Georgia and Florida Logging Businesses Persevere Through Pandemic, Rising Costs, and Uncertainty

Abstract

Logging businesses in Georgia and Florida combine to harvest approximately 66 million tons of timber annually, more than 10% of the US total. Since 1987, the University of Georgia has surveyed Georgia logging business owners every 5 years. Florida logging businesses were included in 2022 to gain a better understanding of logging businesses in the region. During the first quarter of 2022, questionnaires were mailed to 503 and 132 logging businesses in Georgia and Florida, respectively. Adjusted response rates were 22% in Georgia and 25% in Florida. Logging businesses produced an average of 1,956 and 2,619 tons per week in Georgia and Florida, respectively. The median owner age was approximately 56 years in Georgia and 58 years in Florida. Nearly 40% of owners were over 60 years old in both states. More than 30% of loggers in both states expected to leave the industry within 5 years. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on logging businesses, with over 80% of logging business owners reporting reduced production, employees becoming infected, and/or difficulty finding employees. Logging business owners identified fuel, labor, trucking, and insurance as their greatest challenges in 2022. Study Implications: Rising costs, turbulent markets, and shortages of labor are stressing many logging businesses. In the short term, adjustments to logging rates are needed to respond to increased input costs. In the long term, individual logging businesses, loggers’ associations, and the forest industry should collaborate to increase the pool of qualified labor, address trucking and insurance challenges, and create succession plans for logging business owners that plan to leave the industry.