Kent Perreault poses with his award at the 2023 Certified Professional Logging Banquet
By Hope E. Light
The Certified Logging Professional (CLP) of the Year award winner for 2023 in the Mechanical logger category is Kent Perreault of New Canada, Maine. Mechanical Logger of the Year Kent has been in the CLP program since 1996, but he’s had a passion for the profession since he could walk, crying when he was little because he wanted to join his father, who was also a logger, on the job. His father insisted he stay in school, telling him he’d pay his way through college, but Kent always knew that what he wanted to do was log.
Kent comes from a long line of loggers in Maine. Both of his grandfathers owned their own logging companies. When he was still in high school, one of them asked Kent and his brothers to go to work for him in the woods, and Kent jumped at the opportunity. Initially, he helped the cook and painted the floors, cleaned the camps, and made runs for parts. After graduating high school, he went on to work machines for his father. Logging is genuinely a family legacy for Kent. His mother, Gene, worked as the clerk for his father’s logging company and was recognized by the Maine Literary Society for a book she wrote about logging, Memories Grow on Trees/ L’arbre des Memoires, published in 1986.
“I go to work every day, and I’m happy. I work with a group of nice people; It’s encouraging when you go to work and you’re happy.” Kent told Maine TREE
“Safety first, and integrity at the yard, where most of the actions and visuals are taking place. But I noticed Kent communicates in a way that is so important in safe operations where things are happening at a fast pace when I visited the TNT Road Company’s Logging operations in T19 R11 this summer for an inspection. Kent was able to articulate the situation on the ground so I could conduct my field inspection in a safe and professional manner. I have visited his employer’s operations numerous times in the past eight years and have always seen Kent as a selfless team player that makes the operations go smoothly.” Said Randy Lagasse, District Forester with Maine Forest Service, when he nominated Kent for the Mechanical Logger of the Year award.
Kent said he’d known Randy for years, and whenever Randy checked on his jobs, he always liked them but that Randy had never mentioned his intention to nominate him, leaving Kent completely surprised by the award.
His employer and supervisor echo the attributes that inspired Randy to nominate Kent. ” Kent is a perfect example of what an operator needs to be. He plans his day ahead of time, takes care of his equipment, and is very proactive in having a plan to harvest the wood lot. No matter what machine he operates, he knows the machine’s capabilities and also knows what needs to be done to keep the machine working every day as well as the crew. He has the ability to see ahead and set up the job so everyone else behind him doesn’t struggle to complete their tasks. We have a lot of pride as a company having Kent on our team. He definitely defines what it takes to be “logger of the year.” said Steve Theriault, Owner of TNT, noting that Kent had been with the company since 2013.
Kent’s supervisor, Glenn Collin told us that “Kent is always thinking ahead. He is always prompt on the job and starts early to make sure that when his drivers show up, they are going to have their loads ready. Kent takes pride in any machine he operates and is proactive with Steve and I on his maintenance, letting us know when something doesn’t look or sound right. Those characteristics are worth a lot to us and this company. His attitude and drive are what makes him a great asset to this family at TNT.”
Kent’s typical day starts when some of us are just falling asleep, hitting the road around midnight he heads to his worksite where he is currently operating a grinder, creating biomass for the mills. He explained that the trucks he fills with biomass are compensated by the load, always thinking about how he can help the folks he works with; he added that “ (…) the faster they can get their load to the mills, the more money they can make. I’m really looking out for those guys so they can make their money; when big storms come, I’ll go up earlier before the plows get out and plow the roads so the trucks don’t have a hard time. “
Kent explained some of the differences between conventional and mechanical logging and why he enjoys working as a mechanical logger. He noted that conventional loggers are more impacted by snow and other inclement weather, telling us that when the snow is deep, conventional loggers have to shovel around the tree they are cutting versus sitting in a cab and going up to a tree and pushing a button, saying “the machine cuts the tree, the snow doesn’t really bother (mechanical loggers).” Noting that, unlike conventional loggers who have to bundle up against the elements, mechanical loggers can just sit in their heated cab in a shirt.
Kent elaborated that the cab not only protects loggers from the elements but also protects them from falling limbs. Conventional loggers are more exposed, having to rely on their hard hats, and chaps to protect from injury. He also explained that the lights on machines help extend the working day, allowing some mechanical logging companies to work early morning or evening shifts in low light conditions that would be hazardous without the machines.
He went on to talk about how technology helps him and his coworkers deliver a pristine finished lot. “my company cuts a lot for private owners, and if they give us a lot to cut, they’ll tell us what they want, we’ll grind brush to create biomass for the mills, and we bring it to the road and cut it. Nothing stays in the woods. When we’re cutting the trails, we use GPS systems, and the trails are straight, without leaning trees; it looks more professional, the brush is cleared, the ditches stay clear, and it is better for the environment.”
Kent’s logging heritage has been at a time of remarkable innovations and improvements to safety in the industry. His ability to adjust to changing times has been his greatest asset, not only to him but to the next generation of loggers he oversees. Kent is a great citizen of his community, committed to upholding excellence in his work and supporting his coworkers and all whose work is impacted by his own. We invite our entire community to celebrate his commitment to excellence in his field.
