16 | DKM Logging is consistently busy DKM Logging business owners, Darrin and Kristyn. Kim Boswell A Canterbury logging company is gaining a reputation for its meticulous approach to harvesting. Darrin and Kristyn Musson are owner-operators of DKM Logging alongside business partner Tom Murray, a former employer of Darrin’s. The husband-and-wife team bought into the company in the winter of 2021, and it was something of a baptism of fire, Darrin recalls. “We started off in the worst time ever – there was Covid, and then the biggest downturn in forestry in the last couple of years. “But we managed to struggle through.” Darrin says he felt a responsibility over that time to keep his three employees in work, and he did so largely thanks to word-of-mouth marketing after each job well done and Kristyn’s strong social media game. An unlucky weather event for the region also proved lucky for Darrin and Kristyn. “Big winds hit Canterbury, and all of a sudden we had jobs everywhere locally,” Kristyn says. “We went from shelter belt to shelter belt, from one farm to the next. We were so flat tack doing these smaller jobs, and it was great to be helping out our community in a time of need.” Now, four years on, DKM is consistently busy, contracted to national forestry management company, Forest360. “We are really thankful that we have a top management team, overseeing operations to a high level of excellence, with best practice forest management systems in place,” Darrin says. It means the crew are heading to farm forestry blocks in diverse locations rather than working on bigger-scale, commercial blocks. Darrin is very particular about the way he leaves properties for clients, making sure everything is left to high standards, which aligns with Forest360’s environmental practices and procedures, making the decision to work alongside them an easy one. A former foreman with Hurunui Logging, Darrin says his approach to work comes from decades of visiting skid sites. “I’ve learned over the years what not to do and how to keep things tidy. Pretty much, I treat it (a worksite) as I would my own land, when I’m working on it.” DKM Logging runs a mechanised ground logging operation. “The only trees that are manually felled are the difficult, big trees that won’t fit in the machine,” Darrin says. “Thankfully, we have experienced guys with years of chainsaw skills and knowledge.” Darrin describes members of his crew as “old-school bushmen”, who have been in the game for a while. FORESTRY » DKM Logging “They’ve got that old-school work ethic, and we keep everyone upskilled with ongoing training and health and safety practices. “They are a credit to the company with their high skill set and years of experience.” Darrin’s grown up in the industry. His dad drove logging trucks, as did his father before him. It’s how Darrin started out too. There’s still one Musson behind the wheel – Darrin’s brother owns Musson Logistics Transport, which carts the majority of logs for DKM Logging. The pair meet up on skid sites, often with a nephew or cousin in the mix as well. Darrin and Kristyn reckon it is an exciting time to be working in the industry, and with the right policy settings they see potential for timber to be better used in-country for biofuel production. “It means that the wood products throughout New Zealand are biodegradable, reusable and recyclable, so it’s going to be more sustainable,” Kristyn says. “That’s something that’s massive to us. We’re parents, we’ve got kids, and that makes you think of things a little differently. We think of the future, and also the future of the logging industry.” Proudly independent and backed by over 30 years experience in all areas of forest advisory work and management. ONLY THE BEST FOR YOUR FORESTRY MANAGEMENT 0800 366 700 www.forest360.co.nz G R OW I N G Y OU R F U T U R E FOREST Health & Safety Made Easy Forestsafe Health & Safety, created by our family for yours, simplifies health and safety for forestry contractors. Designed to streamline and store essential safety content, it helps reduce paperwork overload. Trusted by over 150 businesses nationwide, Forestsafe is available as a digital app or hard copy folder system, offering a solution for every contractor. Contact Neil & Jackie Thomas E jackie@forestsafe.co.nz W forestsafe.co.nz C 027 489 0611 Proudly supporting DKM Logging
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=