30 | Tokerau Forestry always re-investing Tokerau Forestry took up the challenge with a staff of six, and Kieston says it’s got a good two years of certain work ahead. Hugh de Lacy The ups and down of the global log market over the past few years haven’t deterred Kieston Repia and John Tapaatoutai from launching their company Tokerau Forestry at the beginning of the year to work in Northland’s Waitangi and other forests. It took a big capital investment to buy the one-gang business, based in Kerikeri, from an existing two-gang operation, Michelle and Nigel Harrison’s Wise On Wood company working out of Okaihau, but Kieston and John’s contract with the forest owner, China Forestry Group (CFG), and the Northland Forest Managers company have conquered that hurdle. “There have certainly been some scary moments in the forestry industry lately, but we’ve got a great relationship with CFG and Northland Forest Managers, and also with the local iwi, Ngati Kawa,” Kieston says “It’s strong enough that we feel secure in starting a process of upgrading our gear, buying in a new six-wheel-dive skidder that will cost somewhere between $700k and $900k. “We’ve already got an excellent inventory of machinery, including three grapple diggers, two felling machines, a processor, a skidder and a winch system – we’re just into harvesting the logs, not transporting them to the mill. “Nigel and Michelle gave us a great starting boost by financing the machines we bought from them, and then getting us in touch with finance broker Sean Dowling of Finance NZ.” Kieston and John’s opportunity arose out of the Harrisons wanting to reduce their own company from two gangs to one. Tokerau Forestry took up the challenge with a staff of six, and Kieston says it’s got a good two years of certain work ahead of it. “CFG and Northland Forest Managers have been great to work with and the outlook for Tokerau Forestry is very positive,” Kieston says. He and John got into the forestry industry by joining the Harrisons’ company fresh out of school, working for them for nearly a decade before launching their own company. “We’ve got very capable people working for us, and there’s a pool of friends and associates that we can call on to fill in as needed. Markets, especially of commodities like logs, need to be stable to encourage people to invest in them, but the log market’s wild swings are a big deterrent.” RURAL PEOPLE » Tokerau Forestry “The land we’re working on provides challenges in the form of wetland and archaeological sites that have to be carefully treated, and we’re very conscious of our responsibilities in that regard. “We see staff safety as paramount, with our job being to make sure that the industry’s parlous safety record of the past doesn’t extend to us,” Kieston says. “We’ve got very capable people working for us, and there’s a pool of friends and associates that we can call on to fill in as needed.” Kieston can’t see the global forestry market settling into a more predictable pattern because of Wise on Wood is Proud to support Tokerau Forestry To our dedicated Forest Owners, Management Companies, Local Sawmills, and the Locals who use our timber—thank you. Your commitment to responsible local forestry is the foundation of our work and the strength of our community. We are proud to partner with you. rising global tension, with wars and conflicts in the Middle East and Asia, though China continues to be the main market for New Zealand logs. “Markets, especially of commodities like logs, need to be stable to encourage people to invest in them, but the log market’s wild swings are a big deterrent. “CFG has gone from being an exporter to selling their own wood, so they have been affected by global markets but continue to push on,” Kieston says.
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