Most days, Anthony Wender of Iron Mountain, Michigan is awake and on the job before the sun rises and doesn’t make it back home until well after dark. That’s the reality of the logging industry. It takes hard work and determination to harvest timber. 

Anthony knew that going in, though; it is in his blood. His grandfather started logging after serving in the United States military in Korea. His grandfather then passed down that passion to his two sons, who continued the family-owned logging company. 

Anthony worked for his father and uncle’s logging company as a piece cutter until 2018. He then branched out on his own and started piece cutting for another company, and eventually started harvesting lumber for that company in 2021. That’s when he began working with GreenStone to secure a loan to get his hands on his own harvester.

“You grow up around it and it becomes familiar, and you grow to love it and it honestly doesn’t even feel like work,” said Anthony. “It’s a passion.” 

He met with Cameron Rowe, a financial services officer at GreenStone who specializes in timber. Cameron was excited to work with Anthony because he knows just how important recruiting a new generation of loggers is.

“We have a lot of tools available, especially for young people, and we’re eager to work with them because we know we need to help get young blood into the pipeline.”

That toolbox is a part of GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth program. GreenStone’s financial service officers have a variety of options to help young, beginning and small farmers and timbermen. Solutions may entail partnering with the Farm Service Agency or utilizing GreenStone’s exclusive financing options and expanded resources to help secure long-term fixed interest rates and reduce down payments for new and upcoming farmers and loggers.

Anthony was able to take advantage of these benefits to secure his equipment loan.

“It was just a simple phone call, and they helped me with the rest,” said Anthony. “Working with Cameron has been a positive experience!”

Once the deal was done, Anthony hit the ground running, sometimes working seven days a week on logging jobs in Michigan’s upper peninsula and northeast Wisconsin.

“I’m contracted to show up and harvest the timber,” said Anthony. “It’s a simple idea.”

A simple idea for a guy working hard to make sure he has secured enough work to keep doing what he was born to do.

“Up here, it’s all about how much contract you can get with the mill,” said Anthony. “Right now, business is booming and I definitely won’t be looking for new work any time soon.”

And he’s already looking to the future. 

“I was just kicking around the idea of getting another harvester,” said Anthony. “There’s a lot of capital up here.” 

When he does decide to take that leap, GreenStone will be here to help him every step of the way, from business planning to financial solutions.

“We have seen him grow as an employee with a chainsaw to now a harvester and we can’t wait to see what he does next,” said Cameron.

 
To view the article in the online 2023 Winter Partners Magazine, click here.