much a plod,"* says MacNeill. Even more remarkable, however, were the differences in pay and benefits between the two countries. “Loggers here have a fairly good standard of living,”’ he points out, “but in Jamaica they're the worst paid workers inthe country.”” A logger there earns $50 Jamaican a day — roughly $11 Canadian —and-the-suppties-his own chainsaw and chains. While wages are low, prices are not. The small island imports most goods, and costs soar accordingly. A box of cereal might cost twice what it costs here; a chainsaw might be three times the Canadian price During his stay, MacNeill trained a local worker to operate the tracked skidder, and work is still progressing now that he has returned to Canada. And while he enjoyed his stay in Jamaica, and the friendly people he met and worked with, MacNeill doesn’t sound unhappy to be home. ““ttenew + -had-it-good here before I left but that was a real learning experience!" KOOTENAY TRACTOR & SUPPLY LTD. three divisions, one vision. For the finest machinery, parts, supplies and ser- vice, there’s only one place to go: Kootenay Tractor & Supply Ltd. in Nelson. Drop by our Vernon Street service what we sell, store, or visit us at-our new facilities on the water- front. We’ll also have a booth at the West Kootenay Trade Fair in Castlegar, April 28-30. See you there! Supply Division Whether you’re ahomeowner tending your lawn and garden'or a worker in heavy industry, we have the equipment you need todo the job well! Our inventory includes lawn mowers and garden tillers, first aid supplies, treeplanting gear, chainsaws and logging equipment, and mining and welding supplies. We and offer a large selection of rental equipment. “We try to stock the extra little tools and. Tractor Division Fast and dependable: that’s our promise to you. Parts and service for all makes of skidder are now available at ourlakeside facility. Five service bays and our highly skilled mechanics mean you’re up supplies that people need in the course ofa day, as wellas the big essentials... andifwe don'tcarry ithere, we'll finditforyou!” Barry Anderson Manager, Supply Division andrunninginnotime. “Sure, we're. the bestin the business at servicing KMC tracked skidders, but the fact is we can handle any make of skidder. We've got the parts and the know-how right here onthe premises.” John Bater Parts and Service Manager, Tractor Division Kootenay Tractor & Supply Ltd. 323 Vernon Street Nelson, B.C. ViL4E3 KOOTRAC «mc)— KMS WooDLANDS EQUIPMENT Get your logging operation back on track, with a KMC tracked skidder. Our exclusive High Speed Steel Track (HSST), huge payloads, and: environ- mentally sensitive design make this a productive and cost-effective machine. KMC has distributors around the world, and is particularly strong in North America, Indonesia, Malaysia and South America. “We feel the KMC skidderis amachine whose time has come...and the response we're etting from our customers means they think rived 0100. It Wayne Farenholtz * President and General Manager, Kootenay Tractor & Supply Ltd. Supply Division Tractor Div Manufacturing Division ‘ : : Fa . (604) 352-5303 x (604) 352-5302 (604) 352-5301 (604) 352-5300